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To get a cypres card/manual in a pinch: Borrow. Any self respecting rigging loft will have dozens (because they keep them when they assemble new rigs or cypres-equipped rigs). Many jumpers also have a few. I have a couple cypres manuals and one cypres2 manual. Borrow them for your trip, then return them. Have fun! Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I haven't had problems in the 4-6 times I have carried a rig over the last year or so. I carry it in a gearbag, with the hookknife, and just the rig, no dytters, helmets, etc. It is cypres equipped. I haven't had more than questions. I always carry on my skydiving rig, but I did go to MX in Jan, and checked my BASE rig in a suitcase. They identified it, and opened the suitcase infront of me, and took it out of the stash bag. He started looking at the pincover and I told him not to open that, that it was parachute, and there would be 300sqft of parachute all over the place if he did. He put it back in the stash bag, and back in the suitcase. Missy Nelson was with me and said something like "I can't believe you told him that, and more I can't believe he heeded your warning" I was quite shocked the intimidation by canopy fabric worked myself. I was polite, I just didn't want to repack and reclose that damn 266 in the airport. Anyway, you shouldn't have a problem. If something happens, be polite but firm. Carry your logbook and USPA card, along with your cypres manual (not just the card). bring a pullup cord, as being prepared is the best deterrent (you know how it goes). Have fun! Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Below 2.0, it is more difficult to accelerate into a dive. Below 1.8 (IMO, I have no experience below this WL, but I think Icarus says 1.8 is Min. WL), you may lose performance/stability. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

A VX handles great from 1.8 to 2.2. At 2.0, you still have INCREDIBLE glide when you get on rears. At 1.8, you often run out of landing area in many places (it swoops that far). Careful packing ensures good openings. At 2.0, the Velocities come out of the sky pretty quick, but also have good glide on rears. They also give great swoops after you leave the corner. Fun Stuff! Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I have considered going with the MT and getting a bigger reserve, but I already have two new 113Rs and I am ordering two new G4s, I really don't want to spend for two new reserves. I also would rather my velo is completely dominant to the reserve, so to have a reserve closer to the main size is better IMO. I was dealing with RWS, but a couple setbacks sent me to Mirage. I was getting V316s from RWS, but Mirage doesn't really have a similar container. Thanks Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I am looking at new containers, and wonder if anyone has a Vel 96 in a container designed for a Stilletto 107. I can't find volume info on these canopies, so I'm trying to compare. I am debating between a G4 MT, and a G4 MX I have a 113R, Cypres2, and Vel 96. I would like to get the MX, but not if it will be all but impossible to pack. Quick input is appreciated. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

RWS can call their date anything they want, but it still creates expectations. I do agree that "expected" is less committing than "promise," but it still creates expectations. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

The quality is less, and it is the compression that reduces it. I have no quams about the quality though, it is not really noticable to me, and is certainly good enough to show skydivers. If I were doing an actual movie for production, I would have miniDV at a minimum. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I have about 200 on mine and they look good. One thing I don't like is that they use an end-stop bartacker instead of a center-stop. This may be due in some part to the small size of the lines. My bartacks are constantly fraying. I intend if I keep this canopy and reline it (I had figured another 100 jumps; 300 total), I would reline it with vectran. I am not happy with the hma for a number of reasons, most prevalent are: 1. high friction of the lines, seems easy to tension-knot them. Maybe this is just when unloaded. 2. my lack of knowledge about the material and general ignorance. A lot more is known about vectran, and it seems easier to detect line faults/wear. Hookitt-- please let me know if this brake-line replacement is a recommendation from precision, or how did you come up with this info. I have heard nothing. I definitely don't want a brake line failing on landing...ouch (at best). Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

This is good advice, too bad the mfrs don't heed it. They give the date, let me repeat...THEY GIVE THE DATE. Ok, it is "expected date," so one week late is tolerable. Here's the problem, they are giving dates they cannot meet. They create an expectation that they cannot, and know they cannot, live up to. They may believe things will get better, but so do drug abusers. If they are three weeks late currently, give an estimated date extended by three weeks. When they won't work overtime to catch up, how do they believe they can make a date that is impossible. The schedulers should be fired. It IS disrespectful to customers, and I know personally, that if my current container (from one of the big 3), came in anywhere close to the "expected date," I was going to order another immediately. They failed, and lost the second container order, also the dealer suffered, from an unhappy customer, and the loss of revenue. Oohh, that's fair. The mfrs are "f-ing" things up for themselves. They are creating impossible situations for dealers. One of the "big 3" seemingly cares less about 26 week plus lead times because they are so full of themselves, and are putting higher-profit military contracts infront of the sport orders (IMO). I happen to like their rigs, but I cannot in good conscience give them more money when they so blatantly do not care. Those of us writing checks are not at fault. We are the victims. I have gone outside the "big 3" to find good c.s. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

