Tandem Instructors - Which Canopy

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I made a couple of jumps on the one Red sent to Joe Bennet at Skydive Monroe; it had a nice snivelly opening and flew nice. I think it was a 360, but I might be wrong. The Green Beret Parachute Club had one for about a year I think, too.

[Skypilot 0]

2500plus tandems. have jumped set hop ezy aerodyne bt but there is nothing like the icarus.

Go big!

[Deuce 1]

A2 openings are quite a bit harder than EZ openings. I attribute that to the non-dacron lines. After a bunch of A2 jumps when we run out of the new A2's I might get "stuck" with an EZ (comparatively, the toggle pressure is just horrible) but that EZ opening really seems like a streamer, it's so much easier.

But flying an A2 is much more like flying a sport rig. Real responsive, and the student can pull the toggle through the whole range by themself, most of the time. I never let the student have toggle contact at landing. For some of the old-timers who let the student help flare because it's challenging, it's not, with the A2.

As to the lineover thing, I had one on an EZ that was flat packed by a VERY experienced tandem flatpacker. She was very surprised and frustrated it happened.

[RMURRAY 1]

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I too have the same canopy as SM1 and agree with him on the characteristics he pointed out.

Not a TM yet but interested, will JumpShack make whatever size you want or is it only 298, 350 or 396? Have you seen any 298's?

rm

[LouDiamond 1]

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will JumpShack make whatever size you want or is it only 298, 350 or 396? Have you seen any 298's?

Give them a call to be sure but I do believe they will make the size you want if they don't already have something close to what you want. I have jumped the 298 as the TM and as a passenger. The 298 flys very much like what one would expect from a sport canopy and not a tandem what so ever.It is an ass load of fun as a TM or a passenger to be under. Unless you know for sure that your passengers are going to be light, I would recommend something along the 350 size or bigger.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[livendive 8]

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Eclipse 330 and 365. They do make a 400, but I find it to be a bit big. Nice toggle pressure, great flight and flare, and no pesky brake stows to get hung up.

I haven't jumped several of the more modern canopies (HOP, Firebolt, A2, or Sigma), but compared to any of the SETs and EZs I've jumped, I can say that I *really* like the Icarus canopies. I've jumped the 330, 365, and 400. The 330 is nice if you're at a low elevation and/or have a nice landing area...I've taken my max weight students on 330s under such conditions with no problems at all. The 400 is nice at higher elevations with heavier passengers, especially if the landing area is kinda rough. The 365 is a nice compromise between the two and what I would buy as my personal tandem canopy.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[skydiverek 58]

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The 298 flys very much like what one would expect from a sport canopy

Are spinning malfunctions like on a sport canopies, too ?

[sid 1]

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Not a TM yet but interested, will JumpShack make whatever size you want or is it only 298, 350 or 396? Have you seen any 298's?

rm

I put a short (wmv) video of the 298 on my website http://www.sidsrigging.com/galleries/galleries_index.htm

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[LouDiamond 1]

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Are spinning malfunctions like on a sport canopies, too

Any canopy is capable of having a spinning malfunction if the right conditions are present. But to answer your question , No. I have not experienced a spinning malfunction on that canopy but I have experienced some very nice openings.

What I mean by my statement is that the canopys responsiveness to user input and flight charachteristics are not what one would expect from a tandem canopy of that size. The performance out of the larger canopies all the way up the line to the 400 is similar although not as pronounced since the WL is obviously lower.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[RMURRAY 1]

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Not a TM yet but interested, will JumpShack make whatever size you want or is it only 298, 350 or 396? Have you seen any 298's?

rm

I put a short (wmv) video of the 298 on my website http://www.sidsrigging.com/galleries/galleries_index.htm

very nice. I will get rated on Vector just because my local little DZ uses the Canadian Aerosports rig

If I had the cash, I follow exactly what chuck blue and lou diamond did. get my own rig - 38 lbs and under 10K US brand new. I think there is enough demand up here that DZs will pay for a "hired gun".

rm

[sid 1]

I got my rating on Vectors, and cross trained when I got back to Florida. I've been doing a few tandems here and there for Art at Palatka to stay current and I have to tell you, I LOVE the Racer tandem. It's no secret that I work for them occassionally, but I choose to do that because I like their product. I'm taking a Racer Tandem and Firebolt 350 back with me this year. The 350 performs really well, my last student/passenger on Saturday wanted no part of flying the canopy and it was so easy to fly and flare on my own.

