Bip

This is of course sound advice. I have written to the manufacturer asking if there is any reason why I should not do this. I have spent the last week trying it out on old containers and really cannot see that it can cause any harm. however, if the manufacturer tells me it is a bad idea I will most definatly not use it. Regardless, I have gained a lot of knowledge on rig cleaning through this process.

Congrats! Packing the Pulse is pretty easy AND the underskin feels SUPER sexy. No problem sleeping naked in it! Enjoy it. This man speaks the truth.

me too. I wont be doing anything unless I am certain I am doing the right thing. I finished washing the rig yesterday and it is looking pretty good now. It would be nice with some extra protection but I am not going to sacrifice peace of mind over it.

Hi Skybear, thanks for the warning. I have not done anything yet. I was under the impression that this was the function of Scotch gard. To impregnate and protect the material once it has been washed. I never expected it to clean the rig. I had better spend my day at work tomorrow checking this out.

Thanks for the input guys. I suspect I have the right stuff. I will be carefull while testing it out on my old rig. Next year I am going to learn to land on my feet so I dont have to wash it again.

Hi all, I am in the process of washing my rig while the Cypres is off for its 4 year service. Reading past posts about rig washing on dropzone a lot of people talk about using Scotch Gard. At vast expence I have managed to get hold of a can. Not an easy task in Norway. I would really appreciate it if anyone could confirm that I have got the right stuff.

I am pretty much a solo jumper and am very happy with it. Having said that I do think a good grounding in belly skills is very important for every jumper. I am lucky I can enjoy a jump for what it is. To just appreciate the pleasure of flying is very rewarding. On jumps where I set myself a goal I often try speed skydiving to see how fast I can go straight down. This is not as easy as it sounds but it is fun and I often learn something from it. My record in a prolonged dive is an average of 266mph. I have also recently started wingsuit jumping so that should keep me occupied for the next few thousand jumps. I do get a bit of stick from other jumpers about not jumping with them but as fcajump said, It is my trip and I will travel it as I wish.

I have a V348 with a pdr-160 and a 170 Pulse. Packs up nicely. I used to have a Spectre 170 in it. I have never had an issue with packing. Aesthetically it looks a bit better with the Pulse than the Spectre.

Thank you. I enjoyed the article and liked your wordpress theme.

Hope you start selling to outside the US. The glove looked very nice.

Yes it is back.

Hi all, Sorry for resurrecting this thread again. I just thought I would let you know how it went. Last weekend I qualified as a wingsuit pilot. I had been a bit unlucky trying to get some instruction. I had planned to take a course in Spain earlier in the year but the instructor got injured so that had to be cancelled. Then on my next attempt I got suck in England during a business trip because of the Icelandic volcano eruption. I ended up taking a course in Norway which I am very happy about as I feel I received outstanding instruction and help. I have to say though, I did not find it easy flying a wingsuit. Several times during my first flights I flipped over or lost stability. I always regain stability but it did scare me a bit. Some of my openings were rather wobbly (to put it mildly) but my last couple of flights were pretty reasonable and stable so I will just have to carry on and get better at it. I had mentioned earlier that I had a rotator cuff injury. This has caused no problems but I am noticing a stinging feeling which feels like a healing sting. It is probably activating unused muscles. Unfortunately I have no photos or video. That will come later.

Basejumper.com has the same problem.

Happening for me too. Looks like the ads on the left side.

Grab the grass. Its the bounce that kills.

Ahh I understand now. That makes sense. Apart from a period where I worked offshore I was not loading the parachute over 1.1.

Great write up but I see posts now & then that say a F111 canopy lasts only for 400 – 600 jumps. In my experience this is simply not true. Admittedly performance starts to degrade after about 500 – 600 jumps but not to the extent of grounding them. Or even close to that. I put about 1200 jumps on my Firlite without any maintenance whatsoever. It went on to do several hundred jumps after I sold it. My brother put on more than 1500 jumps on his Pegasus. IMO there are some great advantages with a F111 parachute. They are cheaper, Pack easier, Pack smaller, Open better. etc. etc. I am seriously considering going back to a F111 canopy next time I change. (I fly a Pulse now) On the other hand I have not seen anyone else defending the virtues of F111 canopies so maybe I have got it wrong.

I did 4 fjc's between 76 and 84. I probably did 40 - 60 Static line jumps. It was the freefall I could not handle. Finally got qualified in 85 when I did AFF with Jack Gregory.

I flat pack. Flatpacking is so rare where I jump that I am constantly being asked if I am packing a reserve. I tell them it is my base rig. I have also never had a cutaway.

Hi all, I thought I would re-visit my thread and let you know how it went. With Jarno's good help I got my Phantom 2 wingsuit yesterday. I am looking forward to my first flight in April. Untill then I am dirt diving as much as I can.

I know just how you feel. Oh the pain of waiting.

I am currently jumping a Pulse-170 which I would recommend to anyone. It might not be as racy as some but the toggle response is nice and tight, it flies a long way and is a dream to pack. I moved from a Spectre-170 to this canopy and I do not regret it.

Voted.

Thanks for all the good posts. Couloirman what does the "Z" mean in the Phantom 2z ? Anyone who has 1 wingsuit jump has 100% more experience than me so I am pleased to listen and learn.

Thank you for all your replies. It probably is a better idea for me to wait untill I have had instruction. I was/am a bit worried that most of the season will pass me by before I get setup. At my age every season is valuble.