blithedj

Thanks for responding Mick. Any ideas on a Pilot 188 or a Safire 2 189? Also, my Raider seems to fit very nicely in the bag/container, and it's supposed to have a pack volume of 445. Does something seem very off here?

Did some searching through the forums with no real luck. Currently I have a Reflex-R550 with a FC Raider in it. (220 sq feet, F-111, DOM 1998). Flight concept's manual estimates that the pack volume of the Raider is 445 cubic inches. I have heard conflicting reports that it actually ends up being somewhere in the 480's. My question is: What do you guys think is the min/max canopy pack volumes for my container? I can't find any Reflex sizing charts online anywhere. I'm looking to eventually move to something a step down in size, and ZP. I had my eye on either a Pilot or a Safire 2. Thoughts?

I don't plan on using a packer that often at all for my jumping... But this really resonates with me as a good idea. Thanks for the tip.

Yeah, the theory is that I snagged the door on exit. At about 8 grand my instructor saw the black cap fly off... He initially thought premature reserve deployment but everything seemed to be fine. I love the 182, but I'll be more careful on my bomb-outs. I didn't even feel any snag or the like - but I was probably pretty amped up. Hooray for pop-tops!

Thanks Skybytch - I talked to Ray over at Action Air and they're making me a neon yellow with black trim-tape one. Thanks for the help. Booyah!

Hey everyone, The other day my pop-top on my rig came off during a jump. (Only the outter cordora fabric of the pop-top.) The pop-top was still seated the same when I landed. Functionally the rig is the same, other than there's one less layer of safety in terms of snagging. Does anyone know where I may find a replacement for this part? I sent the people at Trident an email responding to this page: http://www.tridenthc.com/parts.htm but I'm not getting a response and the phone number listed on that page seems to be out of service. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

That just made me laugh out loud... Hooray for nerd analogies!

Just glanced at his ebay transactions... And someone with the username 'diverdriver' posted positive feedback for something. Not sure if this is the same person who posts here - could be misleading. So you've directly talked with the seller? Sometimes things just go wrong... Hopefully there's a way to fix this. If not, I'd follow the advise of the above posts.

can1.jpg is now my background. I love shots like that.

Sorry, Failed to mention that. Pro-Pack.

Hey everyone, Just a quickie - I've had packing instructions from my instructors as well as other mentors and have a few pack-jobs that have been assisted. I just received and watched "Pack like a Pro" and also have been following along with the packingparachutes.com study guide. I understand all the concepts of flaking the cells and ordering the line-groups, but am a little confused about what needs to happen with the stabilizers... I'm going to be practicing my packing this Winter so when Spring rolls around I'll hopefully be able to complete a pack-job in under an hour.

Maybe he's asking if it would be smart to do a high-level hop 'n pop so he can get used to flying his new canopy? Just a thought.

Thank you so much for your post. I just started training with our Collegiate Club and the local DZ here (we're a small C-182 DZ). One thing I have been looking forward to is being able to attend these boogies and jump out of some larger aircraft and meet some really cool people. One of my primary concerns if I was going to attend the WFFC this upcoming year was high volumes of canopy traffic and just general air traffic volume. Even if I have 50+ jumps by the time the WFFC comes around, Most if not all of my jumps will be at a small dropzone where there are no more than 4 canopies in the air at a time anyways. How on earth do they coordinate dropping multiple loads at the same time and handling all that canopy traffic? And also, for people with low(er) jump numbers, what kind of programs/people are around to give canopy help concerning high traffic and high volume jumps? I'd hope that some sort of canopy courses are offered at the WFFC for those who don't have as much experience at higher volume DZ's? I'm really looking forward to hitting up some boogies this summer when classes are out. I can't wait to jump into the festivities and have a great time.

I went through something a little different with my parents. This past summer I had my mind set on doing a tandem, and I knew that both of my brothers had always wanted to do one, along with a good friend of mine. We all made our reservation at the DZ and my dad was planning on coming along for an observer ride. My dad is a non-current pilot, so the idea of airplanes and flight got him a little excited. When we got to the DZ, he even decided to make the jump with us. We all did our tandem out of the same otter, on the same load... And let me say that it was awesome being up there with all my brothers, my dad, and my good friend. After we were done, I was seriously considering going for my A license when I got to college with the Sport Parachute club we have here. My parents were totally against the idea - They figured that a Tandem was enough to get my fix - Boy were they wrong! So I got to school, and did my FJC at the DZ and continued to jump without them knowing. I made 13 jumps before I finally had to break the news to them, and I found that the best way to do it is admiting right off the bat that you betrayed their trust, and that you're sorry. There's no amount of statistics or reasoning that's going to get them over the fact that you betrayed their trust and went on jumping without them. I stressed the fact that I didn't want this to come between our relationship, but that it really was my passion - and they took it rather well. They even wanted to come to the DZ the next day and meet my instructors (Which really helped a lot). Most whuffos have this idea that all skydivers are your stereotypical 'surfboy' looneys. It all comes down to roots and wings, something that every parent has to deal with. There's only so much a parent can do before you have to get out on your own and carve your own path. Obviously your parents will be different then mine... But sitting them down for a real mature conversation where they could ask questions and I could let them know just how passionate I am about this sport really helped. If you really are passionate about Skydiving, you'll find a way to make it happen. Don't be afraid to 'stretch' your parents a little bit - But if it means they cut you off entirely, then like has been said: The skies can wait. Don't be afraid to follow your dream, even if something stands in your way.

That picture kind of reminded me of another picture I saw in the bathroom at Meijer. It was blown up much bigger. I stopped for a moment and really gave it a good hard look. I know it's pretty famous, and most of you guys have probably already seen it, but I felt compelled to share. Attached Below.