GroundZero

Seems to me that I paid about eight dollars for a nice comfy ride to 13 or 14 thousand in a sweet MI-8 at Stupino and Kolumno... (Russia, near Moscow) Chris but the price of everything else was even less... so I ate twice as much and drank vodka instead of beer... sacrifices had to be made...

hehehehe

hmmmm... Yea I believe you... too bad. Chris

I think the X-braced canopies are one of the best choices... Like all cross-braced canopies, my Xaos is a relatively low aspect ratio and is not very elliptical meaning very tame openings even at higher wingloadings. Almost 800 Bird-Man suit jumps ...all on cross-braced and not one cutaway... Chris (and ya can't beat 'em for landings!!!)

Sweet! Beezy, we need to get you into this shit... any details (don't name places) but... How high exit point, gear used etc... ?

I'll be there for sure! ScaryPerry, you better be there too... everybody better be there... this will be some primo flying people. Chris

hehehe

Not sure what it is... but in all of my jumps, from even the highest altitudes and lowest pulls, I've never broken 119 seconds... Classic, Skyflyer or even my new S3... Chris 5'9, 160 (nekkid)

Suh-weeeeeet... I needed another excuse to come see Jimmy and Marta... And meet you too, Clint! Chris Precision (Chuckie Blue... looks like a good road trip for us!)

same size..

After last year.... I'll never miss this boogie! Count me in!!! Chris

exactly... When we measured the Original Safire... we compared it to the existing canopies.... Thanks for your input... Precision and PD measure main canopies the same way. Chris

add groundzero to the list.... everyone needs to be at the Byron Boogie!

just found this post... The measuring of the Omega and Safire by Precision was done by Beezy Shaw and myself. This was done a few years before we hired Simon Mundell as "marketing", (note: Simon was never used in any technical capacity.) When we received the first patterns of the Omega, Jyro called the base pattern size a 125. Beezy took the completed canopy and physically layed it on top of a PD 7 cell and found that it was much larger than 120 something, in fact it was almost identical to the 135 size. We then called that base size a 135 when compared to all other similar PD canopies and our own. When we received the first Safire pattern, again Jyro's size 125, we compared it to the Sabre, Stilletto and our Monarch and Batwing... Again it was most definitely a 135. We then called all Safires of that size 135, whether built by Precision or New Zealand Aerosports (Jyro's mannufacturing). The sizing of the crossbraced canopies followed similar comparisons with existing canopies...i.e. the EXTreme FX and VX are correctly measured and sized. Comparing all those canopies to other manufactures meant apples/apples thinking. The real measuring snafu began with the Icarus Crossfire. A "marketing" decision was made to call the Crossfire something different. The actual measurement was about 10% larger than the stated measurement. Prove it to yourself by taking any Crossfire and lay it on a similar stated size, similar planform canopy. For instance, take a Crossfire 149 and lay it on top of a Stilletto 150 or a Nitron 150 (all elliptical canopies), you'll find that the Nitron and Stilletto are much the same span and chord. The Crossfire will be a bit larger. (I'm not sure what has happened to the measuring with the Omni and Safire2 as those were after my time with Icarus.) How does this support marketing? Imagine your first jump on a 150 sized canopy. Downsizing from the Blando 170 to a SomethingNew 150, you can land the SomethingNew 150 as easily as you did your old Blando 170. (As well you should, you just went from your 170 to something like a 167.) You would be thrilled with your skills with the new "Little" canopy and tell everyone how great it is... Pretty neat marketing, eh? At Precision, we have always produced main canopies that measure equivilently to other existing canopies. The statement that we ever measured differently is bullshit. Only did our new-hire marketing guy ever devise a measuring system that ever varied from the norm. Take all of the PD main canopies, all of the Precision mains...compare size for size and you'll see that we have always used the same thinking when measuring our main canopies. Now reserves... it gets confusing again... but that's another story and another thread... Chris Precision Aerodynamics chris@NOSPAMprecision.net

I would guess that we can count on Burner's balloon for jumps ... and his chicken perch is the BEST for wingsuit launches... YeHaaaaaa... (Remember to budget for a few balloon jumps!) Chris

NEGATIVE Registration went up $69.00 for every vendor who already paid $895.00 or more... if it happens again, most of us are in agreement, we go elsewhere. There are many other venues with 1000+ jumpers. I resisted responded in a public forum, but be sure to pass it on to Don and Bernice and the city. If this was 2000 jumpers I would suck it up, but it is not anymore. Chris Precision Aerodynamics $10 increase times 1000 jumpers = 10,000 bucks for those showers... I think not! Where am I going next year? (Not to mention the 69.00 increase for every vendor and aircrew member...should have included cleaning that gawd-awful nasty shower!)

PJ, It was indeed fun. The fun we all had over at our place was caused by the entire crowd...and you were definitely part of the cause... why do the Brandy's keep e-mailing for your contact info? Did I miss something? Chris The fun you take home will spread like wildfire in South Afrika... See you again soon!

I must say that this act was insane... (mutha fu#@ers beat me to it!) Kudos to a couple of guys who pulled it off successfully! And to everyone else who feels a need to condemn their actions... don't speak, but listen and learn from people who will drive this sport past the safety of your living room. I don't know Sluggo, but I know Mr. Bill very well. He measured the risks... (weather hold-perfect time...lighter winds, almost NO traffic-maybe 15 other canopies in the air...they were open higher and many of the other canopies already on the ground... if you were not there, quit playing armchair QB!) We advance this sport by exceding the norm. Someday I'll land without using my parachute too... I have no desire to debate this topic... those who understand my thoughts, know. Those who do not, never will. Full speed ahead my friends... God-speed! Chris

I'll be there... wouldn't miss it for anything! I'll have a nice stack of Precision demo canopies too... pm me for any specific size requests for demos... I'll have the usual assortment of Xaos 21 and 27, Nitrons and Fusions... Let me know what you'd like to jump! 2 weeks to go... Chris Precision

Hope you got some rest there... (and some good trinkets for your buddies at Rantoul!) See ya soon! Chris

No skydiving in Belize... Instead of packing gear there, just enjoy the Belekins. Lots of work to pull off jumping there and that would mean you'll miss what Belize is all about... and sorry to say, it ain't about jumping...yet. Chris

I read it exactly as you wrote it... To most of us it's a dream of accomplishing anything we chose to and we don't let hung zipper or some other serious malady stand in the way... I think the 9 way is already filled... ...but standby as we'll need others to fill slots on the bigger ways! Chris

For those who enjoy, we're not concerned about a simpler user interface. If you think it's difficult, perhaps you don't need to play. Remember... every wuffo could say that about skydivers challenging gravity with complicated things like... a ripcord! Bird-Man (I'm jaded by only one brand now...), or wingsuits, are the purest form of human flight available... seems to me that anyone that wishes, will. Chris

Shit... I was running from him as fast as he was running from me... and from the look on his face he was more skeered than me... (I was poker facin' the mutha fucker with shit in my diapers!) not a pretty sight at 10k over Florida, but I wish i had a camera!

BJ, I see it exactly as you describe... the others will soon. Chris manifest me and Perry for that airshow demo, I can think of a bunch that would love to do that today...