Cobalt

The most inconsistent opening EVER!
Had anywhere from 1500 ft snivel to +10 ft opening, Im pretty sure I went back up on that one.
Light front riser pressure. Even with light fronts pressure builds fairly quick and very hard to dive due to quick recovery arc.
Heavy and very responsive rear.
It seems like it losses ALOT of energy coming out of the dive and doesn't surf well compare to Katana or crossfire.
Very poor bottom end flair. Alot of running and dropping.

Bottome line is that, there are ton of better canopies out there.
Fly real canopy such as Katana or Crossfire.

I love my cobalt, I had been jumping a Stiletto 150, which I loved, but after a few demo jumps with Camera..the Cobalt was the canopy for me.

I'm inlove of my 120' canopie, i'm 53 y/o and hope jump it for many years more.

I own a Cobalt 120 and have previously flown a Nitro 150, Batwing 135, Cobalt 150 and Stilleto 120. The cobalt is by far my favorite. My w/l is a 1.62, and have done double fronts and 90s on it so far. It plains out well on rears and has a powerful flare when transitioning to toggles. When packed right, the opening are great, but the opening do eat up more altitude than I'm used to. I just pull a little higher to compensate. Front riser pressure is average and the rears are fun to play with. You can't for better fabric to pack with. Its definitely a great transition canopy and wish they still were in production. All in all a great elliptcal canopy.

After 100 jumps on Sabre 2 150 (225 in total) I moved to a second-hand Cobalt 135 my first fully elliptical canopy and I was amazed by it.
First I did couple of demo jumps on friends of mine Cob 135.
At the date I have 180 jumps on that canopy with 400 in total. My WL is 1.4/1.5 on it and as per Viso my highest speed generated during dive was about 80km/h.

Comparing to Sa2 150 which I owned I was amazed with the following characteristics:
1- long and soft* openings
2- beautiful fly - flat glade
3- nice front's dives
4- great and powerful flare - the best
5- Gelvenor ZP fabric

The openings on both (demo and my second-hand) were great, but defenitely on my friends nicer. I noticed that my openings with time = jump numbers get worst.

Cons:
1- Openings if something is not fully right.
2- Due to the line trim there is low wind penetration at my WL.

* Once the canopy had EXTREMELY hard opening broking one of mine ribs and whiplashing my neck putting me out of sport for 3 months.

I would put this more on maintenance side as after reline the canopy transformed from a beast to a beauty with soft openings. In addition I don't think that the canopy had exactly declared number of jumps. I found that the lines (Spectra) were 8cm shorter than on line trim chart which defenitely had huge impact on openings as well as flare.

At the moment I land 90 and 180 degs on fronts and I have to say that the flare is amazing on this canopy.

After opening this is a sweet canopy to fly. The glade is great - no more off dz landings which reduced dramatically comparing to my Sa2 150 which sunk much quicker.
Difficult to get to stall point on toggles.

The canopy is packing friendly due to Galvanor ZP fabric. After being an owner of another canopy made of Galvanor (Cayeene) I want to stick with it for ever.

To make it short - I bought another second hand Cob 120 and I hope to stick with it for another couple of hundreds jumps.

Final score - 4 of 5, however it should be 4.5.
-1 because of that exploding opening.

Janusz

I ordered a 150 Comp Cobalt demo online when I was looking for my next canopy. After three weeks I called to see where it was, they said they didn't have a 150 Comp Cobalt to demo, that they only have a 135 and a 170. I got the 170 and put a dozen jumps on it, it was as fast as the other 150's that I had jumped so I decided to buy a 150 Comp Cobalt. On the order form there wasn't an option to match the triangular cross pieces to the cells so I called to ask about them. The person answering the phone couldn't answer my questions and she said everybody was out of the office. Square-1 called Atair two weeks after they said it would be done. Atair said it was done two weeks ago, they forgot to ship it. What I wanted for colors was the left end cell black, the cell beside it white, and white diamonds on the bottom. What I got was,the top skin was right, the crosspieces were matched to the cells like I wanted even though I didn't order them that way, the diamonds are white, but for some reason they made the center cell black instead of the left end cell. The first three jumps were fun, then on jump number 4 it opened so hard it broke a brakeline right in the middle of the line. I called Atair, again everybody was out of the office and she couldn't help me. I had already ordered new material since the brakelines came set up from the factory too short to use front risers, so I had my rigger replace them. It has broken the right brakeline twice, and the left brakeline once, in approximately 120 jumps. It also broke the aluminum camera box on my helmet with a riser strike. I sent Atair an email asking about the openings, no response. Once the canopy is open it is a blast to fly. The front riser pressure is very similar to a Stilleto but it dives steeper. I do outside video so I get to pull at breakoff time, but it's trimmed so steep that I usually land second, ground hungry is good. It will cover a lot of ground with rear riser input. This year at Richmond we managed to be last out of the Otter, but downwind of the landing area. Not only was I the only one out of our group to make it to the landing area, but I also passed the 6 way that got out before us.

