jeffcadieux

During my static line course, I had one jump where I was supposed to do my first controlled turns. I dipped my shoulder too far, ended up helicoptering really fast. I tried to recover, and ended up on my back. Looking at my altimeter, I saw that it was pull time, so I pulled, on my back. It worked, but i was FREAKED! I had to go right back up, since I failed the jump, and I thought I was going to throw-up on the way up to altitude, I was so nervous! The fear always disappears after I'm out the door. I believe if a jumper ever completely loses the fear, he/she is dead. Get back up there!

Thanks again to all who have written so far, and to those who have messaged me as well. I'm nearing a decision here. It seems there is absolutely no reason for me to go to a 150 right away. I'm relatively young, and have more money (I'm not hitched yet ) than wrists, ankles, spines and lives. If I ever do want to get married, I also might need my face to be intact. I can go to my DZ, rent a 190 or so for a few jumps, then pull out my very own 170 canopy. When/if I get tired of that, I can sell it, right? I'll take a loss, but no big deal. Money is not my driving factor. While I am inclined to think I can handle anything (invincibility complex) I agree that it's not all that smart to push my limits when I have no intention of staying current. It could be a full year before I jump again after this initial training. Again, thanks to all! If you have anything more to add, I'm still open to your thoughts! Jeff

He does not have one waiting to be sold, he encourages me to buy new. He does get a kickback from PD if I buy a Sabre II. However, that does not explain why he would recommend a 150 instead of a 170, which would still give him the kickback. I think he's just really confident in his skills as a canopy coach. I also want to point out that this conversation is not quite as one-sided as it seems. I've received several private messages that support the choice of a 150, but those people are afraid to post such an opinion on this forum, for fear of being chewed-out. Another option that has been suggested to me is to buy a Triathlon 160. The wingloading would be 1.1, a nice compromise between the two camps,and my understanding is that the fully square shape would make it more forgiving than a semi-elliptical. Anybody want to chime in on that idea?

There's something else which has been mentioned that I need to consider, especially since I don't really have a "home" DZ. Who has some idea of how many dropzones will or will not allow me to jump at 1.2 with under 100 jumps? Any instructors or JMs want to inform me of their personal/DZ's rule?

So, what is your loading on the 170 and 150 respectively? I'm interested in what wingloading you were banned from jumping at your DZ.

Oh, I should point out that I do understand what several of you have mentioned about the small mistakes becoming larger and more painful on a smaller canopy. I'm becoming convinced that this isn't such a good idea for me, especially since I will not be staying current. I only plan to jump during one or two time periods a year, on my vacations. I don't have a home DZ.

Thanks all for the advice, please keep it coming. I admit that I'm concerned about the recommendation of the 150, which is why I made the initial post. I have been doing my own research, I just finished reading every post in the incident forum where the term "wingloading" was mentioned. It seems that most of them are people flying ellipticals at obscenely low experience levels, etc. There aren't many incidents posted that are jumpers of my experience and proposed wingloading, but those seem to be caused by low turns. Am I more likely to be caught doing something dumb like a low turn if I have a smaller canopy?

Ok, I just spoke to my instructor on the phone, and he backs his suggestion of a 150, but says that the final decision is mine. Here are all of the facts that I can give, based on that discussion. The student mains were 270's, made of F-111. It has been a while since my last jump (months). The dropzone is big and open, but has a small plane (5 jumpers), so there is little chance of collisions if I stay alert. I will be living at the DZ for several weeks, hopefully doing 50-60 jumps. I will be on radio, being coached to fly the canopy, including practice of canopy techniques and flare timing. He seems to love taking the time to train new jumpers to fly a canopy proficiently, and says he does this all the time. He acknowledges that it will be fast and scary, but says I'll be well-coached. Apparently, the harness that I've bought will accommodate a 170 main (putting my wingloading at 1.05) if that's what I want to do.

I don't know the square footage of the student chute, but we all know that they are big. I suppose the radio is to get me used to the timing of the flare on the smaller canopy? I'm being told from my instructor that I should listen to him, since he is my instructor. I see a lot of the forums saying that 1.0 is good for a newbie, but other people are saying they started at 1.1, or 1.2, all the way to 1.25.

I'm a new jumper, just off of A license, and my instructor is recommending a Sabre 2 150 for my first canopy. My weight without gear is about 160, putting my exit weight at roughly 180, right? This would make my wing loading 1.2. The man has almost 30 years of experience, and is the DZ SO, so I'm inclined to listen. But then I'm reading all of the advice on dropzone.com, and realizing that this maybe isn't the smartest move. My instructor has promised to keep me on the radio for my jumps, and teach me to fly the canopy well. Also, the DZ is huge and wide-open, no obstacles except for the clubhouse. Does this make a difference in anybody's mind?