using weights to load a canopy....

[cielo 0]

Using weights such as those sold for RW to load up a canopy... Safe? Unsafe? Is flying with weights to get a better w/l effectively equiv to a downsize?

Also, will this affect your flying (freefly) negatively?
thx.

[stateofnature 0]

they fly with weights so they can use larger airfoils

a 2.0 w/l on a 89 will swoop LESS than a 2.0 w/l on a 103

GIT it

safety...depends on the pilot, depends on the situation...it's all relative

[SkySlut 0]

I have seen it quite a bit...happens frequently, but I only really see it for flying the canopy...hop n pops.

[cielo 0]

Interesting. At what point does this become uneffective? How about a 135sf canopy, looking to load it up a bit more than 1.1 (w/o weights), maybe add 15 lbs to get a 1.2 w/l.

Will this relieve some riser pressure? Will it make the canopy dive longer, swoop farther? Or, is this a lost cause and need to get a 120 to get these characteristics?

thx.

[NeedToJump 0]

Quote

Will this relieve some riser pressure? Will it make the canopy dive longer, swoop farther? Or, is this a lost cause and need to get a 120 to get these characteristics?

Increasing the wingloading will cause the canopy's decent rate to increase, it will lose more altitude in a turn and take longer to recover. It will not swoop farther, only you can make it do that.

15lbs is a lot of weight to wear, especially if you've never worn weights before (and I'm guessing you haven't because of this post.) Talk to experienced people at your dz who have seen you jump and ask them their thoughts. If you are going to add weights start with 4 or 5 lbs and gradually work your way up.

I think you'll find that you'll get more helpful responses to your questions if you fill in some information in your profile, namely current canopy and number of jumps...

Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com

[webracer 0]

NeedToJump's response is appropriate. 15 lbs IS A LOT!
You will fall very fast whether RW/Freefly if you wear that kind of weight (relative to your previous fall rate).
It will also hurt more when you biff in for messing up your landing.
Talk to the folks who know you and how you fly.
You can learn to swoop that canopy without weights.

Troy

I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

[billvon 2,394]

Unsafe. If you do screw up, that extra weight could be the difference between a dislocated hip and a broken pelvis (or back.)

[phoenixlpr 0]

I think you missed something. IMHO theres to reason carring weights in RW:

-balance your upper and lower body
-adjust dive

so for RW and not for landing or swooping purpose.

Please correct me, if I turn to be wrong.

[NeedToJump 0]

I'll wear weights for RW to adjust to a faster fallrate so I can maintain my optimum body position (keep the greatest range of motion.) I'll wear weight to swoop if I'm doing hop n' pops. Usually I don't wear any weight at all though - it's just not comfortable.

Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com

[Praetorian 1]

Water landings should also be considered, especially where you wear the weight. 15lbs of lead is a lot to add if you want to stay above water.

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[piisfish 135]

Quote

Also, will this affect your flying (freefly) negatively?

if you put the weight in your helmet, your head down will certainly be improved
now, without joking, I don't think it's a good idea.
the effect on the wingloading would be, I guess, the same as downisizing to equal WL... with the added weight on your body in case of bad landing...

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[relyon 0]

Quote

Using weights such as those sold for RW to load up a canopy... Safe? Unsafe? Is flying with weights to get a better w/l effectively equiv to a downsize?

Also, will this affect your flying (freefly) negatively?
thx.

CRWdogs add weight all the time to match wingloadings. While I don't consider it unsafe, I do think it's a negative factor and probably unnecessary for anything other than CRW. It's decidedly not equivalent to downsizing to an equivalent wingloading on a smaller canopy.

Bob

[cielo 0]

I assume they generally use weight vests, not the leadbelly things, right? I would think that the ones on your belly would be harder on your back.

thx for the replies.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Most of the swoop competitors (that I know of) use the belly band weights. Something else to consider with belly bands is that they can easily be removed prior to a water landing if necessary, unlike a vest which requires the rig to be removed first.

Weights for canopy performance are for the advanced only, and only to get that extra edge of performance that can be gained by putting the wingloading in the optimum range.

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[SkySlut 0]

Good point, not that we are near water, except for the swooping pond, but I always wear a weight belt...easy on & off...even with a rig on. But definately something to consider. I certainly wouldnt consider wearing a weight vest, for multiple reasons, but one of them being that you have to wear it under your jumpsuit. I keep my weight belt over the jumpsuit.

[riggerrob 558]

Also consider sewing weight pockets into your container.

[dragon2 0]

I use weights for canopy formation; usually when I film a team they load more heavily then me. A smaller canopy would work as well but I already jump a 126 . I haven't had any problems with the weights so far, it even makes my Lightning land better because of the extra speed if I land it straight in (no frontrisers). However walking around with 8 kilos of lead isn't really funny . And crashlanding with it wouldn't either, I imagine

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[VectorBoy 0]

CRWdogs add weight all the time to match wingloadings. While I don't consider it unsafe, I do think it's a negative factor and probably unnecessary for anything other than CRW. It's decidedly not equivalent to downsizing to an equivalent wingloading on a smaller canopy.

Bob

[pchapman 261]

An example of CRW weight carrying:
At the Worlds in Gap, France last year, the Australian CRW team consisted of 3 hulking guys and one skinny guy. The latter wore on his belly what looked like a tersh at first sight, but was actually 40 lbs of weight attached by extra D-rings.