pulse 190 vs pilot 168 / need advice

[fatso 0]

can anyone advise me if the pulse 190 would have much more of a flare than my pilot 168. I want to upsize for safety and better flare due to old knees but I heard the pulse's flare is not so great. need advice .

[ELLIOTT 0]

Depends a bit on the age of the pulse . Has it still the old brake line set up or the new ? The new gives a better flare

[EOCS 0]

I dont have 1000s of jumps or anything but i have owned both canopies. personally i found that the pulse had a good flare IF i flared really really smoothly, it didnt seem to react well to sharp input. I was loading the Pulse 170 at 1.2WL. Personally i found the openings on it to be a little brisk at times and find the pilot to be much more soft and have a bit more snivel. I prefer the pilot flare to the pulse but the pulse is not bad at all, just takes some getting used to. If you are looking at it because it packs smaller and you can keep the same container then yea it def does pack smaller. i was fitting my 170 into my 135-150 wings just fine.

on the other hand there is another person at my DZ who does not like the pulse flare at all.

If at all possible try it before buying.

just my 0.02

[fatso 0]

thank you so much for your advice. the pulse is bigger at 190 so even tho the flare is a bit worse i thought extra surface are over the pilot which is a 168. would give a softer landing.

[Andy9o8 1]

If you have a Pilot 168 you know how great a canopy it is. Size, age of canopy, age & type of lineset and whether your lines are in or out of trim all affect both opening and flare, as I'm sure you well know. Have you considered getting a new, larger Pilot with Dacron lines?

[adamUK 3]

Another option: You might be able to get the pilot 188 zpx (aerodyne's low bulk fabric) into the same container as a pilot 168. I get a great flare from my pilot 188.

[jonathan.newman 1]

Quote

on the other hand there is another person at my DZ who does not like the pulse flare at all.

Had an experienced 4-way competitor who consistently landed her pulse like a bad student. Eventually sent it to PD, and after they test jumped it, they offered to build her a new canopy of her choice. There was something wrong with the way it was built.

Next question, for fatso. Have you taken a canopy control course? Sometimes it's not the parachute so much as the pilot.