VectorBoy

Randy I totally agree with you about the blanket statement" not enough jumps"," not enough currency". Skills are gained differently by individuals. And currency is retained again differently some people can take more time than that away and not suffer. Ellipticals for everyone in our jump# range, no a handful maybe but not everyone.
I myself am appalled by guys that started jumping about the same time as myself and have close to our jump# Who consider it good luck if they get back to the grass and or stand it up 50% of the time. Nothing wrong with their gear. Who NEVER play with their risers and don't know about shallow braked turns and hanging in RR to make it back from long spots or float to the top of the stack for a less congested approach. Who are 98% more likely to end up in someone's backyard than you or I. Yet most people won't say a peep to them cuz they pull, pull stable, have fun and do walk away from their landings even if its with dirt on their face and harness and they don't crowd anybody landing in the south 40. I don't worry that they will perform a low alti turn but I do worry that some day something is going to jump out in front of them like an airplane hanger. Their attitude is that their education is over, time for fun. really sad thing is I have seen people with many hundred jumps do the same. But if you or I look at an elliptical you are gonna get the lecture . Where is the lecture to the canopy challenged? Is everybody's well intended advice based on those other guy's flying or lack of it? Or what you've observed the guy's desiring more performance do?
I've had guys offer to sell me their stilletto then renig when they find out I'm a low jump wonder.I don't blame them not at all but don't blame me for wanting to fly one . Its a personal decision.
I have in fact Demoed a handfull of elliptical canopies with the help of the canopy underground and going in with a ton of respect, reverence and fear of the unknown come away with the knowledge that I "could" down size a couple of sizes depending on the characteristics of one design over an other "If" I wanted to. My choice was never just to downsize,but to experience other types of designs. In a perfect world with lots of crazy money I would "everysize" with several of each type.
If you are worried about your stilleto have a canopy instructor check you out or better yet go to the evolution course at perris. Get real advice and coaching from the guys who know this stuff. Not hearsay from someone who has never been there and has never seen you fly. Military pilots transition very early to very high performance aircraft with good results. How , with very good training. It is available to us too. Even if you have to take a week off and attend one of these courses.
Why fly a high performace wing if you are not doing swoop landings ? Easy speed, the kind of speed that puts you in the center of your canopy's performance envelope on final while the canopy cows are doing meandering s turns because of piss poor downwind setup. If you need to speed ahead you can with a delicate tweak of front risers and you are not doing total body pullups on the fronts of your lightly loaded tri for very little payback in speed. I believe in order to fly well traffic you have to "Practice" flying in traffic. Or penetration on those windy days. It is everybodys responsability to be harness aware on ANYTHING you fly in a harness including the level of sensitivity. If you don't want to bother tie weather balloons to your lawn chair apply shades to face and smile. But don't fly in a harness.Just because you don't want to go upside down close to the ground dosen't mean you don't deserve a little speed,flater glide and crisper turns!
Now it is our responsibility ,with our low jump# its a privilege not a right of a guy with a couple thousand jumps, to perform sensibly, being always aware of our hyper sensitive, short toggle control stroke, twitchy,unforgiving canopy. These were never marketed under newbee killers and we are going to have to behave at least untill they invent the rocket assited birdman suit to take the heat off those of us wanting to go performance perhaps a bit early

Your legs play a very important( not secondary) roll in a good sit. Use the full suit the sooner you get used to "feeling" your legs the better. Glen.

I have put 100 FF jumps on a ten year old V-2. I asked about mods. Velcro Fresh nuff said.The hard plastic liner in the reserve cover flap was split from previous owners pin checks. NO need to slam the cover home. This caused the flap to open in sit twice, once looseing my reserve data card.
If you have wide risers stick with them. Because there is no riser covers my narrower risers didn't seem to stay put as well as the old ones in a screaming headown. It was good to know what was tickeling my inner thigh wasn't any part of my reserve system, Just the newer risers toggles, But it will ruin your concentration on an otherwise bitchen HD.
All of these things I was planing to have fixed on the next repack untill a deal on a VooDoo ( canopy combo) came my way. So now call me VooDooDude. I was really eyeing the mirage and the Vector 3.Bang for the buck really the V3 and probably would have gotten one new in a few

Chrimeny's sake? You said chrimeny! There is NO chrimeny in skydiving

Sweats are a great, cheap way to start. I even know of someone jumping mechanics overalls. When learning the sit I recomend not just baggy top but also baggy bottoms to help you "feel your legs". When learning head down I recomend proper freefly pants and a light weight shirt, be it long or short sleeves, so you can "feel the air on your arms and upper body". Very helpful.
Once you get the feel it wont matter what you wear. You will be able to fly in shorts and a Tee or naked.

What is that thing that looks like a whiffle ball glued to a picnic cup that Omar is using in Crosswinds in place of a spaceball. Anyone? and how is it made? Anyone? Class?
" I do solemnly swear to uphold and protect the regulations governing the use of all airspace as described in the FAR's (all)
and to maintain an altitude at or above 2500' over populated areas and not closer than 500' to persons or their property,victor airways and wildlife sanctuaries. " In this country, but maybe when in Baha or out over the ocean. Well you know.

Chucks reply is the kind I was asking for initially. A comparison, just the facts. To many dropzones are one brand only or a team is givin a free ride. Its hard to get a comparison if a hotshot has only flown what they were given for free. I personaly watched Chuck compete at Perris and his flying is due a great deal of respect. I think untill someone comes out with a hand held airspeed-vario- G meter that is accurate the debate will continue

So what you are saying is that they are the same? speed , glide turns etc, When the pilot is the same. Quantifiable figures remember. The reason I ask is that I can demo a great many cobalts ( and have sampled a few ), BUT I'm crazy if I look at a stilleto. Totally different beasts they say. Again What will the stilleto do that the cobalt can't? Same pilot, same day, same arena. I've heard there is a lot of similarities drawn between the crossfires and the cobalt. Heatwaves aren't that common round here.
And the discussion wasn't about my skill levels or opinions and the other fine canopies mentioned. I like all those mentioned . I just want to know why the stilleto is a monster and the cobalt less fearfull in other peoples eyes

All things being equal, what will the stilleto do that a similarly configured cobalt can not do? And please don't say scare you. I am talking about quantifiable properties like soft openings, maintaining headings during opening. Airspeed, glide ratio, oversteer tendencies, Stability, recovery arc radius, turn-rate initially and well into a steep 360 on toggles and on risers.
Don't say Demo them because if I flew them I wouldn't be able to PUSH them enough to get those numbers.

Vivid video has lot of head down footage. Very good for winter months viewing, hell not bad in the summa either

Would you be load organising? If not Jim Wallace is got a loose group that meets on fridays (schedule permiting ). Its about RW fun, DZ safety and just all around good for anyone that wants to have fun and normally wouldn't be competative RW material. Its a lot of fun. Guest jumpers are blown away because they'd never get on a 4-way at home and here we are pumping out 9&11 ways ( granted some are attempts).
Jumpers vary in background and skill levels so its all about helping some new guys and having fun. Give him a call.

When I started jumping many years ago I was Angry that they didn't let me transition to a square canopy in say under a hundred jumps. Even though I am pilot They told me I'd kill myself for sure. I almost did kill myself on rounds in which the winds picked up after our little cessna took off. Winds that even a 300 square footer could have easily handled. Fed up I got out of the sport.
Getting back into the sport years later I loved my AFF LVL 1 canopy flight almost as much as my return to freefall. Spirals ,riser turns, stalls all great fun. When I landed at the feet of my jumpmasters ( both pilots) without a peep on the radios they said nice job we can tell you are a pilot. If only my freefall was that good.
YES give them squares. There is nothing any canopy pilot is going to tell a glider pilot about landing out. And if a guy can handle a pitts or an extra300 he can handle a raven. Since these guys are bailing after a structural they most likely
will be lucid enough for a ram air flight. Its the free fall part thats gonna get their attention.

After my AFF I worked a lot on tracking because it gave me the most trouble. I tracked so hard one day I went head down for a few seconds and stayed there. Right after getting my A and a used freefly safe rig to trash and call my own I got a GOOD fitting freefly suit and started learning to sit, do transitions and better headown. All solo at first.
I was lucky to find people who had experience to jump with. Not just too jump but whom would really watch ME and tell me whats up, what to do,what to change. With enough experience that I wouldn't be a threat to their safety.
I watched a ton of video, not just entertaining myself but really disecting every action, body position, exits etc.
At first not every freeflyer is going to want to jump with you being a low time jumper. And you cant blame them. On my second sit fly another low timer wanted to join me. We had no business being up there together. It really impressed upon me the dangers of the relative speeds, changes of velocities and vectors.
Most of my jumps since getting my A are freefly. And thanks to the people that have helped me, I get positive comments from very experienced freeflyers about my flying.
A while ago I was asked If wanted to join a loose group of relatively fresh (100-200jumps)RW jumpers. They were gonna have some very good coaching and it was going to be an ongoing thing I had to say yes. But I was worried that I couldn't hold my own considering I only have a handful of RW jumps. Well I held my own and also learned that we all have alot to learn. IT is all about flying our bodies and it doesn't matter what position we all have to keep learning.
Of coarse now i'm spending twice as much time and money at the DZ.

Less drag = less wing distortion and better flight. Some argue the benefits below a wing loading of 1.2 but I noticed a dramatic improvement on my spectre's ability to flare, loaded only at 1.1. Added bonus the bridle just sits there now, it use to twist too and frow on top of my ZP fabric. There is no argument against forgetting to cock it. Don't forget.