dterrick

..it's THAT easy to answer? Daammm, I was hoping for something like a Voodoo curse (not the container, but I want one of those, too!) to cure me of my ills. The one thing that has made me wonder about the worn-outedness of this Raven is that it STILL opens briskly - in fact it's had master rigger mods and a diet of trash packing in effort to tame it with acceptable success. Sounds like I have a cool car cover right now though . So, if indeed this canopy is fried, how much leeway can/should I give myself when I order new? I nailed the landing the first time I flew a Sabre 190 (loaded 1.08:1) but that was 50 jumps or so ago. Given I have 112 jumps (and have fought this Raven since jump #25) and good accuracy skills (landings notwithstanding ) is stepping into a brand new Hornet 170 (for eg) too much? I like to fly it hard and land it conservatively - Dave PS: my master rigger suggested "don't bother spending the $ on a porosity test, most F-111 0-3 reads 3+ after a couple hundred jumps. Maybe THIS is why the thing packs so damn easily!! Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

When I was a "little" kid I used to take things apart to see how they worked. I can't do this with the atmosphere and I won't do it with my canopy, a well-used Raven. I'm trying to determine, in "correct" aerodynamic terms, what happens that makes old F-111 so quirky. By this I mean 1) VERY steep glide in anything more than about 10 mph winds (loaed at 0.95:1) 2) Very little change in attitude during a flare in light winds making timing and control difficult to perfect (yes, I've flown ZP and I don't get any of that "lifting" sensation with the Raven) 3) Because of #2 I've been going deeper and faster into brakes to "compensate" and think I am finding the stall point. Ugly landings are almost always a forward fall into the peas, but none have been bad enough to even scratch my altimeter. Despite this, my patience with non-tiptoe landings is waning. ___________________________ Our season is over in a few weeks (damn winter!) and I'm faced with the issue of this less-than-hospitable main canopy. I swore I wouldn't downsize until I could land this one "backwards and blindfolded" but I'm beginning to think this goal is too lofty for what the canopy has left. Anyone else been there and found the cure? Can anyone tell me in aerodynamic terms how to "correctly" compensate, or must I simply be "perfect everytime"? the Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Funny that you should mention "gusty winds". Gusts are my pet peeve as I fly a tired Raven II that lands like a round in moderate winds (fine) and lands with "no" flare on no wind days (not really fine, but...) and can't make up its mind when the winds vary . I find it funny that sometimes I decline a load for this reason when often there is someone on manifest with a round reserve!! I must believe 100% in my abilities to complete the skydive before I'll manifest. Landing is the criteron. A different canopy might change my go/no go decision but I agree with those who sit out 'early'. The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

did it look anything like 5 times the attachement below!? (the other photo is an overview of the whole air base - the road course is the "growth" attached to the top runway) Yea tho I may have but 112 skydives in 56 weeks in the sport but I have over ten years at sports car racing! My credentials compare with having USPA D, PRO, and AD simultaneously... guess which sport I took up at age 18?!? Winnipeg is a city of about 700,000 and, despite 6 months of "winter", we have a fairly decent representation of "summer" cars like the fabled Porsche. AS a seasoned racer I was "invited" to instruct at the Auto Haus Porsche Driving Experience two weeks ago. These drivers did not "show" their cars, they were there to learn how quick and fast they were. We, the instructors, were more like hands-off Tandem Masters to the "students". Um, demonstrating an in-control fast lap or eight, the reactions were not dis-similar to what I see from FJC students. It sure felt great to be the instructor again for a change. And 'Terminal' in 2-D just isn't the same anymore ...Nice call on the demo swoop! Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Thanks Fotta! I had been doing some canopy shopping (PISA stuff direct from SA is CHEAP but I didn't have the patience to wade through the menus on the 1 800 line ...pour le service en francais.... ) In theory this also means that Z1's and Dytters etc. pay duty entering Canada too !! The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...just got some used gear from stateside. You pay PST and GST on the Declared Value (invoice if new) of the shippment. Canada Post charges a $5 "handling fee" for to-your-door delivery. UPS will F@#! you for near to $50 ("Customs brokerage" and "delivery" over and above "taxes"). Also remember it will do you no good to declare a low value as that will become what you are "insured" for if the package gets lost or damaged. There are no duties that I am aware of. The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...we fly in a C-182 DZ and land in front of ALL who are there. Gimli is a very small but "public" DZ. In a lot of ways this is great because you know everyone's strengths (we're small but have a vast depth of seriously experienced people ...and then a bunch of 'us' with less than 200 jumps). The bad side is that we don't have every size and type of canopy being flown here (Mostly Sabres and Stilettos) - and this is where this Fool is not folish by asking about the diffferent canopies and thier performance Blue Skies The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Good question - at 100+ jumps I STILL don't know. In "the middle of nowhere, Canada" we have a 9000 ft C-182 and a VERY long drive to get to anything that would allow serious freeflying - or instruction from those who KNOW how to teach it. But... the first time I did a Sit exit for my Solo CoP I KNEW that non B-T-E flying was going to be something I'd like very much. IMHO, at 26 jumps you won't have a base of experience (yet) and just about EVERYTHING you do in the sky should excite and/or scare you a bit. Are you bored of 2 ways? I have more 2 ways than you have jumps (per your profile) and I'm only BEGINNING to unlock the secret of the 'fun' part of RW. How 'bout advanced solo moves? Style and accuracy is a classic way to measure how good you are in the air and under canopy. I figured I should be good at accuray landing in ALL conditions before downsizing (still working at it) as well as be able to do a clean style set at competition speed before I start "wasting" jumps on "tumblefuqs" (hi guys, please reprint your "philosophy") For what we pay to play in this sport, it had BETTER be fun. Bored? Maybe it's a good time to chat with a Coach about where you're at and how to ramp up the skills curve again. Been there, done that, it works. Blue Skies The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

