Zlew

naw. meant 29... hehe. it's all funny math to me i guess i jump a 18 cell....hehe. don't belive what they teach u in first jump course about how many cells are in a canopy. Its late... my brain is fried..... 27- 29....kinda the same right? Maybe they they will just round the numbers off.... Xaos 20 and 30.... hummm. i'm getting goofy...need sleep... night z

I hate to call BS on you man, but lots of thigns are way off here. The Excal was a canopy that was a Tri Cell (and could get it in the US). It wasn't ZP..wasn't eliptical and the VX is hardly a "rip off" of the excal... It was ahead of it's time, but PD stoped making it because (from my understanding) it had problems that ZP fabric and more stable lines (vectran/ some sepctre) would later solve. They said it couldn't be done... Icaurs started the EXtreme line, and once it became popular PD pulled out the patent and made them pay. you CAN"T compare a VX to and excal. That's like saying a Sabre is just like a Furry. After precision/icuaus took over the cutting edge with the FX, then PD played catch up and a few years later came out with the Velocity. 7 cell platform, tri cell X brace.... (can you say FX?). Yup, it's pretty much a copy of the FX with a few tweeks. (And yes, the Xaos is a FX copy too, but at lest precision will tell u they used what they learned making Fx's and VX's to design the Xaos line). Jumped both a lot, and was eually unimpressed. Face it, Aerodyne created the market for the ZP 7 cell, and PD played catch up to get in. They tweeked the design a little (with a slight taper) but it's basically the same beast. Low aspect ratio, zp seven cell. They are two differnt beasts. The velocity is on the 7 cell platform with the lower aspect ratio (same lines as a 7 cell...call it 21 sell if u want. but it's 7 sets of 3 cells.... just like the Tri. is 7 groups of 2 cells). The FX is 7 cell platform as is the Xaos 21. The Velocity was made to catch up with the FX, and looks like an FX (pretty much the same from the ground). The VX and Xaos 29 are on the 9 cell platform with the higher aspect ratio. The 9 cell X braced don't look anything like the more squatty 7 Cell X braced. I never said one is better than the other. I just said that PD isn't on the cutting edge anymore, but they are always playing catch up. All of their recent canopies have been in responce to markets created by OTHER canopy makers. YES, many of the canopies are great canopies and as good or better than the canopeis they were made to compete with. But PD USED to be the company on the edge that everyone else was trying to catch up to. Sabre... Industry standard for almost a decade. Clones include canopes by PISA (what is the hornets counterpart? Cobra?), Monarch, well, the list goes on to include pretty much every canopy maker out there. Same with teh Stiletto (Viper, heat wave, etc. etc. etc.). PD makes good stuff, but they have been way behind the edge. Aerodyne was sold and gutted, and is now run and party owned by 9 cell eliptical guys. with Ian and the Parachutes De Fance guy... it should be cool. Last I heard they are bringing out their new line at PIA. because LOTS of folks are buyin Xaos 29's and VX's, and as usual PD will probably want to try to stay competative in that market. People like the cutting edge more than they do 1996 technology. I don't want to get into the canopy vs. pilot argument,.... but I have a strong feeling that one day PD will try to play with the 29 cell market since they arelosing market share from what they have to offer. skies Z

27 cell X brace seems about right. Good old PD, in the last few years they have been about 2-3 years behind the cutting edge of the industry. Vengence came out a few years post Jedi Velocity came out 2-3 years post FX Sabre 2 came out 2 years or so after the Safire Specre came out about 1-2 after the Triathalon Shiloette cam out a few years after the Turbo ZX So by looking at the stars a 27 cell is about due. Don't get me wrong. I like PD products (only mains I"ve ever owen, currently have 2 of um) , but in the last several years they seem to have been playing more catch up than being the industry leader they used to be in the Sabre/Stiletto days. I hope Ian's company comes out with some new stuff to compete with PD. Could be very cool. Blue Track/ STiletto cross... yummy Z

pay attention to you how sit in your harness. At higher wing loadings on most elipticals it is REAL easy to turn just by leaning. In fact, i fly a lot of my pattern just by lifting one leg up a few inches. If you are just kind of hanging in the harness and not paying attention to how much weight you have on either legstarp, this can be a problem. Also, check your risers. They can streatch over time and one can get longer than the other and thus cause a turn. Have a rigger look at them if you dont know what you are looking for. hope this helps Z

I jump a PC5, but have it in a D box. Roll cages are great for most cameras that are top mounted. I uesd to have a PC100 with roll cage side mount. Sucked because you had to take the cage off of the helmet every time you watned to take the tape out. I've never seen a PC5 roll cage, but I don't see you you could get the tape out with out a the very least taking the cage off of the helmet (i'ts a bottom feeder). You might e-mail Aerial focus and ask Tom if it is possible to do it otherwise (i don't see how, but they might have come up with something). A D-box is a great alternative. Very strong, and you can get the camera out quickly without any bolts or anything like that to change the tape. Z

The crossfire does have a bit longer of a recovery arch, however, your downsize was pretty big (.4 lb/sq) and you would also find that a smaller stiletto has a longer recovery arch than a bigger one (but the same size smaller cross fire willl tend to have a little bit longer recovery still). My 107 has a significantly shortter recovery arch than my 97 does. and you can't even compare my old 135 and 97's recovery arch. wingloading means a lot. Z

You need to tell everyone in Arizona that it is going to be 110 this summer. The Zoners are half of your problem man! How many hundreds of thousands come each year? Z

I wouldn't go so far as to say don't do it, but if you do it, make sure you understand the dangers. If the canopy opens hard, it is a violent experiance. I did one that failed due to a late toss, PC hessitation, and a hard openning. I got RIPPED off of Mr. Bill. It isn't like you can see that the forces build up, and try to figure out a way to hang on... You go from holding on to someone to being 20 ft. below them in freefall before you know what happend. I ripped Mr. Bills shoe off on my way past his legs. Also understand the damage that could be done if your head catches a Knee as you get striped off (helmet is a real good idea), or the bone/ joint damage if you are donig anything more than holding on ( or even just get snagged on something). Like BV said, don't hook anything to gether (chext straps etc), and you doh'nt want to wrap your arms or leg into anything that won't pull free like twisting through a leg, chest strap or main lift web. Its risky. You can break gear, break you, get knocked out, tear/ rip off clothes etc. Just know what you are getting into. It's a lot of fun when you get it right!!! z

I"m D- License qualified in fucked up skydives and stupid mistakes. Z

I think you did just right. The twists seemed to untwist themeslevs and didn't really dive. So it was pretty slow to start with. There was some progression with the line over, so it was a good idea, (since u had alt) to me to work with it for a sec. but then when it was clear it was a no go........ C' YA!!! Well played. Reading the posts while Downloading I was thinking that 15 seconds was way too long (plus i don't like forcing things low with a camera on), but it seemed pretty slow speed, and you didn't dick with anything too long. well played Z

i don't use my button at all. I filled in the area around the switch with hot glue, and capped it with a piece of tape. Z

I saw vid of a camera guy whose triathalon was packed with them stowed..... Not a fun place to be Z

You could do some really cool things with that man. with faster film you could make them appear to be in total darkness/void, but their pic be very clean. Do the same thing with faster film slower speed with slow sync. flash whith the dusk in the background... could be pretty wicked. 2nd curtin flash could be cool as well if they were spinning. Some things i want to try out some day. Z

I noticed something when I was in eloy watching the multitudes of video's being played. In many of the videos right after openning you see the video head look up and stow his slider. I couldn't figure out why I found this so funny until i started to pay more attention to my own vid. I never look when I pull my kill lines to collapse my slider. I"m looking around and clearing my sky while I do it. It kind of bothered me because it seems like many of the vids showed people looking up for the first several seconds of their canopy ride. What do you guys do? Do you have to look up to get your slider taken care of? It is just natural to me that while i reach up for my risers durring openning, as soon as the slider is down I am clearing my air and my hands just find the kill lines...never look...and i think i like it that way. I don't look up when it's time to get my toggles either.. Z

they can turn it on and off (the inacuracy and or the whole system) as they like even in specific areas. So we could zap the middle east...china...whatever as needed. kinda cool. Z

