BrianSGermain

Crossbrace canopies should be flow at or above 1.6 LBS per square foot, but that is also a matter of experience. A skilled pilot can maintain sufficient airspeed and line tension throughout the flight below 1000 feet, so lighter wingloadings can be fine under those circumstances. Most pilots are happier at or above 1.8 on smaller wings, (84 and smaller), but higher than that on canopies of a greater surface area. It is a complex issue, one that also includes the individual effects of design from one product to another. There are exceptions to every rule. As for Fully eliptical "bicell" canopies, 1.4 -1.9 is the optimal range, but that is more about feeling and recovery arc than it is stability. Most of the current designs are quite stable. Even as low as 0.8, many elipticals are very fun to fly. You just have to know what is over your head and fly it the way it wants to be flown. Hope this help. Peace and grooviness, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hey Brian, I have a canopy related question ,and I thing that you are the right person to be asked. I'm trying to understand the relation between the shape of the canopy and the WL. I mean,at which WL you have to change the shape of the canopy for better performance(square or semi elliptical to elliptical etc.) I see a lot of jumpers jumping ellipticals at WL less than 1:1. What I hear from experienced jumpers is that at WL below 1,5-1,6:1 you have to stay on semi ellipticals. WL between 1,6:1 and 2:1 for ellipticals and above 2:1-crossbraced. Or am I missing something?! Thanks a lot for you time and Please,keep those "dealing with the fear" videos coming:) Regards, Deyan Hi Deyan, There is nothing wrong with lightly loading a fully elliptical canopy. It is just that most people who are only ready for a light wingloading are not ready for the quick turn rate, harness sensitivity, and unpredictable openings associated with a highly elliptical planform. On the other hand, crossbrace parachutes, and those with a mostly closed nose do require airspeed and a skilled pilot to remain stable in turbulence. The closure increases the negative lift, reducing the stability. Positive G's and high internal pressure are essential or safety on those parahutes. Brian Germain Author/Speaker/Teacher www.GermainSeminars.com "Less Fear, More Happiness" Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Here ya go: [url]http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf[/URL] This isn't the whole story, but it is a big chunk of it! Enjoy! Bri Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I cordially invite you to check out my newest video on YouTube: I know you are busy, but I really hope you take the time to watch this short film. It is guaranteed to make you smile, or your money back...ah, that's right, it's absolutely free... It's YouTube!! [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWhXSwKHY0A&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/URL] Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

A quick note on the courses. We usually do two day camps, however longer courses are also available. We also run a comprehensive instructors' course, which is usually run during the week to avoid tying the staff up during the weekend. There is also a student-oriented course that targets folks still on student status, with no jumping involved. This class is most often offered on Fridays. Advanced canopy flight instruction is a pivotal step toward sustainable safety in skydiving. These courses are VERY indepth, and will help transform your skydiving persona to shed fears and maximize joy and skill in the sky. We guarantee you will LOVE it!! Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

We are putting the schedule together for the winter, and still have openings for new venues for the course. If you are interested in hosting or organizing a canopy flight course with Brian Germain, please email us at: Brian@transcendingfear.com You can read more about the course on [url]www.bigairsportz.com[/URL] Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I think it is important to not that this article is not just for swoopers. If you think of the level-off place as the entry gate of a swoop course, the discussion makes more sense for someone flying a standard pattern. Steep is steep, regardless of how you got there. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hi Sky People! I would like to get some feedback regarding the current DZ.com article "The Abort Zone". We can discuss the matter further, and expand on points that needed clarification. Fire away! Thanks, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Slots are still available for the canopy flight safety course at Skydive Long Island in Calverton, New York. This course is open to all levels. It covers everything you need to know to be a safe and competent canopy pilot. The basis of the course is education on the essential aerodynamics and psychodynamics that drive the system. There is a great deal of information presented, so a notebook is a very good idea. Expect at lease 4 hours of classroom each day, and even more if the weather is not jumpable. This is a rain or shine course, and if the weather stinks, even more information will be presented. I promise this course will blow your mind!! Course begins at 9 am sharp on Saturday. For more information: http://www.skydivelongisland.com/contactus.html or call me personally: Brian Germain (301) 646-0761 Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

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Brian Germain Course at Skydive Chicago this weekend! August 28-29, 2010 (date correction) Slots are still available for the Canopy Flight Course at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois. The classroom is plenty large enough, so there is no limit on class size. Come one, come all! This is going to be the best course ever!!! Even the weather looks perfect! Expect to make two to four jumps per day, depending on how the discussions go. Jumping is not necessary, so even if you are on the ground for some reason, you are most welcome. All levels of skydivers will benefit from this course. Very in-depth, very fun!!! I promise!! Class starts at 9am sharp on Saturday morning. Bring a notebook and pen, there is a huge amount of information coming your way. Be ready to have your mind blown! (in a good way!) Course fee us still just 195, plus jumps (optional) I invite you to Expand your Possibilities! For more information on the course, click here: [URL]http://www.bigairsportz.com/education.php[/URL] Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

