johnny1488

Tnadem level 2 and 3 are 170, iaf levels 4-8 are 145, solos are 50, so it isn't that much different from 2 jumpmaster aff jumps when all is said and done. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

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Sonic at the ranch has one for his infinity, and I have seen a few others, almost identical to your but with no magnets. Just the tension from the packjob keeping the lines in his. He loves it. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I know a few guys who used them on the sigma passenger harness, and they bent the quick ejectors enough to make it very difficult to close them all the way and harder to release them. They are quick ejectors to make them easy to release. If yours aren't I might check them out or how tight you are making them. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Icarus thinks the majority of the lift is made in the center of the canopy. Like the diminished returns you say are in stabilizrrs, they say with complete bracing. They can make a canopy that holds the same load, that is easier to make and packs smaller. Just like everything, it is up to the pilot. I am much happier with my swoops on the neos because I like the dive on the neos. It gives me a lot more range than the vx. Competition drives innovation. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Why? If the neos can be loaded just as much, has better response from inputs, dives longer and builds more speed, is that lower performance? What makes it higher performance, more cross bracing? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I know they might not all want it, but I am not a carnival ride operator. If they way they dont want to open the parachute, I tell them I'll make it easy, I grab their hand, put it on the ball, and pull their hand. They are always super stoked. It's the litte things that you can do to give them a better experience and maybe that makes them bring more friends, and its no more work for you. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

You must be really good to be able to judge my swoops with out ever seeing them. Wow. As far as the 11 cell, it actually has 3 lines per riser. Quad cascading. And just cause jyro took the stabilizer off, doesn't mean a canopy can't benefiet from having them, it just helps if they're not just pieces of flapping drag. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

No, they bought precisions shares when they got out and have run the company ever since. That is why jyro developed the jvx, because he wanted to go in a different direction than the engineers that are now developing the canopies for Icarus. I can swoop farther on my neos than my vx. it opens better, goes faster and performs better overall. So thats why I jump it. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I have done 3 courses with an examiner and done a lot of the jumps in them, plus the 10 or so I had before that. I felt much better after the first, and a bit better after the second, and feel like more is just going through the motions. Every candidate is going to be different and challenging, no matter how many I do. I think the idea is good, but 50 is excessive. I dont think many TIs are going to be running to get their IE regardless of the qualifications. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Who was the supervising examiner? The first 15 passengers are in a probationary period, and the examiner should be limiting their students to average size until they have some experience. At least thats how it was when I got mine. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

You mean like the Safire2, Crossfire2, and Omni? They were all designed by CIMSA, the parent company and controlling part of Icarus Canopies. I have over 400 jumps on my Neos, and have never had any hard openings. Everyone I have ever given it too has told me it is the best opening high performance canopy they have ever jumped. I don't know what your friends are doing in their packing, or their orentation at pull time, but if they think there is a problem with their canopies, they should contact Icarus and they will make it right. That being said it is an excellent design and and haven't jumped my VX since I got it. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Well I Have made it up to 30 or so, so far. I guess I don't have to sweat that. It should be about you're performance, not pulling random numbers out of the air. I have no problem with proving myself on the front. And on the back. That's why I want the rating, to try and help make better instructors. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I fractured my arm skiing a few years ago. Not clean through, but I could not move it. Had no strength whatsoever. I was doing tandems 6 weeks later, more out of necessity than anything. I still had no strength to lift my arm, so I used my left to put my right up in the toggle. I had strength pulling down, just none up. threw the drouge fine, but pulled the left for a month or so. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I hook up the top left after 1000 feet if we are going to open the door. If I somehow I find myself out of the plane in a catastrophic failure, the top left is the one I want to have on. I unhook when the door is closed and hook up for the jump at 9k. ohh, thats all in the otter. the porter or cessna, the door doesn't open til we're ready, so no early hook up. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

When done properly, tandem levels can be very effective in preparing students for aff/iaf. good luck and have fun. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I didn't mean to say or imply it is a bad idea, it's a good idea with minimal payoff on sport rigs, and I personally believe implimented poorly on the javelin. I also would like the skyhook more if it didnt need the 5 lb thread to hold the lanyard in place. If there was a way to have it truly slide off in the event of a direct reserve deployment. Watch a vector reserve pilot chute launch on the ground and hit the 5 foot mark when the skyhook hits and see the p/c stop in mid air and hit the floor. Granted there is no airflow, but still would be a lot better if that didnt have to be there. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Terrible incidents all, but all completely avoidable. The only way a skyhook benefiets is if you trust it when you cutaway extremely low. And its going to let some people down. All in all my point is, call it what it is, a glorified rsl. If thats what makes you feel safe when you skydive, awesome. Like the people that stay off jumps that they would do if they had a cypres. Its about your skill, not your backup systems. Even the skyhook can malfunction. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3438681;search_string=Skyhook;#3438681 Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

