I currently jump a katana 107 at a wl of 1.7 and was told this past weekend I need to jump a velo.....I was curious about what differences I will notice besides everything happening faster and higher front riser pressure......any advice would be helpfull! Thanx!
I think someone should be judged by how someone flys a canopy not there jump numbers.....I have a little over 420 jumps, but over 200 have been high pulls or working on canopy skills....yes you still might not know how I fly my canopy.....I would please like you to see how I fly my canopy before you judge me.....thanx
I happen to know NextGen - he was actually at The Farm meet this weekend, competing.
I do think though, that he should wait a bit for a velo. He has a lot of natural talent and, no doubtedly, will be on a x-braced canopy sooner than most. Right now though, he's just not got enough time in the saddle IMO.
In a few hundred jumps I have no doubt he'll be ready.
Blues, Ian
(This post was edited by ianmdrennan on Jun 16, 2008, 9:39 AM)
I currently jump a katana 107 at a wl of 1.7 and was told this past weekend I need to jump a velo.....I was curious about what differences I will notice besides everything happening faster and higher front riser pressure......any advice would be helpfull! Thanx!
wait a little bit, my friend allen was a prodigy as well people said the same kinds of things that ian just said about you about him...and then he made a mistake on a velo that probably wouldn't have had the same effect had he been on something like a katana...oh yeah he will never walk again...
and I have been like you and people told me I should move to a velo I waited until I had about 900 jumps and let me just tell you that fucking up on a velo sucks a lot...it can change the way that you lead your life a lot as well...
So wait a few hundred more jumps trust me you will be much happier in the end with the results of what you learn on the katana...
review your scores from the past weekend. Did you score each round? If not, were you consistently within in inches out of scoring? There are many people out there who have flown a Katana in competition and learned quite a bit, many of them beaten Xbraced pilots with their consistency. Brad Harris flew the pants off his Katana a couple years back and kicked some butt. Joe Silva flew his KA in Lake Wales FLCPA meet this year and was very consistent.
The popular route is to get the crossbraced early and slam yourself into the water a few times, miss the course consistently, all while risking your life, and serious injury. Some survive, some don't.
The high road is learning the consistency before getting the Velocity. Its safer, its not as friggin scary to do, or watch. But requires personal constraint.
And I love watching people win on Sabre2's and Katanas.
I wish someone else that competed this weekend could grasp half this information. Take the time like you said to learn a canopy, instead says he needs to downsize.
I wish someone else that competed this weekend could grasp half this information. Take the time like you said to learn a canopy, instead says he needs to downsize.
I've given up on the person you're referring to. Some people, will never ever listen, no matter how much they pretend that they will.
I wish someone else that competed this weekend could grasp half this information. Take the time like you said to learn a canopy, instead says he needs to downsize.
I've given up on the person you're referring to. Some people, will never ever listen, no matter how much they pretend that they will.
I agree, at least NexGenSkydiver seems to be listening to solid advice presented by you, Al, and other pros here
I have a little over 420 jumps, but over 200 have been high pulls or working on canopy skills
The only saddle time that counts in swooping is the time you spend under 500 ft. Add that up, and you've got 1/10 of the experience you think you do.
High pulls are fun, but I've got news for - canopies only do three things; left turn, right turn and flare. Unless there's a large object right next to you (like the earth, or maybe just a cliff face) you're just guessing how much of each you're doing.
So you need a Velo? What you need to do is stay away from people who give that kind of advice.
I listen to what people with more experience in canopy piloting say as far as canopy piloting goes......I think asking a lot of questions has helped me out a lot, but applying what they say in the air then after a lot of practicing gradually bring it to the ground.....I would love to be able to jump a velocity, but I dont think I myself am personally ready for one.....I wanna learn more on my katana.....steve I will be up there again hopefully at least once before the winter....I really liked the farm
so.... not to add fuel to this fire but just for my curiosity, what I want to know is how many established amateur and/or pro pilots out there went under a Velo at 200 "canopy jumps" and less than 500 total with a w/l of 2.0 or better ...even with coaching supervision??
cool. good for you. let me know what you learn on the Katana ! I am loving mine but have oodles of time that I have to spend on it. I hope to put 300+ jumps on mine this season with more coaching in FL over the winter and THEN see what happens... When I can score 6 rounds at a CPC, on rears and get out of the pond on the Katana 97 (with some lead on, admittedly) is when I will go to the Velo... before that consistency happens, I don't see the reason for it for me, but that's the old lady talking here... I wont heal like you :) If I am 43 before that happens, so be it, (and I am a slow learner...) but I want to fly the Velo, not the other way around...ya know??
so.... not to add fuel to this fire but just for my curiosity, what I want to know is how many established amateur and/or pro pilots out there went under a Velo at 200 "canopy jumps" and less than 500 total with a w/l of 2.0 or better ...even with coaching supervision??
Pia, I had over 2000 jumps before I got under a Velo. I stayed on 2 different 190's for over 700 jumps at a wing loading of about 1.6 to 1.7, and still went thru 2 more canopy sizes before my velo120.
On my 190 Stiletto i could make a 200 foot speed course on 10' gates (barely, but I did)...
I completely agree that's why I said I dont think I am ready for a velo....yet....also if I fall to less then 400 jumps a year I will not jump a velo because I think being very current is important escpially when flying a crossbraced canopy.....also I will do jumps with weights before I downsize which is what I did with the 120 before I went to the 107, but I haven't felt any want to put weights on yet, but since my turn has been getting more dialed in and consistant I am sure I will throw on a couple pounds after another 100 jumps or so......I asked the original question bc I was just curious to know.....
I doubt you've gotten all you can out of your Katana. Once you mastered that canopy, then move on. I learned to fly my canopy before I went to a velocity. I was doing 270's and using rears before I went to a Velo.
There is no reason to go to a canopy that will only make learning harder.
Seems that you've already made up your mind though so I have a Velocity 90 for sale since you're so eager to die.
Could you read the post before you post.....i said I was going to put more jumps on my katana......I am doing 270s and use my rears, doesnt mean I feel i myself am ready......
yeah, it's tough to go the distance when you're w/l at 1.6-1.7 and NOT on rears... :) Hopefully that will change for me for 2009! Awesome to fly with you Steve. Your face at exits made my day!! Thanks for keeping me smiling thru a rough day.
...anytime... ...just tell the pilot to cut the engine abruptly and if I am anywhere near you - you'll get a soft faceful of something Pia ..I wish I could have seen the faces of the rest of the planeload but it appears we made everyone's ride to altitude
katana to velo
...just tell the pilot to cut the engine abruptly and if I am anywhere near you - you'll get a soft faceful of something Pia 
..I wish I could have seen the faces of the rest of the planeload but it appears we made everyone's ride to altitude