The cobalt flies great. It is a good transition canopy that can be forgiving. The front riser pressure is average (a good baseline for HP ellipticals). The flare gives a significant amount of lift which can give you an ok swoop or an easy landing, depending on what you are aiming for. For learning to swoop, it is much better than a stiletto ("spinletto"). All in all, it is much better than a stiletto. However, I feel that I must point out the inconsistentcy of the openings. I have flown 3 different cobalts (2 150sq ft, and 1 135sq ft) and also have known 3 other owners (all have different cobalts than I flew) and the first thing that comes out in a conversation is how hard this canopy can spank you. It's either an opening that is good and opens in about 800 - 1000ft, or as little as 200ft. Aside from downsizing... the other major factor was that at the time I pitched out, I would be wondering if it would be a hard opening or a good one. This was consistent among other cobalt owners I have known. This was explained to me by Atair (who are very hard to get ahold of) that the canopy was out of trim. How can a brand new canopy be out of trim? How can the other 2 canopies, as well as my 3 friends be flying the same situation? It comes down to quality control and poor manufacturing. One advertising point is that you can "safely have an opening while going head down or sit flying." If you look at the promo video on their website, you will see someone who did that, and it didn't look like a "nice" opening. It looked like something that every canopy would do under the same situation. I may be very biased as I am flying a crossfire 2 at 129sq ft. If you are looking to transition to elipticals, you might want to consider if you are willing to risk being stuck with a canopy that can open poorly against a good flying canopy. If you are flying an elliptical already, go to the crossfire 2.

I've been using a friend's cobalt 135 for the past several weeks, and I absolutly love it. It has a great dive, light riser pressure, and is extremely responsive. The openings are a little inconsistant, but the canopy is out of trim. Other than that this canopy is great reguardless of whether I'm crawling back from a long spot, or have time to set up and do a nice hook turn.

Just purchased a Cobalt 95. I load it at 1.7:1. This canopy is very fast and responsive on toggles and risers. The openings are awesome if packed correctly. The best part of the canopy is the very light front riser pressure and massive amounts of flare. It can be made to stay in a dive longer than you would think using double fronts. Canopy builds up tons of speed using front or rear risers making for a nice fast landing. Canopy flies solid at slow speeds so you get a good surf and don't have to put your feet down till you are almost stopped. :)
I can even fly it straight in from 1000ft and land it nice and soft. Canopy is very stable in flight and extremely hard to stall. It flies very solid and smooth...not bumpy, jerky, or drifting around. At lighter wing loadings this is a great beginner canopy and at higher loadings I have seen some awesome swoops.
Canopy is very forgiving for an elliptical with its powerful flare.

It flies and lands much like a Saber2 on steroids. Only other HP canopies I have flown include a Flight Concepts Rage 107 and a PD Vengeance 97. The cobalt out performs them both especially with the light front riser pressure and flare.
I am a Cobalt fan for life now.
Buy a Cobalt you will love it.
Now I just cant wait to put several hundred jumps on it and then try my Competition Cobalt 85.

Have put several hundred jumps on my Competition Cobalt 85.
Awesome canopy.
Dives more than a cobalt but not as much as expected. Almost a 2.0wl

Planes out great using rears and glides so smooth. No running out landings.
Can fly very flat in brakes and is soooo
hard to stall.
Doesnt dive quite like a Katana but it compares.

No spot is too long. Always make it back to the landing area.

Opens sweet. Almost always soft on heading openings.

Great canopy.

