verticalflier
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Posts posted by verticalflier
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Welcome to the sport!!!
Demo all you can, more the better, then buy one you like the most.
Be safe out there!!! -
If you are looking for a rig that has or is Sky Hook ready then you can narrow your search to 3 manufacturers UPT with Micron, Sunpath with Javelin and Aerodyne with Icon. All 3 rigs are the finest quality and workmanship wise, but they vary in how they fit, delivery times and final price. My advise is demo, demo, demo, make your own educated decision as to what works for you, after all you are the person who will be wearing that rig. -
Quoteout of all three, infinity is the best followed by Javeline than Icon.
Aerodyne is the worst of them all, pack one and you'll find out why, and the reserve tray is made with single layer, and if you land wrong and drag the side of the reserve container than you'll have to send it all to the manufacturer to fix.
and Javeline sucks because the main flap never stays closed.
and Infinity is ugly to some, but I jumped it for the last 1200 times and had no problem
now I have mirage that has constant issue with riser cover not coming undone evenly.
go pick your poision.
I recommend Inifity
It is obvious that you have no clue what you are talking about. I bet if I asked you to show me where the risers are on any of those rigs you would be pointing to leg straps. Ok I have wasted enough time on this reply. -
QuoteQuoteSince you have not seen, touched, inspected and flown Smart reserve made out of honeycomb material then there is no need to speculate.
Like with any other product, let it come out to the market and give it a chance to prove itself.
After all, isn't it nice that manufacturers are trying to bring better innovations to the sport? Would you rather still be jumping rounds?
I'm tired of this, so I'll only say one thing. You misunderstood. I HAVE seen it, I HAVE touched it, I HAVE inspected it, and I HAVE jumped it. I do not form strong opinions easily. I do not think this fabric is ready for prime time. Of course you're free to disagree.
_Am
No need to get bend out of shape, especially if you know you have your facts straight. There have been only 3 people in the US, that have flown Smart Reserve built out of honeycomb material, and you are not one of them. I would know if you were.
You are confusing ZPX main canopies and use of zero porosity material, which ZPX is, with reserves which this whole post is about.
Aerodyne will not be building reserves out of ZPX, which is zero porosity material. ZP reserves have been tried before and they did not work well, there is no need to repeat same mistakes.
There will be a low pack volume Smart build out of honeycomb material, but it will not be zero porosity. It will be F111 type of material like all other reserves are build out of including Optimum reserve. As I have said, stop speculating and let it see the daylight, it is being test jumped right now. When we are happy with it, it will be available on the market and you will have a chance to see it, touch it, inspect it and maybe even fly it, or not. I have seen, touched but never flown the Optimum either. -
No, you have missed the cord. And you are wrong again about ZPX being good for only lightly loaded mains. I fly Mamba 96 with 2:1 wing loading and it performs just fine. So did Sensei 71 though I don't have 1000+ jumps on it.QuoteQuote
I am not sure why would anyone want to use a Mac not a PC?
As for me I have touched it, packed it and flown it for just about 2 years now. The ZPX, honeycomb ZP, material offers great alternative to a pack volume issues. The honeycomb material based reserve will offer the same for our Smart reserve, and it is always nice to have more than just one choice of gear.
Wow, sounds like I struck a chord!
Regardless, I've seen it, jumped it, inspected it, and heard similar feedback from others. It's a fine fabric for light wingloading mains, but I have higher standards for reserves. Reserves should be dependable, and to me - this fabric is not. I don't recommend it. Maybe the new stuff will be better, so we'll see.
_Am
Since you have not seen, touched, inspected and flown Smart reserve made out of honeycomb material then there is no need to speculate.
Like with any other product, let it come out to the market and give it a chance to prove itself.
After all, isn't it nice that manufacturers are trying to bring better innovations to the sport? Would you rather still be jumping rounds? -
QuoteI'm hearing not-so-positive things about dimensional stability with ZPX. I'm not sure why you'd want a reserve made from it!
_Am
I am not sure why would anyone want to use a Mac not a PC?
As for me I have touched it, packed it and flown it for just about 2 years now. The ZPX, honeycomb ZP, material offers great alternative to a pack volume issues. The honeycomb material based reserve will offer the same for our Smart reserve, and it is always nice to have more than just one choice of gear. -
Don't worry about paying for options. Aerodyne offers fully loaded custom or Stock Icon for $2650 MSRP. Call our dealers and you should be able to get it for under $2200. All hardware is top grade stainless steel. We don't use anything else. Full articulation, spacer foam backpad and legpads, your choice of deployment handle. Narrow or wide chest strap, your choice. Awesome Benchmade hook knife. Those are included in your cost. Did I mentioned that delivery time on stock Icons are 2 weeks and custom 6 weeks right now? You can have it fast and don't have to compromise taking things you would like in a rig out of your order to save money. -
ZPX will not be used in manufacturing of low pack volume Smart. ZP fabric, which ZPX is as well, is best left for mains :) To give you guys heads up, before too many rumors and guesses hit this forum, we are working on low pack volume Smart and will be using honey-comb technology. If you have been waiting for a 150 + sf low pack volume reserve, you patience will pay off soon. Till then be safe, skydive hard and have an awesome 2010 season.QuoteI've heard rumors at my DZ that smart may come out with their smart reserve with the ZPX fabric. Does anyone have any info on this?
This would be nice since who knows when the optimum will be available for sale -
The fear of people switching modes is valid. We have seen incidents of people jumping with their Vigils set to wrong mode resulting in having 2 canopies out, etc. I guess having an option of password protecting your unit from just anyone having access to changing its mode would be a step in a right direction. Think "dzo parental control" on student etc. rigs.QuoteYep got Vigil 2s in almost all of our centre equipment now, When the remaining cypres's die out after 12 years then we will be replacing them with vigil 2s aswell. The reason we went for vigils is that if I have an aad go down during a jumping day in any of our equipment like the cypres batts need changing I can reove any vigil and stick it in any gear, tandem, student hire etc. in about 20 mins and have that gear back on the road earning money.
We also went for Vigils because I dont want to pay 200 euros dollars whatever every 4 years for a service and also have my gear with out an AAd for 2 weeks..
Have had our vigils for about 6 months now and 200 jumps approx each, not had any problems with any of them.
Like it was said before you need to be carefull that people hiring / using your gear are not changing the settings. At our DZ anyone hiring our kit gets a gear check before boarding the aircraft to guarantee they not jumping a hire kit set on Tandem or student etc.
Hope this helps Jonno
As for myself I am sticking to Cypres2, and having it checked and refurbished every 4 years is a big part of my choice. -
QuoteQuoteThe Sabre2 fits the bill for what I am currently looking for. However, after reading the reviews here, I am digging a little deeper.
This sound really stupid. There are other canopies in the same class and those are in the same price range too.....
Why don't you buy it if you have decided already?
How about demo canopies instead of nagging?
copy and paste ;) -
QuoteWell, thank's to all for the opinions...
What I get out of this is: The rigger I talked with is a PD dealer (thing I already knew), He is certainly a PD snob (Thing I was pretty sure of), Aerodyne is a great company with reliable gear and Pilot is comparable to Sabre2 in terms of performance.
If this isn't what you said and if I understood everything wrong, don't tell me. I just bought a Pilot today and I don't want to know it !!.
I can't wait to jump my first rig.
Since I live in Quebec, Canada it won't be till may so all I can do is cry until then...
(If you wonder why, today it's -30C with 40 mph of wind and yesterday, it snowed...)
Thanks to all and blue skies...
Max
Max,
All those who are advising you to reconsider flying your Pilot at this high of the wing loading this early in your skydiving progression are right, and you should up size to a lower loading till you are comfortable flying something smaller. Please work with your distributor on changing your setup to a bigger Pilot. We at Aerodyne will be more than happy to switch your order to a size that will keep you safe.
Please let me know if there is anything on my end I can help you with?
Blues,
Les
Leszek Stachyra &
Chelsea “Cookie” Stachyra
Aerodyne US Tour
Cell (860)933-7666
Office (813)891-6300
[email protected]
“Better gear, better value, better skydives” -
QuoteHi,
I'm also 62yo, and would load the Silhouette 210 @ 1.0. Jumped a 190 with less than 100 jumps. Now at 300 jumps, jump a Pilot-188 ZPX. It really feels like jumping a canopy larger than 200! Have not the foggiest why...
ZPX does pack a size smaller too. Mine fits in a Wings W-13
Pilot 188 corresponds to PD 200+sf canopy that is why it feels like flying a bigger wing, if you are used to PD sizes. -
One way to look at Airtec Cypres check is, that $160 is not a bad deal since you will be getting back a checked, and if needed refurbished unit. That means certified to function properly till next check. I am not sure what other AAD companies do. Maybe someone else can write about it? -
Hello Alton,
My name is Leszek and I am a US Demo Tour rep for Aerodyne.
We have visited SU and Skydive Ogden last year. Without going into explanation on the subject why Pilot is a better choice than competitors canopies, my advise is: do listen to individual opinions, but demo each canopy and find out which is the best fit for you.
In size Pilot 188 compares to PD 200sf canopies and Pilot 210 to PD 220+
Packing there is nothing better than ZPX, the days of half measures for reducing packing volume of mains, by making them hybrid, are over.
Our tour will be in UT at some point this summer, but we also have demo program available. Please email me or talk to Jack or Brian at either dz if you are interested.