SkydiveChicago is a private airport, with primarily only skydiving activities. Everyone, however, crosses a taxiway to enter the packing area if you land in the main landing area. If you land in the on-airport alternate landing area, you cross the ramp to get back. The taxiway is not very active, so some people become complacent, but we do our best to keep people aware. Good luck fighting the locals, I think you'll win. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

The "should I quit?" part of my post is kinda a rhetorical question. The answer (for most people) is obviously yes, but it isn't the answer I'll go for. I will continue to pick my sites carefully (I feel pretty mortal, I definitely won't be hard-core), and make more jumps. I need to have complete control at the edge (currently I just shut the world out to prepare). If conditions and my gear are good, I go because I am there. I really posted so I would know I'm not alone. Everyone deals with their emotions differently, and this is one way I am dealing with mine. Thanks for the PMs and replys, keep them coming. Not sure if I am BASE material, but I'll keep trying. At least I don't have gear-fear. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Boxingrrl: I do not like to see someone chop if it is a fixable problem, but I like much less to see them do nothing! You will learn in time what is fixable and what is not, for now just take action like you have already. You landed under a fully functioning canopy, which is much better any day of the week than landing a less than functional canopy. The most important thing is to learn from your disappointments, maybe next time you'll not chop a brake unstowed, but doing something is better than doing nothing! You did good! Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

That is one simple, but thoughtful definition I can live with. Nice job Quade! Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Is it just me or does this sport just scare the shit out of everyone. The worst (and most dangerous) part, I think, is the climbing. As I stand at the exit point, I am scared shitless, and do not understand why I am doing this. I have 32 jumps under my belt, and it takes all I have to leave. I don't understand why I am doing it, until I leave, then I feel free. Just seems quite extreme to be looking death in the face everytime I do it. Should I quit?

I have question about this issue. I can see this is a possibility, but more often see folks blaming their gear, or taking a second look at maintenance (such as a main reline). I saw three jumpers get a main reline last season due to back-to-back (or nearly so) cutaways. I believe there is some personal doubt when malfunctions occur, but I have not seen someone with enough loss of self-confidence to become a danger to themselves/others. An interesting point though. This attribute I disagree with as presented. I don't know anyone who avoided a cutaway inorder to look cool (or not look weak). I think in those emergency situations, your life is all you think of. This can be further expanded to say that the person didn't want to pay for a repack. I think that is hogwash, and if someone actually thinks that way under pressure, they have no business up there. Now, I do see those discussions happening on the ground, after the fact. This is the cool/humility factor. I can only speak for sure from personal experience, and even if I felt I wanted to save a repack or not look "weak" for cutting away (on the ground or in the plane), my survival instincts would takeover and money or peer opinion would not (an have not) been a factor in emergency decisions. I do agree that many people (myself included) are inclined to fight something too long, and do not really observe any sort of "hard deck," (myself included). This post has made me think of this in a different light, and I am going to do everything in my power to get out of that category. I do not want to cutaway unnecessarily, but I don't want to waste time on unfixable problems. There is a balance. I am from the school that you shouldn't waste your "last chance." All in all though, great post Jan, great to stimulate our minds, especially with Safety Day coming up. Thanks... Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I have been considering an Infinity. I have had every make, and am now still waiting on my RWS new container. It pisses me off when the mfrs set the date, and won't keep it. I can understand a few days or even a week, but two, three, five weeks? C'mon, that's too much. It happens all the time too, so the scheduler should be fired. Poor customer service any way you look at it. There is no excuse for sunpath, that is why I went with RWS this time. I even told RWS if they get it to me on time (the date they gave me), I'd order another new container. That didn't help, they just don't care. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