"You're an ideal candidate for headdown" says the DZO after he saw my video of the same problem while performing poised exits. The issue was an upper in Box with legs fully presented causing me to tilt immediately off the step. Once I solved this issue I really began to "see" the plane off the step - rather than a second or 2 later . Geez it's dirty underneath !! The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Amen to that! Once (and only once thankyouverymuch...) I put my Raven II into 5 full twists doing snap spirals . It's old, it's tired, it's as stable as a 7 cell can be in the air and then... and then... I was doing my "once a weekend" canopy exercises on a clear sand pull from 9k. The skies were a bit choppy with light turbulence and decent ground winds. After doing riser work I decided to pull alternating 360's with a "Cross-draw" technique - pretty much what "did it" was the 1/4- 1/2 brake application on the inboard side whilst (obviously too quickly) snapping the outer toggle to full drive With no warning (other than my provoking it) the canopy spun up but "I" maintained a heading. This was now about 4k. I was clear by 2500 (!!) and quite glad that my aggression didn't turn into a chop - as well it could have if I had been lower or if the twists had developped unevenly and sent me into a spin. Flying aggressively is a leftover from my spors car racing days, but I never had to 'chop' my race car The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...because they're "not cool" I think. I'm looking for a Sabre 190 class and they're not around either. I might be able to hook you up with a 210 (Canadian $'s) that is just a bit big for me and will be for sale this fall. The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hey Sunshine! Just about ANYTHING American if "less filling, tastes awful" will do. Most Canadian brew tastes about the same but with more alkie-haul. American: Anchor Brewing Co's Liberty Ale (San Fransisco) is fantastic - about half way between standard Domestic stuff anf those "skunky" European brews like Grolsch (Dutch, another favorite, comes in a flip top 20 oz green bottle). Canadian: Moosehead (Atlantic regional) or Alexander Keith's have some actual taste at regular beer prices. European: Grolsch (as above) for the cool botle factor, maybe a bit heavy for a beginner. France has a nice pilsner called "Kronenbourg 1664". the 'Checks' have THE standard called "Pilsener Urquel" - it's actually the model that the Budweiser people ripped off over a century ago. Italy's offer (do you wear a Z1?) is a beer called Moretti. For your German taste you could try Warsteiner (pronounced VAR-schtein-ner) or Dortmunder. Most taste better out of a proper beer glass. I plead ignorance to the Nordic beers, I think they go more forthe spirits as local drinks. UK stuff, well, just pick something - you won't like it because it is SUPPOSED to be consumed WARM and FLAT, and it's not really like "Beer" at all. Of course, that's what the Brits say about what "we" call beer. Feeling semi-tropical? Try the basic offerings from Mexico - Sol and Corona. Great with a wedge of lime . Carribean? Jamaica's Red Stripe, mon. Cool stubbly bottle - just like all Canadian beer once had. Aah, nostalgia. What do I drink a the DZ? Mostly the cheap local crap to preserve jump tix $'s Never go thirsty. Rehydrate or Die The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Nooooo, beer is essential to ALL skydivers. Why else do we buy Beer for bones and chops and gross safety violations not causing injury or death.... Perhaps someone would argue that Beer makes us "better" skydivers because the more we have bought and consumed, the more "experienced" we are, he he The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...shhhh, you'll blow our cover...without so much as colour TV in Manitoba (North of North Dakota)they'll never suspect anyhing as we smuggle an old ICBM and an IBM 360 mainframe to the hidden bunkers of Gimli, Manitoba. Our demands will be simple - we demand a non-C182 Jumpship, free jump tiz, and no winds. We want OUR comera- uh, people to control airspace over Winnipeg and to grant us the right of unlimited access to airspace North of 49 .... ....Of COURSE we've got farkin' computers. We also get to do this cool discipline called Para-Ski which involves Eskimos, Icebergs, gravity, and a large quantity of antifreeze taken internally. The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...Oh, c'mon James, you KNOW you were just 'Chill'n' . And that speed, well, I've seen you move slower before mostly before Noon on Sunday. The Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Good Point. Presuming that there WILL be an unintentional 4 way CRW in a second or 2, turning first will at least cause separation rather than convergence. ...but how do you blow breakoff by 12-13 seconds in the first place? It's a harsh question that reveals many errors leading to a big pile of Luck, yes? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...wait another 1 second and have all the Cypres units fire simultaneously and create a really big mess? Perhaps go for that "last" point (I mean THE last point) Seriously, without the benefit of anything bigger than a 2 way to help me out here (despite jump #'s ) I'd present an immediate backslide/flare and dump. using the CYA first principle. After all, life ends in just under 6 seconds in this case. I wear no AAD (as yet) I don't think I'd take the time to contemplate who was flying what on that group and how the canopies open. My main is big and it opens fast (Raven II) and if I could clear out even a second early and riser 180 on opening at lease there'd only be three left to fight for air. A canopy collision at a grand would at least offer a few more seconds of sober thought. ...other Dave (can you BELIEVE I'm the only "Dave" on the DZ?) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Jacob's Ladder The clouds prepare for battle In the dark and brooding silence. Bruised and sullen stormclouds Have the light of day obscured. Looming low and ominous In twilight premature Thunderheads are rumbling In a distant overture... All at once, the clouds are parted. Light streams down in bright unbroken beams... Follow men's eyes as they look to the skies. The shifting shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dreams... ...Geddy Lee (Rush, Permanent Waves, 1980) ... fine Canuck rock. ...could he be a skydiver? ...sorta been our weather in Manitoba the last couple of weekends, ugh. Dave T Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Welcome to my world. At Gimli Manitoba (C182-A, the narrow one) that's what we get. We don't get to play in the big planes unless we're wearing Army Green ...so how cold is cold? this weekend it was 26 deg F at 9000 here! Turtleneck, shorts, jumpsuit. Gotta be tough to play this game in Canada, eh? Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

