velocity

What does that mean?? I do receive this when i want to delete mails.

Unfortunately the production of the Shue-Vue is discontinued. However, Bonehead composites will rent them. As far as I know there is no other manufacturer who makes a similar device. But i second that duck-taping the camera to the running shoe is quite good an inexpensive alternative

As far as I know there is no dealer for hawkeye helmets in germany. i ordered mine directly from eloy via the internet and have nothing but good things to tell. i received my custom marbled helmet within two weeks and everything was fine. as i was not sure with regard to the size i phoned the owner jim hotze and he was very helpful. very good customer service. go for it!

I had the same problem when I got my 111 and of course I´ve tried to improve the openings by trying out different pack job methods (nose in , nose out, quarter the slider etc.) but all of that didn´t seem to make a big difference. Almost desperately I wrote to PD and got a reply from Ian Bellis who at that point in time was the marketing director of PD. He told me that "flying through the opening" is something that one should get rid off when jumping a VE. Being relaxed in the harness is the key to success. But if this is not enough he told me that there is a different slider than the original one available. As it is slightly smaller it is supposed to reduce the snivel time and therefore supports faster, yet still comfortable and on-heading openings. I didn´t try this slider but it may be an option if one is really bothered by the "dancing queen". With regard to packing technique I think one can improve the openings by creating as much symetry in the pack job as possible (Of course this is true for any other canopy as well however velocities seem to like symetrical packings in particular). So what I do is basically an even standard pro pack with a quartered slider . Then I lay it down on the ground 180 turned to the right so it is on its back (actually same like Psycho pack) I then go on with the s-folds but instead of rolling it I just turn it around again and I bag the canopy as usual on a pro pack. I found this helpful for symetry and at least I have the impression that the openings are now a bit better. However body position during opening remains the most import factor. Good luck! Holger

Hi Rhino, I didn´t jump a Diablo yet (because I live in Europe and Diablos and Tris are not very common here), however I made so far 250 jumps on a Velocity 111 (my exit weight is 255 lbs) and I also have some experience on Spectres (maybe comparable to diablos???) and I like to reply to your question of whether you get a better bottom end flare on a Velocity compared to the Diablo. The answer most probably is: YES. With this regard, I think it is very helpful to know more about the flight characteristics of the Velocity.I am now 15 years in the sport and I have tried out quite a lot of different parachute designs but in my opinion nothing comes close to the VE. With its somewhat disconcerting "dancing" openings and its immense ground hungriness (probably due to the quite long line set) the Velocity is really special. It´s a lot of fun if you are alone in the air but it gets a nightmare when there is traffic around. I am doing a lot of tandem videos from a C 206, that means I really do not have to care about traffic and anything else and I can concentrate on getting this tiny baby landed.The interesting thing is that I frequently find myself flying the landing pattern (from 1200 feet) in half to 3/4 brakes, then I make either straight in´s or slightly aggressive toggle turn approaches. In any case I find the speed on final always more than impressive. The landings, however, compared to other parachutes are very easy. The flare is tremendous and you get really long swoops. I assume this is due to the rigidity (caused by the xbraces) the wing offers. It makes it very predictable and also reactive to toggle input. I agree with you regarding jump numbers. I also know many jumpers who have a considerable number of jumps but do know a few about canopy flight. However, I find 200 jumps not at all sufficient to even think about a Velocity. Why do you want have such a special parachute? The big disadvantage of a Velocity is its limited versatility. It is great for high speed landings but anything else....???? you really need to be a very experienced long time jumper to deal with its disadvantages (very steep glide angle, openings to really get accustomed on etc.) PD is right in its ad: When you JUST have to swoop ... then go for the Velocity. To be very clear on that: I really love my Velocity but when I go jumping on crowded boogies I take my second canopy. A Heatwave 135. Nice openings and no hassle or stress!. After all, there is one final verdict to me: It´s the pilot, not the canopy! I have seen in the early nineties Bruno Brokken flying his Sabre 170 (nowadays probably a beginner´s canopy) in Ampuria. He swooped it farther than , I would say, 95 percent of all today´s so called highly experienced canopy pilot´s with their VX, FX, VE, Stiletto, Crossfire, Nitro etc. All the best, Holger

well, if swooping is the thing you are looking for I recommend a PD Velocity loaded to 2.2. if everything works well it will take you the farthest and the chicks will certainly get crazy about you. if you misjudge on landing, it will be also a great event and you will attract the attention of the whole dropzone. The VE also produces nice and smooth openings. Good luck! holger

Hi cloud9, You made a very good deal! The Heatwave is a great canopy that offers a good flight performance. It is more or less alike to the PD Stiletto - perhaps it is a bit more forgiving, less snappy. I currently jump a Velocity 111 and before that I put around 500 jumps on a Heatwave 135. Don´t worry about making a mistake while packing it. Just put it in the bag the same way like you packed your previous canopy. The South African ZP fabric is very easy to pack and it will open greatly. I always used a standard pro pack, I didn´t push the nose inside and just let it hang. I always got very good (though pretty fast)openings that were on heading. If you want you can play around a bit with the slider position-I personally found it helpful to quarter the slider and pull it out in front of the center cell exactly the same way as it is recommended on PD Sabres. Again, I am sure you will enjoy your new canopy. Have fun! Blue ones Velocity

don´t make the mistake of your life and buy such a canopy. here in europe a few people died and quite many were severely injured by flying their novas down to the ground. as already mentioned it stalls very abruptly and is very unpredictable especially in turbulence. The nova was built by Glide Path International and designed by a German guy called stefan ertler. Some owners said its performance is awesome however the drawbacks in terms of safety even let Glide Path change their company name. Again, don´t buy or fly one. It´s as dangerous as a Starfighter Jet. Blues from PD Velocity heavy user