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I purchased my Invertigo at the start of summer 1999 and was very pleased with it. The fit was excelent, the finish was excelent and it looked a very nice bit of kit. After jumping it since then I have only one complaint. The outboard alti mount is a really cack idea, it may look cool showing off your dual Time out or ditter, but you can't hear them in freefall, there is far too much wind noise, I have tried all sorts of gasket material to try and eliminate the wind noise, but can't get close to the inboard volume. Also they are in a prime position to get damaged by knocking them on the aircraft or a knock during freefall. I will be making mods to move them inboard. Other than that it is a really great crash hat. Its a pity after all the research they picked such a unsuitable place for audio alti's.

Firstly, I don't even own one, so don't count this as a review!! I own a stiletto and 'lurrvve' turf surfing. My friend has just got a VX 82......holy s@*t, does that thing come in on fire!!! From the reviews I have read and the people I have spoken to, this seems to be the best ultra-high performance canopy out there, absolutely destroying the Velocity!! I can't wait to get my hands on one...

They look mean, they have a massive recovery arc so they build up huge amounts of speed and they sound awesome......Hey, does anybody hear that...

I have a power racer 325ci main and reserve container that I been jumping for two years now. I also have a Vector3 and recently sold a Reflex container. Of these rigs the Racer is by far the most comfortable H/C I've ever had on my back. I freefly in it, do 4-way, throw kicking screaming AFF students out of planes and any other type of jump(no crew) with it. The only problem I have with my Racer is trying to ignore the comments about the tiny size, such as...did your kid forget to take his backpack to school today? Thats the price you have to pay when you wear the smallest most comfortable rig on the marget today. SD

Had a Sabre 170 since I qualified & put a couple of hundred jumps on it. I agree that once in a while it will "spank" you, but it's only happened two or three times and I put that down to lazy pack jobs. At about 220lb in my shorts I'm loading it at about 1.4 so it flies pretty quick! Getting a bit tired now with around 450-500 jumps and I'm about to enter the world of Ellipticals on a Stiletto 150 but I'm planning on keeping the Sabre for a second rig on those weekends when I've just got paid....!

Finally a clone that is better than the original. The new Wings container from Sunrise Rigging is more rigger-friendly than the Javelin rig it is cloned from. To date seven companies are building Javelin-like rigs (3 American, 2 Canadian, 1 French and 1 South African), but only one rig is significantly better than the original. Wings' superiority is no surprise considering that Henry P. also co-designed the Javelin back in 1988.

The new Wings has several features than make it easier to pack, more difficult to mis-pack and almost skydiver-proof. Starting at the top, initially the reserve ripcord routing may seem ambiguous, but the manual says it is okay to route the ripcord over or under the release housing. that's rigger-proof. Wings has the first freebag to address the whole issue of zero-p reserve canopies. Wings revived a concept that was tried and flopped on the Flexon main d-bag. By splitting the the freebag top flap and routing the safety-stow through a total of 6 grommets, they make it easy to slide even a large canopy into the bag and the rigger does not have to break a sweat until later in the pack job.

When it comes to stowing lines, the Wings Velcro-safe freebag is even more "Spectra-friendly" than last week's industry leader; the Talon 2. It would take a profound idiot to snag a suspension line on the Wings' freebag. The Wings' novel quick-change reserve pilotchute cap will also speed replacement parts when the inevitable reserve ride occurrs. Henry P. is one of only two designers who really understand reserve pin protector flaps, consequently the Wings' floating reserve pin protector flap is the easiest to pack, yet still provides better-than-most protection.

Sunrise is the first manufacturer to bow to the inevitable when it comes to stuffing the main d-bag into the container. They leave it up to packer whether to, just stuff the main bag straight in or take the time to rotate it in. This should shave a second or two off every pack job.

The Wings has great riser, bridle and pin protection, making it almost free-flyer proof. The Wings' stepped and ringed hip joints are more logical from a structural point of view than most other hip joint designs, and with fewer straps per ring they will survive more walks to the plane. The Wings is one of the few clones that turned out better than the original because Henry P. re-thought his original design ten years later and made it ten years better. This week the Wings is the technological leader in its market sector.

I bought it to protect my face from cold weather jumps, It performs well in freefall, but upon opening, it fogs up to the point you can`t see where you are going. I also have trouble getting the visor open with gloves. I had a possible low speed malfunction, so I had more important things to do than open the visor, & by the time I got things under control, it was too late to let go of the brakes, or pull them in to open the visor, so I wound up with a downwind, landing & had to guess when to flare, because I couldn't see through the visor. Ouch! I just purchased the helmet in Dec. 99, I assume it will perform better in warmer weather.

