DocPop 1 #76 March 7, 2011 Quote Question: If all these benefits can be achieved after opening, why is it that manufacturers don't design, and build, the canopies with these benefits built in? On the face of it, these benefits might be achieved with a line set change since all we're doing is changing the shape of the canopy. It's kinda like having to buy after-market add-ons to get your new car to run smoothly. I'm missing something, obviously. I would think that the answer, at least partially, is what a lineset like that would to to the opening. You know how a lineset that is even a couple of inches out of trim can really jack up opening characteristics, particularly on HP canopies. I would imagine that a lineset required to flatten out a canopy would massively change the opening characteristics. The more sensible answer seems to be design a canopy with desirable opening characteristics and let jumpers fine-tune it after opening by collapsing the slider, opening chest-strap, using an RDS etc, etc. It would be interesting to hear from a canopy designer on this topic."The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hellis 0 #77 March 7, 2011 I also loosen the cheststrap after opening. But i would like to say that you should be carefull if you use a rig that does not have the stop on the cheststrap. I did not have the habbit of looking at how much left there was of the cheststrap. I was looking for a freebag, and looking down i noticed my lower body blocked my view, so i pulled back my legs and placed all my weight on the cheststrap. After flying like that for a minute i had a thought "man it would suck if the cheststrap got undone now", and thats when i rememberd i loosend the strap but never looked at how much was left of it. So two things happend that day, i found the freebag and i got a habbit of checking the cheststrap after i loosen it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #78 March 8, 2011 QuoteQuote Question: If all these benefits can be achieved after opening, why is it that manufacturers don't design, and build, the canopies with these benefits built in? On the face of it, these benefits might be achieved with a line set change since all we're doing is changing the shape of the canopy. It's kinda like having to buy after-market add-ons to get your new car to run smoothly. I'm missing something, obviously. I would think that the answer, at least partially, is what a lineset like that would to to the opening.....I would imagine that a lineset required to flatten out a canopy would massively change the opening characteristics. It would be interesting to hear from a canopy designer on this topic. That sounds reasonable...there's gotta be more than just that I would think. I think I screwed up by mentioning line sets though. I hope everyone doesn't just focus on that and ignore other reasons/issues.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #79 March 8, 2011 QuoteIt would be interesting to hear from a canopy designer on this topic. Drop John LeBlanc an email. He usually answers pretty quickly. He is the one that suggested I loosen my chest strap when I was having some landing problems with a very large canopy a few years back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #80 March 8, 2011 I loosen my chest strap right away or after my slider is down and collapsed it doesn't matter to me. I find it flattens the canopy by widening the spanwise suspension points. It won't do much for you in that regard if you don't stow your slider. Loosening my chest strap makes it much more comfortable too. My chest strap is sewn back on itself as I am sure yours is so there is little to no possibility of my "falling out of my harness". Whether your chest strap is lower than mine is a point to consider. If yours is lower to accommodate your voluptuousness loosening it will do less than for me. Mine is fairly high while suspended as my harness is a little short on me. jon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blacklabjumper 0 #81 March 8, 2011 I also loosen my chest after deployment. I do it after I collapse the slider but before I unstow the brakes. After all of this discussion I am going to change my sequence. I am going to unstow the breakes then loosen my chest strap. One of the reasons I started to loosen my chest strap was for comfort and I noticed that I got much better harness input. But the biggest reason was that one of the very experienced guys came up to me and could tell by the shape of my canopy that I wasn't loosening my chest strap. As soon as I did that my landings got so much better. It seemed liked the canopy came alive. Having the chest strap tight put the canopy in such a form that it was almost like flying with a small degree of brakes. Although with the chest strap tight the caopy was almost bowed and therefore wasn't at the correct shape intended by the manufacturer. I am by no means an expert and all I am conveying is my experience with loosening the strap. Also, I would like to thank skymama for starting this thread and to everyone that has given your opinion and why. It has made a difference for me.Rodriguez Brother #1626 Dudiest Skydiver #1962 DPH #-2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybill 18 #82 March 8, 2011 Hi skymama, 'Everything that Sandy says on page 3 and I'll add 3 cents to that for a nickle!! 'Been doing the same for years. Good stuff. Works fine. If'n some people are scared that they will fall out of their rig it's their trip to stay sinched up!! I'll beat'em back to the DZ from a long spot and have a cold beer at the bar waiten' for em' when they get back, "Pant-Pant!!" out of breath from the long walk!!SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #83 March 8, 2011 Quote I would like to thank skymama for starting this thread and to everyone that has given your opinion and why. It has made a difference for me. Agreed here, too. Although I never have done it past, nor felt the need to, I think I'll try it to see what, if anything, it does for my canopy flight. I don't expect a big difference...my strap is not that long anyway. Never to old to learn new tricks. Someone sent me a note asking why I never did it even though I had posted that earlier. I'll add to that to say, I rarely do any housekeeping (unless you count controlability checks) other than collapsing my slider on long-spot recovery. I'm just not that kind of guy. For me, canopy flight is just a means to get me to the ground so I can go do another freefall. I wanna be a canopy test jumper. I'll test it in the freefall portion, then hand it over Travis Pastrana for him to put it on and test the opened flight characteristics. Oh...wait...there's something intrinsically wrong with that...hmmmmmm.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #84 March 8, 2011 "...my strap is not that long anyway. " Sorry to hear that Andy... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #85 March 8, 2011 Quote "...my strap is not that long anyway. " Sorry to hear that Andy... Yeah...me, too. Grow-er, not show-erMy reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #86 March 8, 2011 Quote Quote "...my strap is not that long anyway. " Sorry to hear that Andy... Yeah...me, too. Grow-er, not show-er If there is enough strap for you to be satisfied and functional - it is your business, No matter how short it is at full extension.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #87 March 8, 2011 Loosen it every time. Big flight improvement - even when I don't bring my slider down it's very significant. Bringing down the slider thing - no reason other than sometimes I'm just too lazy to want to push it back up past my toggles while packing - even though clearing down the slider would give me even more performance - that's very obvious. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #88 March 8, 2011 QuoteAlso, I would like to thank skymama for starting this thread and to everyone that has given your opinion and why. It has made a difference for me. You're welcome. I'm glad to hear that a question in my head has benefited other people. I'm glad you learned something about changing your sequence. And to think that some people say dz.com doesn't have any real value!She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #89 March 8, 2011 Quote Quote Also, I would like to thank skymama for starting this thread and to everyone that has given your opinion and why. It has made a difference for me. You're welcome. I'm glad to hear that a question in my head has benefited other people. I'm glad you learned something about changing your sequence. And to think that some people say dz.com doesn't have any real value! I'm just glad that she wanted to remind us to think about her chest . . . strap . . . and how loose it may or may not be.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