Not only does it out perform a stiletto all the way around. Before i owned a cobalt a friend let me jump his 119. he told me it was designed to be opened head down. Me being a idiot i asked him do you mind if i give it a try? he said no. so next jump i got out of the porter at 13.5 and got in a head down flower with 6 other jumpers. When my pro trac started telling me it was about that time i dumped. 800 feet from head down!!! nice and smooth with a very nice snivel. what more can i say . Atair had their shit together when they built the cobalt.

Just picked up a Cobalt 135 DOM 2001. This thing is unreal. My last two canopies were a Stiletto and a Crossfire 1. This thing out performs both of them. No contest. Cobalt is extremely easy to dive and keep in a dive (espectially when using harness input). Faster turns than the Stiletto with minimal oversteer. The flare is so predictable and it likes to gain and maintain speed even after you plain out. Nice canopy. I'll be an Atair customer for a while.

I have owned a few canopies、mostly Sabres and jumped some Stilettos, but until then I never felt fully satisfied with any of them until I got my Cobalt 120. Not only this canopy opens smooth, on heading and fast, but it also flies beautiful and it glides forever on landing. As well, due to the different ZP fabric it is never hard to pack it despite the temperature, even if the canopy is brand new. It is a very responsive fully ellyptical but not unforgiving and shifty or twitchy as other canopies out there.
and to finish if what you are looking for is looks. The double diamonds in contrasting color look awesome. I am simply in love with cobalt and I can't wait to get my Cobalt 105 next week.

Ok so ABSOLUTELY NO ONE jumps one of these at my DZ. But then again equipment seems to be very regional. So I take a chance after lots of research and get one. So first lemme say my weight is 220-225lbs depending on the day and I got the 150sq ft. So loading it about 1.5 Canopy only had 150 jumps and by PD standards would still be a B*tch to pack. This thing was such a treat to pack it was unbelievable. Now to the opening. It was definitely very VERY different. It was quick (about 700ft) but it was soft at the same time. Very weird. I have a feeling that this thing could seriously spank me sometime in the future if the opening sequence doesn't happen JUST right. Now looks aside (and it is a VERY good looking) the flight characteristics are excellent. The stilletto I was jumping you kind of slide around under the canopy if you know what I mean. Under the cobalt it felt those lines were solid steel and I did not "slide" at all under that canopy like you do in the stilletto. Recovery arc was very predictable and EASILY altered longer or shorter. Toggle pressure is just right (for me at least) and riser pressure was firm but no problems at all. Brake line was just a tiny tiny bit too short but no bucking with a front riser hook. Now to the flare. WOW! This thing was exactly like others said. You think you need to put your feet down?? uh uh! Nope just keep them dogs off the ground a little longer and keep flying that canopy. It WILL keep flying! As I said I took a big gamble buying this canopy especially not knowing a single person with one and lots of others saying don't get it because of the regional preference thing but I gotta tell you...NO REGRETS!! I definitely loved it more than the stilleto but still haven't jumped the xfire2. But now I prolly wont jump a xfire cause I DIG THIS COBALT! Oh and it was a bit warmer today with some turbulence but...This thing was FREAKIN ROCK SOLID. That stilleto would have been twitching all over the place today.

I put 200+ jumps on a Cobalt 150 last year. The canopy opened great... but that was the only Cobalt I've jumped that did. Mine was a great opener, but the rest of the versions I jumped were eratic at best.

I had issues with the service behind the product. Getting lines changed on it would involve shipping the canopy to a "factory approved rigger" since they don't do the service in house. Another issue I have with Atair is their aggressive marketing of the canopy towards pilots that don't have the experience to fly it. The canopy is a fully elliptical and it needs treated as such. The "it flies big" hype is just that... hype. It feels like its a slow canopy till you fly beside something else and you realise its moving at the same speed as something like a Stiletto.

As for the canopy it had very light riser pressure and could float with tandems even. The recovery arc is on the shortish side, but still long enough to enjoy. A good canopy... if you get one that opens good.

the cobalt openings are the hardest openings ive ever experanced!harder than the saber i used to fly and that spanked me on a regular basis.so i had to send it back for testing and all i got from atair was atuitude's and excuses for why it was taking so long and why they never responded to my phone call's or emails.it is in my opinion and my recomendation that no body buy or demo a cobalt.