I demo'ed the Diablo 170 this weekend in my search for the main of my dreams. All I can say is... I found it!!!

I have just under 100 jumps but am very current, making several jumps each weekend since getting my A license. I demo'ed about everything that I could to figure out what I wanted, and ended up being comfortable with a 1.38:1 wing loading.

The diablo packs as easy as most F111 mains that I've packed, and makes it very easy to get the chute in the d-bag with out pulling out all your hair. Seems to pack up to about the same size as other 170's that I've tried, so nothing to talk about there.

The openings (which I only did at terminal) were soft and on heading. Only the Triathalon and Spectre that I tried open as softly.

The turns are hands down, the most exciting I've tried to date. This canopy responds instantly to toggle input. Thankfully the control range is long enough that the input feels responsive not twitchy. You will need counter-steer to terminate turns, and it may take a bit of flying to figure out how much, but all in all it feels fast but managable. If you have short arms like I do, don't reach up and pull on a rear riser to get to your slider as it will put you into a turn right then! (Suprised me, although it shouldn't have..) :)

The front riser pressure felt good to me. Not light, but far from heavy. It seemed the same as a spectre of similar wingloading, and turned me parallel to the ground within about 90 degrees. If you keep holding the risers you will get a nice carving turn without too much work, but once you let go you will have to wait for the airspeed to slow back to normal flight before you can pull any more as you are pulling too many G's to take in any more front riser.

Good sink rate, it got me back from a long spot on my first jump. I've been told from AeroDyne the trick is to release the brakes, and then pull a little bit of rear risers (about 2-3 inches, while in full flight) and you should make it back pretty far.

The landings are smooth and easy! It's real easy to plane out the canopy, and the flare is very strong. Landings are comfortable even with the faster ground speed. Even with the no wind days I had it was easy to stand up the landings with just a few short feet of turf surfing.

This has to be the best, fastest, most fun canopy I've tried yet, and the only thing I could say after the first jump was "Damn, I don't want to get it back!"

You should do yourself a favor and try one out when you get a chance, I think it will please you.

After about 60 jumps on my Z-1 sti w/skytronic pro I have decided this is one of the best investments in skydiving gear. The helmet is very comfortable and functional. It does not fog up even on the coldest days and seals up nicely. The access to the audible and the flip up visor are a superior design to any other helmet. I have an extra large size, which is suprisingly light weight and compact( it doesn't hit the door on our 182 during exit) I would definitely recomend this to any one interested in buying a helmet. My brother is ordering one upon my experience with this product.

I recently purchased a Triathlon 175, and am very impressed. I had jumped several Tri's in the past and really liked them. I could tell they definetly had an advantage over other canopies I had jumped( Sabre, Monarch, Pd's). The openings are so soft I have to double check to make sure it is actually opening, and I am not a little guy under a big canopy. Probably the number one selling factor is the packing properties of this canopy. I have spent many days doing nothing but packing, and I would always enjoy packing the triathlons and diablos because they were a relief from the hassle of other rigs.

MY thoughts on the Velocity....
Jumper: Tim Tennant
Experience: 1500 + jumps / 12 yrs in sport
Current Canopy: Stiletto 120 (400 + jumps)
Exit weight: 200 lbs

My first exposure to the Velocity came as I was flying back from a 4 way with Toby Stafford from Sebastian XL. I was flying my Stiletto 120 and he was on a Velocity 96 and we were cruising back together (I'm thinking OK, what's so great about a Velocity)...then he released the brakes and absolutely started to haul ass!! He just came out of the sky!!

I then secured a 96 under PD's evaluation program (and yes, they asked all the right questions to make sure I wouldn't kill myself) and was only able to put about 20 jumps on the canopy and these are my thoughts...

The openings were very smooth but a bit disconcerting as it inflates (the canopy kind of "dances" during inflation giving the impression it's not too sure what heading it's going to open on but generally opened within 30 degrees of my heading).

As an AFF Instructor I'm often a bit long on the spot and found the best way to get the max lift was to leave the brakes stowed and pull in a little rear riser as compared to my Stiletto in which I dump the brakes and pull in some rear riser.

After dumping brakes I found it to be very responsive...scarily so...the turns are very sharp with LOTS of altitude loss....what I call a 3 turn parachute...you have 3 turns to be ready for landing.

