Minimum jump numbers for Jedei

[crazydiver 0]

I was wondering what the minimum jump requirements for a Jedei are. I know it is three hundred jumps min. for the Samurai. Similar for the jedei? I have three hundred jumps and have been jumping a sabre 135 and a saffire 129 for 200 jumps. I am considering purchasing a Jedei 120 loaded at 1.3:1.

Cheers,
Travis

[GraficO 0]

Wellll... first off 300 jumps is not a magic number that makes you qualified for a high-perfermance canopy like the Jedei. It's not the years it's the mileage... in other words canopy flight is not just numbers it's experience under a canopy in a wide range of circumstances and combinations of circustances... not just no-wind, sunny days.

I find it funny that people believe in magic numbers whether it be canopies, wingsuits or sportbikes... experience and compentency aligned with being current and being knowledgeable with a strong helping of vigilance is what makes situations better for higher wingloadings on high-performace canopies. Note that I said "better"... things can happen... things that people are not necessarily prepared for or for that matter concerned about.

I have always said that complacency will kill you and the very moment that you forget that... it'll bite you.

Having said that... from the canopies that you have jumped so far I would say that you are definately a candidate for the Jedei. I personally jump a Samurai and am an avid air-locker... and encourage anyone who has any interest in an airlocked canopy to get one... as they won't go back to a non-airlocker

The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not the Jedei is going to do what you want it to do. Obviously it will fly differently than your Safire and most certainly different than the sabre. You are droipping in size and increasing wingloading... will that change based on your skills and vigilance and knowledge affect your piloting in a positive or a negative way?

Your best bet would be to have a conversation with Brian Germain (inventor of Jedei and Samurai) and discuss openly and honestly about your desires to fly the Jedei and also discuss your canopy skills. That conversation would not be the time to hold anything back like "I have problems making it back to the landing area sometimes" for instance. Not say that you have those problems... but honesty with Brian goes a long way and you are always the benefactor.

I hope I helped you in some way. By no means am I the most experienced person on the planet when it comes to canopies but I have a desire to strive for knowledge and experience and still keep within my own limitations.

GraficO

GraficO

"A Mind is a terrible thing to taste."

[BikerBabe 0]

I totally agree with everything Adam said.

Partly because he's the pusher that got me addicted to the crack that is airlocks in the first place but really because it makes sense.

Use your head. DEMO the canopy...please please please don't buy it sight unseen. Talk to Brian about it.

I love my Jedei, but it is certainly not the canopy for everyone.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[crazydiver 0]

I definetly understand what you are saying about "magic numbers" not being an accurate representation of canopy skill level, or freefall for that matter. If numbers were the case, I wouldn't have been jumping a 135 with 100 jumps. It's all on previous experience and skill level. This applies anywhere. The reason for not allowing students to do night jumps is not just because they have low jump numbers...it's because they don't have enough experience to know how to handle something in such a different situation. I feel that I will do well under the jedei. I have jumped a jedei 136 a few times before and enjoyed it. I realize all jedei's are somewhat different, but anyway. I was just curious what the "official numbers" were. In the samurai manual it states that jumping the sam with less than 300 jumps is strictly prohibited and that person should try the lotus. Anyway. Thanks for the input.

Warm Blue Ones,
Travis

Cheers,
Travis

[Designer 0]

Well said indeed.I still come upon situations with my Jedei Sweptwing 95-97 that surprise me.Have a very healthy respect for this parachute.Only 45 jumps on it and feel like it will be 145 jumps on it until I truly have a great feel all conditions.Brian,will give nothing but the straight poop and what to do and not to do.There is nothing more disturbing than any of the Jedei Test Pilots hurting themselves under a perfectly GOOD flying parachute.Don't let it happen to you!

[crazydiver 0]

Any other thoughts?

Cheers,
Travis

[GraficO 0]

put another 50 jumps on the Safire...

really put it through the ringer as far as flat turns, front and rear riser manipulations... flare techniques...

Give it a workout... do some heavy toggle turns waaay up high and see the reactions you get.

See what happens when you put different amounts of front riser and rear riser input... feel the canopy do what it does...

Be generous with the landings though... no reason to hook in and bust yerself.

Learn how much altitude you lose with different amounts of toggle and riser input... shift your weight in your harness to see how that affects your flight pattern...

again up high and keep in mind that there are probably going to be other jumpers in the air with you.

Main concept here is to understand the animal that be... really push the learning curve with landing discretion to understand exactly how your canopy flies... do this BEFORE you get the Jedei... because when you get the new one... you start over on learning the Jedei's nature.

GraficO

PS... thanx for the kudos Andi... as always

GraficO

"A Mind is a terrible thing to taste."

[kaerock 1]

I have a question and a suggestion for you.

What do the instructors or experienced jumpers at your DZ think about you flying a Jedei 120? Do they think that you're a pretty level-headed, conservative pilot that has a good history of being on the ball?

The Jedei is a great swooping canopy. Even lightly loaded it is very conducive to getting good swoops without having to take it low. It can scare you if you're not prepared for it as it has a long recovery arc..basically it keeps up the dive and the speed from the swoop for a long time before slowing to it's natural glide. If you intend to move into swooping, it might be an option for you. If you intend to do some swooping, the priority is to find a mentor, instructor, or take an advanced canopy pilot course.

You can fly the canopy conservatively and it'll be a lot of fun, or you can swoop the hell out if it. Either way, you need to be on the ball with that canopy more-so than what you're used to.

-Rory

Quote

Any other thoughts?

You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

[headoverheels 291]

Maybe someone can chime in about wing loading differences between low alititude airports, where most of us jump, and Colorado where you are. How much larger of a canopy do you need at 5000' MSL than at 50 feet MSL?

I've read that the Jedei is more ground hungry than the Samurai, but I've only jumped the Samurai. Samurai definately dives more than a Stiletto or a Katana.

[GraficO 0]

I jump at 5000' MSL here... and general consensus is that you essentially drop a canopy size approximately in comparison to sea level at 5000' MSL...

SO... if I am jumping a 136 at 5000' MSL... it's more like jumping a 150 at sea level.

Then taking in consideration density altitude when it's really hot (like it is here in the high desert during the summer) you probably lose another canopy size just for that.

So for sake of argument... I am jumping the equivalent of a 109+/- at 5000' during the summer and it's hot....

then there is the concept of wingloading... which just adds to the fun

GraficO

GraficO

"A Mind is a terrible thing to taste."

[crazydiver 0]

I would agree that you almost drop a canopy size when you get this high in elevation from sea level, but I don't think that the heat would drop you another size. Perhaps the combination of the two factors would drop you about one canopy size. After jumping in arizona, I wouldn't say that it feels like dropping two canopy sizes when coming back to Colorado. Just my thoughts........THe reason I say this is because I know someone here in Colorado that jumps a 60 square foot icarus on a regular basis here. If that was the case that he was dropping two canopy sizes, he would essentially be jumping the "smallest canopy ever jumped" on a hot day here. Luigi canni jumped a 46 square foot a few times...not on a regular basis.

Cheers,
Travis

[GraficO 0]

again... it's a generous approximation aimed at being conservative....

True it may not be 2 full canopy sizes... but hihg alt and density alt do factor largely.

GraficO

GraficO

"A Mind is a terrible thing to taste."

[crazydiver 0]

absolutely...point!

Cheers,
Travis

[headoverheels 291]

If you were at Eloy, that DZ is at 1500' MSL. When I go there, I can tell that I'm jumping at a higher DZ, and it's not the temperature. I agree that it's not another size for the temperature change from place to place, as my 50MSL home DZ gets to 105 in the summer. Maybe an effective size change from winter to summer...

[Samurai136 0]

I'd go with a size larger considering where you jump and your experience. In general there are more learning experiences ahead of you as a canopy pilot. Which is not suggesting there are specific skills you may need to develop; just that flying the samurai/ jedei requires good judgement all the time.

What ever size you get, you will certainly fly yourself into a 'learning experience' at some point. I think everyone flying a Samurai or Jedei has from time to time. Pick something that allows you room to learn and not get hurt.

Ken

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[wingnut 0]

Quote

........THe reason I say this is because I know someone here in Colorado that jumps a 60 square foot icarus on a regular basis here. If that was the case that he was dropping two canopy sizes, he would essentially be jumping the "smallest canopy ever jumped" on a hot day here.

it's not nesisarily that you "downsize" it's that the efectivness of your wingis not as high....... talk to any airplane pilot about density altitude as it relates to thier flight.. it is the same thing that aplies to ram air parachutes... i used to jump in colorado and now jump in utah with a 4,500ft msl field elevation... when it gets up to 105 deg. f. here in the summer my canopy flies much much faster than when jump back in ohio with maybe a 1000ft msl and 60deg. f. ....... heat does play a big factor in canopy flight...... it is so noticable you can defiatly ell between a cool morning load and a hot 2pm load........... and as for the vx60... i've seen hooknswoop fly his.. when you get to canopies that small you don't go down standard 20sq.ft. increments as a next size..... small losses make huge difrences at those sizes........

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"