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castrodavidd

-Branched Castrodavid's discussion on swooping

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OK my canopy progression and a time line
Started jumping in 2001
2001-2004 made 39 jumps on a triathalon 190 loaded at 1.1 to 1.18 I had nevered stayed very current and wasn't licenced. Sorry gained some wieght. 8 of those jumps were at another dz on a pd 230.
June 2004-did 6 jumps on a Skymaster 260 to get current and get my license.
July 2004- current 100 jumps. 13 jumps on a friends Sabre1 190 wl 1.36. 1 jump on a friends hornet 170 wl 1.52, 86 jumps on a heatwave 190 wl 1.36 and 1 on my new X-fire II 169 1.54

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However, I feel that if I take precautions not to endanger others it should be my choice what I fly. If we all just want to make this sport safer than should we just ban high performance canopies all together.



If you kill yourself, or have a serious accident, it will at the very least cause more work for the DZO & staff, so it is not just your choice.

Every serious accident can also have an impact on the sport as a whole. It may change policies at insurance companies, it creates some pressure to create more/stricter rules etc.

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Now, I'm 95% that he's just trolling. If not (don't hope so...)- get the new "Sense" which is made by BD (Brain Designs- new company on the market, excellent products!).

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OK my canopy progression and a time line
Started jumping in 2001
2001-2004 made 39 jumps on a triathalon 190 loaded at 1.1 to 1.18 I had nevered stayed very current and wasn't licenced. Sorry gained some wieght. 8 of those jumps were at another dz on a pd 230.
June 2004-did 6 jumps on a Skymaster 260 to get current and get my license.
July 2004- current 100 jumps. 13 jumps on a friends Sabre1 190 wl 1.36. 1 jump on a friends hornet 170 wl 1.52, 86 jumps on a heatwave 190 wl 1.36 and 1 on my new X-fire II 169 1.54



Back to Mr. Hilter: Waiting for the dub :)

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dude, u're so way off..

just make sure you get video, including close-ups, i've never seen someone splat; if for nothing at all, your dead could have educational purposes!
“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

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One of my friend started to jump velo with less than 400 jumps at 2.1 wingload you better step up.

I too think that number rule should be thrown out in some cases.
Two of my pilot friends landed inside 10 meter target using s turns on aff level one.
I couln't do that until jump number 100.
Some will progess sooner than the other, and some doesn't progress at all.
If you are looking for a justification, you probably are not experienced enough, all those i know with rapid downsize and heavy wing load for their jump number, really did not ask anyone if they can jump it, they just jump em.

But they do have to reliese that human body isn't designed to land anything more than 10 mph.
Bernie Sanders for President 2016

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Had a correction to make. It was late last night. I Changed 2004 dates to 2009. Took almost five years off.
OK my canopy progression and a time line
Started jumping in 2001
2001-2004 made 39 jumps on a triathalon 190 loaded at 1.1 to 1.18 I had nevered stayed very current and wasn't licenced. Sorry gained some wieght. 8 of those jumps were at another dz on a pd 230.
June 2009-did 6 jumps on a Skymaster 260 to get current and get my license.
July 2009- current 100 jumps. 13 jumps on a friends Sabre1 190 wl 1.36. 1 jump on a friends hornet 170 wl 1.52, 86 jumps on a heatwave 190 wl 1.36 and 1 on my new X-fire II 169 1.54

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I too think that number rule should be thrown out in some cases.
Two of my pilot friends landed inside 10 meter target using s turns on aff level one.
I couln't do that until jump number 100.
Some will progess sooner than the other, and some doesn't progress at all



Yes but some don't see that. In all of my jumps I have landed off the DZ once. By five feet. It was intentional because the dz is surrounded by barbwire. I could have made it over but my canopy would have bee in it.
Its the same way in my job. Everyone thinks because I look younger than I am I must be a co-pilot, But the truth is that I am probally the only 1800 hour captin on a corperate jet in the US.

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I am probally the only 1800 hour captin on a corperate jet in the US.



I am shocked to hear this. You, of all people should be aware of the need for a progression in your learning, and that you build up to high level of proficiency, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot replace straight-up time in the cockpit. You can study and train, and ride a sim to get there before the next guy, but all of that has to be accompanied by a pile of stick time.

The same way you weren't ready to be a jet pilot with 150 hours, you're not ready for the canopy or WL you're jumping with 150 jumps. Even if you had attended canopy control courses and recieved one-on-one coaching (have you done either?), you would still be pushing a little too hard with your equipment choice.

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Whats up with these pilots?

A NorCal pilot in Davis demolished a spool in a botched swoop landing under a crossfire 2 loaded at 1.5. He had about 200 jumps.

From what I hear he is very lucky to be alive.
Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

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Yes but some don't see that. In all of my jumps I have landed off the DZ once. By five feet. It was intentional because the dz is surrounded by barbwire.



And you think that is a plus for downsizing? What happens when you have to land off on a canopy thats just a little to much for you and you have to put it in the back yard surrounded by trees and power lines?

