catyduck

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  • Main Canopy Size
    149
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    143
  • AAD
    Cypres 2

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  1. Thanks, pchapman and Southern Man. Really helpful reply and link. If anyone knows of data that has been published, I would be very interested. I did not ask earlier, precisely because the thread was about overstuffing a rig at that point. The discussion seemed to have turned more towards altitude for deployment. Thanks again.
  2. (Apologies for jumping back a couple days' worth of conversation) The video caption mentions a "low drag pilot chute." (a) This seems like a bad idea? (with the understanding that you don't want an insta-stop at e.g. terminal head-down) Why would you do this? (b) How do you know if your container has a low drag reserve pilot chute? Are there specific models and DOMs someone could point to?
  3. Thanks, airtwardo. Yeah, I'm sure I didn't mean every possible combination ("now, let's dig up this canopy that ceased production in 1990, but hey, it's the right size..."). But I'm surprised they aren't required to test the extreme ends, the soft-soft and tight-tight fit with a representative canopy pair. My first reserve ride was a total mal on a friend's stuffed or overstuffed (pretty sure the latter) rig. Threads like this are scary. I have not seen this particular question discussed, so: Is there any danger in choosing a container size to allow a soft fit on your desired reserve size? (within manufacturer specs...but if they only have to test one size, how do you know which one...)
  4. Does it? I thought it was, they have done tests for the recommended range. Outside of that, you are on your own. Due to number of variables, different types of same-size canopy, impossibility of testing all conditions, etc. Definitely curious now.
  5. A (mainly) 182 dropzone that manages to be a great experience for fun jumpers, solo students, and tandems! The focus is always on becoming a better, safer skydiver. From your first tandem you have the chance to deploy and help fly and land the canopy. Then even after finishing off your A license, the staff is always watching and offering tips to improve canopy control and freefall skills, no matter how busy they are. My first reserve ride was on a tandem-crazy day--and I can't tell you what a big impression it made on me that the DZO and S&TA *both* came out to pick me up (read: make sure I was okay and find out whether I dealt properly with the malfunction). The rental gear is inspected every 25 jumps, and I've overheard several visiting pilots comment that the 182 is in the nicest shape they've seen. There is a good and uncliquey core of fun jumpers at many experience levels, some who travel from other DZs frequently because jumping at Plymouth is such a great experience, others who are homegrown and have been given every reason to stay loyal. Especially if you show up on a weekend, don't plan on jumping solo!
  6. Are these problems linked to overstuffed containers, i.e., BEYOND the manufacturers' specifications? Or could they result from prolonged use with a "tight"-fitting main and/or "tight" reserve?
  7. I think I get what you're asking. To use the example given: An Icon I4 is a tight or full fit with a 150 Smart reserve and a 150 9-cell main, says Aerodyne. SO if your already-chosen combination of canopies is a Smart 150 and, say, a Sabre2 150, would you be better off choosing an I5 (or another manufacturer)? If you had chosen a similarly-sized reserve that packs a bit smaller (Tempo 150, PD143), would it make the fit in the I4 less tight/safer?
  8. [email]Hi, everyone, I'd like to travel to Someplace Warm, USA over the winter and get in some concentrated jumping. I was wondering if anyone knew of a place that offers a sort of camp or dedicated course focused on checking off the B license requirements. I've gotten a couple of recommendations for canopy courses, but I would also need water training, the test, etc. An actual intentional water landing would be a bonus! But definitely not a requirement. I'm in the Midwest and it will almost certainly be cheaper for me to fly, so the dz would need to have non-tent housing (or, I guess, rentals) or a close and cheap motel. Thanks in advance! I really want to go into next season with my B license so I can get in on spring night jumps. :) ETA: Apologies if this post belongs in "places to jump." Please move if necessary, thanks!
  9. Do you mean in terms of canopy characteristics, like 7 cell vs 9 cell, semi-elliptical vs elliptical vs square, main vs reserve etc? Or straight-up comparisons of similar canopies, like Safire2 vs Pilot? General overviews are good for the first type. For the second, I actually learned a lot reading the gear reviews section here on dropzone.com. Also, the manufacturers' websites have descriptions of "flight characteristics" for their different canopies which are really helpful. (And in my extremely limited demo experience, pretty accurate.)
  10. Please forgive the confused newbie question, but...aren't tight and tapered potentially different factors, with one connected more to the size of the reserve than the fit of the container?
  11. It's as a holiday present? Ask for the N3. If you don't like it, you can sell it "like new," buy one of the others, and still have some money left over.
  12. Thanks for the help, everyone. I did not realize that "Me? I'll be fine" means the same thing as, "A good reserve size for you? Well...how many bones are you okay with breaking?"
  13. Sorry to be confusing. I'm wondering why a 150 sq ft canopy can be considered "high performance" on the basis of size alone (USPA SIM), but people are okay jumping sub-150 reserves and expecting to land all right with them even if they are unconscious. Is it flight characteristics? Packing method? etc. (To be clear: I have my reserve and am comfortable with its size; I am not looking for people to tell me I'll be just fine under something smaller. )
  14. Apart from the "smaller rigs look cooler" phenomenon, there seem to be two basic pieces of advice for choosing a reserve size: 1. Pick something that could (not "will definitely") land you relatively safely even without control input 2. Don't choose something smaller than your main. If you're not comfortable with the canopy size in normal conditions, don't try to make things worse when you're stressed The people giving this advice are in many (not all!) cases very experienced jumpers loading their reserves north of 1.2. Novice jumpers are generally required/recommended to stay with a WL around 1.0. So...is this saying that a novice flying a reserve to the ground is potentially more dangerous than a reserve landing an unconscious jumper? Oh, and a second question. The USPA considers any canopy 150 or smaller high performance, simply based on length of lines and number of air molecules that can fit underneath. Reserves have different flight characteristics than mains, but...is this still true? Do reserve packing method and flight characteristics mitigate the effect? (And if an Optimum handles more like a main, is a smaller Optimum then "high performance"?)
  15. I understand prioritizing safety. I hope you can find a soft-opening 190 canopy to use in the meantime.