matt3sa

I know what you mean. I have an in depth approach to resolving the situation. I typically work the harness on opening with my legs to start. When it gets stuck I bump the rears up and down and side to side trying to shake it out. Never really helps. Today I actually said screw it and pumped the toggles. That was a mistake. The outer cells inflated and started to fly while the center cells collapsed and created the reverse bowtie effect. Not cool. Was really thinking about a chop. Great suggestion, but I've got that end covered. The slider on this thing seriously looks ridiculous. It's so big. ?Looks like a 120-150 slider or something.

Not that I'm stepping on UPT guys toes but I had a V348 with a 160 reserve. I put 170's 150's 135's and even a velo 111 in it and it worked great just using the same 170 d bag. I jumped it for 4 years and it was a rock solid container. The 135 non crossbraced was about the bottom of the line though. It wasn't loose in the container at all. It filled out nice. The only concern is that it expands more in the 170 d-bag. I never had issues though. Had a few hundered jumps with a 135 and a 111 x-braced with no mals. Just have to shorten the closing loop a bit.

Flying a 2007 Velo 96 loaded about 2.08. Every single time I'm ready to chop. It's scary. The slider just won't come down like it should. I previously had a Velo 111 with Vectran lines and it never did this. When jumping my friends identical Velo 111 (with HMA lines) I often had the same problem. My new 96 has HMA lines and like I said... it's scary. Anyone know if this is an issue with 2.0+ loaded velos w/ HMA lines? I also noticed that the slider on this seems quite large. Could the slider be wrong for this canopy? FYI- Was advised HMA lines are original factory lines and slider is original factory equipment. The current line set has about 300 jumps and the lines appear to be in excellent shape. Previous owner was a female who wasn't loading this as heavily as myself.... anyone know if PD offers different slider sizes at time of purchase when new (based on purchasers wing load)?

Bought mine at Square 1 when I was out there for the tandem instructor course in March. Really needed a helmet and was on a tight budget. Definitely got what I paid for. Crap. Cheap paint job that chips and scratches when you even look at it the wrong way. After the first jump I noticed the the rubberish trim was peeling off. I actually had to reglue the entire seal. I will say it's comfy, but I also agree that it sucks for audibles.

Winter jumps

Might want to consider the video title which states "landing in turbulence" or something like that. I have had a few different canopies that sort of shake and accordion on the ends like that when air pressure changes are drastic. I was jumping in Hawaii at Pacific Skydiving Center and had a ride like that when the wind was coming from the mountain side of the dz. As soon as I dropped below the peak level the canopy exibited symptoms like this one.

I've jumped PD's Stiletto 170, 150, 135. I've jumped Atair's Cobalt 135 I've jumped the Icarus Crossfire 1 139. I've jumped the Aerodyne Vision 150 On a 135 SQ ft canopy I usually load it between ranges of 1.6-1.7. These are some overall observations from my experiences. Openings: (Best at top) 1. Crossfire 1 - perfect soft openings on all jumps 2. Stiletto - Not bad. Soft openings, some off heading 3. Cobalt- Not bad, some off heading openings 4. Vision - Not bad. Frequent off heading and some harder openings Overall turn rate (fastest listed at the top) 1. Cobalt 2. Stiletto 3. Vision 4. Crossfire 1 Dives (Longest at top) 1. Cobalt Very Very light riser pressure compared to others mentioned here 2. Vision 3. Crossfire 1 (service bulletin canopy) 4. Stiletto (ridiculously high riser pressure) Landing Performance Cobalt: Tons and tons of flare with excellent glide ability. Fast when loaded above 1.6. Very responsive. Great for high performance or straight in soft landings. Fun for hook turns and front riser landings. Easy to surf on rear risers when landing due to light pressure. Very strong tension and response from toggles... lot's of lift. Stiletto: Tough to make dive for landing. Fun for hook turns. High riser pressure. Great flare that provides half way decent distance after a correctly timed recovery arc. Crossfire 1: Tough to keep in a dive due to moderatley high riser pressure. This canopy was recalled, so I don't know how much that effected it's performance. Everyone has their own opinion. Good speed on landing. Powerful flare, but it comes very deep and it's difficult to us that small sweet spot for a lot of distance (if you've jumped other canopies by Atair or PD). Vision: Carries good speed after inducing speed prior to final. Not sure if Aerodyne screwed something up on canopy they sent me, but the Vision had absolutely no flare at all. No sweet spot. It felt more like an f-111 canopy flare with slightly more pressure. No two stage flare on that one at all. Just as I felt like I was getting some distance it just dropped out without producing any shut down power. These are just my experiences. Consider my wing loads before you make a decision. You may have a completely different experience at different loads with your flying style. I'm aggressive and I like to try to swoop on landings. I love toggle hooks and riser dives. Hope this helps. I would have liked the Vision much more if it had more likeable landing characteristics. It's smooth in the air. Good luck.