Hope you find a canopy that will serve your needs best.
Blues,
Les
Aerodyne US Tour
>> Cell (860)933-7666
>> Office (813)891-6300
>> [email protected]
>> “Better gear, better value, better skydives” -
QuoteI recently got the Icon I5 and a Pilot 168 ZPX. Trust me, it is a tight fit in the I5 size container already, especially when the ZPX fabric is still very new. I don't think you could pack a 190 in there.
Icon I5 was built for Pilot 168ZP that was years b before ZPX. I will easily pack Pilot 168ZPX in I3 that is 2 containers sizes down from yours, so I am not getting the part that 168zpx is a tight fit in I5 we did demo our Icon I5 and packed Pilot 210ZPX in it several times already.
When I have a moment I will post pictures of packing Pilot 188ZPX in I3, yes in I3 that was supposed to fit only Pilot 132ZP
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Without going too deep into technical explanations here, the idea about difference in how the canopy turns due to brake lines setup is right, however, what you have said about the Pilot brake lines and PD lines is incorrect. You just have it backwards that is all. Pilot turns are more responsive because brake line setting affects corners of the canopy first before deflecting the rest of the trailing edge. That setting also helps with keeping canopy on heading during opening. In Pilot case it makes it really fun to fly, but it also pushes the user to learn and use the staged flare approach for landing.QuoteI've demoed a Pilot and have a Safire2. IMHO the Pilot is a lot more responsive on toggle input and turns much snappier. I believe this is due to the way the brake lines are attached to the canopy. On the Pilot the entire rear side of the canopy is pulled down when you toggle turn. The PD line is built different so that the rear of the canopy is not as affect by toggle turns. However, I think the Safire2 has more glide and more flare power. It's more on the swoopier side than the Pilot. I would suggest demoing both. It really just comes down to which flying characteristics you like better.
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QuoteWhat are you talking about Pilot T Shirt?
WTF? I'm going to have to put in an emergency call to Sandy for this. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted a Pilot T shirt.
Don't hustle poor Sandy. She has plenty of work to do at the office. Next time you find yourself at the same event as US tour, stop by our tent to say hi and I will get you a T :) -
QuoteI have never looked at the ZPX material. I don't know anything about it. But would like to learn.
Please enlighten me.
How does the fabric let you get the air out better than regular ZP if it's not more poruous?
I wish you could just handle the fabric in person and see it's propertis in practical life. The easiest way I can explain why it is possible to get more air out of ZPX than ZP is this:
Make an experiment and take two sheets of paper. Same size but of different thickness. Now bend them in half side by side. Then bend them again....can you see where I am going with this? You will find that at some point you can't bend the thicker one anymore, and it is more bulky. That is how ZPX being thinner, yet still having full zero porosity property, works. You lets you compress it much more than standard ZP will.
Hope that helps?
Blues,
Leszek -
QuoteQuoteQuote
That is simple.QuoteQuoteIf you like Pilot's performance don't settle for anything less. It is an awesome canopy and after seeing it up against all other semi-elliptical canopies out in the field, I can say without any doubt, none of them even come close.
How come I keep hearing otherwise from so many people...?
Because none of them have ever flown one :)
I am one of your 10 busiest distributors and here you are telling my customer I am full of shit.
Gary,
Help me understand where did I tell you, you are full of it?
Well done!
I ahve been trying to get Sangi to buy a pilot and giving him honest opinions of my experience on both the safire 2 and the pilot and you quickly jump in here and tell my customer i dont know what I am talking about and that I am full of shit.
I give your company close to $100K a year and you are this quick to jump into a thread and make these comments to my customer, that I ahve never flown a Pilot and I have no idea what I am talking about.
I made a post earlier to your comment going on about how nothing comes close to a pilot and i thought I would delete it. Now I come back to this thread and here you are still going on to my customer making them lose faith in what I am telling them.
I am thoroughly disappointed that I just lost a $7000 sale because you have feel the need to tell my customer i have no idea what I am talking about.
Yeah yeah, you didnt know, maybe you should consider what you are saying before you do? You really think I have never flown a pilot before even though i have sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of them for your company?
Gary,
First off, there is no single post I have ever made that mentions your name, stating that you are full of s**t.
Second, I am simply replying to questions about our product.
My comment to all those who say the Pilot is a bad canopy, and I will stand by it, they have either never flown one or are just bad canopy Pilots. This knowledge comes both from my personal experience, for I have flown the Safire, have survived a couple of Sabre jumps :) and have seen all types of semi elliptical canopies in action it past 2 years of the demo tour. That is why I feel comfortable telling people that in it's class Pilot is the best canopy, and you would not be selling them if you knew otherwise. There was no intention on my part to take away your customer. You should know that any sales that I contribute to personally end up going through one of the local distributors as the tour does not sell direct. We have had jumpers from down under, who demoed during our stops in the US, who we did send to you in the past, and we will in the future for as long as you are an active distributor and they ask for a store in Australia.
