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martimarr

WHEN SHOULD I PULL?

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I'm not an instructor but I can pass on advice given to me by my instructors:

High altitude Hop n Pops - I bought a new rig and did 4, my first being from 6,000ft then the others from about 5. H&P's are good because you don't need to concentrate on anything but your canopy control - there is no freefall to worry about etc etc, not to mention you get the bonus of lovely soft openings! =)

I suggest talking to your instructors - they have the jumps and the knowledge - use it! What my instructors said made perfect sense to me so I did it and I absolutely love my canopy now!

Good luck whatever you decide to do...
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

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With a "New Rig" and possibly new canopy you by no means have to pull higher but when you are using new equipment pulling a bit higher gives you a chance to learn what the new canopy acts like when you do a varity of things.

you can practice you're flair, to see where the Sweet spot is... determine how fast the canopy turns... etc...

This all assumes that its new (aka smaller equipment) then what you are used to jumping.

But like I said... you don't have to pull higher... its just that a lot of people seem to do that... (I know I did... when I downsized from my 170 to my 150.)

Scott
Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

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I want to pull high(12000) just to pratice with my can,but let me ask you guys. should the harness hurt your legs ( inside theigh area) when your under can,

I dont know about this rig as I have never jumped it But all the rental gear has not felt very good in the theigh area. not pain but very uncomfortable is that always going to be like that ?

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My advice is get a pass at 6000' by your self so you can have the sky to yourself. Then, you can do what YOUR INSTRUCTOR says' to do to familiarize your self with the new equipment. Do not make this too hard and it will be way more fun.

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You just have to get the leg straps done up tight enough - and it takes a while to learn what is most comfortable! =)

My container at the moment is quite a bit too long for me so I have to do the leg straps up as tight as they can go - and I can tell you our student gear here is a LOT more comfortable!
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

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What is it I remember from when I first started jumping? "When the people look like ants, pull. When the ants look like people, grab grass...." or something like that. Heh.

linz
--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

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I'm pretty sure he's not asking what altitude he should pull at in general, but if he should pull higher than usual to get a feel for the canopy and how many jumps he should pull high on:P


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Fair enough. I, too, ASSumed he meant something other that what he appeared to be saying. By the time I was off static line I knew when to pull, and didn't have to ask.

If the intent is to get some air time with a new rig, I'd recommend something high enough to give it a good workout, but not so high that he begins to lose circulation in his legs. Perhaps 8000'-ish would be a good start. The people who suggested he speak with an instructor are onto something.

Welcome, dude! Congrats on the new rig. I had to wait over 20 years before I got mine.

Cheers,
Jon S.

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Take your new rig to a canopy coach and sign up for a Basic Skills Class.

I like to open at 12k with new gear, or for fun, but this is something that has to be worked out ahead of time with the pilot, manifest etc. That is why people are saying to talk to your instructors...because these procedures are different at every DZ, and can change at each DZ depending upon what the upper winds are doing, how many planes are flying, etc.
Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

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Martin,
Its important to pull high to get used to a new canopy, but try to get the most out of it. Try different things, braked turns, deep brakes, rear risers, riser turns, etc.....all to be done up high. There are canopy jumps as part of the A liscence progression that you can do. When are you going down next. Look me up and we will talk about it.
Blue Stuff,
Johnny


How do ya like it Johnny?

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Take your new rig to a canopy coach and sign up for a Basic Skills Class.

I like to open at 12k with new gear, or for fun, but this is something that has to be worked out ahead of time with the pilot, manifest etc. That is why people are saying to talk to your instructors...because these procedures are different at every DZ, and can change at each DZ depending upon what the upper winds are doing, how many planes are flying, etc.



That's my concern too. If your going to pull above 5.5 you should talk it out with manifest, the other jumpers on the load, and the pilot too if your going to be unusually high.

I kept opening at 5.5 till they told me to stop opening that high, maybe forty-fifty jumps. Now I deploy at 4.5, which still gives me plenty of time to play with my canopy.

Once I got to open extra high maybe 7K. The straps were beginning to hurt my legs by the time I got down. Made me wonder about hopnpopin at 13.5.

Cheers

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I am also a new jumper and got my first rig at the end of the season. I am loading it much more than the 280 rental gear. I am about 255 out the door and flying a 230 Spectre. I did clear high pulls of 9k with the load and jumped after tandems on the load. I was glad I did. It gave me the opportunity to feel the speed difference, which for a novice initially felt much increased. I also had plenty of time to play with running at different percentages of brakes. I had time to judge altitude lost in a hard spiral turn. How many of those can you make pulling at 3.5k? Most importantly I got instruction on what I should be doing from the DZO and my favorite instructors. I put myself back on radio for a few jumps as requested by DZO. I pulled that high at least 4 times. I did not regret the loss of freefall time. I am more likely to get hurt or killed under canopy making an error than making a mistake in freefall. Do what makes you and the others jumping with you the safest they can be and everyone will be happy.

Blue Skies

_________________________________________
I married the right one......it just took me 2 times!

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Well I jumped the d*%m thang
Before the load up I started asking were every one was going to pull and letting folks know I was going to pull high ( 5500 ) after asking about separation time from the top jumper on the load , he asked the pilot to give us 2/10ths more than the prev load , the pilot (I guess) heard something else and to make a long story short we were a long way from home when we exited. Off topic it looks funny seeing the DZ from that far away it looks like your alot lower than normal when your looking at it from a distance rather than above it ,anyway its a good thing i did open at 5 5 because I was one of the only ones who made it back and I was the last one to jump. so needless to say I didn't have much time to play or even get use to the can as I was trying very hard not to have to make a landing on the highwayB| .
the landing was very scary as I never had one that fast or in the swooping style:o my first flare was about half brakes that seem to make little diffrence and the 2nd flare gave me one hell of a swoop that launched me forward like a rocket ( for me anyway) so as I aproached the ground I just put my feet out in a water ski posistion and hung ten all the way in. then of course ScReAmED THANK YOU LORD !!!

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No I weigh about 180 also I just quit smoking and probally gained a few pounds which I'm sure has me at a high wing load. I'm trying to lose some pounds hopeing to hit about 170 /175 (hoping that will help)
but I didn't think That the wing load was that bad? at 180/ 185 I have jumped rental 190s a few times but the sabre seems to be alot faster and more of a swoop at the end than anything I ever jumped before.

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Your exit weight is probably 210 punds or so. Your canopy is 190 square feet. This puts your wing loading over 1.1 pounds per square foot of canopy. My advice is to avoid that high of a wingloading until you have over 100 jumps. You noticed how fast that canopy landed. Now imagine that canopy after a last minute toggle turn to avoid obstacles or other people. Those are the situations that can cause very serious injuries to new canopy pilots. Get some good training soon, including how to fly the canopy at half brakes, and how to make flat turns from half brakes. Those last two skills can really help out in tight situations.

Some may tell you your wingloading is not a problem. Try to err towards caution.

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