That statement is exactly the reason you shouldn't be on the xfire 2.
Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

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Problem is that no one here at dz.com sees your landing regularly enough to say anything.
You know how the wing works so jump it.

Just keep in mind that human body is very very fragile, and they really break at something that seemes minimal impact.
You sound older than most skydivers, between 20 to 30.
And older machine tends to break easier.

And finally if something seemes off, you always have option to take it in straight.

Again, canopy choice should be done according to skill level not jump number.
Bernie Sanders for President 2016

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I know but at a 150 hours I was flying a 23 million dollar Chinook in the Army



Very good. If you had $100,000 worth of govt. training to fly a canopy, I might have a different opinion.

As a guy with 150 jumps, with 1/3 of them a decade ago, and no formal training to speak of, you're still in over your head.

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Whats up with these pilots?

A NorCal pilot in Davis demolished a spool in a botched swoop landing under a crossfire 2 loaded at 1.5. He had about 200 jumps.

From what I hear he is very lucky to be alive.



photo of said spool post impact



No need for a photo, just picture a pile of wood that has no resemblance to a giant spool.

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Whats up with these pilots?

A NorCal pilot in Davis demolished a spool in a botched swoop landing under a crossfire 2 loaded at 1.5. He had about 200 jumps.

From what I hear he is very lucky to be alive.



photo of said spool post impact


No need for a photo, just picture a pile of wood that has no resemblance to a giant spool.


But but but hitting that spool so wasn't the jumper's fault, they just put it way to close to the landing area and it suddenly popped up.


Oh.


Wait....


B|B|B|


@OP: Dude, most people here probably couldn't care less if you hurt yourself, making those humongously stupid choices. Well, unless they are the ones who have to clean up after you, so I'm guessing everyone here is hoping you do not show up at their particular DZ.
But if you ever EVER make someone else get hurt, even if they "just" had to avoid you under canopy and get hurt by that, that's going to change very very quickly. In that case, you might want to consider if you can run as fast as you can downsize >:(

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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Problem is that no one here at dz.com sees your landing regularly enough to say anything.



Just seeing regular landings isn't enough for people to say anything supporting an aggressive canopy choice.

Landings straight ahead into a wide open field aren't a big deal.

Low turns to avoid unseen obstacles, landings with induced speed because you won't always turn flat, down-wind and cross-wind landings because you don't always have a choice, and up-hill/down-hill landings are a lot more interesting and essential to survival.

If he hasn't been doing those things no one has seen him.

If there are a lot of people watching him do those things on a regular basis, it's probably because he's doing them on the same pass as other jumpers on a freefall load in which case he's a menace and shouldn't be jumping.

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Again, canopy choice should be done according to skill level not jump number.



Time to build muscle memory, explore a canopy's flight envelope, and have bad things happen which you deal with successfully like out landings and wind shifts set some prudent jump number minimum and I think Brian Germain's 1.0 + .1/100 jumps with adjustments (and 300 jumps before getting under a fully elliptical canopy) aren't too far off.

That plus being proficient at the survival skills make getting through the experience without trips to the emergency room more likely.

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I'll share my canopy progression with you, not saying it's right but this is what I did.

I started skydiving in August 2008 and I am 43 years of age now.

I weigh 187lbs out of the door

Jump #1 to #30 on a 260sq ft WL = 0.71
Jump #2 to #42 on a 220sq ft WL = 0.85
Jump #43 to #157 on a 210 sq ft WL = 0.89
Jump #158 to #278 on a Storm 190sq ft WL = 0.98
Jump #279 to #563 on a Sabre2 170sq ft WL = 1.10
Jump #564 to #614 on a Sabre 2 150sq ft WL = 1.24
Jump #615 to #737 on a Xfire2 129sq ft WL = 1.44
Jump #738 to #1057 on a Xfire2 119sq ft WL = 1.57
Jump #1058 to #1201 on a Xfire2 109sq ft WL = 1.71

I'll be hanging with the 109 for at least another 500 jumps.

Now I'm not saying I'm right, but I changed canopy size each time with the express permission of my DZO and of course I've scared myself a few times.

I made sure I could do everything on BillVon's list multiple times before downsizing each time.

Just thought this may be some useful numbers for you.

Cheers.

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Jump #158 to #278 on a Storm 190sq ft WL = 0.98
Jump #279 to #563 on a Sabre2 170sq ft WL = 1.10


I'm not saying its right or wrong either but remember I started jumping what would be equivalant to your 278 1/2 jump. A 190 canopy loaded about 1.1. In all of my jumps I have never really downsized just gained weight and wing loading. I also used Novaks checklist before downsizing.
And truth be told I probally wont ever downsize again. I figure I have about five to ten years left of wanting to go fast, after that I'll be to old to run them out.

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OK, so you're an airplane pilot. What does that have to do with flying a canopy?

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I also used Novaks checklist before downsizing.


You did all of that in the few jumps that you put on each of your canopies?

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3917927#3917927
Have you 'passed a canopy piloting course prior to each downsize and durring swoop progression'?

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