To Sangi, I don't believe that number of jumps should matter that much. If you are planning on getting a Pilot, I am sure Gary will get you a great deal. If you do get one PM me and i will send you a Pilot tshirt :)
Blues,
Leszek -
QuoteQuote
That is simple.QuoteQuoteIf you like Pilot's performance don't settle for anything less. It is an awesome canopy and after seeing it up against all other semi-elliptical canopies out in the field, I can say without any doubt, none of them even come close.
How come I keep hearing otherwise from so many people...?
Because none of them have ever flown one :)
I am one of your 10 busiest distributors and here you are telling my customer I am full of shit.
Gary,
Help me understand where did I tell you, you are full of it?
Well done!
I ahve been trying to get Sangi to buy a pilot and giving him honest opinions of my experience on both the safire 2 and the pilot and you quickly jump in here and tell my customer i dont know what I am talking about and that I am full of shit.
I give your company close to $100K a year and you are this quick to jump into a thread and make these comments to my customer, that I ahve never flown a Pilot and I have no idea what I am talking about.
I made a post earlier to your comment going on about how nothing comes close to a pilot and i thought I would delete it. Now I come back to this thread and here you are still going on to my customer making them lose faith in what I am telling them.
I am thoroughly disappointed that I just lost a $7000 sale because you have feel the need to tell my customer i have no idea what I am talking about.
Yeah yeah, you didnt know, maybe you should consider what you are saying before you do? You really think I have never flown a pilot before even though i have sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of them for your company? -
That is simple.QuoteQuoteIf you like Pilot's performance don't settle for anything less. It is an awesome canopy and after seeing it up against all other semi-elliptical canopies out in the field, I can say without any doubt, none of them even come close.
How come I keep hearing otherwise from so many people...?
Because none of them have ever flown one :) -
You can order a Pilot with Spectra, Dacron or HMA lines. We have chosen not to use Vectran lines with our canopies. My choice is HMA as it is superior to the rest of them. Pilot will take you back from a long spot without any problems, just use rear risers.QuoteQuoteQuoteIm going to be purchasing a canopy first couple weeks of Dec.
I know that the standard ZP pilot packs bigger than a PD canopy such as a sabre2 of equivalent size.
I know AeroDyne states 15-20% smaller. But smaller than what? A zp pilot? making it pack as small/big as a pd sabre 2 of equivalent size? or even smaller than that?
Is a 168 ZPX pilot going to pack up smaller than a 170 sabre?
I really like the pilot but would like to know experiences of those who have used both the zp and zpx variations of the pilot and how much of a difference you noticed in pack volume.
Our ZPX canopies pack at least 2 sizes smaller than our ZP canopies. We always compare our own since our competitors have chosen to measure their canopies in quite different ways. Hence so much confusion among skydivers.
Will Pilot 168ZPX pack smaller than Sabre 170? Yes, though Pilot 168 has more square footage than Sabre 170.
I have packed Pilot 168 ZPX into Icon I3, which was build for Pilot 132 ZP. That was an easy pack job as before putting 168ZPX in I3 I packed Pilot 188ZPX in it. The true advantage of ZPX fabric is that it lets you get more air out of canopy. This way you can pack it in smaller dbag. If you like Pilot's performance don't settle for anything less. It is an awesome canopy and after seeing it up against all other semi-elliptical canopies out in the field, I can say without any doubt, none of them even come close.
thanks. Im going to stick with the pilot but I am going to try the pulse out one more time. I really liked the pulse for geting back from a long spot. Do you happen to know if the pilot is available with vectran lines? -
QuoteQuote
Will Pilot 168ZPX pack smaller than Sabre 170? Yes, though Pilot 168 has more square footage than Sabre 170.
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What is the square footage of a Pilot 168?
*************************************
WrongQuote
The true advantage of ZPX fabric is that it lets you get more air out of canopy. This way you can pack it in smaller dbag.
******************************************
So this must mean that the ZPX is more porous and thus allows air to come out. Is that right??
QuoteQuoteQuoteIf you like Pilot's performance don't settle for anything less. It is an awesome canopy and after seeing it up against all other semi-elliptical canopies out in the field, I can say without any doubt, none of them even come close.
How come I keep hearing otherwise from so many people...?
they dont work for aerodyne!?
And they have no clue how to fly a canopy, so there is no hope in helping them anyways :)
. 
Australia Bans Argus AAD
in Gear and Rigging
Tough for the dz, Argus and very unfortunate for the student.