What kind of canopy pilot are you?

[Designer 0]

Somewhere in between Conservative and Somewhat Conservative.Mostly been there done that.Like to just enjoy my jumps when I have the chance to make 1.For the first time in my life I have been seriously considering "Upsizing".I don't always feel the need for speed I used to.Guess it's been awhile since my last no wind 90 degree toggle swoop?Maybe fri.?

[78RATS 0]

Personally, I'm not digging the mock bet thing. Bad Karma. But, the sentiments are right on. Slow down and enjoy the sport.

Rat for Life - Fly till I die
When them stupid ass bitches ask why

[billvon 2,435]

> The first thing I find interesting is that now that everybody has read
>ONE of my posts, they know precisely what sort of canopy pilot I am,
>what my style is, and apperently, my new life expectancy.

Let's take this from a different angle.

Imagine you are having a beer in a bar, and Joe Newbie Pilot walks in. You ask him what he's been up to. He says:

"I've been flying a lot! For me, personally, flying is very easy. Pull back to go up, turn right to go right - duh. I only have 10 hours, 5 hours solo, but I found a club that doesn't care much about licenses and all. I'm towing banners and doing some glider tow. It's a piece of cake - just pull the release if anything goes wrong.

"Next week I'm going to give the club's King Air a try. I figure it's even safer - two engines and all! It looks a little more complicated, but it's not like it's rocket science."

What would you say to this pilot?

[LearningTOfly 0]

It's not quite the same, I think... a parachute and an airplane ar two very different crafts- specifically, aircraft requires a little more responsibility to operate, an airplane takes active control inputs whereas a parachute is more or less a ride (excluding hp), and the list goes on; but none the less, point taken. I'd agree that his language puts him in a situation where it looks like he's going to kill himself (unintentionally).

To everybody... I'm just having fun and enjoying the sport- safely, too- "What kind of canopy pilot are you?" So I said so. Jump with me and then give me your critique- otherwise keep it. It seems saying 'swoop' on this forum is like saying 'bomb' on an airplane... sheesh.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Quote

whereas a parachute is more or less a ride

Not true ... my big monster 293 and 303 BASE jumping canopies require plenty of piloting to put them down where they need to be put down just as the swoop machine cross-braced canopy needs to be piloted. Complacency kills in this sport and you're already showing signs of it. I will say that landing an airplane requires more multi-tasking than landing a canopy, but you can't possibly think that flying a canopy is easy. If you do you clearly haven't made enough jumps at enough different locations in enough variable weather conditions.

Please pay attention to these next words. "Some people are better than others when it comes to flying their canopy and even swooping, but there are no short cuts. Swooping still requires hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of jumps starting on larger canopies before you downsize to smaller ones". To think that you are special just because you are a pilot is a major mistake.

You can choose to ignore this advice, ultimately it's your ass. But just know that the more experienced people here know way more about canopy flight than you do. If you don't understand why I say this, then maybe it's time you showed us what you're really capable of doing. Hook it hard bro ... I mean it's easy right? Show us how it's done. There's nothing to flying a high performance Sabre 170 canopy right? If a sac of dog food can make a BASE jump then you can show us all how to swoop. I'm guessing you'll be a winning PST events before the summer is out right?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Oh ... one more thing. I'm no canopy nazi. If you want to be a swooper, then fine, that's cool. Swooping rocks!!! Talk to us, we'll tell you how to become one. But it won't happen overnight and it's going to require hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of jumps as well as some coaching.

But I can tell you that currently you've taken the wrong fork in the road. It's not too late to turn back. The choice is yours.

I'm done here ... time to move on ...

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[AndyMan 7]

Two of my three dead skydiver friends were pilots.

Do not think that makes you any safer than the rest of us.

In my small statistical sample, it puts you in a much more risky group.

Go slow, pay attention, learn.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[billvon 2,435]

>a parachute and an airplane ar two very different crafts-

Right, in an aircraft you just punch numbers into an autopilot; as long as you push all the right buttons you're fine. That's why it's so easy. (I don't really think this, but I've actually heard people say something like this.)

Most jumpers go through a phase where they think they know everything and skydiving is really pretty easy. It used to hit around the 50-100 jump point, hence the term "hundred jump wonder," a jumper who has seen everything, done everything and knows everything. Nowadays it can extend out to 300 jumps or so. It can take hundreds of jumps to realize how little you know.

>I'd agree that his language puts him in a situation where it looks like
>he's going to kill himself (unintentionally).

Yep. I think that's why people are reacting to you the way they are. You are saying the exact things that other people have said, and then gone on to craters or graves. I remember one spooky fatality where the jumper was posting on here, talking about how he was jumping his new high performance canopy and doing some radical things but was being really safe about it. The next week he was dead. You see that happen often enough, and you start to really cringe when you hear the next guy in line say it. I hope that doesn't happen to you.

[ianmdrennan 2]

What is it about pilots or other extreme sports folk that make them think because they can do one extreme activity they can do them all?

Hell we have a 'hot shit motorcycle' guy at our dz. According to him he, and his 400 jumps, just need to find 'the line' on his FX 120 and he'll be fine.

He doesn't listen cause he knows it all and is probably one of the worst pilots I've seen in a long time, but he's 'just trying to find his line'. I've seen no improvement (if not deterioration) in his skill over the last year and a half.

I just don't get it. If I was about to buy a bike, he would be the first guy I'd go to. If he said 'Dude, that's a little extreme', I'd listen. I just don't get it.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[Yoshi 0]

I was an extremely aggressive pilot as I was learning... thank all my gaurdian angels for keeping me in one piece even after a few "eventful" landings. after I had a couple really good scares (the kind that I could have been meeting my makers, but somehow came out of unscathed..other than my ego) I tuned it down emensely. I have been talking with several other pilots who hav seen the way I used to fly, and how I fly now, and I know personally I am much more safe now in my approach to it. I may not be doing/ pushing myself to my personal limit and getting the best swoops I could, but I am fairly consistant and making ground on every jump to become a better pilot. Having been one of the 300 jump wonders that was hooking it and not getting hurt on every jump I understand where people come into it thinking they are ok...it wasnt until recently that I actually have owened up to the concept of experience really does dictate what you are capable of handeling in any given situation. For those that still do go out there and tear it up at 200-300 hell even 500 jumps Im not the one that steps in and says to quit it..Im not the one that freaks out and gets on thier case, however I do step in very nicely and suggest a different plan to a successful learning curve. I think with the pilots out there and the advancement in gear it is more and more often seen that new pilots are getting into swooping much earlier than the past. I dont think that is a bad thing, I just think we (as more advanced pilots) should step in (and not tell them to take up golf) but to very calmly address the issues at hand and steer those people in a more safe way. I see people that have 300 jumps and 5000 jumps that are just learning to swoop. and with only 1500 jumps I like to tell them to take the slow approach.. and on the off occasion I get someone that is stubborn and will just do it anyway...well thats when I sit back, and watch the others land...turn my head when they are setting up...and hope for the best.

-yoshi

_________________________________________
this space for rent.

[LearningTOfly 0]

Quote

"Some people are better than others when it comes to flying their canopy and even swooping, but there are no short cuts. Swooping still requires hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of jumps starting on larger canopies before you downsize to smaller ones".

Cheers and I'll drink to that...

I think that this has been blown way out of proportion... I didn't mention the PST anywhere

Thanks for the respose billvon... I will keep your comments in mind. I hope it doesn't either...