larsrulz

If you aren't taking off your swoop cords, then that would definitely be the first idea to try. If your cord length is set up correctly, it should reduce the length of your maximum reach a bit, so definitely take them off as soon as you get under a good canopy. If you still can't reach, then follow the shorter riser advice above, but if you can reach the slider without the swoop cords on, then you don't want to shorten your risers. They should be as long as possible without being too long. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

One thing that blows my mind, and the main reason I switched to a vigil, is what did cypres do to the unit? What did they do which cost so much? I would bet the rigger did 100 times as much work as SSK, yet no one questions their pricing and practices? I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

But see, the biggest difference is we pay to do this, while you get paid to do it. I just don't sympathize there. You could always...you know....just give a really short final. Less work for both you and the students! I just finished my finite element final, which was suprisingly easy, but my applied aerodynamics course is gonna bend me over I'm sure. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

No matter how hard you try, there is absolutely nothing funny about sexually exploiting a child. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

Let's hope they decide that he can't immigrate and deport him back to the US. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

swoop cords, I can't recommend them enough. When they aren't needed, then they needed be worried about, but when you do need them, they expand your lower range a lot. I also second the polycotton suggestion. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I'm supposed to do a presentation and report on parachute aerodynamics for an advanced aerodynamics course. I know mostly what I'm going to talk about, but I really need some pictures, so as to not completely bore everyone with pages of text. To that end, I would very much love some pictures of canopies. I'm especially interested in airlocked and crossbraced canopies (in flight), both side and front view. The more variety the better. Either posting them here or you can email them to me (PM me if you want to do that). Thanks in advance! I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I just know that April 7 and 8 Brian Germain is doing a seminar at SDC, so I'm gonna be there. I don't care if I have a midterm or if my boss wants to send me to Hawaii for the week...I'll be there! I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I found that if you do it really really quickly, then it can also be done. I can't do it slowly, but if I do it so quick that my hand motion is considerably quicker than the foot, then you can quickly do the 6 and immediately consciously think about keeping your foot going clockwise. Slowly...not a chance for me. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

You can't be suggesting that in the mean time, while we are trying to fix the canopy instruction problem, we shouldn't bother to recommend such things as jump number requirements to fly a wing suit or fly a sub-100 crossbraced. Guidelines at least help people to make intelligent decisions and realize when recommendations are not as intelligent. Not everyone can afford (money or time wise) to get professional canopy instruction, let along go to canopy flight courses, so for those who can't, it is an excellent idea to provide recommendations. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

Directly related to it being a samurai, were the off heading openings in a hard dive? The previous owner of my samurai didn't like the occasion diving turn on openings, which is the main reason he sold it. Brian informed him that he wasn't loading the canopy up enough at 1.4 and should downsize to load one at 1.6 or there abouts. All this ends up asking: what are you loading your 105 at? Brian seems to be big on the idea (as I understand it) that samurais open better when properly loaded. With my samurai, I noticed that my current rig which is tight to extremely tight consistently opens very well, and I only have a problem when opening in a bad body position. And samurai's open much better when you allow your body to react to the opening using both weight shift and riser turns, so possibly your better fitting rig allows you to better sub-consciously respond to the issues you previously had in your ill-fitting rig. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

If you can get your hands on a used jedei, as Big Air Sportz doesn't make them anymore, then power to you. But if you want a new canopy or can't find a used one in the right size/price (they are expensive) then I definitely second the samurai. I've never flown a jedei, but I love my samurai and much prefer it to a stilleto, especially for swooping. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

Oh, and I'm 1.22 at 250 jumps on a samurai 150, but it's elliptical airlocked, so I figure the airlocks cancel one of the elliptical points and the fact that it was designed by Brian cancels the other, right? I could do everything that BillVon recommended on both a sabre2 170 and sabre2 150, but I still don't think that makes it a good canopy choice for someone in my situation. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

