Ronaldo

Get a Flysight and find out which position works best for you with precise data. Experiment with different positions and check the results.
I have one for wingsuit jumps but I’m planning to test it with a tracking suit

You'll see that it is really simple once the rigger shows you how to do it. Take the opportunity to watch and learn a bit more about rigging
The work is done with waxed tack cord (I'm pretty sure you don't have it)

Quote

The difference in how I was taught is that instead of folding the sides of the canopy in "under" (over the nose, right?), he folded the sides up towards yourself, over the tail. I found that way to be very easy to use, and packed like that every time since.
Now, what I would like to know is: Is this a good way to pack?

Yes! I always pack like this with great results. Actually, I believe any king of folding (over or under) is better than just narrowing the cocoon by squeezing. IMO when you fold you don’t disturb the organization inside.

Quote

I'm also very interested in how the opening of the canopy will differ using this method instead of the PD one? My instructor said that folding the sides over the tail would make it open softer, since not so much material would be presented to the oncoming wind. (Or maybe I completely misunderstood him, not impossible.)

It won’t make any measurable difference. What dictates your opening is slider placement (against the stops from beginning to end) and possibly a good flaking (as long as you do the basics like continuity, setting the brakes, etc)

Quote

One of biggest points of concern for me is the wear and tear of the canopy. How much do different packjobs differ in that aspect? Will this method wear more than for example the psycho pack or the PD one?

Again, I don’t see any difference. You’ll create most of the wear yourself packing in a rough or dirt surface

Quote

PS. Will celebrate my first post here by attaching a photo of me during my 5th AFF-jump. Enjoy! DS.

Congrats!

If it makes you feel better ticket prices at my country range from 50 – 72 USD (last on at 10000ft). The prices in any American DZ are really a joke for me

If I’m getting this correctly your foot is wider than the sole of the suit. A rigger or anyone with good sewing skills can remove the old cordura sole and install a wider one.

COOOL! Really awesome!
Just curious, in an emergency situation would you use the handles or the utility belt?

Can you post a picture of the damaged area?

Work one fear at a time. Start some tunnel training right now to relax and get more comfortable. When you come back to the DZ start with some canopy piloting course. By the time you finish it you should feel more than comfortable to combine both
Have fun!

Quote

I used to own one, and the PC was nearly 5 inches higher compared to the longer Vortex 2 (Pisa) and Vector 3 (UPT) I also owned before/after.

Exactly my problem! I'm tall (6'2") and the rig is extremely short which places the handle high on the back. I never had issues with other suits but still have difficulties to deploy with my Sfly Expert (either pulling in full flight or arching). I was considering getting an EXT but just don't feel like spending money right now. OTOH it would be a perfect excuse to upsize my reserve to a 160

Yes9ft bridle, 30”PC, dynamic corners pack grommet to pin – mostly on heading openings. The few that are not are always my fault.
BTW, I don’t like the Sabre2 as a wingsuit canopy, especially at your jump numbers (just my opinion though)

DON’T QUIT DUDE!!!!!! At least before you really experience skydiving!
I’ve been where you are and with many more jumps. Skydiving (like any other sport) is only fun when it challenges you to improve. Every whuffo thinks we jump because of the adrenaline but as you already noticed we simply lose the fear factor (or most of it) after some time. Remember what brought you to the sport (FS, Freeflying, wingsuiting, BASE, etc) , set your target and go for it! Go to US (cheaper), find a good coach, do some tunnel training, jumps, learn and practice new drills.
I never had an idea of how cool freeflying could be until I started jumping with a great coach. He came up with some crazy jump routines which I truly believed my skills were not up to but they worked! That was my motivation to keep jumping. Then I discovered wingsuiting too
I’ve been depressed and frustrated a couple of times during my career. I jump probably in the most expensive place on earth and currently I don’t even have a decent DZ running in my state which makes me travel 380 miles every month. To get things worse very few people in my state want (or have the time and money) to train so finding a jump partner is really tough. My frustration got me into selling and buying gear, starting BASE (don’t recommend), etc
Don’t quit at least until you reach 200 and fly a wingsuit!
Have fun bro!

IMO, if you don’t feel safe with the RSL routed as shown in the manual, simply remove it. Do not try to do it in a different way unless you get approval from the manufacturer!

Yes, many times. Absolutely perfect, not to mention they usually have the best prices you can find

Not really, some will even advise against a longer bridle as they believe it increases the chances of a knot. The only downside may be making the container look good after closing with dynamic corners. It just takes a little bit of care which is not a problem if you pack but hired packers would rarely care about.

