monkycndo

35".

I felt cheated.

John, nice thread topic to get people thinking before needing to act.

One thing about practicing in a hanging harness. Often they may be a clapped out rig that is non-airworthy, but great for training. Since they get the handle pulled off the velcro a lot, the velcro gets worn more than a rig in standard use. I've seen training rigs where the handle is easy to pull in any direction, no peel required. That can lead to bad training on direction of the peel/punch.

I would offer that training rigs get the velcro checked frequently and replaced at the first sign of any wear. Hell, change it before it shows wear. Let the new student feel what really grippy velcro is like. That way they can train properly for it on the ground and won't be surprised in the air.

It is an OK drop feed machine. It is one of the most common machines Singer made and parts are available and cheap.

For about the same or a bit more money, I would look for a Singer 401 or 500. They are a newer machine, so less examples out in the market. They can go for big money if in perfect condition and a collector wants it. I found one without a case for $20 at the flea market. YMMV. They have better power from a direct drive motor and can do a whole bunch of decorative stitches, including the 304 and 308 zigzag stitches. The 401 is often referred to as the 401A. The letter just designates the factory where the machine was assembled. The "A" indicates the machine was made in South Carolina. I have seen 401 machines with a G(Germany), K(Scotland),J(Canada) and E(New Jersey).

The 500 is often referred to as the Rocketeer because of the shape of the head.

I grew up with both, but am more of a dog person.

My building does not allow pets, so I volunteer at the local shelter working with the pups. I get to enjoy them and they are always happy to see me.

Unlike a cat.

GLSTA/OC..

ra!

I have 2 I-33 containers. I have packed a Sabre, Sabre2, Apache, Zulu, Prime & Nitron all in the 150SF size. All fit just fine.

Doug, I have been tinkering with a bracket for a while. I am still refining the two stage cut away. Pulling the lanyard releases the bracket from the foot and drops it still hanging from a safety strap. A second pull releases the safety strap. If you want to jettison bracket and safety strap in one shot, a really hard pull does both. Been busy with other stuff, so the project has been sitting there.

Danny, I haven't had a chance to use the EG smoke yet. But if I build a bracket for someone else, I don't know how it will be used. Common standard white skydiver smoke burns hot enough to produce slag. I want to make sure the user has the safety features included in the case they use a hot type smoke with the possible problems they might encounter.

Make sure your smoke bracket has a cut away system that you can release from your foot with some sort of lanyard.

You never want to drop anything over a populated area. A good smoke bracket has a release that drops the bracket away from your foot in case of a burn through, but keeps it attached to you. If you need to jettison the entire bracket due to an entanglement with your canopy, the cut away should be able to do that as well. Most brackets I have seen and maybe even used, did not do as describe above.

timrf79

Thanks for the info.
How about a 189 Crosssfire 2?
I heard they have the softest opening and therefore are preferred for camera flying?

When I started jumping, the manufacturer required 500 jumps just to demo a XF2. Also, the XF2 was designed to be loaded to a higher WL to get its performance. At 1.35, it would be considered under loaded. If you are looking for the entry level canopy for swooping, I would suggest sticking with the Saber2. They are more available used in the sizes you are considering and also would be easier to sell since your are already planning on downsizing. The market for any of the "swoopy" canopies in the larger sizes will be about nill.

timrf79

Sorry,
have not updated my profile in a few weeks.
At about 140+ jumps now (I do about 10 jumps a weekend).

The importance for me is to think about what canopy I would be jumping in 6 month from now (at 300 - 400 jumps).

Being at 1.35 WL at 140 jumps is still pretty aggressive. A rule of thumb for wingloading is 1.0:1 till 100, then add 0.1 for each 100 there after. For the outliers both petite and bigboy, there are allowances to be considered. A tiny girl shouldn't have a 135 as her first canopy, and a big 230 canopy will never be considered sporty. A Sabre2 190 loaded at 1.35 is sporty. You are a grown ass man and can do what to want, but the longer you are in the sport, you will realize why people are saying telling you to slow down.

To answer your question, many of the canopies you listed are suggested for jumpers with more than 300-400 jumps. At your jumping rate, you should focus on getting all you can out of your current canopy. Most containers can be good for 3 canopy sizes. The largest will fit snug, middle size will fit nice and smallest on the soft side. At a 170, that will be 1.5 WL. Still a bit aggressive if are only at 300 jumps.

I would suggest sticking with the Sabre2 190, maybe even a second one for your second rig. Reselling them are a piece of cake because folks like you are always looking for one in that size.

I would suggest you get a hold of Aggiedave here on the forums. He is a big guy and got into swooping. I'm sure he will be a wealth of information on downsizing and swooping.