First pic, red shirt? you? i need to move to FL. Z

For jumping i think you would get too much shake at 1/30th. I can pull it off free hand when i control my breathing and brace the camera well... but i thikn it would blurr in freefall. Dont know for sure, haven't tried it. but wold be worth looking into. Z

only thing i'd add is a wide angle lense

I bet you can find good info if you search this forum, i know tihs has all been coverd before. I use the P setting. It makes everything autio, but doesn't use the flash. you don't neeed a fast shutter speed because it's all realative....as long as you keep it above 1/30/ to 1/60 you will have crisp photos.

I do the same thing quade... but u have to remmber student gear has longer lines... harder to keep the tension on the lines to keep them from twisting. It can be done, but its a lot mroe easy to induce line twist on student gear than on pro gear just based on the lines. Make sure you"feel" the tension on the lines and feel the canopy turn as your budy turns, if your body gets behind your canopy....you will be in an unhappy place

just to re-cap......... the origional post makes it clear that the guy knows what people think about low timers downsizing quickly. If you don't listen to the people around you, or if you are one of my friends/co jumpers who asks me personally...and don't want to listen then you have made your choice. I'm not going to call you mom. As an employee and long time jumper at my dz i feel confidant that if i told my St&a or DZO that someone is going to be the first to kill themselfs at our dz, that they would take action from their side. i don't have any problems being blunt about what this sport can do to any of us. If you want to sit down and talk about canopies with me, that is fine. But when you come to a webpage and argue that in some way it must be ok to jump small gear because thats what they do in the ads..... I"m not going to spend my time preaching to you what you already know. I hope the guy who started this post read your post about you hammering in and learned something. Z

The bottom line is this. You will learn in this sport. If you don't want to learn from the people who give you advice, or those who are around you that is fine. Don't learn from them and you run a real high risk of letting the sport teach you. If you have your mind made up that you want to buy sexy gear.... me or anyone else posting here as a "downsizing Nazi" is not going to make you change your mind. So go ahead and get what you want because I can't keep anyone from buying any gear. and i'm glad i can't. This isn't tap dancing, there are major prices to pay if you think you konw better...but really don't. Z

This all started when the first post said that he KNEW people don't like when low timers down size and undertands the dangers, but thinks its' silly that all the Ads are for the fast stuff... That is where my post came from. If your friends told you at 120 jumps that a 1.7 :1 eliptical was ok for you.... either A: you bought the gear from a "friend" who needed to sell it, or B. your friends don't like you, or C your friends are idiots.. I have to agree with Dave that there HAD to be people who told you that was stupid or at least a bad idea. And in fact, your post supports mine...... "If you don't learn the sport will teach you". You know better now, and the sport damn near killed you when you learned. There is somethign to be said in that. My point is that if anybody thinks they know better and want to get high speed gear at any skill or jump level.....Go for it. You will either love your new gear or end up in the hospital. Z

You have to sell what's sexy.... that's advertising man. Ford sells lots of Tempo's but you don't tend to see as many banners for them as you do for rag top mustangs with half naked girls in them..and thank god for that. Nobdoy can ever lay down rules for what wingloding someone should jump, or how many jumps they need on a given wing before they downsize. It's just not that easy. We all know pepole that do fine on agressive canopies early on....as well as people who have no business jumping what they jump with thousands of jumps. Those of us who went to Eloy got a great chance to see just how many CRAPPY pilots there are in this world. If you don't want to listen to those around you, thats fine with me. Buy whatever wing you want. "If you don't learn, the sport will teach you". The sport favors rods, pins, surgery, and body bags as opposed to slaps on the wrist when it teaches you. I just hope that if the sport teaches you, that the body bag or pins used to teach the lesson belong to you, and not one of your buddies who you killed. Z