alain

clean hurry pro pack = 6 minutes (don't try to talk to me in these times ), I guess i could save 1 minute packing trash style. But I apreciate too much the comfort at pull time when I know what's in my back... no trashpack for me

i'm lazy too but not that much: 10 minutes should be enough for hooking it up and repacking after a quick line check that might save you a stupid cutaway... you will probabely find 10 minutes between your arrival on the DZ and boarding the first load ? (maybe you can try driving faster to get there, ehehe..) just my 0.02 euro that does not answer your question

current is a parachute australia Talon 2 pro: price, freefly friendly, comfort cons: little margin for main size (120 to 135) which is not a big issue anyway considering that I might keep it with it's main (safire 135) for wing suit flying (just eventualy need a 9' bridle) I will probabely get Mirage MT when me and my visa will be ready for a smaller HP canopy: decent reserve size (120 or 126) and compatible main size (119 to 74 => 1,4:1 to 2,2:1) that will keep me busy for a couple of decades what ever I decide to do

I have the exact oposite exerience on my safire (@ 1,35:1) . 400 jumps on it, basicaly the last 150 or so pulling in a flat and fast track: I've never had any hard or painfull opening, no twist, just a 90° of heading once in a while. I think I break my knees at the same time I pull. The idea beyond this being to take advantage of the last 2 seconds to go farther... I waited jump # 300 before starting this progressively and I'm not exerienced enough to recomend anything to anyone... just sharing Alain

it's spectra. later can you tell how many jumps on that spectra lineset ? (just curious...)

I know someone who was badly injured in such a configuration but at higher WL (above 1.6, I could not say exactly). the canopy kinda collapsed during the flare. I've never experienced it but my guess is that under a high speed canopy, this is something to consider as a malfunction. now, i'm not a big canopy guru, and i'll let them talk...

PC-8

following the endless debate about rsl, i'm wondering which kind of jumpers did not go for the silver after a cutaway: newbies, intermediate, experienced, knocked off jumpers during cutaway, ... ??? just trying to analyse some facts...

I just came accros some good education/training stuff, many of you have probably read it allready, but for the many others who have not: http://www.skydiveaz.com/resources/book_canopy.htm

painfull back for a few months after a couple of hard openings: I'll never jump that canopy again (Merit 190) that's about it... (knockin' wood )

I'd say more education, because it's not only high wingloading that kills (far from it) I guess that better education would help people to understand what wingload is good for them, and what they can achive and should be able to do on a given canopy before considering anything more radical. me: 450 jumps , 1,35:1 (not planing anything faster for the next 100-150 jumps...)

I don't own a real HP or eliptical yet, but my safire at 1,35:1 can be a true swooper once you've learned how to fly the shit out of it (took me several hundreds jumps to get close to there) I don't see any point going HP/eliptical or higher wingload before I've fully mastered the Safire, what ever jump number. for what it's worth... Alain

http://para-net.org/paramag/archives/directlive/direct193/images/soul2.mov http://para-net.org/paramag/archives/directlive/direct192/images/SoulFlyers.mpg

amen

the 105 and 103 are the same size: 5.1x10.4x9.7 cm the 101 is 5.5x10.5x9.9cm i'm not sure if the 4mm less in width are measured with or without the battery ?

the 105 is slightly cheaper (not every where thou) but is delivered with a crappy NP-FM30 battery whereas the 101 is shipped with a very usefull NP-FM50 (worth $80) I understand that the only new stuff on the 105 (vs 101) is the copy to DVD feature, with is useless for what we do (just my 0.02 euro) I've chosen the 101 'cause it's a proven product for skydiving.

I've asked this to Skytools (cameye manufacturer) and they did confirm that both 103 and 105 have a LanC port. (2 sources are better than one ) Alain

I've been told Mauritius that's a small island in the Indian ocean where a factory use to make some of Parachute de France canopies.

yeah, the first AFF is never a perfect jump, but I see very few people doing a tandem before starting AFF (or should I say doing AFF after a tandem). Anyway, those who start aff from zero are usualy cleared for solo after at jump #6 or #7 so what the hell if your first aff is not great ? You will still learn way more than with a tandem, that's what I meant with wasting money at it... (just my 0.02 euro) do you US folks consider tandem as a pre-aff jump, with an extensive briefing on body position, altitude awareness and so on ? alain

oh, fine then nope, I didn't get a chance to fly aerodyne canopies, yet ;-)

People like you in France can go for the AFF stage 1 only (that is basicaly 100 euro more than a tandem) and if you want to go further you just keep going: the 300 euro you've spent on the first AFF jump become part of the whole AFF training (that is arround 1000 euro when all is said and done) => you don't waste money Because of the complete AFF ground training, you will need a full day to do that whereas a tandem requires only a couple of hours. duno if you can find this in UK ?

what's your wing loading under the 150 ?

twice a year (that is every 150-200 jumps) I check the line set state and specs ('got the specs from the manufacturer), and I fully inspect every panel of the canopy: looking for eventual burns, needeling weakness, material wearing out, etc... If I find something wierd, I bring it up to a rigger. Last time I found a little part of needle work starting to crap out: brought it to a rigger how fixed it. You will always find a crappy day to spend a couple of hours at that , and besides if you don't feel concerned with your gear status, who will ? alain

edit I've ordered an FFX with it, and I did'nt get the helmet yet because of that It looks like a sound set up (based on rings) but they are going throu a few provisioning issues with those specificaly designed rings...