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FreeflyDom

PD Spectre

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Hi there,

I bought a used Spectre 170 loaded just under 1.1 to 1 for my first canopy. Put 60 jumps on it last summer. Really like it. I used to jump a worn out rental Sabre 190, and this canopy doesn't destroy my back. I was afraid of the slow openings at first, because I was so used to rolling the nose on a Sabre, before I realized I didn't need to do it on my Spectre. Can't think of a single hard opening so far *knocks on skull*

If you know how to fly it, it can still get you back from just about anywhere.

Can't say how long the snivel is, maybe 3-500 feet. I just know it's butter soft B|

PULL!! or DIE!!

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spectres are great first canopies. they open soft and on heading even with not much attention in packing. they fly conservative at lower student wingloadings.they have a good flare even on older used models. they have saved my butt on mistakes even at higher loading where a more aggresive canopy would have put me in a cast. pilots and spectres are great begginer and camera specific canopies. talk to your instructors and enjoy.
dont let life pass you by

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I started on a Cayenne, and after 100 jumps moved on to a Spectre. I should have started with it. Great openings, great flare, docile flying characteristics but also fun to turn on the front risers. And very suitable to camera and Birdman-jumps.

With a Spectre you will do nothing wrong. About the size talk to your instructor.
1300 Sprünge, 100er Wingsuit Formation, viele nette Menschen kennengelernt, keine Unfälle. Schön war's!

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Here is a 150 loaded at 1.3. Opening sequence starts at 1:04 and it is inflated @ 1:08. Propacked,nose hanging, about seven tail wraps and new lines with about 30 jumps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkZlPjs1W4
Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

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I have a Spectre150 loaded at 0.8:1. I absolutely love it. I pack it now so that it snivels for 300-500 ft, but I have had snivels for as long as 1000ft. One of the jumpers at my dz has almost 1000 jumps on his Spectre and swears he'll never jump another canopy. He also told me that of those jumps, he's had maybe 5 hard openings. And of the 40 jumps I've put on mine, Ive always had absolutely glorious openings. The only thing I dont like is I cant get back from a long spot or jump in high winds, but a lot of that has to do with my wingloading.

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I love my Spectre @ 1.2:1!

Positives
• Soft openings (leaving nose hanging free when PRO packing over the shoulder)
• Docile behavior- it behaves well when I don't
• I can easily do informal CReW with it.
• Floats nearly forever in deep brakes
• Hard to accidently stall with toggles (@ factory brake settings). When I want a toggle stall…behaves well (no line twists).

Negatives
• Because I am a dummy, it took me a long time to learn to stand up my landigs with this canopy. Historically, folks have noted that all 7 cell canopies require more skill to flare well.
• Unlike others in this thread, I usually have >1000 foot openings. Thus, sometimes I land out simply because my canopy puts me in the saddle lower than other folks.
The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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There's a couple of you who report 3-500 ft openings on a spectre. How do you pack it to open that quick?

I've *tried* to get my canopies (Sabre2 and Triathlon) to open that quickly, and haven't been able to. I can sometimes get my tri to open in 600 feet, but usually it's around 800 ft. My sabre2 used to take about 1000ft to open, when i was trying to get it to open quickly.

Also, since the spectre is known for slow, snively openings, and both my canopies are known for speedier ones, I'd love to learn your tricks to speed it up. I'm tired of spending (nearly) a thousand feet of a skydive lost in between freefall and canopy flight
Brian

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How do you pack it to open that quick?



I don't roll the nose of my canopy and I barely tuck it inside. and then when I bring the tail around and wrap the seams together, I only roll it once or twice, just enough to hold it together when I set it down. Those were the things recommended to me by my dz's packers when I first got the canopy and it was taking 1000 ft to open (which really scared me bc I was in the saddle so low). I hope that makes sense, I am really terrible at trying to explain these things.

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I started on a Cayenne, and after 100 jumps moved on to a Spectre. I should have started with it. Great openings, great flare, docile flying characteristics but also fun to turn on the front risers. And very suitable to camera and Birdman-jumps.

With a Spectre you will do nothing wrong. About the size talk to your instructor.



i strongly disagree with this statement! you can get yourself into trouble under any canopy, some faster than others.

i own a spectre loaded at 1.1/1 and get sub 500' openings all the time, i roll the nose too, just split the nose roll it half to the right half to the left, when you close the tail dont go crazy rolling it up. i also noticed if i give it a "w" fold compared to an "s" fold when putting it into the bag it opens faster.

btw i trash pack it every time
Flock University FWC / ZFlock
B.A.S.E. 1580
Aussie BASE 121

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When I flew a Spectre a few years ago, it seemed that if I tucked my legs up and flared right above the ground, I could get kinda a small swoop several feet across the ground, that ended in a small pickup at the end of the flare, that was incredibly fun.

Has anyone else experienced similar landing characteristics?

Is this typical of a 7 cell low powered flare?

Why would someone want more flare which results in a boring tiptoe landing?

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When I flew a Spectre a few years ago, it seemed that if I tucked my legs up and flared right above the ground, I could get kinda a small swoop several feet across the ground, that ended in a small pickup at the end of the flare, that was incredibly fun.

Has anyone else experienced similar landing characteristics?

Is this typical of a 7 cell low powered flare?

Why would someone want more flare which results in a boring tiptoe landing?




I have about 300 jumps on both the larger spectres, a 210 & 230. They do snivel but thats why I got them (soft openings).

I'm under canopy within 500 ft and the best way to land these is to slow down the forward speed with brakes prior to the flair. I can land it in 0 wind with maybe 2 steps; you do have to practice the timing though, but its a real forgiving chute.

I did have very hard opening which injured me, but I attribute this to either an out-of-sequence opening from a pack job or a slider that wasn't seated (I use packers).

Since I can't afford to get whacked again, I relined with Dacron.
You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

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When I flew a Spectre a few years ago, it seemed that if I tucked my legs up and flared right above the ground, I could get kinda a small swoop several feet across the ground, that ended in a small pickup at the end of the flare, that was incredibly fun.

Has anyone else experienced similar landing characteristics?

Is this typical of a 7 cell low powered flare?

Why would someone want more flare which results in a boring tiptoe landing?



Ask Tony Hathaway...he can swoop the sh** out of a Spectre.
Just about any canopy can be swooped to a degree, given enough power/speed. Some just much farther than others.
Soft tiptoe landings are just as much fun as planed out landings, especially for demos, accuracy, tight areas, older jumpers, people with foot/leg/knee problems, and myriad other reasons.
That's why there are so many canopy choices, right?

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I wonder if flying a 7 cell, like a Spectre hurts your future canopy pilot skill progression?



If you fly a 7 cell will give you a chance to build skills, I don't see any progress when I don't like to do something. first you have to enjoy and decide what is the best path suitable for you...
Julio Cesar
blue skies

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I wonder if flying a 7 cell, like a Spectre hurts your future canopy pilot skill progression?



Where does one go after a Velocity?:P


Swift 5-cell.

:P
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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