***Can you name any benefit over non-crossbraced? They are more expensive, less predictable opening, more complex. It's very simple. You look at cost, an opinion on their openings (which is only your opinion), and complexity? The people that ask themselves if these canopies are right for them have already considered those things. They already know the price and they've accepted the price. They have probably researched your "less predictable opening" theory, and I'm just not sure what you mean by being more "complex". From dz forums and my own personal experience with Velocity's they are very predictable if you always pack the same and have the correct body positioning on opening. Again, this is only an opinion. I put 150 jumps on a Cobalt 135 after everyone said they open like crap, but I thought mine opened great. As far as complexity, I can only assume that you mean the x-braced structure. The only difference is pack volume and flight characteristics. I guess what it boils down to is personal preference. You (phoenixlpr) don't jump x-brace canopies because you've already generated an opinion based on either experience or other peoples opinions. I jump x-brace because I like them better than non x-brace. The original poster will make his own decision after viewing forums, gear reviews and demoing.

Hey, I jumped a Velo 120 loaded around 1.6 and I loved it. Don't worry about other peoples opinions about how they're geared for swooping only. Even if you aren't swooping it, they still have some very enjoyable and different flight characteristics. The velo was great even when I babied it in. They are definitely best choice for swoopers, but at the same time they are enjoyable for those who aren't swooping every landing. The velo landed great even without high speed. You just want to take it easy. Demo a 120. Fly it easy. They dive a lot longer and build up more speed than any other canopy, but with practice you'll learn how to fly it within your limits. Many people have responded that you don't "need" a x-brace. This is true. Why would anyone need a Mercedes Coupe? They don't, but they prefer the characteristics over the characteristics of a Honda Accord. Try it out and decide for yourself. Demos are free. Be safe. I'm now jumping a Velo closer to 2.0 because I prefer the characteristics of a higher loaded velo (more harness input response, speed etc).

When I perform a search for 15mm lens, I get fisheyes. Are all 15mm lenses fisheyed?

No, I didn't really meet a lot of people there. The dropzones there are all just tandem factorys. They don't really care about fun jumpers. They always try to be done by noon so that they can go home.

If you're swooping all of the other canopies and doing it safely, go for the Velocity. If you're really ready, then you won't be as challenged by the transition to X-brace. Just don't do anything aggressive. Demo one first at the same size you've been jumping. I went from a 150 jumps on a Cobalt 135 to demoing a Velo 120. My first approach was a long slow toggle carve and I was amazed the long predictable recovery arc. Just don't go nuts at first. Just the regular pattern approaches will give you excitement on that canopy (for a few jumps anyway). Be safe and have fun. Don't forget to write a review on DZ Gear if you demo one. It will help people make a good decision when they are considering trying one.

The only time I ever got the plane to dive was when I exited Skydive Hawaii's Caravan in a sit fly- no tandem. Our Cesna pilot is this old priest guy! He owns the plane and we pay him per load. We don't get a whole lot of dive out of a C-182 Matt **Attached the Hawaii Caravan dive pic.

A few I liked.

That's right. Good call.

You're definately right about that. I fly Video for a C-182 dropzone. I hang off of the strut on the prop side (facing the tail) and then back fly until the tandem is perfectly head down and then I roll from the back position into a very brief headdown as the drogue is pitched. After drogue deployment I return to my back and perform a half barrel roll. It's cool because as you come off of the step (when timed right) you actually fly feet first on your back and go under the tandem as they're entering the vertical phase.

Lot's of fun. Actually would have rated it a 4.8 if PD's service wasn't so spectacular. Called and got the demo instantly. Had it within two days. Put nine jumps on it the first weekend. Then got weathered out on the following. Now keeping it for another week (thank you PD). Was flying a Cobalt 135 around 1.6 all season. First jump (after the most discraceful pack job) and it opens so soft and on heading. Very rigid in the air. Listening to the sound of the speed changes after dives was very informative. The recovery arc was excellent (very long and predictable). Still flies like an eliptical. Turns are quite responsive. Comparable to a stiletto with a faster glide, longer recovery arc and significantly less riser pressure. Front riser pressure is about the same as my Cobalt, maybe slightly stiffer. Rear risers are EXCELLENT. Very predictable due to light pressure. Really "cushy" and forgiving if you're already familiar with rear risers landings. Long swoops nice shut down. According to DZ.com forums, the best WL is between 2.0 and 2.5, based on either speed or swoop distance. Looking forward to trying something within that range next season.

I've been flying a Cobalt 135 all season. My odd openings included diving/spinning, and slammers. The diving spinning, was related to my posture while in the harness. It's quite sensitive to harness input at loads of 1.6 or higher (especially when the brakes are stowed). You have to let your body completely relax. You'll feel the leg straps pulling upward on your legs, but don't use your muscles to force both straps to be even. The canopy will do that on it's own. On the hard openings, I found that I don't really care for their factory sliders. They really don't stay open like PD sliders. Just before you go to wrap the tail, really stretch that slider out with some quick snaps. Then pull the grommets around the cloth where the lines attach to the canopy and that will lock it in place better. Also, just make sure you roll the crap out of the tail. I'm getting a PD slider for mine.

Just picked up a Cobalt 135 DOM 2001. This thing is unreal. My last two canopies were a Stiletto and a Crossfire 1. This thing out performs both of them. No contest. Cobalt is extremely easy to dive and keep in a dive (espectially when using harness input). Faster turns than the Stiletto with minimal oversteer. The flare is so predictable and it likes to gain and maintain speed even after you plain out. Nice canopy. I'll be an Atair customer for a while.

Finally made my first jumps on my xfire 1 139. Fun canopy to fly. Even more interesting with the 2 feet of snow on the ground! Granted, I've only made 3 jumps on this canopy, but I was a little surprised. I transitioned from a Stiletto 150. The recovery arc is definately different, but not anywhere near as different as thought it would be. I haven't jumped since November, and I was amazed at how easy the canopy was to fly. I had a tough time with the riser pressure. This canopy was part of the "service bulletin" through Icarus. The riser pressure seemed very high. Only slightly lighter than my old Stiletto. I'm just trying to figure out how to help overcome this riser pressure. 1. How much does wing load effect riser pressure? Would it be lighter under a higher loading? 2. On one of the jumps I made, I had excellent results from the front risers. My approach was slightly different. How does wind speed and wind direction towards the canopy effect riser pressure/dive performance? The winds were around 7 gusting 11. This particular jump was the only one that seemed to have lighter pressure. I've read all through these forums. I've tried the braked approach into harness turn and further into risers. On the jump that I had the most success on the front risers, I had both of my knees up to my chest while making the turn. 3. How do I get the best performance out of my harness turns? Loosen leg straps after opening? Tighter straps better? Suggestions as to how I can position them on my legs? Thanks everyone, Matt

You may find that the proper climates add crazy life to canopies. I live in Maine. We jump April through October. Very low UV exposure. Cool summers at night. I just got rid of a 93 PD Sabre 1 170 with over 3600 jumps. I had just put a new line set on it. One very small patch. I still flew GREAT. I just partially traded some gear with the canopy to pick up an Icarus Xfire 1. Haven't jumped it yet though. Blue Skies

Lets also consider the fact that this jumper is only wanting to color a small area that has a slight scuff. I wouldn't encourage him to color the whole freaking rig. I still think my friend took a risk at damaging the material (for the same reason that you folks would advise against it). But once again, time will tell. So far so good.

Why won't riggers pack it? Where is the logic behind that? I'm not trying to be arguementative, I'm just curious. I would like to know.

Hey, I'm not saying I would do it to my own rig. But just curious, do you folks have any examples of real life events that would prove your beliefs? Maybe this is perfectly safe? 9 months everything has been great. No deterioration of the material at all. It worked great. I guess time will tell. Trial and error.

It was some type of art supply store where you get canvas and paint and thinks. It's made by sharpie. Some type of paint marker they maker. You have to shake it a lot before you use it. They're like 5 bucks a piece. They don't produce the purpilish glare that regular sharpies do. He only used one coat. The store is a local store, so the name wouldn't really help you.