We do have a softening of the negative emotion over time, with repeated exposure. That is normal. What also happens is that we sometimes overcompensate and lose our respect for the danger, because the "super-confidence" gets us out of the door. We must remain open to the wisdom that the negative emotion brings us. It saves our lives from time to time. If it feels good do it. If you are freaked out, do not just look the other way and do it anyway. That is naive. Further analysis is necessary to determine the risks in relationship to your skills. You may just need a pin-check in order to feel better. It might be too windy. You may be in over your head, or you just might be focusing too much on the negative possibilities. Fear is merely a messenger, and we need its intell. Once you look beyond the emotion, and come clear on the facts, you will know exactly what to do. Listen to your gut. If it feels good, you are headed in the right direction. Safety First! Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Either the Neptune or the Viso are great for your visual, and I am in love with the Optima for audible cues, which is a must. The Vengeance is excellent for swooping. You can turn it high and still keep your speed to the ground, which is always safer. It dives longer than the XFire 2, and a bit shorter than the katana, with better feel on the front risers. It is a great canopy. Peace, Brian *** Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I understand that some folks get special advanced training and have natural talent that improves their chances of survival even if they downsize quickly. The question I would ask is, what is the hurry? You may be able to get someone to give you th go-ahead to exceed the recommendations of the charts, but why? Is having a smaller parachute going to make you happier? What is the rush? ust a thought. Regarding the non-linear scale effect, that is a fairly long story. There are several aspects to address, but the most significant one is the relationship of volume to area. When a canopy is scaled, it is based on area, which is a square function. The scale factor that each dimension is multiplied by makes the parachute larger or smaller in every respect, which results in the internal volume, the effective drag of the wing, increase or decrease by a cube function. This means that the volume is changing faster than the area. This results in larger canopies performing in a more docile manner than the median, and smaller canopies much more radically. The glide is flatter on large canopies because of the higher drag value, and the recovery arc is shorter. This effect is further enhanced by longer lines on the larger canopies, higher stitch-density increasing the permeability of the fabric of smaller canopies, greater effects of inertia due to greater mass effecting changes of direction, and several other relevant variables. These effects are significant, even when the wing loading is the same. In other words, a 120 lb person under a 120 square foot canopy will have a notiibly steeper glide ratio and longer recovery arc than a 220 lb person under a 220. Size is much more important than wing loading. The real proof is in the subjective analysis; you just need to jump all the sizes and see what I mean. Even if you wear weights when you fly the big wings, you will see that larger parachutes are not the same thing as little ones. Blue Skies, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Yup, I made a new short video! I think you will dig this one!!! Peace, Love and Gravity! -Bri Clicky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbaUlgs96E Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

The best part about decisions is that they can be changed. Go forth into Whuffo-hood, and enjoy what you live in that realm. Get happy in every way you can. You may find, someday, that your happiness wells up in you in such a way that you are craving something more, something deeper. Your happiness will flow over to the point that you have no other choice but to seek out the highest, most profound expressions of human celebratory acts. When that happens, we will be there to give you a pin check. Go forth and prosper. Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hey Everybody, sorry for the late response. I designed the Samurai to be a fun ride for experienced jumpers only. Some are ready for it earlier than others, but rarely before 300 jumps. Flying it with 100 jumps is just plain silly. Selling it to someone with 100 jumps is just plain irresponsible. When an eliptical canopy opens badly, things get crazy. When you turn it close to the ground without great skill and understanding, you can get squished. Really squished. Go towards the light squished. It is a beautiful planet, but it is quite hard. Take your time, and survive the learning process. There is no rush, this a a long journey. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I designed the Samurai to be a fun ride for experenced pilots only, not for folks with 100 jumps. It is possible that someone may survive the Sam with very little experience, but you can also jump without a reserve for a long time before you wished you had one. There is no rush. Take your time and survive the learning process. The wild rides will be there for you when your learned instincts are ready. Please do not sell eliptical canopies to low experienced jumpers, no matter how broke you are. This is a karma-based sport, and you don't want that kind of bad juju following you around. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Actually, I am not building any canopies at all right now. I reserve the right to make a few when I am in the mood, but my speaking/teaching career is my first priority. I am working on some new designs that will be built by Aerodyne, since they are doing such a good job with the Sensei. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Canopies over 150 square feet often run into this conundrum. Either you can stall it or you can front riser it, but not both. It is generally less costly to be unable to stall a large wing, since the slow flight prior to the stall is sufficiently slow to allow for good landings. If you tighten the brakes too much in order to reach the stall, you will sacriice the ability to front riser effectively and may be in brakes when you arms are all the way up. It is possible that the optimum configuration for this canopy is right where you are, or even slightly longer. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Indeed. Slade Rocks. Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I put another Transcending Fear video together that I thought you folks would enjoy. Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB5LPoyjeFA Peace In! Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I just finished editing my newest edition to the transcending fear series, and I really like how it came out. Please enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13EWDdyT8GI -Brian + Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Here is the link: http://www.skydiveradio.com Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com