this sounds unusual, but even instructors are human. You should discuss this with the instructor now that it is all over with, if you don't get a good answer, go to the S&TA or DZM/DZO. Mistakes happen, did everyone else on the load land off as well? Did everyone else make it back? What kind of jump were you doing? Did you open high or low? Six miles is pretty far, you have to accept some responsibility as well. Hopefully many folks read this and actually look down before exit (I mean really look to see where you are). Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Good choice, those options are all worthwhile. As far as the bumpers for slinks, they come with new slinks, and you can take them off later when you decide to start pulling the slider down. As far as the chest strap, I open mine up to the sewback (on my Mirage), and to w/in 3" from the end on my Javelin (with no sewback). Not a good idea to undo the chest strap, as if you spin your main up and have to cutaway, you now have no chest strap (even loose is better than none). I have let my Javelin come out of the buckle once by not paying attention, and I did not re-attach it for landing, but I was more careful after that with loosening it. Get the slinks though, stay away from the rapide links (steel links). A comment was made they are easier to hang onto than slinks if you're hanging on your risers, but most people don't hang on that high anyway (3" above the toggles). The rapide links are safe, but the slinks are stronger and last as long. The slink bumpers also don't break/crack like the rubber bumpers for rapide links. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

redoing the brake settings (fingertraps for setting the brakes packing), should help. I tested a velo with them set 2-4" deeper, and it searched less. Give 2" a try, it's cheap and fast. See if it helps. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Praetorian, Definitely buy the kill line slider, even if you leave it up on top of the links, it still reduces drag (and noise). I would buy the stainless grommets as well, they are only $25, and they last the life of the canopy. Brass can still wear fast, even with slinks. Especially on the Vectran (which is on the brakes of your Lotus), which is more abrasive than Spectra. The slider can come down ontop of your toggles during a fast inflation. I have never had it come down so much that it passes the ring. Just push it back up. Also, be ready to turn with rear risers after opening, rather than worrying about toggles/slider issues. This skill can save your (and someone else's) life. Normally you cannot just pull down the slider. You have to usually work it over the toggles where the rings are (the bulkiest place). You can knock a toggle loose during this if you are not careful, but it is quite difficult if you have good quality risers. I use RWS risers on everything. I have never had the slider knock a toggle out, but have inadvertantly knocked one out pulling the slider down, you just have to be careful. You can get the black bumpers for slinks to keep it up above the links. Pulling it down is your choice, it takes up time and attention soon after opening, and delays your controllability check (you pull it down before you release your brakes, never after). If you're pretty new, maybe just leave it up for a while, and when you decide to start pulling it down, open high and by yourself to practice. I spent alot of time trying to find a good way to hold it down, but in the end (now), I just pull it down, open my chest strap, and it stays behind my head. If I was competing, I would put an elastic on my R-flap to hold it down farther, but I do not compete other than for fun. If you pull it down, then you also have to put it back up, so it adds a few moments to your packing process. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

I cannot imagine a student asking to see the reserve. They are pretty overwhelmed with whole process and primarily thinking about the skydive. I would allow a student to pop the reserve if they agreed to pay for the repack and an extra 100% fee for downtime (of the rig). I feel that if a student wanted this though, it just means they need more instruction. Luckily, I am at a big DZ where the downtime would have a minor impact. I still would be surprised. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Thanks Tom, This stems from a recent incident in MX where I made a bad choice after opening and boxed myself into a corner. I chose my best of 3 options (after f-ing up initially), and ended up sliding under a barb-wire fence, gutting myself (no stitches, but should have gotten them), and severely bruising my upper tailbone. With only my base jumps (32), and three reserve rides under my belt for 7-cell flight (only two of those reserve rides were on "bigger" 7-cells), I realized I need more practice. As a better pilot, I would have avoided the first mistake, and more successfully minimized the resulting injury. I will be doing some practice this summer. I am looking for pants primarily, with knee/shin/hip/tailbone protection. I don't really see the need for the jacket, but that seems to be the biggest topic of discussion here. Why? I used to wear a tek-vest (upper body armor) when I was snowmobiling, but I don't forsee the need in this sport. What am I missing. Money is no object when compared to my health and safety. I have learned a valuable lesson. I also cancelled my trip to the cave (until I am very comfortable under my Dagger 266). Oh yeah, my gear came through without a scratch! Thanks for your help. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

Pull high, play around. Do not use risers down low until you know the flare. The cf2 dives well, and pulls out with just a tap, but you should practice high for a while. Enjoy the speed and flare power. Don't show off. Troy I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.