Most common student canopy

[cosmicgypsy 5]

Just curious. What is the most common student canopy currently used? Do most student rigs have the same reserve?
Thanks in advance.
John

[irishrigger 31]

At my DZ we mainly use PD Navigators and a few Aerodyne Triathlon's although my preference is for PD canopy's the Triathlons are a Decent Canopy.


in the good ole days when i started jumping in the early 90's it was a 9 cell 288SQ foot Manta.Oh boy do i wish that they would still make them.

[fencebuster 7]

We use mostly PD; 300, 280, 260, 240, 190 depending on weight of the student. Most rigs have appropriately sized PD Reserves.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[keithbar 1]

I have a 288 manta that I would sell cheap. It's airworthy I have jumped it.

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[peek 20]

irishrigger

In the good ole days when i started jumping in the early 90's it was a 9 cell 288SQ foot Manta.Oh boy do i wish that they would still make them.

Last time I checked they still do, in several sizes and 3 fabric types.

[BIGUN 1,051]

irishrigger

At my DZ we mainly use PD Navigators and a few Aerodyne Triathlon's although my preference is for PD canopy's the Triathlons are a Decent Canopy.


in the good ole days when i started jumping in the early 90's it was a 9 cell 288SQ foot Manta.Oh boy do i wish that they would still make them.

http://flightconcepts.com/9-cell-classic/

Personally, I liked the Falcon best as both a main and a reserve.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[paparker21 0]

DZ I'm a student at is using aerodyne rigs with pilots and smarts in them. I believe the sister DZ uses the same.

[faulknerwn 36]

We have mostly Aerodyne Solo's and one PD Navigator. I prefer how the Solo's fly. They are crazy forgiving.

[riggerrob 558]

I have dressed first solo jump students with: DC-5 (280?), Goliath 340, Manta 288, Skymaster 290, Solo 270, Tutor 300, pLaser 280, PD269 and larger Navigators.
The smallest students got Skymaster 230 mains.
DC-5s were the only 5-cells and had the wimpiest flare.
All those mains had F-111 bottom skins, while a few had ZP top skins.

Reserves were: Tempo 250, Smart 250, PD253, Raven 249, etc. all 7-cells made of F-111 fabric. Yesterday I packed a PD235 reserve into a student rig.

[irishrigger 31]

Hi Peek,

thanks for letting me know,i just found out through a PM that they are still available to buy new.

[DougH 270]

faulknerwn

We have mostly Aerodyne Solo's and one PD Navigator. I prefer how the Solo's fly. They are crazy forgiving.

Have you had the bigger ones go boom?

My experience is that they are great student canopies, but I have seen some of the bigger ones have "hard" opening problems.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[faulknerwn 36]

We have 270/230/210. All opened great. The only one we had which had hard openings was a brand new 230. After a bit we noticed that it had shipped with a slider that was quite a bit smaller than the one on the Solo 210! We replaced it with a bigger slider and now it opens beautifully.

[DougH 270]

faulknerwn

We have 270/230/210. All opened great. The only one we had which had hard openings was a brand new 230. After a bit we noticed that it had shipped with a slider that was quite a bit smaller than the one on the Solo 210! We replaced it with a bigger slider and now it opens beautifully.

We must have gotten Monday production day 270's then.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P