'Jonathan Parachute' ?????

[sky-pimp 0]

does anyone know anything about one of these it was made about 1990 by a company called 'AIRTIME' .
i did a search on the web and came up blank

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[The111 0]

Air Time was owned by Tony Uragallo... aka Tony Suits (in some places on their website, the phrase "Air Time Tony Suits" is still used, and the Air Time sign still sits on the front of their warehouse). I was talking to him about the Jonathan a few weeks ago. He also let me in on an interesting tidbit as to why he stopped making it.

The man marketed the first elliptical canopy (I'm sure somebody will correct me here), then jumpsuits, and now wingsuits. He's a jack of all trades.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

He also let me in on an interesting tidbit as to why he stopped making it.

Such as?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[dragon2 0]

It's an old elliptical canopy (one of the first). Over here you'd need >400 jumps to jump one. But I don't know anyone who does

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[quack 0]

Quote

does anyone know anything about one of these it was made about 1990 by a company called 'AIRTIME' .
i did a search on the web and came up blank

I jumped a Jonathan 136 a few times. It was a dog. I was used to Lightning 126, Stiletto 135, Sabre 120. The Jonathan made me feel like I had to work extremely hard to land it. Heavy.

But you have to understand, mental illness is like cholesterol. There is the good kind and the bad. Without the good kind- less flavor to life. - Serge A. Storms

[bozo 0]

Quote

does anyone know anything about one of these it was made about 1990 by a company called 'AIRTIME' .
i did a search on the web and came up blank

I jumped a Jonathan for years. It was a great canopy.
Opened a little stiff once in a while but not too bad.
I was told each and every Jonathan was different. Each one made had a little more technology applied.

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[jdthomas 0]

I once jumped a jonathan and it was quite a ride... the thing wanted to turn left or was it right?/ anyway it had a hard turn in it as it was old and out of trim really bad.. it was still fun as i had a challenge on my hands to fly and land the thing with out it stalling.
Joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[faulknerwn 36]

I had a Jonathan 105 for a long time. Great canopy, lots of fun to fly...

W

[nitrox100 0]

Same company that made the Jedei: Airtime Designs. While I owned a Jedei I never jumped a Jonathan though someone told me it was basically a non airlocked Jedei. Not sure if it had the same long recovery arc.

You want a fun old parachute get a Nova. The only parachute that would pack itself. Unfortunately it did that while you were still in the air.

[quack 0]

Yeah, a guy at our dz was nicknamed 'NovaJeff' after having that happen a few times.

But you have to understand, mental illness is like cholesterol. There is the good kind and the bad. Without the good kind- less flavor to life. - Serge A. Storms

[pchapman 261]

I got to jump a Jonathan 92 a few times in 1995. It was considered a hot parachute, not only because it was one of the early breed of elliptical zero-p canopies, but because this size was close to the smallest parachute ever in production.

The only thing smaller that I knew of in that era was the Nova 88, but the Nova's had already gone through their grounding, ungrounding, and falling out of favour in 1994. Sabres and Stiletto's only came as small as 97 square feet. (But who knows what custom sizes factory pilots etc. got to fly.)

The one I tried would buck unpleasantly when going on double front risers, but with the variations in design, I can't say if others did that too. That's always the problem in describing Jonathans.

It flew and landed nicely at 1.8 loading on a hot summer day with almost no wind and a straight in approach, even when having to drop it in at the end of a flare, over a low fence or bushes. Impressive in the pre-crossbraced days.

I had 205 jumps at the time, mostly on accuracy canopies -- It was back when a good "canopy progression" involved a prudent 2 or 3 jumps on each size before downsizing! :)

What was the official spelling? Jonathan or Jonathon? Both are so often used I don't know which is correct. (Even with the Jedei, I thought it was Jed-eye or something at first, presumably for legal reasons.)

[Tonto 1]

I had a Jonathan 120 from 1992 to 2002 (about 1500 jumps) and jumped it pretty much exclusively (Apart from Tandems and CRW rigs.)

Quite simply, I loved it. It gave me great landings at 1.6+, 5000ft AMSL and 100+ deg F.

The problem with them all being different was that relining and trim was always an issue for me.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[freekflyguy 0]

I put over 1000 jumps on a Janathon 150, I even spoke to Brian and sent the canopy back to him to get relined.

I can honestly say that it was a great canopy, the only problem I had with it was that I would get end cell closure almost every jump, and I was loading it @ 1.7 ish.

Not too many of them in the UK, are you looking at buying one? If so let me know what its like it may be my old one.

I now jump a Stiletto 150 and found the transition very easy as both canopies have very similar flight characteristics.

My advice would be to go for a Stiletto in the same size as the Jonathan you may be looking at. This is for no other reason than it is easier to get Stiletto's maintained i.e new line sets.

If you do decide to go for the Jonathan the chances are its gonna need a new line set, drop Brian an email and I am sure he will be able to sort it out.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

[slug 1]

Quote

I had a Jonathan 120 from 1992 to 2002 (about 1500 jumps) and jumped it pretty much exclusively (Apart from Tandems and CRW rigs.)

Quite simply, I loved it. It gave me great landings at 1.6+, 5000ft AMSL and 100+ deg F.

The problem with them all being different was that relining and trim was always an issue for me.
t

Hi Mr T

Jumping the same canopy for 10 yr's, 1500 jumps under severe conditions in SA. What ever happened to getting a new canopy every year

Were the canopy color's neutral enough so they wouldn't clash with your new jumpsuits

You know the real deal, just joking with you
ho Ho Ho have a merry

• Quote

[RMURRAY 1]

Quote

I got to jump a Jonathan 92 a few times in 1995. It was considered a hot parachute, not only because it was one of the early breed of elliptical zero-p canopies, but because this size was close to the smallest parachute ever in production.

I have that canopy now (in storage) and it is for sale but really have given up selling it. people want the latest and greatest - much like myself. but it would be great for a lightweight female - who does not want a real aggresive canopy.

rm

[KevinMcGuire 0]

Quote

Yeah, a guy at our dz was nicknamed 'NovaJeff' after having that happen a few times.

I remember that guy. I think he had that problem at Eloy one day if I remember correctly. Damn near killed him

[cpoxon 0]

Quote

If you do decide to go for the Jonathan the chances are its gonna need a new line set, drop Brian an email and I am sure he will be able to sort it out.

Brian is Brian Germain

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[fallfast69 2]

I bought my 136 brand new in, 92 I think. Still jumpin it to this day. Loading it about 1.3. Never had a problem with it except a broken A line on opening once...canopy flew fine and I landed it (thanks to Bill Jackson for the same day line replacement
I do believe it handles "heavy" on landing and until that term was used, I couldn't have described properly. Not to say that it behaves badly on landing, I just don't think it has the consistent handling characteristics required for aggressive HP landings all the time.

When I bought it, I thought I'd like to learn how to do some of them there "swoop landings"...but I never really learned - and I got all the bumps, bruises and slight fractures to prove it. Now, I just fly the shit out of it at altitude (it's truly exhilarating and great ride!) and mind my manners during landing.

The line trim has been an issue as long as I can remember, but I check mine every year (I don't jump a whole lot anymore) and they have stayed within tolerances, so, no problem with mine.

I've had a few parachutes in my time, this one has been exceptional, and my favorite. I can't imagine what a state of the art HP canopy would be like to fly nowadays...good grief...

I would also really like to hear of the "reasons" Tony had for stopping production for the Jonathan...?

Jon

edited to make paragraphs and props to Bill

[Pulse 0]

I owned a Jonathan-136 for approx 1,600 jumps. Today I still jump one of the first Jedi's, a Jonathan with airlocks...literally. (It still says Jonathan on the side.)

I absolutely loved Airtime canopies. Though a number of us had them in the area and it was quite apparent that there were differences between individual canopies.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."