I demoed a 150 and a 135 and was taken at both with it's snappy toggle reactions and fast fwd. speed. This thing will swoop your ass for a long distance, if you want it to. I decided on the 135 and still waiting for it. It's only been 4 weeks now, and I can't wait to jump this awsome bird. I will be wing loading it about 1.6 to 1 and even at that this sucker will stop you dead in your tracks with it's flare. ( and the ground if you're not carefull, just like any canopy can do). I love this canopy and can't wait to have one of my own.

At 600 jumps I was looking for a good all around canopy, something I could jump daily and not have to worry about. Like any skydiver I wanted the perfect canopy. It had to open great, be fun to fly and have great flare.
My previous two chutes were an Icarus Safire 129 and a Crossfire 119. My exit weight is about 185.
Both of these canopies I liked, but they were not all I expected them to be. I had a service issue with Icarus, so I decided to look elsewhere for my next canopy. I had never heard of a Cobalt until I read about them at DZ.Com.
I did some research and found that most people fell into two groups. Those that had heard of Cobalt and those that had not. Of those that knew of Atair and the Cobalt, 99% of them loved the canopy and had great things to say about them. So I decided to try a few demos. I got a 105 and 120. I will say up front that I loved the 105, but bought the 120 for a few reasons.
The 120 fits better in my VooDoo rig and at my current level of skill the 120 is something I can jump anytime with utter confidence, yet still push my limits on. In short, while trying to learn to swoop with the 120 I can still scare myself. The 105 was great and fast, but I can see myself getting in over my head if I don't pay attention. In the future I do intend on getting a second rig equipped with a 105 or a Competition Cobalt 105.
The openings on both sizes, including the 120 I just took delivery of are awesome. By proper packing I can make it open as fast or slow as I want. I prefer a quick opening, without feeling like I'm gonna get my back snapped. The Cobalt delivers. Compared to a Stiletto or Crossfire, the openings are just as soft, without the eternal snivel.
With the Cobalt I do have to get body position down better during the opening. I have noticed a few off heading openings, but I believe they are my fault. The Safire and Crossfire also opened on heading most of time.
In flight the Cobalt can make it back from a long spot with ease with some rear riser inputs. In toggle turns the canopy responds better than either the Safire or Crossfire. The Cobalt does have some oversteer, but what HP canopy doesn't?
The recovery arc is longer on the 105 than the 120. The 105 also has lighter front riser pressure as well. But I had no problem diving either canopy compared to the Crossfire. The Safire is not even in the same leauge on front risers.
The Cobalt is very stable. In fact on my first jump on my new 120, I noticed that the steering lines are too short. Any front riser input and I was pulling the tail of the canopy down. Yet the canopy did not buck or kick at all. It flew steady. I cannot say the same for the Safire or Crossfire.
Where I loved this canopy most was on landing. This canopy can scoot along the ground and still have flare left over. Jumping the 105, even on a minor downwind still left me on my feet after a small runout. Had this been the Crossfire or Safire I think I would have been trying to remember how to PLF.
A big added bonus is packing. I hate packing with a passion. The material that the Cobalt is made from packs easy, the first time you touch it you can get it into the bag. The first time I packed my Crossfire it was like wrestling a greased anaconda.
Atair did a good job. My canopy was delivered within 6 weeks. I waited for 2 weeks to get a demo, and the 105 showed up without risers, so their record is not spotless concerning their service.
But all in all Atair was good to do business with, their product IS all it was made out to be. I look forward to becoming a better canopy pilot so I can try the Comp models and go even faster!!!
Thank you Atair for a great product.

JJ

Me: 3000 jumps, with over 400 jumps on 75 square foot mains in the past year. I Currently own two Cobalts (competition and H-mod) loaded at 2.3

After I got my Alpha 84 a few years ago, I couldn't believe how much I loved it. It was one of the very last custom-color "Alpha's" produced before Atair stopped making the "Impulse" as it was known overseas. Oddly, just as word was spreading about the swooping performance and overall great opening/flying characteristics of the "Alpha", the truth came out about the way they were being marketed in the US by SkyDepot. The fact is that the "Alpha" and "Space" were actually made by Atair in Slovenia and sold in the US with different badges on them. Neither of these canopies (actually the same main!) are made any longer, but the good news is that the replacement, the Atair Cobalt, is a BETTER parachute. This parachute is not available through SkyDepot; only Atair USA and it's dealer net.