"...my hovercraft is full of eels?..." Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

... one pass at 9000 please.... ... Excuse me, may I jump out of your airplane?... ... Must you always wear that 'limey' jumpsuit? ... That's a start Dave PS: We jump at Gimli Manitoba (largest Icelandic community outside of the country). I figure it's apropriate to pursue a few phrases in Norwegian for this reason and because my grandparents were from Trondjem and Oslo. I promised myself I'd know the language before I visit Voss for Extremesportveko for my first BASE jumps (in another 394 jumps or so). Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

SCRAPPLE ?!? I've played the ol' Charlie Parker tune but I didn't think there was such a thing. I presume it's some kind of food. Whattizit? ...so much for being a gourmet Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...so who out there kan snukka norsk? I'm looking for some phrases involving skydiving but for some reason they just don't seem to appear on most "comon phrases" websites (our pilot is Norwegian but he doesn't know it) Uten bilbeltse der et fali det Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Welcome to Canada, my friends! Not only is our Beer stronger we have had these standards in place for 18 months. What seems different is that we have something calles a Solo Certificate (not an FAI CoP) allowing us to jump with Coach 2's to develop the RW endorsement. I suspect you'll have something like that soon - in Canada, with a bunch of SMALL C-182 DZ's, we only get 9500 AGL on a regular basis and that sure doesn't leave a lot of time to progress in freefall skills with the low jump numbers I'm seeing on these forums. (sorta like our dollar is smaller?!? ) I'm on the edge of my B CoP with 106 jumps. Canopy control, altitude awareness (regular progression), launch stability (many short delays) all benefit from this system. But damn, the best I've had is 11,000 ft on a cool 'not quite night yet' century jump. I'm looking forward to 13,500 in a turbine when I visit my sister in the Bay area - as soon as I can amassa enough grenbacks Blue Skies Dave T www.cspa.ca is our national website. Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)