DocPop

This is pretty much what I am talking about. You don't want to pay to demo (haven't you got any mates who will let you put a few jumps on theirs) but you're ok to go and buy one you haven't flown? That's all backwards to me. Ask people for their opinion and you'll get a bunch of biased views which may not agree with yours. Opinions are like clitorises - every cunt's got one. The only one that matters is yours. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Agreed. And there are valid canopy questions that get asked, but "Canopy A or Canopy B - which is best?" is not one of them. It's like "Which is better - rice or noodles?". "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

C'mon now - really? Of course you have! Or you should have! I guess more likely though - as usual, you just haven't looked hard enough! Maybe you didn't look hard enough? In post #3 I wrote: "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Of course I have seen BV's checklist - but I think Bill intended (and I am sure he will correct me if I wrong) that it was a list of MINIMUMS for considering downsizing; certainly not "mastering' a canopy. That was the precise point of this thread. I certainly do all of BV's checklist before downsizing, but I don't think I have ever got to the skills of, say, Chris Gay or Curt Bartholomew with any of my previous wings. Hitting minimums does not equal mastery. That's my point. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

what do i think? she's pretty! Your standards are as low as the information content of your posts. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Thank f*%k it's not a GoPro! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Really? But according to your profile you're still jumping a 150 at 150 jumps. Surely an x-brace at around 2.5 WL would be where you should be for a "really fast" downsizer? Seems to me you're slacking.... And don't girls usually jump 120s? Maybe you should get your GF one of those. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Are you still joking? Stilettos are no more of a "spin machine" than other high aspect ratio ellipticals. I believe they got their reputation because they were: a) such a popular canopy so lots of jumps were made on them. b) an early fully elliptical canopy and many people caused their own spin-ups due to sloppy body position when they transferred off their Sabres. Your broad generalizations about "chop machines" and "spin machines" don't do your credibility any favours. How many jumps & chops do you have on Xaos 27s? "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I thought your post was a joke. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Lol yeah - XF1s are fast. Mainly when they fold in half and fall out of the sky! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Reading back, I assume you're just trying to be inflammatory, since I actually said: "Not saying that its a good idea because its still a big downsize..." But I see you're getting your pants taken down in the San Marcos incident thread about your canopy choice. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I'd agree with you. To me the KA is a transition canopy for people who are building their experience with lower wingloadings. When you get to 1.8-1.9+ a crossbraced canopy makes more sense because it has more powerful controls. So you're condoning going from a Xfire2 139 to a Velo 103-111 in one step? That's not what I said but now you ask I'd be happier for the OP to do that than to condone you jumping a KA135 at 240 jumps. I'm saying that in a choice between a KA107 or a VE103 at around 2:1 I'd recommend the VE. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I'd agree with you. To me the KA is a transition canopy for people who are building their experience with lower wingloadings. When you get to 1.8-1.9+ a crossbraced canopy makes more sense because it has more powerful controls. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

IMO this will be less of a radical downsize than just going down 40 sq ft to another elliptical. Not saying that its a good idea because its still a big downsize, but crossbraced canopies are not more aggressive per se, just that they tend to get loaded higher. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

lol "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Cancer? "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Honestly if you are reading the incident reports here where jumpers with 1000's of jumps are dying with some regularity then you'd be crazy not to be nervous. Not to the point of paralysis, but that feeling of mortality and vulnerability is what will keep you from being complacent. Knowing the risks, knowing your gear and rehearsing for scenarios when things don't go right are all ways to manage the feeling of risk. If you feel like there is no risk then you are not being honest with yourself and IMO, these people should not be jumping. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I think you're confusing the basics ("essentials" to use BG's terminology) with "getting everything out of a canopy". That's what I am asking about. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Time and again people I have heard people say: or ...or similar phrases. However, I have never heard anyone define them. So what's the measure? performing a 270? 450? 1080? Swoop 120 meters? Hook it from 1000' and land on the back of a pickup truck? Score a zero on the accuracy tuffet? If you use this or a similar phrase, then please have a go at putting a specific definition to it. Thanks! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

It doesn't sound less aggressive than a Sabre2 that the way PD describe it: "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

When you are ready (which may not be yet) demo them and decide for yourself. It is a matter of personal preference. What do you mean by aggressive? "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Summarizes this thread, really. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I can see why you wouldn't immediately think of closing pins for a skydiving tattoo! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I'm glad we are actually looking at data here, not just assumptions and speculation. Thanks. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA