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gunsmokex

Anyone still using a PISA Hornet?

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Is this just a curiousity type question? I have jumped 2 different Hornets, a 170 and a 135 that are a buddy of mine's. I liked the 170 cuz it was a lot more sporty than the PD 170 I'd jumped before it.

I currently own and jump a Heatwave 135 and I have a Heatwave 100 waiting at home for me. I'm on a very tight budget, so I can't afford cross-braced, so I will take what I can get. I like the Heatwave 135, but wouldn't mind something trimmed steeper. Good turf surf, good flare.

I also had a Sonic 150, also made by PISA. I've jumped 13 different canopies (Pilot, Sabre, PD, etc.), but I keep coming back to PISA. Reliable products, especially for the price.

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Thanks for the responses. Well just kind of testing to see who all is still jumping one is all really and their experiences with it, good, bad, ugly, etc. I guess I'm just debating on whether or not I want to buy a new line set for the Hornet 170 that I have or say screw it and buy Safire 2, Pilot or a Sabre 2 or something like that.

I don't really care about swooping all that much. I just want to get back on the ground safely and have a canopy with a superb flare in conditions.

Heatwave sounds interesting but not quite ready for that aggressive of a canopy yet.

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I put a few hundred of my earlier jumps on a Hornet 170.

The openings were often hard as hell, but I really liked the canopy once it was done thrashing me on opening.

I moved on to smaller higher performance canopies, but I kind of wish I still had that canopy for use in my bigger rig.

If you aren't ready to downsize I would invest in the lineset, outside of the openings they really are great all around canopies.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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DougH

I put a few hundred of my earlier jumps on a Hornet 170.

The openings were often hard as hell, but I really liked the canopy once it was done thrashing me on opening.

I moved on to smaller higher performance canopies, but I kind of wish I still had that canopy for use in my bigger rig.

If you aren't ready to downsize I would invest in the lineset, outside of the openings they really are great all around canopies.




if you dont mind my asking, what year hornet did you have? ive heard the pre-2002 hornets were hard opening and the post 2002 were softer.

jumped a 190 2004 the other day and other then the long snivel pack it opened nicely

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Honestly I don't recall, I haven't had it my hands in 7 years or so. I would guess it was the older vintage.

The most likely put a different slider on it in later years, and changed the size or aspect ratio of the slider, or both.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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Fuck



I also had a Sonic 150, also made by PISA. I've jumped 13 different canopies (Pilot, Sabre, PD, etc.), but I keep coming back to PISA. Reliable products, especially for the price.



I had my first mal on a sonic 150. (baglock) damn that thing packed barely fit in a bag made for a 170...

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If you decide you don't like it, hook a brother up, I might be interested in buying it.

I broke my ankle on divot in the ground back in July on a tandem.

I have a feeling I am going to want something bigger than my 140 or my 104 when I am done healing and am getting back in the air.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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Thanks for all the responses. Decided I'd keep jumping it and just get a new line set after this season.

I've had pretty good luck with the opening and quite honestly I don't mind a "firm" opening at all. Its the sniveling openings that kind of freak me out a bit. I'm still perfecting my packing but a fellow jumper did a pack job on my hornet once and actually it sniveled quite nicely. I just shove the nose as far into the canopy as I can get it and make absolutely sure that the slider is quartered perfectly.

I don't know if there is any truth to the PISA using a bigger slider from 2002 on but mines a 2001. I've tried to do a little research on this but seems that Aerodyne doesn't know a great amount about the Hornets any longer. Hell I don't ever really know how long they were made much less if they changed sliders. I guess I could measure mine and post it, if anyone has a 2002 or later I'd be interested in their slider size as it'd be nice to at least help reduce the possibility of a slammer opening if I keep this thing for a while.

The only thing that I don't like is it has a tendancy after opening to....open----> left for a bit------> right for a bit while I'm looking up at it and wondering what hell is causing it...I pop my rear risers a tad and it takes care it but it acts like its possessed, happens about 1/5 times. I'm thinking this can just be attributed to the old lines though or maybe my pack job.

Unstable...how did your jump on the Hornet go? Did you drag it out of your basement yet?

If I see any Hornets around DougH I will definitely message you.

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Southern_Man

I sold mine in 2013. It only had ~400 jumps on it, so I think it is still being jumped elsewhere. I would jumpe one if I found a 170 in good condition.



Or a 210 in Georgia?
Canopies must all be female. If I treat mine good, she gives me a good ride. If I slap her in the bag, she will dump me like a turd.

Courtesy of PRE7117, love that line.

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gunsmokex

I don't know if there is any truth to the PISA using a bigger slider from 2002 on but mines a 2001. I've tried to do a little research on this but seems that Aerodyne doesn't know a great amount about the Hornets any longer. Hell I don't ever really know how long they were made much less if they changed sliders. I guess I could measure mine and post it, if anyone has a 2002 or later I'd be interested in their slider size as it'd be nice to at least help reduce the possibility of a slammer opening if I keep this thing for a while.



After I bought mine, I was told that they had a reputation for being "neck breakers" and that they had gone back and started putting bigger sliders on them. I called Aerodyne, and got in touch with someone there who was familiar with the Hornets. He confirmed the bigger slider information. As for openings, mine has given me very nice, gentle openings for the most part. Any opening I've had, that has been less than gentle, has usually been because I allowed myself to get in a rush with my pack job.
Canopies must all be female. If I treat mine good, she gives me a good ride. If I slap her in the bag, she will dump me like a turd.

Courtesy of PRE7117, love that line.

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flyingmontana

I actually have a lovely purple Hornet (150) that came in a trunk full of stuff that a guy sold me (he wanted to get rid of all his gear at once) when I bought his container...
I'd be happy to sell it, as I jump smaller Sabre2's and won't be needing it... message me if interested.



Thank you for the offer, but I already have similar sized Pilot 140. I am only really interested in a 170 if the price is right, so that I have a canopy on the upper end of my big containers range for specific circumstances.

I do like that purple color though. The gelvanor colors were way better in my opinion.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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dvlax40

***I sold mine in 2013. It only had ~400 jumps on it, so I think it is still being jumped elsewhere. I would jumpe one if I found a 170 in good condition.



that wouldnt happen to be a 190 up in michigan would it?

Mine was a 2010. I sold it to a guy in FLA, but I think he was buying it for a friend in Brazil or something. I downsized to jump a 190. About ready to move on from that.
"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

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I just started jumping about 2 months ago and just got my first rig on Sunday. It has a hornet in it that was made in Jan of 2002 but that is all i know about it. All of the ink had worn off of the warning label. If anyone can take any measurements that i could compare to that would be awesome. The packer where i jump thinks it's a 210 but the rigger thinks it's a 170. Hopefully i can jump it soon depending on the size and after i get an aad.

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KRUZR69

I just started jumping about 2 months ago and just got my first rig on Sunday. It has a hornet in it that was made in Jan of 2002 but that is all i know about it. All of the ink had worn off of the warning label. If anyone can take any measurements that i could compare to that would be awesome. The packer where i jump thinks it's a 210 but the rigger thinks it's a 170. Hopefully i can jump it soon depending on the size and after i get an aad.



They are both wrong. It's a 190.
Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

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KRUZR69

***

They are both wrong. It's a 190.


That wouldn't surprise me at all, it would just be nice to know for sure. I found the trim line measurements and i think it's closest to a 190 but i really have no idea what I'm measuring for sure:S

Just measure the span and the chord in feet. Multiply those numbers to get the square footage. It won't be exact, but close enough to identify the size.
Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

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