I have only made a few jumps with a flag, but several were using some of Twardo's gear. Twardo likes leading edge weight. If memory serves me, his 800'sf flag has 2" tubular nylon filled with lead shot. A smaller flag could use 1". The nylon is cross sewn into sections so the flag will fold in sections the same width at the flag container. The tubular is then attached to the flag by wrapping it with heavy cotton fabric and sewn onto the leading edge of the flag. The cotton fabric protects the lead filled tubular from abrasion if it ever drags hard on the ground during landing. If the tubular drags much on dirt or concrete, it will heat and a hole will develop. No fun trying to patch tubular when it is filled with shot.

Petite people with shorter torsos are stuck with a double whammy. They will fall more slowly than most average jumpers, then are forced to wear a container that is wider and longer than their torso, which creates even more drag slowing them down. Since the container is longer than their torso, when they try to arch for speed, the container slides down over their bum, making that deep arch harder to do.

Some manufacturers make a container specific for this issue. VSE makes the Infinity in the Short/Narrow (SN) variant. The rig is both more narrow and shorter than the standard cut container. The container is thicker front to back to make up for the pack volume. If the plan is to get her a new, well fitting container, take a look at this sizing chart. The consideration would be the largest reserves that fit in the I-2 SN containers are the low bulk Optimum 143 and the new low bulk Smart reserve in about the same size. Contact Kelly and crew, they will be happy to help you out.

Regarding canopies, there are some canopies that are made in a low bulk fabric that will allow for a smaller container. PD makes the Pulse. Aerodyne has their low bulk ZPX fabric. One word of caution. The Aerodyne canopies are nice with a strong flare deeeeep in the toggle stroke. For people with shorter arms, they might not be able to reach down far enough to get that power. Before buying any canopy, do your best to get a demo and try it out.

p.s.---I am not an Infinity dealer, just love their container and fabulous customer service.

Sell plasma.

Sell semen.

Sell anything else you own.

Mow lawns.

Deliver newspapers on your bike.

If you want it that badly, you will find a way.

Good luck.

I wonder what the pay is for an above average jump pilot?

Until recently, PF was using a zipper by OPTI from Europe, which is not compatible with YKK. Check with Adam at Leading Edge if he has any replacement sliders. It isn't hard, just takes patience to get the new slider onto the old zipper teeth.

When I replace an entire zipper, I don't unstitch the old one, I just hot knife the the zipper even with the fold of the fabric. Then sew the new one over the top of what is still sewn onto the suit. If you match the stitch length and thread color, it is almost unnoticable and so much easier.

Contact Adam at Leading Edge Wingsuits.

Saying "best" is like asking what is the best flavor of ice cream.

What do you like?

Lift capacity? Bar and food? Good weather(hot or cold)? Do you need rental gear? Bunk house? Etc.

Fill in some blanks so an intelligent answer can be provided. There are a lot of DZs in the states you listed.

Not that Amazon's isn't intelligent.

If it is not on their head strapped on, I ask them, "If this plane crashes on take off, where would the helmet do the most good?"

After a few seconds of thought, the helmet ends up on their head.

I put a 160 with tail pocket in an old Talon that was sized for a 170 main that packed easy, and 190 tight with lengthened closing loop.

Often, an old Vector 2 container with velcro can be found real cheap.

Any rig that is airsafe will work fine.

Things that can make it better are dynamic(open) corners of the main pack tray.

A semi stowless d-bag can help reduce possible off heading/or line twists on opening.

I am a fan of the Infinity container.

The swooper went past the beer line all the way into the loading area.

Wayndo is the DZO and has a very no nonsense approach about letting folks know when they don't follow DZ policies. Landing direction/ swooping violations are where injuries can occur and he is not shy about letting one know there is need for improvement.

Clickified

$200 for a Pfaff 360 isn't bad at all. Having a free arm is also nice to have.

Make sure to put it through the paces testing it. Parts are a bit pricey on the Pfaffs. When they are running well, they are really sweet machines.

I have a Pfaff 130 in great shape. And not to rub it in, but got it for $30 at the flea market.

RopeaDope

I haven't seen a Bernina anywhere. There is a Pfaff 230 locally for $400, a Singer 301a for $350, and a Singer 201 for $325

All of those machines are household machines with a small motor mounted on the head. The Pfaff will do straight and zigzag, the Singers are straight stitch only. I would say all are overpriced.

I guess I am lucky to live in an area with a better selection of available machines.

The 8700 is a machine for fast production type sewing. Not the best for general fabrication and repairs.

Any Singer 20U painted a light cream color is made in China and not as well made as the Japanese models. The 20U33 made in Japan is better and can be found cheaper than $500. For $500, I would be looking for a Pfaff 138 or Bernina 217.