Safire 2

I have done around 70 jumps on a Safire2 and I have found it a pleasure to jump as it provides very reliable, soft openings. It does have a tendacy to snivel for a few hundred feet but nothing that would cause any anxiety. The flare is very positive. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good all round canopy.

This is one rock solid canopy. Opens like a dream, super soft and on heading if you give it a chance. Incredible glide on the canopy. I've found on both my safires that you bring the slider down and push the rear risers apart just a bit and this thing will glide forever. Great flare power too. I'd suggest it to anyone looking for a solid performance canopy without going extreme. I load mine at 1.37 and couldnt be happier.

The Safire 2 is exactly what I was promised by the people who recommended it to me. It fits my desire to have a "middle of the road" canopy between docile and high performance. I am loading my 189 at around 1.2 . Actually, you can fly it radically even at this loading, but if you just want a nice stable ride down and an easy landing, well it is your choice. The openings are so reassuring. You deploy the PC, look up and see the middle cells inflated really quick and then a nice sequential inflation of the remaining cells. It is very soft but not too soft. About 500 feet for me and you know it will open (or not)if you just look up.
The toggle pressure is fine and what I like is the way the canopy reacts when you want to recover from a stall or a hard turn/spiral. It is easy and very "soft" - no wild movements or "jerking". Landings are easy. I am not a fan of hook turns so I just go straight in at full speed and have great landings every time. Either a straight stand up, slow run (low wind) or a minor swoop with a full flare at the end.
So for a first canopy at a loading of around 1 or a nice midrange canopy from 1.2 - 1.5 it suits your average week-end fun jumper perfectly.

Well it took a couple of weeks to get my new toy in the mail. So far I have put 15 jumps on it and it keeps getting better everytime I jump it. It is a very responsive canopy. Lots of flare, even at the bottom end. I would recommend one of these canopy's to anyone. I have several folks at my DZ that wants to demo mine. ;-)

Ordered my off-the-shelf Safire2 169 and received it in less than a week. THe first thing that stands out is the larger than normal slider. Simon Mundell explained that, "Its easier to make a slow opening faster, than trying to make a fast opening slower." My first jump was subterminal to set the lines and I watched it overhead for 1000' until it opened. I could tell it was going to open and that it was going to be sweet. The canopy took a square shape slightly larger than the slider. Then the canopy fully inflated. Folks on the ground said it looked like a "staged" opening. I made several jumps on it and the openings were taking about 800' - a little long for me since I like 500-600' openings since I usually dump at 2500' I requested a smaller slider and its on the way.

During the first jump, I tested the turning, stalls, riser turns, opposing risers, the whole works. It never twisted, wrapped or buckled on me. So, I'm loading this at 1.5 and on landing I'm thinking, "Hope this doesn't leave a mark!" I plane it out and do a knee swoop the first time. At the end of the swoop, I punch it down a little and grease up into the air about 3 feet and drop on both feet. Amazing Canopy.

My new Safire2 149 is loaded about 1.33. My first two jumps were stand-ups, so I don't know about all this whining about the landings of the Safire1. Perhaps the landing issues are gone with the new design. Personally I think the issues were just people wanting all canopies to act the same. So the Safire requires a full extension of the brakes. So what?

2 jumps isn't much to review on, but both openings were soft, on heading, and error-free. The ride was fun. The landings were safe and fun.

Glad I bought it.

Added several months later:

After a season with it I'm still loving my Safire2. Turns are crisp and vigorous with light toggle pressure. Good penetration, easy to fly at my midrange experience level, and it looks damn good, too.

One cutaway due to an out-of-control spinner that was probably due to me untwisting the lines the wrong direction while psychopacking. Can't blame Icarus for that one.