The stock Cobalt looks almost identical to the old Alpha (or Impulse), but is sewn differently accross the top skin, thus loading the ribs differently and providing for a stiffer wing. The top skin of a Cobalt is made of 18 seperate pieces of fabric, unlike other mains. This means that you can load the Cobalt heavier than you could the Alpha/Space. I was loading my Alpha 84 at 2.23 and it flew FANTASTIC. Also, the double diamonds that are sewn to the bottom of every Cobalt are parts of the bottom skin, not appliques just sewn on.

There are three distinctly different-flying Cobalts available: "stock", H-mod, and Competition. I am sure that there will eventually be a separate listing for the latter, so I will wait and not write a complete review in this space. Just let me say that a lightly loaded stock cobalt is a very forgiving main that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to an intermediate jumper, while the same canopy at wingloads of around 2.0 and over is a complete rocketship with tons of lift which translates into huge surfs. The H-mod and competition models dive longer and steeper and build more speed on the bottom end, resulting in markedly longer surfs than the stock model when piloted by experienced swoopers.

The Cobalt is made of the non-slippery zero-p fabric produced by Gelvenor Textiles in South Africa, making for some very speedy pack-jobs. Canopies are shipped with microlines on mini-links. Custom colors are available in about FIVE WEEKS, can you believe that?

The opening characteristics are fantastic. They open slow and on-heading every time..period. I have never been smacked by a Cobalt of any type, regardless of how fast I was going at pull time. There are two ribs that are not crossported on the Cobalt; this allows the center cells to inflate and start decelerating you before the end cells come open. It is just NICE.

Flight characteristics are pretty similar to most other performance mains- meaning the control range and the recovery arc are much longer than a Stiletto. Turns are not snappy unless you want them to be, but when nailed hard Cobalt spins around and just dives at the ground and keeps picking up speed. If hooked high enough, the Cobalt will come around the corner with tremendous speed and you will have control high up in the control range. Surfs can be quite a bit longer than the Stiletto; actually almost as far as my old VX! Otherwise, if you hook low, you will have to "dig" out and pay the price with a shorter surf, like the 21 and 27 cell mains. The Cobalt is interesting in that it will continue to provide lift and glide at a much slower airspeed than most performance canopies. It takes a while to get over the temptation to put your feet down at the speed you would under say a Stiletto or a Velocity. Keep your feet up and you just keep swooping along, without the fear of "bow-tieing" your main and eating it. This is a result of the center of gravity being placed back toward the middle of the canopy.

Do not be mislead; the Cobalt is distributed exclusively by Atair USA in New York (Dan Preston). The website is www.xtremefly.com; check them out. His dealer network is expanding quite rapidly and now more and more Cobalts are showing up. If you were an Alpha afficionado, then you will really love the new Cobalt. I know I do. I really liked my VX, but I LOVE Cobalts and old Alphas.

Chuck
PS: I have been an Atair factory pilot for the past several years and have had the opportunity to jump all the company's offerings. I compete under a Competition Cobalt and H-mod 75. None of us are paid; we jump the Cobalt by choice and make a very respectable showing in competition under this "standard" canopy. Feel free to PM me at any time with specific Atair canopy questions.

Very nice slow opening. Takes a few seconds to fully inflate. Compared to a Sabre I used to have, I love this canopy!!

I just purchased a Cobalt 95 with the comp. H-mod.
I have been jumping a Jedei 120 and, admittedly, was a little nervous moving to the 95 comp.I have got to say, this is, without a doubt, the best canopy I have ever jumped. The openings are great(the 2 stage opening does take some getting used to), the response to toggle input is awesome, and the swoops are unmatched.
Dan and Heather are terrific to work with. Customer service is number 1. I am saving for a second one!!!
Way to go Atair.

I just flew a cobalt 135 and i am in love , it was just amazing . I am looking to buy one now , I cant wait .

