frost

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Posts posted by frost

  2. Quote

    But wait? No one went out this weekend and got a video of them on a Sabre2 150 busting a 600+ foot swoop? I'm shocked!


    You shouldn't be. There is a hand full of people IN THE WORLD capable of doing that, even in a competition setting (with all the new canopies, RDS, weights and wingloadings). Your everyday Joe Swooper would be lucky to get 300 feet of swoop - on any given day, on any x-braced canopy, at any wingloading. Still shocked?

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    What exactly are people trying to convince new jumpers of? That they can swoop just as far as the world record if they just learn the canopy? Or that they can simply bust out a swoop in general on any canopy? or that they should be able to swoop 250ft on a regular canopy? Are we just saying that they'll be a little safer?What are we trying to compare here?



    Maybe you need to clearly state your requirements and questions. People are telling you that there are many great pilots who fly larger wings that can and have out swooped mediocre pilots under small high performance wings. If you havent seen that yet, well... look around, jump a little more, get some more knowledge and experience. Come back to this thread in 5 years, post what you've found out.

    But meanwhile, here is a personal invite for you and the like-minded to join SoFPiDaRF - the best canopy school in the world, where we tell you EXACTLY what you want to hear. Why? Cause you're a grown ass man and can make your own decisions. Nobody knows your skills better than you.
    SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

  3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy27ORjYBt4

    A 270 swoop with a superman thrown in for a good count under a 9 cell Magellan 120 (equivalent of a Sabre-2) @ 2:1. While wearing a wingsuit (extra drag). The camera was set up to film the deployment, hence the unusual POV.

    Yes, you CAN outswoop a mediocre swooper on a tiny elliptical by learning how to fly a "normal" canopy well. It's been done many times before.

  5. Quote

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    Circle for 20 minutes at lower throttle or climb for 16-17? I dont know about "horribly expensive



    In comparison to running a couple 182s, the Otter would be significantly more expensive. Keep in mind that DZs run Otters for 3 reasons - lift capacity, high altitude capability, and speed. None of those are required for running hop n pops.

    I would imagine you could save an easy 25% to 30% off the price of jumps by running 182s.



    We were comparing costs Otter flying for a full altitude load vs Otter dropping 4 passes of swoopers.

    Going with a couple of 182s is a great solution. I dont think competitors would object at all, especially the ones stuck on the 3rd and 4th Otter pass and even more so if it brings the price of a competition/practice jump to 14 bucks.
    SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

  6. Circle for 20 minutes at lower throttle or climb for 16-17? I dont know about "horribly expensive", Dave. I hear you on everything else, although i am not sure that these expenses really have come up in price that much in 6 years to justify doubling the costs of participating. Perhaps they did, i dont know. One thing for certain - it's not getting any cheaper and it's probably keeping some from participating.

    You have to pay your way, buy an official USPA suit and take off your sponsor logos to represent US at the World Meet. Shouldn't the organization provide some kind of support, even if partial?

  7. Quote

    Not at all true is incorrect of the recent fatalities out here (california specifically SoCal) and recent serious injuries all except one have been on canopies with a shorter recovery arc.

    is that what's causing incidents these days? Canopies with short recovery are to blame?

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    you also for sure have a lot more altitude to make those decisions

    You DONT have "a lot more altitude" to make decisions!! Dont suggest this to anyone new to swooping and dont post that on these forums. That's dangerous and deadly advice. But i do like it!! Wont you come join the School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying on Facebook?
    SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

  8. Quote

    If you read the above statement then you would know I said my friends opinion. I've only flown xaos and velos. Jvx doesn't float my boat and like I said it was their opinion.

    I try to speak from personal experience, especially when giving advice. that's a hint ;)

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    Either way the jvx xaos whatever 9 cell platform crossbrace Is going to recover much quicker than a seven cell platform, which means a lower chance to save your ass when your deep in the corner on it ass your altitude is just that much closer to the ground

    That is not true at all.

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    Good call in the siccoro never seen one out here in california yet however

    I can point you to two people in CA for possible demos. PM me if interested.

  9. Quote

    U will want a xaos if you want good nice soft on heading openings. Everyone of my friends with a jvx calls it a junkvx because Of the openings but they all love the flights and swoops though it always seems that thing recovers dirty low and quick.

    Long swoops get that velo! Openings are doable even with full rds from terminal regularly and you got that nice long diving recovery



    i think that feedback and comparison of JVX opening and flight characteristics is questionable at best, especially when I read about its "dirty low and quick" recovery and then take into consideration the second part about Velocity characteristics.

    OP - bottom line: any current production x-braced canopy will perform required tasks very well, if you have the skills and ability to handle it. I would also throw in Scirocco for your consideration - a Ukrainian made HP X-baced canopy. Here is the discussion thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3908301. The cost of Scirocco in a competition trim is vey low compared to its counterparts, the quality is very high and performance is world class. You could demo it in several sized the States these days - there are several top US pilots (sponsored and non-sponsored) that are jumping it now.

  10. Quote


    Holy crap. I just saw the profile with the 2 years of experience and the JVX.



    Yes, i agree - he was a bit behind the power curve, but i think he learned his lessons, so let's just move on. Those lessons of course are: "Get a smaller canopy", "Add more rotation" and of course the most important one: "Trust your rears".
    SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

  11. Quote

    Being in that bodyposition and sailing along in the first floor, to me is unbeatable,

    Doing the superman in the harness on the pop up was fun three years ago when there were one or two people doing it. I also thought it helped a tiny bit plus it was different and I was trying something new. But we all have seen world record distance runs with non of that body language (Wuzi Wagner, Jay, JT, GW) so i think we can agree that there is little benefit to doing the superman in the harness, if any.

  12. Quote

    I'm not sure we can return to the past now...



    I think we can and will, Dave. Everything goes in cycles, you've been at it long enough to have seen it. Ultra small canopies got bigger, then smaller again, back to bigger... RW, Freefly, vRW...

    JT was saying on the IPC facebook group about something along the lines of "those who've been swooping since the beginning" - dude, he is like 3rd or 4th generation and we are 5th or 6th. Swooping was swooping when there were no x-braced canopies and way before most current "old school" competitors made their first skydive. I bet people like Chuck can tell us all about it.

    Soon enough, i think, people will get tired of CPC and RPSN/freestyle type events will make a come back. I may be wrong, but i sure do hope it happens.

  14. Chuck. I was thinking of you as i was writing that :)

    Morris, of course. We do what we like to do and if we dont like it - hopefully we dont have to do it ;)

    My points were two fold:
    1 - unfortunately some of the modern day pilots have no idea what it's like to be in a fun competition like the old RPSN. CPC/PST style events is all they know...
    2 - there should be a choice and if someone (especially an organizer) is not liking the current rules - nothing is stopping them from changing them and running a comp how they see fit.

  16. Hey Marcel

    Let me ask you a question that perhaps is so obvious that nobody cares to ask...

    Why do we have to have regional canopy competitions adhere to the IPC rules? What stops you as an organizer from running modified rules or even creating your own?

    Possible answer: i want to train for the Nationals. Yes, agreed, valid point! But is everyone who competes at the Regional meets going to the Nationals? Are these official CP events really fun for them or is it the only type of canopy piloting comp you/they know?

    Have you ever seen the Ranch Pond Swoop Nationals videos, Swoop and Swoop 2? That's where it started for me, that's what swooping was to me - dragging water, touching targets, splashing and having fun. A few years ago I swayed away from that and started competing in CP, doing multiple comps a year. Now i find myself thinking "Is a badly bruised back side and a canopy full of sand really where the fun is?" Last year i didnt do a single one.

    Someday, I'd like to ask all the old timers that inspired me and who no longer compete - Would you rather participate in a Ranch style Pond Swoop or would you rather do Canopy Piloting and see what the answers would be...

  18. Agreed. With an understanding that you can't have everyone who competes involved in a governing process - that would be destined for a failure.

    A committee needs to be in place and should be comprised of several qualified individuals such as Athletes, Judges, Sporting Code experts, etc. I agree that representation from qualified competitors is a must! Competitors who not only have attended several world meets, but have placed reasonably high there, like in the top five or ten. In order to be on this committee these top pilots should also be qualified as international level CP judges and General Sporting Code experts.

    All other competitors can and should participate in the process of rule forming by of submitting suggestions to an appointed/elected committee. I dont think it's unreasonable to have full visibility into how these rules are made/changed. That should be provided or made available by the governing organization, in this case - FAI/IPC.

  21. If competitors dont like the new rules - they should "vote with their wallet", protest the rules or boycott the competition. The new format is definitely reducing the margin of error, people will get smacked, hopefully nobody gets hurt... When someone does get hurt or killed, maybe the question will be raised in a different light. But for now what Prince wants, Prince gets.
    SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

  22. Quote


    Ive done just under 1000 jumps...
    Ive pushed my katana to the limits



    facepalm

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    start of with a similar sized crossbrace for your first few jumps until your recognize the differences between non xbrace and braced canopies. If what you say about your katana is true it sounds like your more than ready.



    double facepalm

    SoFPiDaRF welcomes you.

  23. You make me sick.

    Can we please lock this horrible, unproductive topic that might make the talented new pilots doubt their choices and slow their progress to the top of the swoop circuit?

    SoFPiDaRF for life!