What canopy would u buy

[likestojump 3]

apples to apples my dear friend. OP was asking to compare the 3 canopies based on them being priced similar. For the same price, IMHO Sabre is a better choice.

I hear reliable and safe.
You are hearing "cheap cheap cheap".

quite a common trend.

once again - nothing wrong with F111 canopies, as long as people who use them are aware of limitations.

[LongWayToFall 0]

Ok, if they are all the same price, find a ragged out saber with a reasonably fresh line set, it'll last you longer. Happy?

[flipper 0]

Sabre

[2shay 0]

none of them, they are all fairly old, I would look for a spectre they are easy to find and not ridiculous on price. They open well and are easy to pack.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[DescensionX 0]

Quote

Never the same bang for your buck? I doubt that. I bought my 210 pd 9 cell for 300 bucks, almost brand new. The pack volume allowed me to put it into a container sized for a 190, so in time if I want, I could downsize all the way to a 150, which will last me many many jumps and many years. The canopy opens and flies great, it gets me back to the dz no problem (glide angle is similar to a 7 cell) and the only thing lacking is the flare, which is still adequate. Now that I think about it, I have never had a non stand up landing. A saber one with a similarly fresh line set (but lots more jumps) is going to be at least double the cost, I was looking at one with 1200 jumps and a 50 jump old lineset for 600 bucks, and an 800 jump with new lines for 800 bucks. The best part about the canopy though, is that it is super easy to pack!!!! It might not be a great canopy, but I love it, and it got me into the air cheap. The openings are always consistent and on heading, and it hasn't malfunctioned on me yet.
So go ahead and knock my canopy, but it won't change the fact that it saved me money and I'll probably be hanging onto it for a second rig.

P.S. the resale value doesn't matter as much either, at half the price I only lose 150 bucks. Ordering a brand new canopy and then selling it after 100-200 jumps is a bigger hit than that.

Touche' I was thinking the exact same thing, but you said it well. I would go with the PD-190. The Sabre 1 will break your back, and nobody will ever buy is off of you. The PD-190 is a piece of cake to pack as well, which is crucial for a newish jumper. I had one and it served me very well. With the Sabre, you'll be constantly worried about your pack job.

[monkycndo 0]

Have over 650 jumps on two Sabres. Gust I must have broken my back 650 times without knowing it. Strange, not sure how I got them without buying them from someone. A F1-11 canopy can be great if it has few jumps and is loaded lightly. If I had a choice, I'd go ZP. Might be more expensive, but that is my preference. I don't want to be the last owner of any piece of gear. The more jumps the F1-11 canopy has, the less desirable it is and harder to sell. My Sa150 I just got is a '93 and had less than 200 jumps. Got it for $550. I can put a lot of jumps on it and sell it for almost the same price. Not a chance doing that on a non ZP canopy.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[billvon 2,406]

> The Sabre 1 will break your back . . .

. . . and the PD190 will break your legs trying to land it!

[Chubba 0]

Quote

The pack volume allowed me to put it into a container sized for a 190, so in time if I want, I could downsize all the way to a 150, which will last me many many jumps and many years.

I don't like that way of thinking.

Downsizing involves a lot more then size and getting a F1-11 just for the reason that it packs smaller should be avoided.

Those PD's don't fly too bad, but in the 170-190 size range a modern ZP (like Sabre2/Safire2/Pilot etc) is a good investment atm, once you have it you can get rid of it anytime at the click of a button for close to the same price.

Plus they just fly better in nearly all aspects.

[heavydude 0]

I am with you there, the F111 canopies arent the stylin rigs to jump but they work OK. I am jumping an old Falcon and it works OK, probably will use it for another 50 or so jumps and buy a new Triathlon. Its very useful with these old rigs to roll the nose when packing...thats the key to good openings I have found. Oh and also be careful of PD F111 9 cells w/ non-dacron lines. Roll nose and maintain rubber bands on container really well with those....OOWWEEE.
Yup its old gear and everything else is better, but its good for getting jumps in while saving coin for better rig.

[likestojump 3]

Last few posters are fighting an imaginary argument. Nobody in this thread stated that F111 is undesirable. They stated that given the 3 choices the OP listed the Sabre is the best choice. And bullshit about the hard openings. Large slider or pocket slider will cure that right up. A lot cheaper than biffing every landing.

Sabre is a better choice relative to Falcon or PD F111.
Skydivers go quite slow compared to jets.
Jets go quite slow compared to orbiting satellites.

all things relative...

[JerryBaumchen 1,050]

Hi Bill,

Want to take a guess on the ratio of broken legs to landings prior to ~'91 when we ALL jumped those nasty ole F1-11 canopies?

I never broke my leg jumping them.

IMO, your mind is wrapped around the era of the ZP canopies and you just cannot get into what we did back then.

For the record: I owned Strato-Flyer ( worst canopy I every owned ), a Fury and, in between those, a F1-11 canopy that I built myself. The Fury was a very easy landing canopy; could stand that thing up about 90% of the time. My home-built was a great canopy but just a tad too small; it went to a good home down under.

I remember back when I was young and we had to walk to school when the snow was . . . . . .

JerryBaumchen

PS) Also for the record: I saw my first ZP canopy while in Brazil. One of the DZO's was jumping it, an ~150 Sabre. I remember thinking that it was even smaller than my old crappy Stato-Flyer and this guy was getting these amazing swoop-for-those-days landings.

[likestojump 3]

Your point is invalid.

"back then" - you did not have ZP.
"back then" - those were all that you could use. Or rounds.
Just because somethin worked "back then" - does not mean that it's a good idea to use it "now" when compared to what's available on the modern market.

If not for the progress, we'd still be driving cars with carburetors.... How many are still made without Fuel Injection ?

Once again - NOTHING WRONG WITH F111 - but ZP is just better :)

[LongWayToFall 0]

Well, I bought the canopy before the rig, so it worked out. Here is a downsizing progression that works out pretty well:

Jumper weight, 185lbs, 210 out the door.
210 PD 9 Cell (F111): 1.0:1 wing loading.
ZP 190: 1.1 wing loading
ZP 170: 1.23 wing loading
ZP 150: 1.4 wing loading

This is all with the same container.

Again, the ZP fabric is going to last allot longer, but you need new lines about every 500 jumps. The PD 9 cell I got was only 300 bucks, and almost new. Once it hits 500 jumps, it will not be worth another line set, and at that point is going to be trash anyways. The money I saved on the main got me double handfuls of jump tickets, and I certainly don't regret doing it.

[Baksteen 84]

Quote

Quote

Im on the lookout for a 190 canopy. Am looking for mid 90s or younger with no more than 300 jumps on it. It seems that i will probably end up getting either a sabre, falcon or pd190. which one would u buy if they were all around the same money? Which one is best? thanks

Why have you chosen to look for those three specific canopies?

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom