spoons

a mere 20 (almost 21)

was thinking of square 2, got a friend going out there at the end of march and i could do with a couple of other things too

I'm with you on this, 150 should be fine in a 135 container i think. I too have had serious hesitation on hop n pops before and that was with a safire 149 (138 sq ft) in a 150 container. Yet my TJN (cut for a 135) doesn't hesitate. I would put it more down to a different factor - and as you said run in speed of a 182 is something to consider.

fair point...was just trying my luck Getting a friend to pick them up soon i hope. Al.

Hi there, been wanting a visual altimeter for a while now but i was waiting for the release date of the new VISO. Since it's now to be in fall 2005 sometime i've decided to go for a Neptune. So...I'm in the UK but can get it picked up from the states and the cheapest i can find is £190 ($365) including shipping in the UK. However it's only £130 ($250) in the states including shipping to the dz (in the states) where i can get it picked up from - anywhere cheaper? Cheers. Al.

do scottish guys not count?

yeah it's scary! Already been posted here and here though :P

I put a wanted advert in for a safire149 - i got a few responses within a week or two. One seller offered me the canopy before they even put it on dropzone.com so that's what i'm jumping today :)

It's just in my situation it seems quite unfair however in a more broad sense it's a good idea. As for giving CP1 to people who are demo rated - a way round the jump number limits would be good but just because you can land within a certain (albeit small) distance i feel does not prove you are ready to use speed inducing maneuvers on landing.

what about people like me with 130 jumps and have been doing speed inducing maneuvers on landing for the last 70 jumps or so (albeit the first 50 odd were just double fronts more or less and even now it's only 30-45 degree turns). Also having done 3 canopy control courses (2 basic and 1 swooping, all with Chris Lynch). I don't have the 200 jumps required for the CP1 so does this mean i have to land straight in until i do?

I had major problems with my Safire 149 [US made too by the way] when i got it (second hand with about 50 jumps on it - was still slimey) from the states. It opened incredibly hard every time, despite whatever i (or other people) did to try to slow it down. After some thought i decided to check the line set on it - thanks to dz.com it proved very easy to get the original lineset. Turns out that the brakes, above the cascades, were all wrong and when i compared lines from the left and right of the canopy (to check for symmetry) they were up to 7 or 8cm difference in length Interestingly enough it didn't have an in built turn or anything So i phoned up Icarus and they checked the history of the canopy and it's never been back to them - guess this means that some rigger (probably with two left hands ) had relined the canopy and had made a terrible job of it. SO my solution was to pay for a complete reline of the canopy back to the manufacturer's specifications (with Vectran lineset this time) and now it opens so much softer, flare is absolutely fine [although a Sabre 2 135 i jumped had oodles more power!]. Anyway that's my little story of my Safire opening hard and i wanted to make clear the the flare on my Safire is fine and i've never had any problems on it

oh no i wasn't going to do anything before i consulted my normal rigger - not quite that stupid :P I was just thinking that maybe keeping lumps of ugly metal away from my canopy could be a good idea, nothing to do with weight reduction as it would be neglible. Thanks for the input though. Al.

Hi there, I own a Safire 149 and was thinking of replacing the big metal ring and metal connector link at the top of the canopy (attaching it to the bridle and d-bag) with a soft link (which i'd tack into place to stop it coming undone!)...was just wondering why my Safire has this big-ass metal ring on the top of the canopy in the first place? [and also if replacing it with a soft link would create any problems?].

I started packing after... Bad weather caused me to spend many weekends at the dropzone (here in sunny scotland) with nothing to do, so my brother and other instructors taught me to pack, had my packing licence after 3 or 4 packjobs :D

I seem to be 'well' over the chart: jumping a safire 149 (actually about 140 sqft) and i weigh 182lbs (weighed just recently :P) kitted up... makes my WL 1.3, plus it's under 150sqft so that means i should have 500-599 jumps to jump this canopy?! or am i mistaken!?

that's what i meant

That mark will most likely be the factory setting for the brakes for your pilot - not necessarily how long you'd like them so don't cut anything! I recently got my canopy relined and jumped it with factory settings, once I decided they were a little too short i added a couple of inches and then finger trapped the excess. Technically the mark should be just at the top of the knot, but having it somewhere in the knot itself will make very little difference in length. If in doubt you should get a more experienced jumper or rigger to give you a hand...that's what i did

hey there, although limited jumps i thought i'd give my thoughts :) i asked the same questions at the time. You happen to be exactly the same build as me, except i jump without any extra weight. So lets say you weigh: 150lb + 25lb for kit + 10lbs for weight = 185lbs so if you're looking for 1.1 loading then a 170 would be more appropriate than a 150. A common idea amongst my lighter friends who skydive is that they can get smaller canopies because they weigh less - they forget they were weight!

Checked the line trim, was way way off especially on symmetry - up to 7cm difference between sides. Got it relined and jumping again soon i hope.

hi, yeah it's an original Safire (SN:94613287)...the manufacturing specs would be great. Al

I've got spectra lines.

I've already tried contacting Icarus to get the line trim for a Safire 149, but they seem to want me to send the canopy to them and pay for them to check it - but all I want to do is check the line trim myself...so...has anyone got the line trim for a Safire 149?

Chris lynch is running a wingtips and swoop seminar on the 1st and 2nd of July at Skydive St. Andrews I think.... ....maybe worth a shot? I went to the wingtips last year and was pretty good...thinking of going to learn some stuff at the swoop seminar and do the wingtips again this year :) EDIT: Here's a link to a recent-ish thread about it Relevant Thread

Mine ain't all that great either: "Janky Crack Robba"

My girlfriend is going to University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney this summer and is looking for somewhere to jump. She's currently half way through the BPA RAPS course (static line course) and is on her delays but should hopefully be on turns etc... by the time she goes out there. Just wondering where the closest DZ to UNSW is that would enable her to continue her progression? Al