But the original poster explicitely stated that Brian Germain's book gave a recommended maximum wingloading. I'm sure Brian does not consider his one chart the end all, be all of the issue, but it is certainly excellent information to be out there. Some jumpers (I have seen some on this board) have been recommended by their instructors and fellow jumpers to purchase canopies that are much to advanced for their skill level, even the best 50 jump wonder out there. Just like BillVon's downsizing recommendation isn't the end all, be all, neither is Brian Germain's downsizing recommendation, but the existence of a explicitly stated recommendation from individuals with much more experience than the majority of jumpers isn't something to be criticizing. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

Although I would recommend a pair of the ANR DC's...good choice. The 13.4's are a nice heatset! I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

Being a top canopy pilot doesn't necessarily relate directly to technical knowledge of canopies (i.e. what type of modifications do what if anything). JP is basing his opinion on personal experience which you seem to claim is more valid coming from someone who wins competitions. On the other hand, I have an advanced degree in aeronautical engineering, and I can tell you that there is little to no in-depth understanding of parachutes (there is a bit with rounds, but there is just no money for researching rectangular canopies). So while the engineers and physicists of the group may have a bit more insight than others, none of them know with certainty how certain aspects of a canopy work. While obviously all canopies are low speed by definition, many still maintain a reasonable amount of pressurisation when they would be most useful during, say, a swoop. Now, I don't agree with JP about said warts, but I also don't agree with your response here. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I personally can't talk through my ear, so I'll stick with my DC's. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I wonder if he and Rice ever had an arguement over whether we are a homeland or a nation? I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I use a DC ANR headset and love it. I have flown with my former instructor's Bose X a number of times, and I honestly couldn't feel any difference in comfort, and the ANR feature of my H10-13 is excellent! Edited to note that it is obviously the 13X as opposed to the non-ANR 13.4. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I believe what you have pointed out in your picture is for preventing the nav light from blinding the pilot. A stall fence runs from the leading edge of the wing to the trailing edge. Actually no, stall fences are both cases. The one you showed is a full leading to trailing edge fence. This was quite common with MiGs. (check out this for some of a MiG-19). The picture I gave is of an Embraer 140 and it, in fact, is a leading edge fence...feel free to contact them to ask. Leading edge fences are actually quite common on airlines these days, even more so on business jets. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

That's true, completely was a bad choice of words in this case. But really, the spanwise flow is negligible for any canopy. Spanwise induced vorticity just isn't an issue. I can certainly see vortex generators being a possible improvement, but in this case, I'm not sure that separation is as much a problem when dealing with stall of a canopy as say depressurization of the wing. Hmmm....now I'm tempted to throw VGs on my samurai....I should see what Brain thinks about this. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I was going to say this same thing, as they are the (near) exact same (in concept) thing as a wing fence, but they are *completely* useless in this case. There is no spanwise flow on an eliptical wing. Spanwise flow exists on wings with variable pressure across the span, i.e. wings with sweep. So I'll join the gimmick crowd. Things like this make me want to do a thesis on high performance canopies...just to see what really does what. For those curious what the heck a wing fence is...see attached. The wing fence is the yellow thing on the outside leading edge. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

As one of those who so wrongly attribute the quote, da Vinci was extremely interested in all things flight. He was responsible for the first designs of such things as the parachute and the helicopter. That is like saying that Patrick Henry could have never said his "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech, as he had never been dead...how does he know what death is like and hence prefer it over not having liberty? If da Vinci didn't say it, then so be it, but there is no way to know who originally said the quote and the vast majority of instances cite it to da Vinci. I personally got a da Vinci poster with said quote on it when I was a youngin' at the Smithsonian, so I long attributed it to him before I knew of the internet. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

I predict that at 2215 on October 9th, 2008, all possible questions will have been asked, so HH can just install a bot which can direct all questions to previous answers. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

But that isn't true. Weekly I see people who are just off student status getting a 1.1+ canopy, or people with 200 jumps who jump an eliptical at 1.4 with a camera, or someone with 500 jumps on a 1.7 cross-braced. All the while hearing about instructors all over the place recommending that the above canopies as a good idea. I hear time and time again from people who ask these types of questions that while they get only safety conscious responses on the boards, they consistently get PM responses encouraging them to jump canopies which they are not ready for. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF