Flying and landing Stiletto 135

[Tonto 1]

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but is it really a significant percentage of students that are learning on ZP canopies?

I'm always surprised when I read this. In South Africa ALL students have been trained on ZP canopies for AT LEAST the last 10 years. Admittedly these are (almost without exception) 290 and 230 Skymasters, so they still have dacron lines.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[hookitt 0]

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A Stiletto is less scary because newer people didn't do their first jump on an f-111 Manta, or a Raven 4 like I did. Newer people are doing their first jump on a ZP canopy, and are comfortable at a 1.0 wingloading under a Saber2 before they get off their 22 jump student training.

Considering most student programs, I don't buy it. I had 500 jumps (give or take a few) when I jumped a stiletto for the first time. I already had around 300 jumps on a Jonathon when I jumped a Stiletto of the same size. In response to pulling the toggle down to make a turn, my first thought was ... "you've got to be kidding me"

The Stiletto turns faster than any canopy out there. It may not dive as well and has a shorter recovery arc, but the in flight characteristics are quite radical. It's opening characteristics require a smooth skilled touch as well.

Canopy control skills camps arm jumpers with more knowledge and that knowledge equates to learning canopy flight progressively, not aggressively.

200 jumps and flying a Stiletto is not progressive. Just because a person can survive landings multiple times, does not neccessarily mean they are skilled or flying safely.

Wingloading a 260 Navigator at .7 to 1 will fly quite similar to a Manta but with a better flare. To this day, most DZ's lack progressive canopy coaching and anything but large canopies in the rental gear, so in reality, "Their own delusions" is a valid and accurate answer

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(From Tomin)
Well, everybody (should) know their own limits, think I perceive mine.

I hate to say it but I highly doubt this. I guess the only way for you to realize it is to survive for a 1000 jumps and look back
Hope that helps.
Good luck!
Stay safe.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[AndyMan 7]

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How many DZs are using such modern student canopies like sabre2s? I know some are, but is it really a significant percentage of students that are learning on ZP canopies?

I really don't know. I do know that of the 4 DZ's I've called home over the last 6 years, 3 of them use modern ZP canopies.

Correspondingly, those 3 DZ's had a higher level of canopy skill and instruction than the one using old equipment.

This misses the point though. The real point is that student gear *is* better - across the board - than it used to be. Canopy instruction is better than it used to be too.

Does this mean a 200 jump wonder should be jumping a Stileto? No. It does mean people will progress faster than they used to.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Peej 0]

Here's my take on your situation, fwiw.

If your profile is up to date you have just under 200 jumps in the last four years, that's roughly 50 dives a year.

I had 265 jumps when i broke myself badly enough to require 7 shiny new screws and a plate to fix my right fib and tib. 165 of those jumps had been done in the previous three months, a bunch of those even formed part of a canopy control course with some hot pilots.

In my mind i was on top of things.

What did i break myself on? A Hornet 170 loaded to about 1.3.

That's nowhere near the performance of your Stiletto.

Apart from the pain, the humiliation and the medication I also had to sit on the sidelines for six months and watch my buddies progress in the sport.

You've been given some great advice here dude, listen to it. Please...

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[CygnusX-1 42]

Here is something to think about. I’m not going to recommend what you should do as I don’t think it will matter. You will do what you want anyway. However, I have 192 jumps in about the past 4.5 years so I know what type of progression you may have had in the past with regard to frequency of jumps. I also did something that people don’t recommend, but I did it on a bigger canopy. I downsized from a Saber I 190 to a Firebolt 146 – square to elliptical and reduced in size. Although before I tried the Firebolt, I did put about 10 jumps on a Saber II 150 and about 5 on a Spectre 150. I’m loading my Firebolt at approx 1.2 btw.

Anyway, I digress, the point of this post is to say that on my FIRST jump with the Firebolt my altimeter gave out on me. I had to land a canopy I never was under without the use of an altimeter. By the way, I never landed without the use of an altimeter either. I survived, brushed myself off, and got back up in the air. On the third jump on this Firebolt, I had my first off-DZ landing. I had to attempt to place this canopy down in and around many obstacles.

Neither of this events were planned (obviously). You just need to be aware that shit does happen. I believe anybody can land just about any canopy given ideal conditions. How confidant are you that you can land the Stiletto off safely on your first jump? With or without the use of an altimeter…

[2ndgensteinke 0]

I did my first 6 jumps on a manta 288, quit for 8 months and made 4 jumps on a navigator 240 (zp) then made 8 jumps on a sabre 210 ( also ZP) then bought my own sabre 2 190 and have jumped that ever since, i loaded my sabre 2 @ 1.1 when i made my first jump on it(with only 21 jumps), a little fast progression but i have a feeling i wasn;t the only on moving that along that quick

the big dirty

[Martini 0]

Responding to 2-year-old posts is kinda unusual. Or maybe your sig line has something to do with that.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[JohanW 0]

It didn't take the OP a month to stop posting after he updated his profile with the Stiletto 135.

I wonder why that is?

Johan.
I am. I think.

[Remolution 0]

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It didn't take the OP a month to stop posting after he updated his profile with the Stiletto 135.

I wonder why that is?

maybe he jumps the shit of his stiletto instead posting here? no clue... ;)

[mircan 0]

I don`t know about jumping the shit of the stiletto, but he didn`t hurt himself either. I have seen him later that year alive and well and i think he still is.

dudeist skydiver #42