just curious...

[fool 0]

I'm currently jumping a Spectre 135 and love it to bits. I am however thinking of the future and trying to do some homework now. I DO NOT PLAN ON DOWNSIZING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[bobsoutar 0]

Judging from your previous antics (ouch) you might like to try a 150. Square reserves are good too!

[fool 0]

my previous antics are precisely why I made it overly clear that I was NOT talking anytime soon. That's where the save some people a lecture part came in. I was just looking for some opinions on next level canopies.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[jdhill 0]

The people best suited to make this call for you are the people @ your DZ you know your canopy control skills (S&TA, Instructors, DZO...)

In general, for someone who has displayed the abilities to handle and wants a higher performance ride, a sensible step would to an eliptical of the same size (say a Stiletto 135) or one step down on the same canopy (say a Spectre 120)... most people should not take both steps at the same time... You would also want to ensure that you are taking the manufactures recommended wing loading into account... drastic steps in either size or design, imo, are a bad idea... the best canopy pilots in the world had very deliberate progressions, especially in the begining.

Again, this is all based on someone having demonstrated the capacity to handle something faster... if you can't fly your current size, don't get something smaller and think you can fly it any better.

If your long term goal is to swoop, learn all you can about how canopies fly and what differnt control inputs will do... that has as much to do with the swoop as the platform... good techniques on a less than optimum platform will do ok, bad techniques on a good platform will get you killed.

Josh

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[fool 0]

I was honestly just looking for people willing to brag about their canopies. This really isn't to make a canopy selection I swear. By the time I am ready to downsize, I'm sure there will be something new out there, or whatever. I was just thinking it would be cool to hear personal opinions of canopies to look forward to.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[bobsoutar 0]

Apologies (I think) bit of a flippant reply but I get p...d off with people trying to run before they can walk and injuring themselves and/or others in the process.

[fool 0]

I agree 100%. Truth be known, I was lucky not to have injured myself with that front riser flare, but the reason I call it a free lesson, is because I did indeed learn a lesson (well, several.) I just kinda dig hearing other people talk adn give opinions of canopies, becasue I guess as is true with everything else, one mans trash is another man's treasure, and it seems that the same is true with canopies. I also find it interesting that depending on the dz, you will find brand or model loayl dz's.I don't know...I suppose you're ultimately going to choose a parachute you've seen flying and had a chance to jump a couple times, and being in Canada and not really being able to demo stuff, you go with whatever other people are jumping...Ok, this has gone way off topic, but whatever, it's all in the name of fun.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[RichM 0]

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I'm currently jumping a Spectre 135 and love it to bits. I am however thinking of the future and trying to do some homework now. I DO NOT PLAN ON DOWNSIZING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

I don't mean you any offense here, but the fact that you've asked the question says to me that you are already toying with the idea, because this is what you want to do.

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My long term goal is to be able to swooooooooooooooooop.

Swooping is about flying a canopy. You can swoop any zp canopy, but you have to learn to fly it and land it with exceptional skill. If you really want to swoop, learn to swoop the Spectre. It's actually a very capable swooping canopy. It's not fast, but speed does not equal good swoop. And if you get it all wrong, you will bite the dust more slowly.

Speed does not equal good swoop.

Have fun, take care

Rich M

[weid14 0]

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The people best suited to make this call for you are the people @ your DZ you know your canopy control skills (S&TA, Instructors, DZO...)

I find this statement interesting all of a sudden. why? because at a larger DZ once you're on your own (esp with the new progression), not many people are going to notice how you routinely land your canopy unless you ask them (or they're hanging out in the landing area watching). People may give you feed back if they are on the load with you and you do something idiotic, but for the most part, how much is someone going to really know (at a larger DZ) shoot, I bet the DZO's of most large busy DZ's don't even know who is going through their student progression.