I have flown several different canopies in the last 6-7 months looking for a good "all-around" canopy. I would find one that opens great, but has no lift. Then I would find one that had excellent lift, but would spank my ass on opening, then, and you knew this was coming, I would find one that would open halfway descent, land o.k., but was boring in flight. Well, not anymore, I have been introduced to perfection. The Cobalt was my answer all along.
I fly a Cobalt 120 with a loading of 1.6. Granted, conciderably modest compared to some of these other "crazies" loading at 2.something to 1. I'm here to tell you that no other canopy opens like the Cobalt. Smooth, on heading openings are here to stay. I've tried to completely trash pack this thing and it still opens on heading and slow. I've dumped in a full track, in a stand-up, and sit and it still is smooth as silk. I did, however find out that a larger pilot chute might hurt you a little. So, keep that in mind.
Now to the performance. What can I say, I am completely speechless. This canopy has the best in flight performance of any canopy I have ever flown. With my wingloading, I am comfortable, but fast. Turns are out of this world, and the "recovery arch" is quicker than any other elliptical canopy out there making a hook turn a breeze to recover from. I had the opportunity to see one of my "spirals" on video this past weekend and I'm wondering how my legs remained on my body. Man, talk about quick turns.
And finally, the landing. One word- "gravy"... These canopies have the best lift I have ever experienced. Yes, much better than the Sabre. I swore by Sabre for 8 years for that very reason. Make no mistake about it, these canopies are the product of perfection. On landing, whether you are smoking in on a no wind day, or coming in with heavy winds, you are going to surf. And surf far. The greatest mistake you could possibly make is to think that you have to "run" this canopy out. It has got so much lift, that all you have to do is fly the canopy out until you can just "put you feet down"...
Here is the best part. They are made with the South African Z-P, which makes packing a breeze. I bought mine brand new and did not have a single problem getting it into the bag and closing it up.
To end this review the way it should be ended, I absolutely love this canopy. I have bought and flown at least 9 different canopies in the past 2 years, and I am happy to say, I do not have to buy any more. I am completely sold on the Cobalt. Way to go Atair and Thank you for making my skydiving experience a pleasurable one!!!

I tried line twists in my cobalt 85 (load for 2) for bad position (purposed) of the my body in the openning. They were three twists. Good experience. To canopy it rotated slow and it let me to undo the twists without cutting. Until today I always had to do cut when line twists in elipticals load more than 1.4.
More points in favor of the cobalt.

I jumped vary times Cobalt 85 and my opinion is the following:

- RW Jumps to 12000 feet
- Load at 2 and 2.1
- Container: Power Racer
- F111 kill line pilot chute 70 Cm
- wind 0 (null wind) in more jumps

Openings:Very good, Impeccable, aligned and soft, previsible, without excessive retard
Glide ratio: Balanced, without excessive ground hunger. Hears two jumps in that we were out of Drope Zone and me I had occasion of comparing the flight of the cobalt with stilletos 135 and 170, sabres 190 and a spark 190. I verified that the cobalt has a good slope with the brakes to half.
Control of front risers: good, not excessively heavy.
Landings: Excellent, total controls, same windless
Summary: For besides the qualities of the finishes and construction, for me the cobalt excels all of the canopys in opening qualities, in flight and landing, without rival and much better than any other HP canopys than I already flew even today (Stilleto 107, 120, 135, 150, BT 40/50, BT Pro 120, Contrail 95, 105, 120, 135, SViper Alpha 94 and 105, Jedei 105, Hate Wave 150 and 170 etc)

Just got back from Florida where I demo'd a Cobalt 135. I only had 250 jumps so I was a little skeptical about flying an "eliptical" canopy, but it was amazing! I've beed primarily flying Sabre's, and have also tried Safire's to slowly enter the eliptical scene, but the Cobalt fantastic.

The openings were a dream, and consitent. This was welcome from the ever surprising Sabre slam that comes when you least expect it.

Under canopy, it was like driving a Ferrari as opposed to the sedans I'm use to. What I like the most was that I never felt "out of control". Front riser turns were extremely responsive, but smooth. Toggle turns, even down low were very smooth, and allowed me to be in full control at all times.

I'll second some previous comments about never having to run out a landing! On no wind days, my Sabre still comes in fast, but the Cobalt was so controllable and produced so much lift, that the only landing I ever had to come close to running was a full down winder. Even that was uneventful.

I would recommend this canopy to anyone who feels they are ready for an eliptical, or partial eliptical canopy. I just wish I wasn't back up in the Northeast so that I could fly it some more!

Another satisfied customer!!!