michaelted57

I suspect this person is trying to sell stolen gear (user name Gabe_harr). He has listed a brand new AAD, brand new Main canopy and a brand new reserve. He has only been on the site for 2 days. He doesn't show any knowledge of parachute equipment. He has blocked out the serial numbers of all the items he is selling.

SABRE2 by PD - Main Canopies - Dropzone.com

OPTIMUM by PD - Reserve Canopies - Dropzone.com

Vigil Cuatro AAD - Aads - Dropzone.com

I hope I am incorrect, but the ads are just too suspicious.

 

That's a very easy test and a great idea (which should probably be done anyway). Thanks!

This is a GREAT idea.

"Rest Assured"? I am one of the ones out here trying to use this thing. "More User Friendly" is only true if the USERS find it so. The smaller font is harder to read, the layout makes it harder to find a specific category, Categories with new ads are not highlighted anymore, and there is no place for manufacturer, DOM, component model and number of jumps for complete rigs being offered for sale. I don't see anything advantageous with the new format. How much user input did you get before changing it?

What happened to the format of this website? This new format is absolutely terrible and a HUGE step backward for the users. The classified section is hard to read, doesn't have the same detail, most of the ads do not open without an error message and the whole thing looks like the way it used to be back when it started; PRIMITIVE! I can understand updating a website now and then, but for Christ's sake don't do it until the new version is better than the old one!

N/A

I have had a couple Reflexes over the years, and pack several for friends that have them as well. Some have had the Catapult on them and some have had it removed (the Catapult installed IS the standard configuration for Reflexes, by the way). I had two reserve rides on mine, and have seen several others over the years. The one (small) advantage of the Catapult that I have witnessed (I have not witnessed an instance where the catapult saved anyone) is that without the Catapult, once the reserve PC and freebag have left the reserve canopy and are drifting to the ground, the PC tends to turn over and plummet to the Earth due to the heavy cap. The Catapult acts as additional drag so the whole thing drifts to the ground at about the same speed as a regular PC and freebag and a cutaway main, thus usually making it easier to find (near the main) than it would be if it fell at a much faster rate and thereby drifted a different distance in the wind. I am not joining the argument over the merits of the Catapult in a lifesaving situation. I am only making this one observation from experience. Take it for what it is worth (not much).

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A cheaper membership for a rigger would be nice. Much to my disappointment, I've not done much rigging lately. I guess the economy has finally hit my segment of the market. Jumping is down, and the change in the US repack regulations had an instant impact on my rigging volume. I can't afford a membership. Having a cheap membership that mostly just gets me in the notification list(s) we're discussing would be great.

Ditto

There is nothing wrong with Red & Lemon (yellow). Those are the colors I chose for my canopies because they grab your attention in the sky (read "traffic") and because they are easy to see from the air (read "cutaway"), and from the ground.
I would try to balance them a bit more though. Mostly Lemon with two red cells somewhere on the canopy seems to be not too busy, and has all the advantages of the noticability you are looking for. just an opinion.

I live in the USA. I have a Cookie helmet, and all I did was fill out the form on the website. In a week my helmet was in the air taking pictures and dragging me along with it. While there may be taxes and import duty and all that other stuff, it was pretty transparent for me. The Cookie Composit guys reall seem to have their act together. I met them at the PIA symposium last week, and they are really nice guys too.
Hope this helps.

My first parachute was a 28ft double L, but I don't think you are going to want to jump one of those if you don't have to. The parachutes you listed are all good choices, but what is more important is the way you wing load it. Another good choice for people new to the sport who are on a budget would be an old style used Sabre. I have lots of jumps on Sabres, and they are a great canopy. Watch out for the occaisional quick opening though. I have never had a hard opening on a Sabre, but many people say they have. Another good main for a newbie might be a Triathlon. Very good openings, consistant landings, predictable handling.
I would be very cautious about what some people say you could handle in their estimation. Generally as a relative beginner you should not even consider loading your canopy more than 1:1. Even then you can get into real trouble real fast if you are not very aware of how high you are and what is going around you in the sky.
Another thing to condider is color. Most people select the colors of their parachute based on what they like. This is OK if the colors they like are highly visible in the sky and also on the ground. You want your canopy to be seen easily by people who are in the air with you, by people looking up from the ground, and by people looking for it after a cutaway. A friend of mine who had about 3000 jumps at the time cut away his Red and Black Stelletto 97, which landed in a corn field where the corn was only about 8 inches high. I happened to be the one who found it, but only because I actually stepped on it as we were searching. It was nearly invisible. My friend now jumps the brightest, ugliest colors he can find. I also jump very bright colors for the same reasons. Good luck, be careful, and welcome to the family!