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[riggerrob 561]

Unless you know for sure that your passengers are going to be light, I would recommend something along the 350 size or bigger.

[efs4ever 3]

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Looking for a new Tandem canopy - Have done 1000+ on SET 400

What in your opinion is the best tandem canopy out there ?

Ta

Flipper

Sigmas.
370 and 395.

I carry a lot of max weight, and my 395 is fine for that.

Russell M. Webb D 7014
Attorney at Law
713 385 5676
https://www.tdcparole.com

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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I too have the same canopy as SM1 and agree with him on the characteristics he pointed out.

Not a TM yet but interested, will JumpShack make whatever size you want or is it only 298, 350 or 396? Have you seen any 298's?

rm

I would have absolutely bought the 298 if it weren't for the fact that I actually wanted to make money with the rig. I wouldn't be comfortable taking a 240 pound linebacker on a skydive under that 298, but I have no problems swooping guys that big in under my 350. Still, in a perfect world where I only jumped people around my size (I weigh 160) or smaller, I would absolutely have a 300 foot tandem main. Anything more would be absolute overkill.

[johnny1488 1]

I personally loved the Icarus 330 I jumped this year and am trying to sell the owner of the school a 365 that is more my size.

After that I would list the Sigma, the A2 and the EZ last, as that is the remainder of what I have jumped.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[DanglesOZQld 0]

HOP HOP HOP

Nothing compares and they are constantly evolving. The flare and general handling is I think comparable to your own gear around 150 foot size.

The only reason they are not more popular I reckon is the fact that the makers don't pimp the canopies out like other companies.

Just my own opinion!

BSBD!! -Mark.

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[DanglesOZQld 0]

QUOTE - I'll say it again, If you want to get rid of "line-overs" ...the answer is very simple...flat pack.

Our company has had very few line overs from the thousands of tandems we do each year, and very few mals for that matter either. We Pro pack all the time. Space and time are a big consideration these days. It is a bit hard to pack 7-8 330 square foot tandem canopies up to 9 times a day in a fast as well as safe manner if it were by a flat pack method.

Obviously if we had a large amount of malfunctions we would consider packing in a different manner but what we have at the moment is both efficient as well as safe.

BSBD!! -Mark.

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[littlejohn 0]

aren't all tandem mains pro packed?

death before dishonor

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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aren't all tandem mains pro packed?

Absolutely not. The notion that you cannot and should not flat pack an elliptical canopy is entirely false.

[littlejohn 0]

at my dz we pro pack them and that is the only way i was taught so that's the way ill stick to for now

death before dishonor

[des 2]

after 8000 tandems. i have to say the HOP is easily the best tandem canopy i have jumped, i occasionally jump an icarus at another dz, and it really feels like an old truck after the HOP.we have a cross braced 270(or something) now, and after initial opening problems , is now opening, flaring ,and landing beautifully.but this isnt a canopy i would choose for tight landing areas.
where will it end?

[cpoxon 0]

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we have a cross braced 270(or something) now

Who makes that? JoJoWings also?

What's the minimum number of tandems before going crossbraced?!

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I had always thought a crossbraced sub-300 foot tandem would be bad-ass for some dropzones. I could absolutely get away with one!

Who made the one that was mentioned, I wonder?

Chuck

[des 2]

yep , the crossbraced is made by the same people who make the HOP

[RMURRAY 1]

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yep , the crossbraced is made by the same people who make the HOP

very cool. my question is why not a 250 sq ft. of course I am not a TM! this from www.jojowing.com

H.O.P. 300

Plum for experts: extreme high performance tandem canopy H.O.P. 300 is working. Technology Cross-brace beats also tandem pilots hearts. Australia got a slice of the action again!
(pasted: 2005-11-23)

rm