What do you like about canopy flight?

[ianyapxw 0]

Hi all

To me, skydiving was about the freefall plan and canopy flight was just safely getting your ass back to earth, but a friend of mine recently mentioned he enjoys the canopy flight. As someone new to this canopy flight thing, what do you enjoy about canopy flight?

Is it the roller-coaster feeling you get when you do sharp turns? I don't even dare to do a sharp turn on a 0.65 W/L. Or is it the ground rushing up only to slow down at the last moment?

Share your thoughts, I'm interested to know more about this unknown world!

[aidanjames1 0]

I like that it saves my life

Although since I'm a Student I love usually being the last one in the sky. I like landing, that's pretty fun for me.

[Irm1u 0]

I am fairly new to this sport, but I would probably say that i love canopy flying as much as the freefall itself. Hard to describe why, they are two totally different aspects of the same sport.
But it probably has something to do with my love of just being in the air. I know most people will argue with me when i call it flying, but I think it comes pretty close to it, even tough you are flying a wing and not your body.

[ianyapxw 0]

Thanks for the reply aidanjames1 and Irm1u
What do you normally do when flying your canopy? I've just flown my landing pattern (as directed by the TA) hence why it was pretty meh for me.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I like the view and being able to just be in the air flying like that for a while. During the summer I'll do at least 12K hop and pop a week and just enjoy the view coming down. Sometimes I'll just relax and not turn too much, sometimes I'll more aggressively dive to lose altitude. On one jump on a particularly warm day in September we had 4 people who pulled at 12K and I just followed along behind them watching them work their way down.

When you take a canopy course, you really start to explore canopy flight more thoroughly. I recommend doing this as soon as possible. There's a lot to learn there, and you'll probably end up using a lot of what you learn on every jump afterwards.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[wmw999 2,372]

I'm from the days when the canopy flight was just to get you to the ground safely, unless you were doing CRW or a cross-country. But now it's a challenging part all of its own.

If I treat it as purely an exercise in defensive flying, it's kind of tense and nerve-wracking, because I'm reacting all the time. On the other hand, if I plan out what I'm going to do under canopy, both before getting into the plane, and as soon as I open (because after tracking the plan can change), then I'm adjusting a plan, rather than reacting. And it's way less nerve-wracking; instead it's sort of the same fine-tuning that a good skydive can be.

There are times when I miss just playing under canopy after a jump. To do that, you have to have dedicated air any more; it's just not reasonable. Maybe at a Cessna dropzone where everyone on the load is planning around it, but where an Otter is involved, nope. Too many canopies at different speeds and skill levels playing around. The biggest contribution to others' safety I can make is to be predictable. And letting others having enough brain cells to concentrate is the biggest contribution I can make to my own safety.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[GD64 1]

Worst part of skydiving!
Been involved in two canopy entanglements. One of the cut-a-ways was below 500 feet......FUCK!!
Stay away from my canopy.

[ridebmxbikes 0]

i love canopy flight! my favorite part is landings and i do a lot of hop and pops to practice drills up high and not be around anyone else. some say i do too many hop and pops, i say its because others don't do enough!

be safe and get coaching!

[countzero 7]

Flying with my friends and building cool formations. Being under canopy for 10+ minutes gives me more value for my jump ticket dollar.
The flow I can get into flying smooth and banging out points in rots or sequential.
Parabatics!!

diamonds are a dawgs best friend

[ChrisD 0]

ianyapxw

Hi all

To me, skydiving was about the freefall plan and canopy flight was just safely getting your ass back to earth, but a friend of mine recently mentioned he enjoys the canopy flight. As someone new to this canopy flight thing, what do you enjoy about canopy flight?

Is it the roller-coaster feeling you get when you do sharp turns? I don't even dare to do a sharp turn on a 0.65 W/L. Or is it the ground rushing up only to slow down at the last moment?

Share your thoughts, I'm interested to know more about this unknown world!

I just like the view.


C

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

[airtwardo 7]

The usual - doing stuff like THIS & THAT!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

To me, skydiving was about the freefall plan and canopy flight was just safely getting your ass back to earth

Please have a canopy plan as well as a freefall plan. Spend at least equal time on each. It'll make you a better and safer skydiver all around.

"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

[DcloudZ 0]

GD64

Worst part of skydiving!
Been involved in two canopy entanglements. One of the cut-a-ways was below 500 feet......FUCK!!
Stay away from my canopy.

Not once but twice? Find the common denominator

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

[GD64 1]

Easy to talk "smack" when you weren't there?

[mattjw916 2]

My most memorable canopy flight is a sunset cross-country load on New Year's Eve out of a DC-3 with dozens of canopies dotting the sky trailing off towards the DZ.

For me personally, jumping canopies loaded under 1.2 or so you just feel like a "passenger" under them, or "ballast" in the case of .65 lol. Anything above 1.3 you feel more like a "pilot". That's when the fun begins IMO.

Cheers

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Hate to say it, but he's kind of right. Yeah, you could be unlucky, but ask 1000 jumpers how many canopy collisions they've been in and I bet you would get less than 2% that have ever had one, let alone 2. I'd have to side with DcloudZ until proven otherwise. Having a blank profile doesn't lend you much credibility either. It's hard to look at yourself objectively...and realize you were doing something wrong (or maybe not).

PS: What DcloudZ said wasn't "smack", it was an observation and an opinion which yuo disagree with. Maybe he and I are wrong, but you certainly have been involved in an exceptionally high number of canopy collisions.


To the OP, canopy flight is my favorite part of any jump. When I fly wingsuit, I fly a more docile canopy and I miss my "fun" canopy. Lots of people do hop and pops, but I do MANY high altitude hop and pops. I love sitting up there and messing around on canopy, trying different things and recovering or just testing it. If there's one thing anyone should practice in skydiving....it's canopy work. It's the one thing that will consistently save your life.

Think of it this way. Driving a motorcycle in a straight line is fun, but really learning the bike and driving it on a twisty track is even better. It all depends on what you like. You don't need a tiny fast canopy to learn it well, you just need to learn whatever you fly well.

As you get more jumps, you'll understand...

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[Alexg3265 0]

Chris-Ottawa

To the OP, canopy flight is my favorite part of any jump. When I fly wingsuit, I fly a more docile canopy and I miss my "fun" canopy. Lots of people do hop and pops, but I do MANY high altitude hop and pops. I love sitting up there and messing around on canopy, trying different things and recovering or just testing it. If there's one thing anyone should practice in skydiving....it's canopy work. It's the one thing that will consistently save your life.

Think of it this way. Driving a motorcycle in a straight line is fun, but really learning the bike and driving it on a twisty track is even better. It all depends on what you like. You don't need a tiny fast canopy to learn it well, you just need to learn whatever you fly well.

As you get more jumps, you'll understand...

+1

I actually enjoy canopy flight more than the free fall most days. I do a lot of full alt hop & pops. I enjoy really trying to get a feel and master everything my canopy can do and is capable of. I built myself a removable slider and it has enhanced all of this. I love the view and the solitude of just sitting in deep brakes and taking it all in. I like being comfortable landing my canopy in any condition, anywhere I want.
In my opinion, the free fall doesn't mean shit if you can't land, comfortably and confidently every time.
I fly a Safire 2 159 loaded at around 1.3
I watch all these people go from sabers to nitros and cross fires, 20ft smaller and they can't reliably land what they were flying. Now it's comical watching them land these. Learn your canopies people.

I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

[aidanjames1 0]

ianyapxw

What do you normally do when flying your canopy? I've just flown my landing pattern (as directed by the TA) hence why it was pretty meh for me.

My Parachute's usually open by 3000ft, so I do my checks then some big fast turns.

[airtwardo 7]

mattjw916

My most memorable canopy flight is a sunset cross-country load on New Year's Eve out of a DC-3 with dozens of canopies dotting the sky trailing off towards the DZ.

For me personally, jumping canopies loaded under 1.2 or so you just feel like a "passenger" under them, or "ballast" in the case of .65 lol. Anything above 1.3 you feel more like a "pilot". That's when the fun begins IMO.

Cheers

Did one at midnight new years eve @ Elsinore out of a DC-3 - - - probably 25 years ago!

The coolest part was there were fireworks going off in every direction as far as the eye could see!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[EppyNephrine 0]

Canopy is my favorite part of skydiving!

CRW is damn fun! Nothing like seeing canopies on all four sides of you connected together. Even a small 4-diamond is super rewarding. My most memorable CRW jump is building a 4 stack and having the guy on top pass beers all the way down to the bottom

Swooping is another cup of tea in itself. Diving at the ground going really fast is a hell of a rush.

There's some cool videos out there on CRW and swooping. I saw a video of a guy swooping through a hotel pool and landing on a beach that was insane, but also a little stupid. And another crazy video mix of swoops, crew (at low altitudes on HP canopies ), and XRW. Check out youtube, lots of good stuff on there. People are doing crazy things with parachutes these days.

[ianyapxw 0]

I'm a student. Canopy plan = follow target assistant lol.

[ianyapxw 0]

Thanks everyone for all the replies!
To EppyNephrine, don't even talk about swooping, I don't even dare to do a turn with one side in full breaks, and even the practice flares make my heart jump. I guess I still have to get over the fear that the 3 ring system is only held by a pin that can come lose with a single tug on red

[jumpsalot-2 3]

Even worse. It is actually held in place with a small cloth loop which can wear over time and jumps. Check it often.

Life is short ... jump often.

[thomas.n.thomas 0]

ianyapxw

Hi all

To me, skydiving was about the freefall plan and canopy flight was just safely getting your ass back to earth, but a friend of mine recently mentioned he enjoys the canopy flight. As someone new to this canopy flight thing, what do you enjoy about canopy flight?

Is it the roller-coaster feeling you get when you do sharp turns? I don't even dare to do a sharp turn on a 0.65 W/L. Or is it the ground rushing up only to slow down at the last moment?

Share your thoughts, I'm interested to know more about this unknown world!

Have you seen how awesome the world looks from up high? In the words of Ferris, stop and look around once in a while. Canopy flight lets you take a respite and just look at things. Yes, be watching for traffic, make sure you aren't drifting too far away, etc., but also appreciate that you are dangling from a piece of fabric thousands of feet up in the air. That's astounding. Go back a thousand years and someone would have killed for the chance to experience it the same way we do.

My best canopy ride was the last jump (sunset load) in a flight-1 course. We were running two loads low-pass, but the pilot didn't fly level for the second load - instead he kept climbing so we got about 10,000 ft. It was cloudy all day, raining in the morning, and the gloom would not go away. When I exited, I saw a hole in the clouds near the horizon with purple and orange sky shining through, with rays of light piercing clouds at the bottom in 6 or 7 distinct shafts. It was amazing. I was the last one out, so I deployed around 6000 and turned towards that sight and just sat in brakes for a while. Nobody above me, plane was already heading down. It was just me and God. A minute of heaven.

[Krip 2]

Getting to repack before the next jump.

One Jump Wonder