The riser pressure is not too high and allows for precise control and if you're using front risers for landing speed...start high due to the rapid altitude loss.

The canopy planes out well and provides great surfs but you must be very, very still in the harness as the canopy will shift when running out a landing. I watched Rickster Powell 2 weeks ago in DeLand and he doesn't move when landing.

My overall impressions are this is one hell of a parachute and only for those who wish to explore the most extreme range of canopy flight. It's a wonderful surfing machine that I'm not ready for primarily due to glide restriction stated above. I'll look forward to th Vengeance.

My other comment would be to dealers or other people selling this parachute (new or used) to someone else...Please, Please, Please check out the prospective buyer and take those extra steps to ensure the person has the background and experience to fly this canopy BEFORE you sell to them. This canopy tolerates NO stupidity and (more than many canopies) will hurt, maim, or kill the person who makes bad decisions.

Thank you,
Tim

I have owned two Sabres. The first was a 170 and I just loved it. I NEVER had any hard openings on this canopy, But decided that I could easily go to a 150. So I bought a brand new 150. After about 20 jumps on the canopy, I had a slightly hard opening. I thought that ok it was the pack job. About 2 weeks later, I had another hard opening on the it. Again I thought that I had a another bad pack job. About 2 months later and had about 60 jumps on the canopy, I was wacked so hard that I had a compression fracture of T6 and a cracked T12 along with a neck sprain. I had a rigger inspect it and the only conclusion he could come up with was that the slider was too small. I had sent to canopy back to PD and they jumped it. They had hard opening on the first 3 jumps of the canopy and then replaced the slider. They said that it opened fine. PD sent to canopy back to me with the new slider, I have yet to jump the canopy due to the recovery process of my back. PD knew that this was a problem with these canopies, yet they still sell them to people.

I have a stiletto 135 which I got second hand. The canopy had about 800 jumps and is in very good condition. I have done about 60 jumps on it and I absolutely love it!! My last canopy was a Sabre which I had for hundreds of jumps. I am becoming a swoop fanatic and have learnt (slowly and safely i must say) the fundamentals of swooping on my Sabre. I couldn't wait to get a Stiletto owing to the fact that it was THE swooping canopy before we received today's 'weapons' like the X-braced tri-cells and with the advent of these ultra-high perfomance canopies people have to remember the stiletto has not got any tamer!!

I must just mention that I had real hard openings maybe every 1 in 6 on my Sabre and I am very sure it was not my packing!! So this was a contributing factor to myself getting a Stiletto.

The openings are beautiful and they haven't changed! I normally do nothing to the nose and just roll up the tail and I get a positive opening for a Stiletto!! (this means it doesn't take 1500ft to open!) As soon as the canopy is out of the bag you can fly the opening by moving your weight across the harness. This is great for real slow openings because the canopy moves off heading real slow!! Therefore there is loads of time to ease it round if need be. Once flying I found the Stiletto to be quicker than the Sabre but not massively so. But then I'm not really heavily loading it either. I weigh 80kgs.

The turns are SO much quicker than the Sabre which is fantastic but the main difference is the over-steer. A Sabre will stop on heading when you let up toggle but a Stiletto will keep turning a bit so you must compensate but stopping earlier or using the opposite toggle. It doesn't take long to get used to.

I find the Stiletto has enormous amounts of lift if done flown correctly. Because I'm learning to swoop I like the landing area clear. As our DZ puts us out (Freeflyers) first. I should reace down first. But I have tried for a laugh to see how long I could stay up. I have managed to come down last from a full turbolet when I was out first. I found the best technique is release the brakes and use the rear risers to flatten the glide angle. Then when everyone is down I can bring it in....

The landings are fantastic!! I have found that doing long front riser turns build up so much more speed than a snap front riser which we all know is far more dangerous. The recovery arc is longer than a Sabre and it has a nice long surf. If done well a fairly strong flare can be achieved with the softest of the landings...

I have been told that with this many jumps the canopy will be out of trim, but I haven't noticed it acting strangely, but then I have never flown a new one... So I'm gonna get some new lines. I love this canopy and I find myself jumping it just so I can hook it in again...

I know a couple of people who have bought the new reflex container. The double articulation on the rig is VERY cool. Makes for a much more comfortable rig. The shortining of the container is a plus. They did it with out sacrificing the top of the rig. Good move.

