KNewman

Call it personal taste but I sold my all black Fusion and got a new brightly colored one. I was always thinking to myself, if I had to cut it away, I would never find it. I loved the canopy, just could not get along with the color. My 2 cents.... Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Steve Had a cutaway last Monday. I was taught to look right, grab right, look left grab left, peel/pull right, peel/pull left. I did not have ANY problems with cut away force, it was very easy to pull to complete arm extension. Also I get in the practice harness every year at Safety Day and practice emergency procedures! I also pull handles when my reserve needs to be repacked. I ALWAYS practice the emergency drill motions on the ground prior to boarding and on the way to altitude. Emergency drills are very much worth practicing. I feel that I was able to confidently handle my cut away last Monday because I spent a lot of time practicing. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Well, Stevo gets another red asterisk in his rigger book!! I had a goofy-ass line over on Sunday that gave me a ride better than an e-ticket at Disney World. I pulled at 3500, chute (190 Z-PO) opened and started to spin to the right. I thought I had a brake fire so I pulled both toggles, (may have been wrong answer as this made the mess spin worse). Looked at canopy, right hand side was bowtied at the second cell, looked at alti, had plenty so I tried to clear by pulling on the risers. Needless to say it didn't clear, so I looked right, grabbed right..looked left..grabbed left (not so easy when you are spinning to the ground). Peel pull right..Peel pull left, and poof, there it was. The reserve was out and flying so fast I had an upclose and personal taste of my left knee (good thing I had a full face on) The spot was excellent as the main landed on the tuffet and the free bag landed by manifest. The reserve flew great (180 Strong Stellar). The only thing that sucked about this whole incident was after dumb-ass me pulled handles, dumb-ass me watched as they sailed away as I dropped them. So the learning point here kids is if you are going to pull your handles, HOLD ON TO THEM

Sooooo..... You traded your Tempo for a new girlfriend who is now your ex???? Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Blue Skies my brother in the sky. I thank you for your kind words and the advice you gave me as I started out in this wonderful sport. Your knowledge and advice will be truly missed. I can't type any more, my eyes are tearing up. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

At least sewing is cool in our community, went to the fabric store with the family yesterday. 3 yards of practice material, 5 yards of red cordura 1.5 yards of green cordura, thread and a card for a place that offers classes cost me $25. The look on my daugters face as I poured over the little cordura fabric I could find and asked for the place where I can get lessons was priceless!!! When I started talking to the clerk my daughter kept backing away, and then came up with a lame excuse that she needed to go to the Alltel store. Had to be there, it was very funny. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I did the exact same thing as Dan did. Went from a 170 to a 190 main and a got a bigger reserve. I just feel more comfortable under a 190 as opposed to the 170. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

David That's a very nice I have a Tony suit that I got for el-cheapo!! I am going to do the Frankensuit thingy with it too! I need to add some in the same areas that you did. I also have a Bev Suit (not a deconstuct project) that I am going to do sleeves for. The sleeves are spandex and I am going to make a pair of slip ons. The slip ons are where I am going to start. Thanks for the pics Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Rob Wow, good website!!!!! Thanks for the info! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Jen Thanks for the response!! Mr. DeWolf's class is going to be my retirement present to myself when I retire!!!! I was thinking about the shot bags as I was typing up the first post. Thanks for the link. I think I will start out with the shot bags, do a logbook cover and try to design a decent gear bag. That ought to keep me busy for a week or two Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Terry and everyone else Thanks for the responses!!!!! My wife is looking for an industrial machine (she has a friend that has an in for older models!!) and is a very good teacher as far as making clothes. I have an old jumpsuit we are going to deconstruct and remake. My main focus is to gain useful experience while I learn about rigging. I have the books that everyone said to read and am going over all the posts I can find in this forum. I am sure I will be able to get the sewing experience I need, I just have to figure out how to get the repack experience. I am in the military and don't have a very stable work schedule where I can spend every weekend at the DZ. It will take time and effort but I am excited about learning and will do what I can until I retire and can devote the time to get the repacks. I just figured I would start with the sewing aspects as it is something my wife can help me with and she actually sounds interested in!! Anyway, thanks for all the info and don't stop now keep it coming. Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

JD I wasn't smart enough to take a sewing class when I was in school. My wife is a master at the art so she will teach me. I am looking for an industrial machine as we speak. (Should have one by December). How long did it take you before you were able to craft the backpack? (Thats pretty cool by the way.) Thanks Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I have a question for those who are riggers. (I hope this doesn't sound silly). I have finally talked my wife into letting me use her gabillion dollar sewing machine so that I can start learning to sew. (I want to earn my riggers ticket in the far off future, but have no sewing know how). After I kill a few yards of fabric to get the feel for the machine I would like to make a gear bag for my rig. Where can I find patterns so I have a "base" to start with. I don't know anything about fabric design and don't want to waste a lot of fabric on something that won't work. Any suggestions? Or is this to big of a starter project? Thanks Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Anybody know where I can get some Canopy Lights so I can do my night jumps?? Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I had a 190 Hornet that I loved (That is until I got my first Fusion). It had the larger slider and I pushed the nose in when packing. I did about 100 jumps on it before I sold it. It was a great canopy, I learned to pro pack with it and it spoiled me. When I got my new (read slick) Fusion, I had to relearn how to pack (after paying jumper03 a gabillion times to pack the thing) In my opinion, it is a great canopy to learn on, I had a ball flying it, it was very resposive and a blast to fly (beats student canopies any day) I could put it down on target, and I could pack it on my own without adult supervision . I think you will have a great experience with it. Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I think you got a good deal. I think comparing a Vigil to a Cypress is like comparing a peach to a nectarine. Almost the same but significantly different. The Cypress has a solid 4 year window, that people expect to use up skydiving where as the Vigil has no such window. We (as Vigil owners) will have to replace our batteries at the 4 year mark (which a rigger can do) and thats it, no lost time skydiving. If you look in the manual there is a way to check if the units been jumped and how many jumps are on it. I bought mine used with some jumps done on it. I guess it is all in how you look at it, I am confident enough with high performance electronics to gamble on the Vigil and its internal self check. I bought the thing as a backup if I should ever fail applying my emergency procedures. I do not rely on it, it is just there. Anything and everything on your rig could fail at any time. Be confident in your purchase, you got a great deal if you look at it this way; your batteries will be due in Feb of 2010, your unit will expire in 2026. Pretty good if you ask me!!! (not that I know anything about anything) Just put it in and have fun jumping!!!!! Be safe!!!! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I think I got a good deal when I got mine for $1050, with a DOM of Dec 2006. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Jump 53 I bought an Infinity container with a 190 Hornet and a 173 reserve. Jump number 120 bought a fusion 170 (slightly used). Just sold entire rig and bought a slightly used Mirage 3 with a 200 reserve and ordered a brand new 190 Fusion. The older I get the more "built in free fall speed" I accumulate so therefore I need to go up in canopy size to safely downsize Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I agree with the Fusion being a great canopy!!! I just sold my old one and am buying a new one!!! Thanks for your continued service to our great country Mike, I hope you stick around like I have chosen to do (I just went over 24 Years in the Army)!!!!!!!! Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I just switched from a Cypress 1 to a Vigil. I had just sold my rig and was getting new when I was offered a new Vigil for $1050.00, so needless to say I JUMPED on it! I like both units and with the Vigil I only have to replace the batteries every four years, and there is no maintenance costs involved. The Vigil will last me a long time (till 2027). I think it is a better deal for the money. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I feel your pain, I just sold my rig and am getting NEW stuff!!!! 8-10 weeks for my main, 4 weeks for my AAD. I am so not going to have fun waiting for it all to get here. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I'm not psycho, I just pack that way!! Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Thay made pie back then???? Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I did my 100th at another dropzone and made the mistake of going back to my home dz that afternoon to drink BEER, nobody made a big deal out of it, until I forgot about it (3 BEERS) and WHAMMO, EL PIE-O to the FACE-O, and everywhere else. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

I got mine from my local aquarium store, cheaper than Wally World! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!