SDR Question and Answer with Brian Germain

[diverds 0]

Skydive Radio is recording another question and answer session with Brian Germain this weekend. Questions can be posted here until 6:00pm central time on Sunday, Jan 14th. The main topic will be canopy design but any skydiving related questions are welcome.

Skydive Radio

[everymansaved 0]

Brian: It's my understanding that the Sensei is a non air-locked, cross braced design, but you did experiment with a cross braced, and air locked design. If this is correct, what was the problem with combining the two? (If I'm wrong, and you've never tried this, do you have any plans to?)

EFS
Sean La Rose

PS: Thanks Dave, Cory and Stump, you guys put on a rockin' show!

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[MakeItHappen 15]

Quote

Skydive Radio is recording another question and answer session with Brian Germain this weekend. Questions can be posted here until 6:00pm central time on Sunday, Jan 14th. The main topic will be canopy design but any skydiving related questions are welcome.

Hi Brian, Jan Meyer here.
My questions are:

1. Do you think people ought to be allowed to do HP landings with turns greater than 180 degrees in a conventional landing pattern, even when they say 'I cleared my airspace.'?

2. On big-way formations, people are required to do conventional patterns. If they do not abide by that, they are summarily dismissed from the load. This enforcement comes from the other jumpers and the organizers. That is one end of the canopy congestion spectrum. At the other end, is one canopy at a time, landing in sequence. We see this at swoop meets, classic and sport accuracy events. Obviously, when 2 or more canopies try to land at the same time in the same place, the collision risk goes up for everyone, regardless of what type of approach they use. Does it make sense to you to separate HP approaches from conventional patterns in time or space?

3. I know many jumpers that have quit jumping because they feared for their life while under canopy. Do you think that the reckless or uncontrolled approaches done by some jumpers have contributed to the decrease in the number of jumpers actively jumping?

Thanks and See you in Reno.

.

.
Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[NWFlyer 2]

How's this ... a little less leading?

"How can dropzones most safely manage the interests of different types of canopy pilots including students & newer jumpers who are still learning how to navigate canopy traffic, jumpers who do straight-in approaches on a variety of canopy sizes at a variety of speeds, and swoopers of various experience levels who may be doing 90, 180, 270 or greater approaches?"

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[fuddpucker 0]

Brian - During your last Q&A with skydive radio, you enlightened us on the type of beer that you enjoy. Thank you.

If you look back at the last 20 years of canopy design, you'll see lots of changes. What do you believe canopies will be like 20 years from now? More rigid? Extra controls? Different shape?

I need a beer,
'The' elmo fuddpucker

[BIGUN 1,042]

Brian:

Do you think an educational path associated with USPA B, C, & D licenses taught by USPA rated canopy coaches for HP canopies would reduce the number of hook-turn related fatalities per year?

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Gato 0]

Brian,

I understand that the biggest Lotus canopy Big Air currently makes is a 190.

In a previous show you stated that you more or less weren't interested in building student or tandem canopies. You also said that the Lotus should be fine for someone off student status. With an exit weight of 230lbs, it would be several hundred jumps before I'd be ready for that wingloading, if at all.

If we aren't talking about post-landing reinflation issues, what are the major concerns in designing an airlocked canopy in the 210-230 sq. ft. range? Also, can someone custom-order a Lotus (or Samurai, for that matter) in that size?

By the way, you and I both turned 40 recently - Happy Belated Birthday!


Thanks,

Chris
Kansas City

T.I.N.S.

[klafollette 0]

Along the "lines" of Canopy design:

Would be interesting to hear what affect different line types have on a canopy design and performance; Spectra, Vectran, HMA, etc. I'm especially interested in learning about HMA since I've heard a rumor that Brian has now switched to HMA lines on his canopies. What difference does HMA make, either positive or negative?


Other topics of interest:

There's also been some people talking that non-cascaded lines are the future. What are Brian's thoughts on non-cascaded lines.

What are Brian's thoughts on the new canopy fabrics that are coming out, like the one that PD is using on reserves to allow smaller pack volumes?

What major innovation areas does Brian see coming in canopy design over the next few years?

[diverds 0]

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I still doubt their listeners would want to listen to half an hour of Brian Germain answering "yes" and "no" to leading questions. The guy kind of knows what he's talking about with regard to canopy flight...why not bring up the subject of integrating hp canopy control into the USPA license system and let him talk. You didn't invite supposition, you asked a yes or no question that was admittedly not as antagonistic as Jan's above, but similarly leading and boring. Either answer he gives to any of your or Jan's interrogation-style questions will not likely to be educational or entertaining.

Please stay on track. The purpose of this thread is to gather questions. Brian is a smart guy. If some of the questions are leading or bias I think he can still make an intelligent conversation from them. If you have a question of your own for Brian please feel free to add it. We will hit them all.

Skydive Radio

[DSE 3]

Brian,
what are some of the mental exercises you'd recommend to low-number jumpers arriving at a new DZ? Perhaps a jumper with 50 jumps or so.

What are some of the mental exercises that would be of benefit to marginally experienced jumpers as they begin to partake in aggressive canopy techniques (Perhaps a jumper of around 400-500 jumps)

How do you feel canopy piloting education should become part of the D licensing process, if at all?

[diverds 0]

Thank you to all who posted questions and to dropzone.com for allowing us to use the forums for this purpose. The interview went a bit long so it will be split in half and released over the next two shows. The first half will be available for download tomorrow at www.skydiveradio.com

Skydive Radio

[peanut4040 0]

Brian,
what are some of the mental exercises you'd recommend to low-number jumpers arriving at a new DZ? Perhaps a jumper with 50 jumps or so.

What are some of the mental exercises that would be of benefit to marginally experienced jumpers as they begin to partake in aggressive canopy techniques (Perhaps a jumper of around 400-500 jumps)

How do you feel canopy piloting education should become part of the D licensing process, if at all?



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now THAT was FUNNNYYYYYYYY

Its a good day to LIVE, why puck up a good thing.

There is no reply in aad section for. " hell no i would not put an AAD on my back"