Master_Yoda

500+ jumps and a 170 Silhouette? You should be soon aiming at xbraces at this time or at least a decent eliptical like Crossfire2 or Katana.. Nah. I have an interest in wingsuit flying. As I understand it, elipticals are not recommended for that. Besides, I've been out of the sport for 20 years. I don't really have a interest in swooping anyway. For me, the primary purpose of a parachute is to set you down on the ground SOFTLY so you can go up and make another skydive!

Just thought I'd say this is a great thread. Love to hear all the different opinions on the Wings container. I wish it had a skyhook option but an RSL is fine. Maybe by the time I can actually buy this rig, it will have the skyhook option. I was gonna go with the hacky but will opt for the FF pud after reading this thread. Also gonna pass on the spacer foam but may get the wider leg straps. I like the all SS hardware, the cut-in lats, CPC and hook knife option. Prolly put a PDR 170 in it and a Cypress. The only real question is what main? Possibly a Silhouette 170??? Only time will tell.

I'm always doing that shit. "From 1987 to 1990"

Extra cool points for you today!

Another observation; In the photo you can see the tag end of the cincher has some fuzz from fraying on it. That fraying could have been what knotted itself around lines rather than the bulk of the cincher itself. Take a lighter and melt that fuzz off. Just a thought.

From 1997 to 1990 at Fort Bragg I saw MANY MANY round reserve rides. I had two of them myself. But never saw one explode. When I got out of the Army and went to Perris to jump, they wouldn't let me. They said things like "Man, that thing will explode!" & "You're gonna die!!" BULLSHIT! For the record I had a 24' Lopo Light. That's when I dropped out of the sport.

I'd really like to try some of this --> http://www.brewdog.com/sink_the_bismark.php "Sink the Bismarck is a quadruple IPA that contains four times the hops, four times the bitterness and frozen four times to create at a staggering 41% ABV. This is IPA amplified, the most evocative style of the craft beer resistance with the volume cranked off the scale. Kettle hopped, dry hopped then freeze hopped for a deep fruit, resinous and spicy aroma. A full out attack on your taste-buds ensues as the incredibly smooth liquid delivers a crescendo of malt, sweet honey, hop oils and a torpedo of hop bitterness which lasts and lasts."

That's where 20 years off creates a disconnect. The priority for many jumpers is either not on the freefall, or equally split between freefall and canopy flight. Older canopies were not that exciing to fly, and didn't hold much appeal compared to turning points, but things have changed. Oh yeah, absolutely. The sport has progressed in every way. Now there are canopies as fun to fly as it is to be in freefall. I get that. And making jumps at 4.5 with them makes total sense. It's using them on skydives that doesn't really jive with my own values or ideas of what is important to have fun and be safe on a jump. This is where I kinda think the trade-off isn't worth it. I'd rather have the extra 6 extra seconds in freefall and an extra point or two. Again, it's priorities. Six seconds times 10 jumps is one minute is freefall... times 60 jumps and there's an hour. Jumps are expensive. Twice as much as when I started. ($1 per 1000 ft plus $1 or $2) That freefall time is precious! Yup. No doubt about it. Which is why I prefer a 500'-600' opening over a 1000' opening for skydives. Of course now I have arthritis in my neck so I may change my mind about that! lol Let's say a jumper is on a big-way and is tracking away after break-off but someone is above him. So he smokes it on down to 2 to be safe and clear the airspace. Now he's got a 1000 ft snivel... or streamer to deal with. At 1k he decides its a streamer and begins emergency procedures. That small canopy is now falling out the sky FAST. Much faster than something loaded at 1:1. Now he's chopping it at 750 ft but going too slow for the AAD to fire. I think you can see where I'm going with this. I'm not saying the BSRs should state little canopies should be reserved for C&Ps at 4.5. Or that I wouldn't jump with someone who has one. Only that using one for RW or FF is a less safe choice than say... wearing a frap hat instead of a hard helmet. There is also the issue of mixing ultra-fast and relatively slow canopies in the sky at the same time. Which is a recipe for disaster. Absolutely! Were kinda debating minutiae here. I think we agree on what could happen. It's a question of perspective, priorities and what an individual feels safe with. My perspective is 20 years old. So I'm looking at the sport today thru a different set of goggles. Not exactly inexperienced but not current either. In the 70's when guys were jumping rounds, they were deploying at 1000k as a norm. When guys started opening at 2k for added safety it was considered quite high.

The olde "Cock-N-Balls" Dive. As I layed it out in the image, it's a 24 way. The stick figures with red & blue heads are the base. They just launch a star and the two guys with red heads turn to present their legs to the guys in blue. Everyone else swoops and builds two stars and a zipper on them until the formation completes. Once complete, the guys at the back of the zipper peel off and track away straight off the end one by one like spurts of... uh... you know. From the ground it's an absolute riot. http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/Fishmonger_707/Cock-n-Balls-Dive.jpg

Woohoo #36!

Oh... Oops.

My kinda opening. Soft but positive! Opening that at 2K = no problem.

AMEN, brother!

Here's another commercial that's a riot! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtPDjGE8RU&feature=related

Funny shite, dude. I love it! "Lubricant speed!!!"

Good to know. Could you name a few of those canopies with the steeper trim? Thanks.

I like your metaphor using cars instead of parachutes. Nice. Couple observations I have from reading all the latest about the new breed of canopies and how they're different from what I'm used to. To continue the car metaphor, it seems to me that mixing a load with some guys jumping "Divot Maker 75s" with guys jumping.... Mantas, is similar to being on a 5 lane freeway where guys on motorcycles are doing 175, guys in corvettes are doing 150, guys in station wagons are driving 70 and a little old man in a hat is putting by the center lane at 50. Hello canopy collision! And it could be anyone's fault. Could be "shit-hot Johnny" trying to impress the hotty wuffo with a blazing swoop or the clueless student who didn't know he shouldn't sashay back and forth in front of the pea gravel. Stuff happens. It also seems kinda silly, to me at least, to use a tiny eliptical for skydives when you end up having to pull high to allow for a 1000 ft snivel. Call me crazy but it seems having something with a relatively soft but positive opening that allows you to have container opening at 2 and therefore a longer time in freefall, is better. Just my limited perspective. Not a judgement on modern skydiving culture or any individuals. It was just something I was thinking about while on campus today.

Glad it's on THIS side of Houston!

This is a major difference between my jumping in the late 80's and today. When I jumped I was reaching for my risers damn near at line stretch. Then as the canopy opened my hands were on the brakes, releasing them. I'd pump the brakes to fill the end cells if needed. Once the canopy was full, I'd split my slider. Lots of demo and accuracy jumpers used these split sliders. The rw and crw guys never bothered with them. Is there any real difference in performance between the split slider and pulling it over your toggles and back behind your head? (This would probably be better answered by someone who has actually used both types.)

YOU ROCK!! Which one is it, the original or Wally goes Tropical?

NEW in the Adult section "Dirty Pirate Hookers do Dallas" LOLOL!!!!!

Pride and personal responsibility are very very good things. Every adult should possess both to succeed anywhere. But there are exceptions when pride has to be sucked up and a little humility accepted. It's OK. We're in a recession that doesn't look like it's gonna come to an end... EVER. It's more like a major adjustment to the American lifestyle and economy. Many people are even moving back in with their parents until their student loans are paid or they can find work, etc. It's OK!!! If you want to sell your rig, fine. But they're expensive and hard to replace. Don't be hasty. I sold my rig when I couldn't afford to replace the reserve! OOPS. Wish I hadn't done that. Had I held on to it I would have easily been able to replace the reserve with one decent job or maybe just packing mains on weekends for a season. Now rigs are 3 times what they cost in 1990. And I'll be waiting a looong time before I can afford one again. Don't sell yer rig or get a loan. Just pack for cash somewhere! Maybe I should take my own advice, Oh yeah, I sold my van.

Skydive Arizona will fly theirs from time to time, usually at their big boogies.

Of course all it would really take is for someone to digitize their old betamax copy they have and make a torrent file!

x2