[dterrick 0]

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I find this statement interesting all of a sudden. why? because at a larger DZ once you're on your own (esp with the new progression), not many people are going to notice how you routinely land your canopy

...we fly in a C-182 DZ and land in front of ALL who are there. Gimli is a very small but "public" DZ. In a lot of ways this is great because you know everyone's strengths (we're small but have a vast depth of seriously experienced people ...and then a bunch of 'us' with less than 200 jumps). The bad side is that we don't have every size and type of canopy being flown here (Mostly Sabres and Stilettos) - and this is where this Fool is not folish by asking about the diffferent canopies and thier performance

Blue Skies

The Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[fool 0]

I honestly don't know how many other ways I can sayt that this post is not trying to get information so I can go out and buy a hot canopy. Yes, it is a LONG TERM GOAL, but nowhere in the near future. I can swoop the spectre, not to it's fullest capability, but I am working on it, I know I'm not flying it to it's fullest, this is why I am not considering making a change anytime soon. eventually it WILL get to that point but, NOT ANYTIME SOON. Thanks.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[skycat 0]

Well really you just need to demo. Every person is different and likes different things in a canopy. With all the choices out there I'm sure every canopy could be represented here by the large amount of people from all over the world that post here.

Do some searches on the forums you will find people saying everything from tri's to VXs are the hottest thing since sliced bread. Read what they posted in other threads and from there figure out the characteristics that you want and after a long talk with those at your DZ that know how you fly start demoing.

Fly it like you stole it!

[alan 1]

Try reading the Canopy Reviews in the Gear pages.

alan

[1234hutch 0]

Speaking as a senior dude who has been swooping canopies since about 1983 I hope you were not suggesting that F-111 canopies cannot be swooped. the velocity type canopy originally appeared circa 1988-90 as a f-111 canopy called the excaliber ( made by pd), and was well received as such. Jumpers over loaded it radically for a f-111 canopy and had problems as the porisity increased. It faded away when pd intro'd the saber.
I have swooped hobbits, firelites, unit's, fury's and manta's (yeah a student canopy). Admittly not for hundreds of feet. It is a matter of piloting technique and having enough SPEED to generate the EXCESS lift to maintain altitude (level flight) and still have the SPEED to move forward. Get any canopy past this threshold and you are skimming. (lets not add the phsyic's of ground effect to the disscussion)
A canopy gets the speed to produce this lift one of two ways:
1. by loading it so that the canopies is flying fast enough to produce the excess lift on a straight in approach and flare or
2. by doing radical moves to build the speed
High performance pilots are using both concepts

Hutch

[AggieDave 6]

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I have swooped hobbits, firelites

I thought the Firelite was a reserve, was it used as a main also?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Spy38W 0]

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I thought the Firelite was a reserve, was it used as a main also?

Who says you can't swoop a reserve?

--
Hook high, flare on time

[phastasphuk 0]

Firelite's sure is being used as mains....
Maybe not the BEST main, but it sure is cheap nowadays.

chris

[RichM 0]

Quote

Speaking as a senior dude who has been swooping canopies since about 1983 I hope you were not suggesting that F-111 canopies cannot be swooped.

Hutch

Not at all, but I think it's fair to say that zp swoops more easily and surf length is generally longer for a given input. I haven't veen tried to swoop F111 as this means I'm on my reserve and already have my adrenaline fix sorted

Rich M

[nicknitro71 0]

What about a comp cobalt 65? that should provide you enough speed for your swoops!

Memento Audere Semper

903

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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What about a comp cobalt 65? that should provide you enough speed for your swoops!

I can personally attest to the speed of the CC 65.

[1234hutch 0]

yes firelite were a main and I even think flight concepts still makes them. In their day they were a great canopy.
Remember stilletos and zero p have not been around forever
hutch

[1234hutch 0]

My humble apoligies I just read the 'rules ' and discovered that I committed a faux pax and "Shouted".
I grovel before the moderator and all that I may have upset
I am now crawling on broken glass to earn forgiveness
Ouch.. ouch
Hutch

[1234hutch 0]

fair enough
hutch

[fool 0]

I beleive in the context you used the "shouting," it would be considered emphasis, and therefore be alright, so it's no big thing. Of course I could be just saying that because if you werre in violation, then my initial post was even worse.....hmmmm

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[1234hutch 0]

okay
It seem that we have a least a couple of old timers (jessh I just called my self an old timers) and I know this sends the discussion in a different direction.
What was every bodies favorite canopy in the 80's?
hutch