My ignorance? Have you packed one? Javelin had a pretty simple clean reserve tray before. Now there are 2 stiff flaps harpooning the freebag in the tray if you deploy in a slightly head up position. Or if you don't have a skyhook, just put it under the freebag. Ridiculous. And what substantial difference are you refering too? 100 feet? Maybe 200? So your choice between dying and living isn't dependant on whether that person wrapped their canopy around you, cause no skyhook is gonna save you there. None of my points are "cool" or "fasionable". It's funny people are reading things that arent there. Where is my "cool" factor. If you like the vector, get it. But buying a complete system for a skyhook that no one has been able to tell me the benefiet of yet, is silly. Marketing. Call it what it is. You can get a regular rsl on any rig on the market. Where is the pages and pages of incidents of regular rsl fatalities that everyone would clamor for a skyhook? Ohh, but my ignorance is showing. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Other manufacturers are licensing the skyhook because of Dan. It sells rigs. My problem is I want someone to tell me where a skyhook will save you where a much less expensive and less complicated standard rsl will not. Bill Booth, by his own admission, thinks improving safety features only let's jumpers take more risks to keep the fatality rate the same. How many jumpers will cutaway low because they have a magical skyhook. It's a gimmick to sell rigs. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but what problem does it solve except for sagging sales of an outdated rig? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Dan, vector put magnets in their riser covers to fix a problem. Their covers were far too stiff and bulky. Infinity does not have that problem, so what would adding magnets do besides add cost, bulk and weight? I'll make you a deal. Find a vector fan at the dz (tough job, I know) and have them find faults with my infinity. And as far as old designs go, aside from the magnets, the vector today is the same rig it was in 1995, going on 15 years. I think even javelin has made some improvements since then. And some mistakes, like adding the skyhook. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Yes I jump an aad. But that argument is skewed. The difference between an aad and no aad is a lot more than a skyhook vs a regular rsl. Personally I don't like vectors up facing main pin flap (or any of them for that matter.) I have seen far too many get knocked open with incidental contact with the door and other jumpers. I also don't like their hip ring placement. Have anyone put on vector (or javelin or any other rig with legstraps on the ring) and have them bend at the waist and watch the harness kink. Then look at that rig with a bunch of jumps on it and look at the harness wear at the front side of the mlw. I have seen many harnesses replaced because of these companies refusal to see the flaws in their designs. If you like a rig for the sum of it's parts, buy it. But don't hand me a shit sandwich and tell me it's pb&j. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

What are you talking about? So a skyhook will save you if you get into a collision at 600 feet. Unless it knocks the shackle off. Or unless the canopy wraps around you. How about buying a rig because you like the the main pin protection. Or the harness comfort. Or any number or combination of reasons. But to buy it for when you get collided with at an altitude below where a regular rsl would save you, you've got you're priorities in order. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

And when that guy flies into you and knocks the little shackle off, what, you're dead? Please. It s a glorified rsl, and I jump one every day on my tandem rig. I think it makes a lot of sense where reserve stability is an issue, ie tandems. But don't blame not keeping your head on a swivel during your pattern on your need for a skyhook. That's pathetic. It is a backup system and should be treated as such. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Like I Hope I made clear, Every rig has some issues. Just cause I know 2 people who had this mal, it doesn't make it common. My only thought on those mals, is the fix Sonic and I and other proposed to Bill is simple and I dont realy think has a downside. My problem was after the first mal he told Sonic "one in a million, never happen again, and then it happened a month later. But that being said, get the rig you want. But, don't get it cause you want a skyhook. If the rig you want has a skyhook available, go for it, but a glorified RSL is no reason to get a rig. Same goes for magnets. Plenty of rigs have tucktabs and covers that work and look better than a vector. If you like the rig as a whole, then get it. But I hate seeing skydivers, especially newer ones falling for marketing instead of really knowing their gear. Is the skyhook a good rsl? yes. Will it save your life over a regular rsl, very unlikely. It buys you maybe 100 feet. If thats the difference whether you live or die, you messed up big somewhere. Good luck with whatever rig you choose, maybe I'll get to pack it for you. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome