Swooping with HORNET-150

[Lok 0]

Dear all,

I have a Hornet-150 as main canopy.

I have 106 sport jumps right now and I use this canopy from jump number 47.

I love it, is very fast and is swooping even without any turn input, just if there are very light winds.

I loaded ~ 1.3

If you use rear risers or toggles is turning very fast...

I have jump in the past with a Sabre 120, Sabre 150 and Sabre 2 170 and in my opinion (from the very little
experience I have) my Hornet outperform them by far.

I have jump also side by side with a Stilleto 150 and my Hornet got me down much quicker
and make bigger swoop (always with nearly no input)
.....(the Stilleto jumper was much heavier than me).

I love it, but the problem is that recently I start practicing turns using the front risers and this canopy doesn't respond
very well????
I put a lot of force trying to turn with the front risers and the turn is very eratic and slow.

When I just push the front risers, it respond well and accelerate, but if I try to turn??? not much response...

So any advice "how somebody can turn fast the Hornet using front risers??" from people that flown the Hornet in the past or current????? I'll much appreciate it.

[AggieDave 6]

I put a decent number of jumps under a Hornet 190 and a 170. It can swoop and it can swoop decent, although the recovery arc is pretty short.

At this point in your skydiving career you should really think about your pattern and accuracy. You will never be a good, safe and consistent swooper without having mastered your pattern and your accuracy. You will never have consistent accuracy without a good and consistent pattern. Beyond that all you have to do is learn when to yank a riser. That's the easy part, a monkey could do it...look at Chuck Blue the Skymonkey.

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

[monkycndo 0]

Quote

That's the easy part, a monkey could do it...look at Chuck Blue the Skymonkey.

Why is it that they always make fun of monkeys? I thought the cave man was the new insultee of choice.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[AggieDave 6]

Ok, a MonkeyCaveMan can do it.

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

[monkycndo 0]

OK, that's better.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[Danger 0]

I luv it. A guy with barely 100 jumps loading his canopy at 1.3 and already jumped canopies loaded up to 1.6. And he wants advice to go faster.



Danger

[MagicGuy 0]

I feel like an old man/a-hole for thinking that too, Danger - considering I don't really have a ton of experience and I'm swooping. But I'm loading at 1:1 on a Pilot and am just now getting ready to downsize to a 135/120 (of which I'm jumped both numerous times).

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that, though.

[Erwinjr 0]

Im so done with people that just want to become a statistic..Why rush...enjoy your sport!!!

I sometimes think that people who go here for this kind of advise know they will be sent packing at their home dz!
Someone pulls this shit at my DZ...RUN!
Sorry,

[Lok 0]

Thank you very much for the advice.

The problem was that I was trying to turn using front risers, without release the brakes, or with released brakes but pushing the front risers at the same level of toggles.

I found from old threads about Hornet in this fantastic forum, that there are two options:

1) Adjust my brake settings or

2) release the brakes, hold them, and push the front risers on the level of connector links.

In my last two jumps I'll try 2) and I was surprised of how fast and smooth my Hornet turn......
I did a 360 degree turn and I lost a lot of altitude.


Thanks everybody for the advice.....I'll do a lot of practice in high altitude (measuring times and loss of altitude) before I get close to the ground....

I love my Hornet

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Thanks everybody for the advice.....I'll do a lot of practice in high altitude (measuring times and loss of altitude) before I get close to the ground....

At this point in your jumping career you shouldn't be doing any maneuvers like that close to the ground. You should be working on your accuracy and your landing pattern. You should also be practicing other maneuvers like flat turns, flare turns, braked approaches and all the other basic skill sets that you have to have mastered before you can safely perform any high performance maneuvers.

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

[ruudwas 0]

Jumps
License
In sport
: 63
:
: 6 years

Dec 11, 2007, 9:10 AM

Post #9 of 10 (173 views)

Registered: Nov 7, 2005
Posts: 72
================

I think you should change your numbers.

If you really have 63 jumps in six years....and want to go for front risers, I don't think you'll get the answers your are looking for

If you do have this limited amount of jumps...don't think about doing it at all

cheers

[Lok 0]

You are right, but

I update my profile every 25 February, as is the anniversary of my first jump.....25 February 2001.

My First jump was on 15 April 1999 but was military so I don't count them, through were very different, mostly low altitude jumps with combat equipment using T-10 round canopies or MC1-1B steerable round canopies.

During 2001-2002 period I did 7 Raps and 5 AFF jumps.

During 2002-2003 period I did 4 AFF Jumps and I stop for the next 3 years due to many problems, ralating with my AFF progression but also with other personal problems, with work and study.

So I came back on 2006 and during 2006-2007 period I have done 47 jumps (63 in total).

I'll see now on 25 February 2008 how many jumps I did
in the last season.

I must say also that I am very good under canopy and I have already done 20m+ ~60 feet swoop with my Hornet using only toggle input...

I don't say that I am a skydiver natural talent..................of course I am not that guy.

Took me 5 years training and effort to get stable in Free fall, but I can Honestly say that I am good under canopy.

In 4 January I were to Dubai for one day (I am working at the moment for Olympic Airlines), I did 2 Jumps in this amazing dropzone and I rent a Pilot 190 for my jumps.

It was more difficult to pack it than Hornet (even both are ZP) but PILOT opens super soft and was flying really nice.

It was very strange, no collapsible pilotchute but it has collapsible slider and DIVER LOOPS!!!!!even if it was rent gear and had big risers and rings!!!

I found that it was much easier to turn with front risers if you have diver loops....

I did a front risser 360 degree turn and the speed and loss altitude was incredible...

Again I calmed down on aproach and I had a soft Landing.

I want now to change my HORNET warned risers and lower lines and put new risers with diver loops..

I understand with all the above comments through I just learn that one unexperienced jumper in one Skydiving club here in Greece had a horrible accident during a Landing with his brand new NITRON 120.

He didn't die but he brake his face, as observers told me, and was unconscious for some time.

So I am not interest to downside any more for the next years (even I can easily put a smaller canopy in my container) but I want to learn to Fly my Hornet really well.......just this

BEST REGARDS

[MagicGuy 0]

It's great that you want to learn how to fly your Hornet really well. Really, it is. But I would start learning the riser stuff up high before coming in on your fronts, especially without having dive loops. You will be a lot safer in the long run.

Good luck and stay safe. Accidents can happen on Hornet 150s just as bad as they can on Nitron 120s.

[hparrish 0]

Even if you doubled your jumps this year..........you still don't have what many would consider, allot of experience. Certainly not enough jumps to be loaded where you are, and certainly not enough jumps to start thinking about swooping. You should be concentrating on the basics and seeking the advice of qualified canopy pilots, to learn new skills. It's scary to read that you are doing 360 front riser turns, unless you are doing hop and pops and practicing these turns above 3000 feet.

You should take the advice AggieDave has given you. He is an accomplished canopy pilot and his advice is good. And if you don't know who the person is on-line that you are getting advice from,you should have your DZ Staff put you in touch with a local / reputable canopy instructor who can work with you.

You seem a little over confident with your skill level. No One wants to see you get hurt. Please don't get hurt, get some coaching.

[Lok 0]

Many thanks for your advice and encourage!

[Lok 0]

Many thanks for your advice.

Here in Greece, there is Only a weekend club which close during the winter, and another which works occasionally
Sundays.

There aren't any canopy piloting coaches and skydiving activities are really rare.

I'll be in USA (Zhills) this February for 2 weeks, I'll see if I'll find any coach available?

Many thanks
Stratos

[dharma1976 0]

you will find a few at zhills

Jamie Knoop and Monsignor Chuck Blue

both are located in the bunker when they are there

try pming chuck here skymonkey1

cheers

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[Lok 0]

Many Thanks for your help,

I'll speak with Chuck or Jamie when I'll be on Zhills, if they'll have some time for me???for some coaching jumps..
I am planing to do RW jumps, but I haven't got problem
to do 10-15 coached canopy piloting jumps (Weather permitting).

Regards