IMO a canopy should not take a lot of tricks to open well (as long as you do the basics). The key is to make sure the slider grommets are against the stops and stay there until opening (on every pack job). Do this consistently and the openings should be so. My method: after flaking, place the slider firmly against the stops (I like to align the grommets flat like in the picture). Bring the center of the tail up (while holding D lines in place to avoid messing up the folds) and start rolling it really tight for a couple of inches. The tighter the roll, the better. Use the folded edges of the tail to start the roll as they’ll help keep it tight and in place. The roll should begin more like tight folds. If you do it correctly the lines will be squeezed up and look like a thick cord. Now, while holding it in place with your thumb start rolling (or folding) the rest of the tail on the same direction while keeping tension on the fabric. This method will lock the slider grommets tight to the stops. Just make sure you don’t mess it up while bagging later. I took a couple of pictures while packing tonight, hope it helps.
BTW, the canopy on the pictures is a well jumped Tri 160 (DOM 96) which opens soft and on heading every time. When I bought it the line set was almost unairworthy so I replaced it with continuous HMA before even putting a jump on the original one. Sadly, a friend of mine bought an used (with much less jumps) Tri 175 with still shiny white lines (not much out of trim as I checked) and it was slamming him so hard he returned it to the dealer.

Just wanted to give a thumbs up for Cookie for the great product and service provided. I jumped my new G2 a couple of weeks ago and last weekend I noticed some peeling of what looks to be a protective film inside the visor. The peeling increased as I tried to clean it with just lens cloth + water. I e-mailed Cookie (late night) with a picture and received an answer on the following day. They'll send me a free replacement visor which I can get through them or my dealer.
I was very impressed with the overall quality of the helmet and I'm even more satisfied to know they stand behind their products

Quote

For wingsuit jumps I don't tuck that stiffener under the container flap but leave it out.

How could I forget this?!! In fact I used to do that a long ago when I was still doing some ff and did not have a 2nd setup. Today, the rare freeflying moments I have are in the tunnel

IMO a plastic pipe with 2 attachment points is the best option for wingsuit jumps. Hackeys are heavy and most people agree they are prone to cause knots on bridle/ PC. Freefly puds are usually light but some of them are so secure in the BOC that will require 2 movements for extraction (pull in/ out) due to the tabs. Just this extra movement or extra force applied could prejudice your symmetry a bit during pull time. Obviously the frefly pud is a much safer option for freeflying. Since I have 2 setups (canopy/ bag/ PC) for wingsuit/ freefly I used different handles on each one.

If you still have a VCR you may buy this video
http://www.amazon.com/Pack-Your-Parachute-Like-Pro/dp/B001GQOO54
It contains good instructions on flat packing (or side packing as it is called on the video)

This one could be a better value pack for you
http://www.chutingstar.com/newgear_en/skydiving-survival-series-dvd.html

Hello Michael, I have just upgraded the Flysight firmware to the Beta version. Is there a place I can find details about the new parameters? I would like to understand how to configure the Rate settings.
Also, if I increase the Lowest pitch value will it give me more precision on flysight tones? Let’s say I set the minimum to 150 (1.5:1) while keeping maximum at 300 (3:1)

Is it something like this?
http://www.youtube.com/user/ronaldonogueira74#p/a/u/1/bSHPRf7g4Zo
You may try to get a same size used slider (or have a rigger to make one) and cut a small hole in the center. Progressively increase the hole and see if you can reach the perfect time for you. If it doesn’t work you still have the original one and will not lose resale value of your canopy. The same size should maintain its reefing characteristics.
The slider starts to go down when the drag pushing it up becomes smaller than the forces applied by the lines. You may change this balance point a little bit changing the drag
Good luck

Edited to add

My suggestion: do a canopy piloting course to see what you can really do with a lightly loaded modern canopy. Do as many jumps and levels as possible (don’t do just a one day course and think you have learned everything). Discuss with the coach during your progression and get some serious advice based on real experience.

Yeah, I can see he passes and disappears like a bullet! On the race the speed difference was not that big. I’m not sure how many jumps he has on his V-3 but he is probably 5” shorter and around the same weight.
I really felt an amazing range of forward speed with the suit. This was also the first time I was able to use the flysight (although I have it for months). I just need to install Paralog so I can start analyzing the flight data. I’ll post the data soon… just can’t wait to jump it more!

Quote

What? A review without pics .

OK, here we go

Maybe you can adjust the length of the bungee as long as it still allows full inflation. I believe my friend just didn't notice the magnets, I'll tell him about it