voilsb

How? Brian

I agree. The Phantom (2,3) is probably the best wingsuit on the market. When I had a hundred or so wingsuit jumps, I wanted something bigger. I never did, and with hundreds more jumps on my phantom I don't want anything else. Been flying a vampire a lot lately and I still like my phantom more ... Brian

And if the wingsuiter is wearing white, he gets all the hot chicks Brian

This has come up before, and it's been mentioned (and I agree) that these are the best ones on the market: http://www.moldex.com/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/sparkplugs.php Brian

According to this If I can pack or maintain any parachute for which I'm rated, and I can supervise others in packing any type of parachute for which I'm rated ... then does it not stand to reason that others can pack any type of parachute for which I am rated, if under my supervision? Brian

I haven't used the others, but I've got about 1,000 jumps on an Ace snowboard. Only 3 or 4 of those jumps are CRW jumps though. The ear pockets are removable, but they're double layered so it's easy to throw an audible in there for non-CRW jumps. For CRW, I would guess they're all pretty good, as long as you can remove any ear coverings on them. Brian

I packed a PD126 into an RSK a couple of times. It sucks but it works. I imagine a PD113 or OP126 would have to be easier. Brian

I built mine by copying another. ask a jumper if you can borrow his slider M-F for a week to draw up some plans for one. its remarkably simple imho Brian

we're working on it! except we'll use crw or clouds instead of the earth ... Brian

same with the viso, 10.5, 1.24, and 690 all use 3 digits and are the same size display Brian

It was a joke, emphasizing how inappropriate the question was, as stated. More seriously, what does he want in a canopy, and why? Few canopies designed to be operated at that wingloading will be more responsive than a Pilot, but a Sabre2 will definitely dive harder and longer, depending on what you mean by "more responsive" Maybe he should fly the same pilot, while wearing 6-10 kg of lead? Brian

just did some off the cuff math, and figuring you had a vertical speed of 30 mph and chopped at 1800 ft, then after a 5 sec delay your reserve deployed about 1100 feet, with a vertical speed of 90-100 mph. according to tso it can take the greater of 3 sec or 300 ft to deploy, and 3 sec at 90 mph is nearly 400 ft ... so you had your reserve out at 700 ft and still had to unstow your brakes and find a place to land. Or you could have used your rsl and had your reserve out by 1500 ft with *maybe* a line twist or two ... eg, with twice as much altitude and potentially an extremely minor inconvenience just sayin' Brian

Since we don't know his experience, just tell him to order a JVX in that size, since they'll build them in any size ... Brian

All you need is Lurch and a light breeze ... That was a neat commercial, though I suspect quite a lot of video editing to make it look real. Brian

This is the only thing I want to reply to right now ... First off, I've only been skydiving for 3 1/2 years. I didn't do the ISP, I did the 7-level AFF single-page A-License card. In order to get my A License, I had to do front and rear riser turns. I had to do braked turns. I had to do toggle turns, and attempt to induce line twists with radical opposite toggle inputs. I had to spot my own exit from an otter, and give the pilot corrections. I had to do a braked approach and landing eg, flare from brakes, not full flight. In my FJC I was taught how a canopy inflates and stays pressurized, how and where it generates lift, what a stall was, and how various inputs affect lift and induce turns. I had to understand wing loading and how it affected canopy flight and landings, including it's affect on stall speed. I had to know what density altitude was and how it affects canopy flight and stall characteristics. In other words, I was taught and had to understand and demonstrate 85% of the material I've ever learned from supplementary canopy courses, including Brian Germain's and Scott Miller-type courses. Just to get my A license. And this was all implemented years before I started skydiving. To say " there is no canopy training worth speaking about in it now" is to say that at least 85% of everything taught in a Flight-1 course is not worth speaking about. And the canopy training has improved since I learned to jump. Brian

Or just hang out with the rigger and see if he'll let you watch some patches, relines, repacks, etc to learn more about the gear which saves your life! Brian

I might, Jeremy Tyer and at least one other will. Brian

Since you're looking at the Jav vs the Icon, have you considered the Javelin Legacy? Brian

Cute, but I'll be getting my dirty rigger on then so I won't make it this year Brian

Haha, I just heard about that today while apprenticing under my local master rigger. He described the blue ones are for mains, the red ones are for reserves. I've never seen one myself, but he described finding one that was only double instead of triple wrapped, but he described it exactly as that, white with blue (or red) stripes, depending on the use. Brian

Nope. 176 is the smallest "recommended" reserve size. J4K 176 - Raven II (Yes, Raven II is 218 sq.ft.) At the risk of incurring the wrath of the riggers out there... A rigger's sweat is the least of my concerns when choosing a container and reserve size. thanks for the correction. I was tired and misinterpreted the chart Brian

Brian, this is really good to know. Sunpath told me the recommended reserve was a PDR 176, so I thought I was limited to 176 or Optimum 193. I guess it begs the question though, if I stuff something bigger in there than what the manufacturer recommends am I risking deployment issues. Yeah, a 176 is it's "official" size, but it's EASY to pack a 176 in there. a 193 packs pretty well, too. I've got a Raven-II in mine (218 sq ft) and a friend has a PDR-193 in his J4, and they're both about the same. And it's good to be concerned about deployment issues, but it's not like your rigger will need to sweat much to pack a 193 in there. If you're particularly concerned, it's not a bad idea to ask the guy who'll be doing the pack jobs, however. Brian

I have a Javelin J-4. I know for a fact it will comfortably fit a PDR-193/OP-218. The SA-170/PL-190 will also very easily fit. Brian

I would think freefly tubes, space balls, premature deployments, cross-braced canopies, the ease of CRW wraps, and all the custom rigging done to accuracy canopies easily puts those all in the same category. Plus, more people die or injure themselves during speed-induced canopy turns than wingsuit freefalls. And there's already a 200-jump requirement for wingsuiting, but not for any of those other similarly dangerous activities. Even cameras only (currently) have a 200 jump recommendation. I don't disagree that a centralized coaching requirement could reduce the number of wingsuit incidents, but I do think the board should focus on more pressing issues first, like possibly creating a canopy coach rating (to better teach the new mandatory canopy course, and for continuing education of more experienced jumpers) and a camera BSR before worrying about this. And I'm not sure I would personally want them to do that, but as a community it's a higher priority. Brian

Important question for those pushing for a USPA Wingsuit Coach rating: Why does WS need a special rating but freefly, swooping, CRW, camera, freestyle, and classic accuracy do not? Brian