mbondvegas

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Posts posted by mbondvegas


  1. Wow. As interesting as the moving back of the wings is the fact that the arm wings end at a point that does not 'end' at the body junction point, but rather has a squared off point. And also that the leg wing extends beyond it's final attachment point.

    Is this suit even bigger than the SM1? How where the times/distances???

    It is nice to see such innovative ideas being developed and tested. By the time I'm ready for a new suit...I'm sure I'll be amazed by what will be available. Keep it up!!
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  2. Quote

    Have it inspected thoroughly, and perhaps put a jump on it as a main. As a rigger I would not repack a reserve that behaved like you describe until it got fixed. This behavior can be caused by internal failures (e.g., separation of a rib from top skin) that may not be obvious to the jumper. Of course there are other possibilities too. In any case, get it addressed.



    Oh, I'm retiring this reserve. Any good ideas of cool thinks to do with a otherwise "new" looking canopy? I'm thinking of stuffing it and sewing the cells shut to make an neat blanket. (It is a 250). I'm buying a new PDR218 for this rig.

    To comment on other peoples response on Tempo's. I still have a Tempo 210 in my other rig and have no issue with that. This one (the 250) served me well, but I would be hesitant to use a Tempo if I ever move to a more highly loaded situation. The 250 still landed me reasonably soft despite my virtual inability to flare it. I did have to PLF. If I were more heavily loaded, that could have caused some real pain.
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  3. Quote

    Couple of questions:

    Did you collapse your arm wings down completely after you pitched?

    How are you packing your D -bag into the container and is it a tight fit?



    Yes to question #1. I pitch and then grab/touch my mudflaps.

    Well, my pack job is pretty darn tight in the rig (a 220 Triathlon with Dacron lines in a J5) and I pack my D-Bag per the Jav specs (i.e. bridle grommet to the top of the rig), but I do have cut-dynamic corners. If the pin is pulled, it opens totally up.
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  4. I know I'm digging up an old thread, but I just had my second ride on one of my Tempo's (a 250) and it had a strong left turn in it. I had to pull about 3/4 right brake to fly straight. This leaves little for the flare. Thank goodness it was a 250 so it still wasn't too bad of a landing.

    Anyway, I wanted to say that I did not notice this turn on my first ride on this canopy (a subterminal ride), but it was really obvious on this jump (a terminal ride). Maybe these canopies have a design flaw that causes some sort of malformation after hard/fast openings...which ultimately cause this often noted built in turn???
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  5. Quote

    Pin to PC. The rest doesn't mean a damn if the pin stays in place.

    t



    My thoughts exactly.
    Just wanted to make sure that is how people were measuring. Thanks! Sot that would add like 2.5' to my bridle....that could help.
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  6. One question on bridle length. When we are talking about a 9 foot bridle for wingsuiting, are we measureing from the D-Bag to the Base of the PC or from the Pin to the Base of th PC?

    My bridle on my WS Rig (a Javelin) is not really that short. It is 8' from the Bag to PC or about 6.5' from the pin to the PC.

    Nonetheless, I'm getting a 9' bridle, but I want to make sure I'm measuring from the right point.

    Scott- Thanks for the detailed comments. I think I probably could have avoided the reserve ride had I not reacted like I was pulling at normal altitude. (and then my neck would not be so darn sore this morning[:/]) I will definite reconsider how a I think about the WS deployment process. I think this is one of those learning events that all add up to being experienced as one's jump numbers increase.

    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  7. So I was able to make it down to the Cal-City Wingsuit gathering today. After sinking out of the first flock at about half way through the dive, I opted to join in on the GPS races on the next jump. We exited about 3 miles from the DZ at full altitude. The "race" was only from 10K to 6K. As I neared 6K, I decided that I was not close enough to the DZ, so I should pull high.

    At 6K I closed up to go vertical and pulled. In retrospect, I probably pulled faster than usual. I usually go vertical from 3-5 seconds. I also have an ingrained habit from early on of mentally counting 1--2--3 after pulling. Typically at 3, I'm being picked up by my risers. So anyway...I pulled at a bit under 6K and I thought "1--2--3---what---arch---ugh oh---Do I have PCIT?? Pillow- Metal Pillow Metal...what hit my leg...OUCH." BAM my reserve slaps me hard and imediately enters a more than mild left turn. After releasing the brakes, my reserve (a 250 Tempo) continues to turn left...unless I held down the right toggle 3/4 of the way. This left me with very little flare on landing and resulted in a mild scrape on my left leg from my light PLF. But otherwise I was OK. During this time, I noticed that my main was out of the bag as it floated down and that my reserve cable was kinked showing that my RSL had pulled on it.

    So, after thinking about what I remember and what I noticed on my gear for the most of my 3 hour ride home to Vegas, here is what I think happened.

    I think that my PC hesitated in my burble...or perhaps it opened my container but was burbled enough to not be able to pull the bag up....when I pulled my cutaway handle, I think it got cleaner air (via my slight change in body position) and began to take off behind me which allowed the bag to hit my calf as it took off. I think the canopy came out of the bag and began the first split second of inflation after/as I cutaway and began to pull my reserve handle. I think this because (see pic) the RSL's kink is really close to the base of the pin and lower than the position of the RSL ring. That is, I think that I pulled the reserve cable an inch or two before the main pulled on the RSL.

    As far as the left turn in the reserve...I'm not sure... the opening was WAYYY hard and I might have damaged the canopy (nothing I can see). I have read that Tempo's have a reputation for this. I wonder if it is something that only happens after slammer opening (aka Maybe they are prone to some sort of damage that causes a left turn)...as I had one other ride on this reserve without such an obvious left turn. Anyway, you can see the immediately left turn on the attached track pic.


    So what can I learn from this.

    1. Well because I was pulling high...I could have waited it out at bit longer while slightly changing my body position and maybe it would have deployed. {Note: I was told not to do the typical look over the shoulder to clear a PC hesitation routine in a WS as that might induce a spin, so I did not do that.} But...I did try to close up and arch and gave it a good 7-10 seconds. So, I'm still pretty happy with my decision to chop and go when things where clearly not working right.

    2. I have a standard length bridle and a leather hackey on my PC. I'm definitely getting a 9' bridle and plastic tube handle. I have an F-111 PC with 450++ jumps on it. I should probably get a new PC too.

    3. I pitched faster than ususal after closing up (At least I think so)...I will ensure that I stick with my 3+ second vertical routine in the future.

    4. I will continue to try to have a strong PC throw and to close my legwing and arm wings down. Although, I think I did this well on this jump..but.

    5. You tell me.

    Thanks to Brian for organizing the event and a big thanks to Mike for being the good samaritan and landing by and bringing back my main and free bag!

    Oh yeah and thanks to my rigger Simon for saving my ass...again!
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  8. Quote

    If you want to cover the most distance "slightly" roll
    shoulders and curve your entire upper body forward.



    Nice description of the slow vert position!

    What exactly do you mean by "curve your entire upper body forward"??

    If anyone has such a good description of what they consider the best VERT and HORI positions in a Phantom, please PM me.
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  9. Had a great time with the suit this weekend at Elsinore...despite some less than perfect weather. But I did get to carve around a cloud for the first time!B|

    My #'s were not improved versus the Prodigy...but I know I was getting the Prodigy dialed and this suit flies differently. I managed to get in one flock. To figure the suit out, I think I need to do some 2 ways to get better visuals on how changes in body position effect the Fwd and Vert speeds in this suit. The most notable thing is that this suit is easier to fly and A LOT less tiring.

    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  10. Quote

    Your AFF teacher was a liar. ;)



    Ha! Well I kind of guessed that something was wrong to begin with....after all his color scheme was white and purple for goodness sake.:D (Let's see how long until he sees this post.)
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  11. Quote

    "You'll be fine as long as you don't do anything stupid" (from Go Fast)

    When you jump out of an airplane, you're DEAD, unless you do everything RIGHT!



    I like the first one!

    I've always hated the second one...everything is a bit of a hyperbole.

    How about we reword that one to be more truthfull...
    "When you jump out of an airplane, you're DEAD....well.... unless you do several things right...well not right....more like reasonably close to correct or almost right....well actually....even if you F it all up, your Cypress still might still save you....but then again...you might do everything perfectly right and still die. Sound Like Fun? Enjoy!"
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  12. Quote

    The Mirage list does need a little rework and updating...but it's a good start.

    A Tempo 210 and PR-193 will fit in a G3 M5. They aren't a "comfortable fit," but I would just clasify them as "snug." A Tempo 170 is not snug...more Medium to loose in a G3 M5.



    That's what i thought. I didn't think it made since that the Dash M 218 would fit and then the 170 Tempo would be snug (I have a Tempo 250 that fits nicely in my Jav J5 and it is suppused to only fit 218s by other manufacturers). So, I was really confused as to if I could truly get a Dash M 218 or Tempo 250 in there.

    Reading Mark's comments makes me realize that the Tempo 250 must surely be a no-go. Maybe I'll consider getting a Tempo 210 or Dash M 218.

    The site says the Dash M 218 will fit...does it pack smaller than a Tempo 210?

    Thanks for the info!!!
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  13. Riggers: What's the biggest reserve (size and brand) that you have comfortably packed into an M5 sized Mirage?

    (I looked at the mirage site...but they have a pretty limited list.)

    Jumpers: Got an M5, anyone got a 200ish sqft reserve in it?

    Thanks for the info!
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  14. I saw some older posts on the subject, but am interested in what people are getting these days in all of the newer suits.

    Looking at the pics of the Ghost, Blade, and Super Mach1...I'm guessing the bar has been raised substantially recently.

    If you mention freefall time, be sure to indicate your exit alti and deployment alti.

    My Phantom arrives on Monday....I can't wait.
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

  15. Quote


    I can tell you there are 15 people that will agree with you. Dead Stick from 4k from about 10 miles out back to the airport. I was just glad I wasn't on that load. Our Pilot's a STUD. Hope the new engine is put in soon I miss that plane but the TO from eloy has been rather nice;)



    What happened to the engine, exactly?
    - - -
    I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.