swoopkp 0 #1 March 12, 2012 hello, i have a stilleto 190 at the moment, and have 239 jumps i would like to know you advise on if i should downsize to a katana 170 if my pioloting skills are good enough ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #2 March 12, 2012 how much do you load your Stiletto ? I wouldn't recommend the Katana with 239 jumps, I wouldn't recommend the Stiletto either. Neither would Performance Designs AFAIK. Unless you are around 150 lbs fully equipped, or have a serious ram-air canopy flying background you shouldn't be under the Stiletto. QuotePD Stiletto wing load chart CANOPY MODEL STUDENT (Lbs.) NOVICE (Lbs.) INT (Lbs.) ADV (Lbs.) EXP (Lbs.) MAX. Stiletto-190 N/R N/R 152 228 266 285 VLC = Varies with landing conditions. N/R = Not Recommended did you read the articles on "which canopy to choose" the PD website ? I encourage you to do so. Also read the Katana page on the PD website. do you honestly think you fit in this category ? QuoteThe Katana is a fully elliptical nine cell canopy that is the ride of a life time for the experienced canopy pilot. Also it is not a canopy for "intermediate" experienced pilots (which is the category in which you actually seem to fit). Again I encourage you to get knowledge by coaching and mentoring, not shopping for ideas over the interwebz. Have fun, play safe.scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinciflies 0 #3 March 12, 2012 I am certainly not going to say yes or no to your question, but I will provide some information given to me by a PD rep. The Stiletto and Katana are both elliptical canopies, but they are very different in their flight characteristics. The Stiletto is not intended for pilots who are seriously into learning to swoop using modern techniques, whereas the Katana is. These two canopies are on different "progression paths". I believe that PD would recommend that if you want to go the swooping route from a Stiletto then your best route would be to downsize to a Sabre2 for one or more sizes and then transition to a Katana at the same size as the last Sabre2 you had. The reason behind this progression is to get you used to jumping canopies with increasingly long recovery arcs. I hope this is useful to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ufk22 32 #4 March 12, 2012 Quotehello, i have a stilleto 190 at the moment, and have 239 jumps i would like to know you advise on if i should downsize to a katana 170 if my pioloting skills are good enough ?They aren't, no matter how good you think you are.This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris-Ottawa 0 #5 March 12, 2012 By simply reading the single sentence worth of text you typed on a computer, I have calculated that your canopy skills are above average and I think you should get the Katana. Based on your "quite apparent" skill level, you should probably skip the 170 and go for a 150 or maybe a 135, but only if you do 3 jumps on the 150 first. Oh, you'll need to prove that you also completed 3 jumping jacks, 2 pushups and a lap around the building with one hand behind your back. Oh, if you do go for the 150 or 135, be sure to have someone film your landings, preferably from 2 separate angles (head on, and from the side). This will help in...."critiquing" your landings. Heheh. Ok, seriously...you expect a real life answer after typing a single sentence on the web? Did I mention that you typed it ON THE WEB? To a bunch of people who have no clue who you are? What the hell did you expect when writing that sentence? I downsized too quickly, but I didn't ask my mommy, or my cool buddies on the internet, I just did it. Grow a set and downsize to whatever your DZO will let you jump, fuck it, skip to where you know you'll be in 20 jumps and just buy a Velocity... but don't expect condolences when you smear yourself across the parking lot."When once you have tasted flight..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swoopkp 0 #6 March 12, 2012 hey mate, thanks for your advice. my wing loading on the stilleto is 1.2 and my wingloading on the katana will be 1.4 is it to much of a jump ?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swoopkp 0 #7 March 12, 2012 thanks for your advise buddy, im sick of people on this forum telling me i shouldnt even be on a stilleto at this amount of jumps, but you seem like you have the right idea i think ill go for the 150 katana as i will be loaded abit too high on a 135 :) thanks very much for the advise mate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swoopkp 0 #8 March 12, 2012 where i jump, if your canopy skills are good enough, they let you get a stilleto for your first canopy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris-Ottawa 0 #9 March 12, 2012 Quotethanks for your advise buddy, im sick of people on this forum telling me i shouldnt even be on a stilleto at this amount of jumps, but you seem like you have the right idea i think ill go for the 150 katana as i will be loaded abit too high on a 135 :) thanks very much for the advise mate. No kidding eh? It's so much better to hear what you want to hear anyways! I've been contemplating a downsize, but my container will be too loose with anythingsmaller than my Katana 97, so I'm going to go to an X-Brace and skip like 4 sizes to ensure it's a good fit. I figure a Velocity 79 will fit nicely in there. Steep learning curve, but I'm going to be the world's best swooper and I'm way better than anyone I've ever met. Plus, I flew paper airplanes when I was a kid so i totally understand it. ****NOTE**** If you thought any of my advice was serious, you are severely mistaken, except for the do what you want part. Hell, if the DZO is cool with you jumping it and doesn't mind scraping your remains off the landing area, all the power to him. The only way to learn is by failing right? P.S: The ground never loses. Don't forget the video!"When once you have tasted flight..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5.samadhi 0 #10 March 13, 2012 Quotewhere i jump, if your canopy skills are good enough, they let you get a stilleto for your first canopy where do you jump? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigbey 0 #11 March 13, 2012 swoopkp sounds like JAAF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daleskydive 0 #13 March 13, 2012 Whats a JAAF ? Maybe a jumper after a fatality Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5.samadhi 0 #14 March 13, 2012 Quoteaustralia is it common in australia for lower jump number jumpers to fly stilettos or is it only common for your DZ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swoopkp 0 #15 March 13, 2012 i only jump at three dropzones and its common at all three mabey only austrlians have madd skills Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tristansdad 0 #16 March 13, 2012 You seriously picked the wrong place to get advice about downsizing. Most, if not all these people don’t know you from Adam. You jump at three different DZ’s so I’m sure there’s plenty of experienced and qualified folks on those DZ’s who know you and can help you make the right choice. I don’t have many jumps but I choose to wait till I had 500 before I moved over to fully elliptical. Even then I stayed at the same size. I plan to make somewhat of a living in this sport and beating up my body would seriously impede those plans. Also when you’re looking to go with something more high performance you have to take in account for the unexpected like line twist that will spin you up much faster as I found out on the Stiletto when compared to the Sabre 2. You may land off or you may have to take emergency evasive maneuvers to avoid another jumper while only 5 0r 600 feet of the ground. I chose the Stiletto over the Katana because the Katana is much more aggressive and ground hungry and my DZ is surrounded by swamp, trees, residential areas, power lines, rivers and a Nuclear Submarine Base. A stiletto has a much flatter glide and a smaller recovery arch and will get me back from a long spots. Plus I didn’t feel my canopy skills were good enough to fly a beast like a Katana. Anyway good luck be safe and please don’t become a just another stat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigbey 0 #17 March 13, 2012 Quote Whats a JAAF ? Maybe a jumper after a fatality That sounds good. Better go with that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #18 March 13, 2012 Hook for safety. And remember: more power is safer.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #19 March 14, 2012 Quote Hook for safety. And remember: more power is safer. Trust your rears... Always scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cube 0 #20 March 14, 2012 Just sell your stiletto and get a Sabre2. It's a great wing to start learning hp landings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyjumpenfool 2 #21 March 14, 2012 Quote hello, i have a stilleto 190 at the moment, and have 239 jumps i would like to know you advise on if i should downsize to a katana 170 if my pioloting skills are good enough ? The skydive is only half the fun. You have to get to and from the DZ. I'd recommend a Kawasaki ZX-14 or a SusiQ Busa. Seriously, if you're looking for ground rush, why quit when the plane shuts down?Birdshit & Fools Productions "Son, only two things fall from the sky." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #22 March 14, 2012 Quote Quote hello, i have a stilleto 190 at the moment, and have 239 jumps i would like to know you advise on if i should downsize to a katana 170 if my pioloting skills are good enough ? The skydive is only half the fun. You have to get to and from the DZ. I'd recommend a Kawasaki ZX-14 or a SusiQ Busa. Seriously, if you're looking for ground rush, why quit when the plane shuts down? I have been riding a Hodaka Combat Wombat since mid-february, I don't fall off nearly as much as when I 1st started so I know I'm ready for something bigger... After watching some speed runs on YouTube I've narrowed it down between the ZX-14 or a Busa...what color helmet should my mom buy me? I wanna do this safe and all ! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #23 March 14, 2012 Quote Quote hello, i have a stilleto 190 at the moment, and have 239 jumps i would like to know you advise on if i should downsize to a katana 170 if my pioloting skills are good enough ? The skydive is only half the fun. You have to get to and from the DZ. I'd recommend a Kawasaki ZX-14 or a SusiQ Busa. Seriously, if you're looking for ground rush, why quit when the plane shuts down? Some of us doYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #24 March 14, 2012 Quote After watching some speed runs on YouTube I've narrowed it down between the ZX-14 or a Busa...what color helmet should my mom buy me? Color doesn't matter. It's all about the flames painted over it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyjumpenfool 2 #25 March 14, 2012 Quote Quote After watching some speed runs on YouTube I've narrowed it down between the ZX-14 or a Busa...what color helmet should my mom buy me? Color doesn't matter. It's all about the flames painted over it. I disagree! Red helmets have a much higher perpensity for crash. Especially w/ flames. Twardo, I'd say mom should look for one in Red/White/Blue to match your demo rig. Birdshit & Fools Productions "Son, only two things fall from the sky." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