I have jumped the new reflex and it is very comfortable. Smart move to listen to the people who buy and jump the containers. One thing I don't like is the fact that every rig I've seen has reflex on the back of it. I don't know if this is an option or what but when I buy my new reflex it would be nice to have the option of not having their logo on it.. Over all Reflexs' set-up is one of the best with a poptop pilot chute, shorter length, and double articulation, and your choice of colors - You'd be an idiot to buy anything else.

I have had my NVERTIGO helmet for a while now. I have not had any problems with it, it fits great, and it has helped in one instance. I was free flying with a friend and he grabbed on to me and we both corked, and ran into eachother, neither of us got hurt or nocked out. Thanks.

I purchased a new 'Parachutes Australia' Talon 2 a few months ago. My previous rig was a Racer Elite. I echo the other comments - the Talon 2 is cost-effective, comfortable, well-designed, easy to pack and visually appealing.

I particularly like the monkey-grip PC handle, BOC bridle cover, elimination of velcro and the riser tuck tabs. I find the chest strap to be rather higher on the torso than on the Racer, so the alti can be right in your face under canopy. The 3 rings are also right at the top of the shoulders when you wear the rig.

The walrus teeth on the main top flap are a bit thin, and may distort. PA provide an RSL with every rig, which may or may not be your preference (the APF requires every Aussie jumper to use an RSL or AAD).

I purchased a Safire 135 a few months ago, transitioning from a Sabre 150. At first I thought the canopy snivelled way too much (especially compared to the 'vertebraic correction' of my Sabre), but using the psycho pack and exposing the centre nose cell has sorted that issue.

The canopy opens cleanly and on-heading, flies sweetly (more responsive than the Sabre) and flares smoothly. Overall, an excellent 'first' canopy that should also stay exciting in the long term.

I just purchased a Z1 STI, and right from the time I put of my head I knew it was the right helmet for me. I have jumped the Factory Diver Oxygen in the past but didn't like the way the visor flipped open. Quite the contrary with the Z1. The visor opens with ease (even with gloves on), allows me to see without blind spots. and is incredibly light weight. I would recommend this helmet to anyone to is looking for a full face helmet. Give it a try, but I will forewarn you. If you do, be prepared to buy it. You won't want to give it back. Blue skies to all...

Configuration

Hawkeye is an sculpted open-face assembly with mounting surfaces top and left hand side. Given availability of mounts - or the combination of tools and the ability to use them, both of which I lack - it’s suitable for most cameras. Borrowing heavily from Gath design, a soft forehead shield is permanently attached. The whole assembly is lined, and it is available in a variety of sizes. It includes a chin cup on a ratchet strap, and a secondary safety strap with buckle. Goggles or sunglasses live comfortably under the helmet, and It’s actually well suited to head protection without a camera - I’d feel comfortable jumping one in place of a ProTec or Gath.

Setting up

The flat surface on top came undrilled, ready for the mount of your choice. The left hand side features three threaded holes with low profile hex screws (included), ready to take a bracket and thus readily suited to side mounting a Sony PC series or equivalent. An off-the-shelf PC7 "C" style bracket with three preset rake adjustments proved adequate for my Elura, although custom brackets helped with a vibration issue later. Whilst mine is set up with video on the left and a compact stills camera on top, there is still room for a third camera behind the stills camera on top without an additional plate or platform. Alternatively, a top mounted video camera might be preferable if circumstances allow - the side mount is simpler for Cessna exits, although obviously more work for your neck.

Accessories

Two elastic straps and a velcro cross strap secure the audible altimeter of your choice to the right hand side exterior, and there’s just enough room on the interior ear pockets for a slim audible such as ProDytter or ProTrack. A hole is pre-cut in the right to allow you to hear, and it’s not difficult to pass a lead for a visible indicator back through. The Hawkeye’s sculpted shape also allows the concealment of other cables: even AAA batteries for the video indicator LED live in the top mount bulge, between screws and other wires. An electrical connection for my stills clicker lives on the rear of the side mount: streamlined, tidy, and out of the way. Ring sight mounting proved cumbersome. Eventually, a custom made receptacle did the job; a long post and standard universal joint may also have made this easier.

Summary

I’m enjoying the Haweye. It feels secure on my head, and is tight enough to steer with my chin - yet not difficult to get on and off, although awkward with one hand. The ready availability of brackets and mounts provide a multitude of configurations, and even with an out-of-the-mainstream camera a little Gaffer tape and a "C" bracket gathered acceptable results. The completed package is neat and professional, and has proven suitable for filming AFF/Tandem, RW and Freefly. Quite happy to recommend it.

