Pulse

I don't see backing up as that big of a deal. Unless you're blowing out to sea that is. I don't think it would be prudent to get a smaller reserve just because you might use it on a windy day. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

I do agree with the fact that it is most likely 'cheap'. But I have flown and worked with a lot of these guys. There is some arrogance perhaps but the other side of the coin is that they just don't really know. Aircraft egress is not mandatory training when you own a civillian warbird. Either they don't plan on using it, (it's unlikely they would be able to anyway). Or they feel it's no big deal getting out. On one L-39 flight the pilot briefed me that if we needed to get out, he would just roll the airplane upside down. When we unclipped the 3-point harness, we would just fall out. Uhm....yeah. My point here is mainly that under a ram-air, you need to be a canopy-pilot to really be safe. Under a round you can be a passenger with roughly the same results. There was a time the military looked at ram-airs for ejection seats so the pilot could, "...fly back to safety". But it was realized a canopies glide probably wouldn't bring them back to safety. Also many pilots are injured after egress, be it via ejection or 'falling' out. I think of the zero-altitude ejections off of carriers that I have seen. Many of these guys end up landing back on the carrier, or slamming into the side of it, or slamming into aircraft on the deck. Carrier driving at 20-knots, into a 30-knot wind, now add another 17-knots with a downwind ram-air. You've got a 76-mph impact. Now I think of all of the super-small reserves on the backs of people saying they only have an AAD in case they're unconscious. Unconscious, under a tiny reserve that is deployed in a less-than-desirable body position. Lifeless bodies also tend to slump to one side in the harness...now you've got a turn. Even if you are flying striaght and level by some miracle. Picture being headed downwind into a trailer park or something and you can't steer steer your reserve. Ugh. I think I'm going to go buy that round reserve now.......kidding. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

Keep in mind, aside from the possibility of being unconscious. You may be missing limbs, unable to use limbs, etc. There's a reason they use round canopies ,(for the most part), for aircraft emergency rigs. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

We also have to remember that your canopy-descent rate is faster also. The differential between terminal speed and canopy descent is still greater. But I'm sure this helps to a certain degree. I will also recollect Joe Kittinger's jump. His main parachute opened at 17,500 feet as it was planned to. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

How was the landing? "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

With a proper weight-transfer on landing, I don't know if I'm ever reaching a full stall. Example: 1- Start flare 2- 'Place' feet on the ground, lightly. 3- Slowly start getting your weight on your feet 4- As more weight transfers to your feet, your canopy's wing-loading decreases. 5- Wing-loading decreases, stall speed decreases. 6- This continues until you are at a stop. I guess I you do stall at the very end of your weight transfer. But the trick is to do it so the stall in imperceptible. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

Remember the days when the term 'bounce' meant someone died? "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

One question I have that has not been addressed: How was the person's landing who experienced the 'tuck-under'? "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

Jumpers seem to get all worked up about the stall-horn going off. But that's just part of flying to a degree. If you're hearing a little 'beep' as we often do, it's got a loooonnng way to go before the actual stall. Also, awhile back someone said a good pilot knows how to operate a GPS? If you ask me, a good pilot doesn't need the GPS. "Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

I currently use a Sony TRV11. I was shooting a 4way team at the Australian nationals and needed to use a PAL TRV17 because my camera is NTSC. It worked much just like my 11 which I absolutely love. In my opinion it's a great camera. It has a lot of bells & whistles that I would hardly ever use but then pretty much all cameras have that.