I bought a Mirage G3 last year. It was my third rig. When I took it out of the box I was immediately impressed with the quality of the rig. It was easy to tell that it was made with great care. After I had my canopies packed into it and put it on I knew immediately that I had made the right choice with the Mirage. It is the most comfortable rig I've ever had on. The first time I was under canopy in it confirmed this.

Everyone at my drop zone was impressed with it. (it was the first on the drop zone) Great workmanship, great looking rig, and the most comfortable, what else do you want in a rig.

Blue Skies.

I've had my Aviator for about a year. I like it! It's marketed as a freefly helmet but I wear it on RW jumps too; I can always hear the count and if I ever want to hit someone with a kiss pass I can! :-)

The outside audible mount is very secure and will hold any audible. I've used a Skytronic Pro and a Pro Track (not at the same time) in there with no problems - I can hear them fine and the elastic straps didn't affect the mode and set buttons on the ProTrack like I was afraid of. I would recommend trying one on before buying. I know of a few jumpers who ended up having to get mixed sizes on the liners (ie medium top liner and small side liners to fit a narrower face).

Hi, before more nothing Happy 2000 for all. Good I chose the Racer as my first equipment through indications of more experienced people, as Ricardo Pettená, Marcos Pettená and Márcia Pettená. Today, after 300 skips with the same, and testing others containers, I verified how much the equipment is comfortable, and intend now, together with my team, to standardize the equipment, all for Racer. I use to advantage the moment to know as to acquire discounting for teams.

Good Jumps
Hutch

I've had the same problem with opening of the reserve pin cover in vertical positions. My rigger got in touch with Rigging Innovations and they came up with a solution.

On the reserve pin cover they attached an elastic band which is tightly tucked under the top stiffener (where the end of the reserve pin is tucked under the fabric pouch). Forgive me if this might sound vague, but English is not my native language. If you just take a look at the rig will be clear, otherwise I could send a picture to those of you who might be interested.

Since then I've had no problems with exposed reserve pins. Reserve activation is not limited by this modification as I experienced last year.

yes yes yes i have 50 jumps and still renting and after really trying many javelins and vectors i can really say i now sit and miss loads waiting for the mirage to come in it is just so much more comfy all i try and do is freefly sometimes spinning all over the place and after havin a stearing toggle come loose on a javelin i just love the mirage what can i sayan incredible rig soon as i have the money thats all im getting..

blue skie fun dives
keep ya knees in da breez
andre A32323

What is there to review, if you don't have one get one!!! Not having one is like not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle and hittin' the track. I saw far more saves then I would have liked this last summer and it was split fairly evenly between newbies and old timers. Just remember the smartest man is the one who realizes he doesn't Know everything. JMHO. Alexander "Cool Breezz".

I tried on several full face helmets before deciding on the Z1. I chose it because it felt the least claustrophobic of the group. I don't have a particularly large head, but I needed the "large" size liner to get a comfy fit. I now have about 200 jumps with this helmet, in conditions from minus 28F at exit altitude in December, to 100F in July.

What I like:
It's comfortable, and OK to wear on the ride up because of the flip-up visor. It's quiet in freefall and in the plane (I *estimate* about 12dB of sound dampening in the plane). The visor doesn't mist up or ice over even at -28F during freefall. The visor latch is secure, yet easy to release. It's easy to get the helmet on and off. My audible (Skytronic Pro) fits comfortably in the pocket. In several encounters with the plane door during
full-contact exits it has proven it's worth. It provided good protection from a kick to the face during less-than-elegant RW. Scratches to the clear face mask have been fairly easy to polish out. Visibilty up and to the sides is excellent. It's nice and warm in the winter although it's not oppressive in the summer.

What I don't like:
The face mask scratches easily (although it's easy to replace). The color is not impregnated in the helmet shell, so it shows scratches. The visibility downwards is not good enough to see my cutaway and reserve handles without tilting my head sideways. The breathing vent at the front is restrictive - I cut away one layer of fabric in the liner to open it up a bit. The only color for the visor is "clear" - a tinted option would be nice. The visor doesn't seal tightly against the helmet when it's closed, resulting in some wind noise (although this may be deliberate to stop it from misting up in cold weather). My visor tends to mist up in the cold weather while under canopy, so I almost always open the visor for canopy flight. I can't fit any but the smallest pair of glasses under the visor.