VivaHeadDown

This is the kind of thing I was hoping to hear. It's nice that cobalt has someone up high piping in, as well as competitors who's techniques are based on their beliefs. I'd like to see if we can get some other canopy manufacturers in here on this one, or their test pilots. Any of those with good credientials lurking who are holding back some more info? Now's the time to share and teach!

Could somebody who hasn't broken their tail trying to land a 1:1 loading, and does fly high performance canopies regularly, please interject here. I'm afraid we're going to go back and forth on this when an authority could settle it with what really happens. The use of "flight envelope" doesn't seem to really be the right term, freeflir29, you may understand canopies, but your explanation didn't answer anything that I was addressing. Of course the more a canopy dives, the better swoop because the more speed. But to say that a canopy will continue to dive unless the pilot adds some sort of imput just does not make sense. In a continuous arc, sure. Swoopers have been clocked at incredible speeds. However, that is not the same. The pilot adds the input to keep the dive going (until the forces cause his/her arm to give up holding the riser). If the pilot lets up, I read you as saying that the canopy will NEVER recover from the dive. No matter how high it is begun. I'm not questioning that the current high performance canopies dive for an enormous distance, but I need someone who is flying one to tell me they started their dive at 13,000 ft and had to flare to avoid the earth. Anyway, I thought using rear risers came before the toggles were applied, and that they were only used when the arc was nearly perfect so that the swooper leveled out just nearly perfect to the surface. The rear risers were not a good tool to level out, or a safe one, relatively speaking. And the use of toggles to level out would eat up too much energy in the form of drag. It would defeat the point of building up all that speed. Am I making any sense to you?

So you are saying that as you dive, your canopy will match whatever speed you are diving at? So it will have the same terminal velocity as you, and "not plane out"? Why haven't we ever heard of someone turning points under canopy then? Why couldn't we dock a regular belly flier who can fall in the 100-110mph range or slower with someone under a highly loaded canopy diving. It's not unreasonable, according to the belief that your canopy will never level off with the horizon and so must fly as fast as you can fall. I'm still in the 1.4 range, so maybe I haven't thought it through enough to the point you guys have. I hope you're not basing it all on the last 1000' or less of your flight when you really don't have enough time for your canopy to level off. Have you tried it higher? Why not try your carve around 2500', or open at altitude and start it then. sheesh. "This one time, at band camp, I saw a guy dive from 30,000 feet and never level off! He just kept diving and diving. I yelled, no no no stop diving, but he didn't listen. If only he had known his canopy would never ever ever level off. The end." -Tall tales from swooper's journal

Just a guess: With plenty of altitude and looking around to clear your air, flare hard, then let into full flight quickly. If you don't have any problems, try building speed (front risers or just toggle turn) before the flare to get a stronger reation. With plenty of altitude and looking around to clear your air.

While under canopy, it's best not to try to ponder the mysteries of your universe. The skydive isn't complete/safe until you're back in the packing area. Remember all of the things you've learned about canopy flying, and have a plan for any new things you may be trying. I usually try to find my line to the ground and see how well I can follow it, giving allowances for other canopies. As I learn to carve and surf the last bit, visualizing the set up in advance have been very helpful. It's like dirt diving my landing in my mind, the moment my canopy opens.

You have a friend named MELVIN?? whaahahahaha

You see the neighbor kid building a box-shaped house with a back door out of leggos, and you convince him if he puts wings on it it'll be a skyvan. Then you tell him to put two more leggo engines on it and it'll be even better. Yeah! (i need to jump, bad)

I noticed Cobalt hasn't been represented for a couple tournies now. What's going on Dan? Too busy with other projects to send the team? Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

The canopy is a large surface area at first before it fills up. The slider is a small surface area that in thinner air just doesn't work as effectively since it was designed for higher density air. That's the cause for the hard openings. Took me a while to figure out since you'd think thinner air would have a slower opening generally. But when you think about it, it's the slider that controls span-wise expansion, so it must be the variable factor here.

I've mostly blocked it all out. Something to do with troubled teen years, I think.

An equally credible piece of writing, but one that is worth your time: _________________________________________________________ From: Bin Laden, Osama [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 19, 2001 8:17 AM To: Cavemates Subject: The Cave Hi guys. We've all been putting in long hours but we've really come together as a group and I love that. Big thanks to Omar for putting up the poster that says "There is no I in team" as well as the one that says "Hang In There, Baby." That cat is hilarious. However, while we are fighting a jihad, we can't forget to take care of the cave. And frankly I have a few concerns. First of all, while it's good to be concerned about cruise missiles, we should be even more concerned about the scorpions in our cave. Hey, you don't want to be stung and neither do I, so we need to sweep the cave daily. I've posted a sign-up sheet near the main cave opening. Second, it's not often I make a video address but when I do, I'm trying to scare the most powerful country on earth, okay? That means that while we're taping, please do not ride your razor scooter in the background. Just while we're taping. Thanks. Third point, and this is a touchy one. As you know, by edict, we're not supposed to shave our beards. But I need everyone to just think hygiene, especially after mealtime. We're all in this together. Fourth: food. I bought a box of Cheez-Its recently, clearly wrote "Osama" on the front, and put it on the top shelf. Today, my Cheez-Its were gone. Consideration. That's all I'm saying. Finally, we've heard that there may be American soldiers in disguise trying to infiltrate our ranks. I want to set up patrols to look for them. First patrol will be Omar, Muhammed, Abdul, Akbar, and Richard. Love you lots. Osama

Well, this post went mostly unread, but it lead to a pretty funny page with the Urban legends. Specifically the one about money and the European currency with animals. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Yeah, I tried moving out. Went to college, got edumacated and the lot. Then I was told rocket science isn't hiring right now. Well when they hell will they???? God bless my parents, they have more patience than I would. Sign him up to be a loader at Perris, that's always a good way to make him appreciate a dollar. Or two if he works overtime.

I heard he opened up a DZ called Skydive Chicago, and is going to host the Nationals this year. But the FBI blames him for everything else so why not this as well. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Somebody needs to jump with their phone...have a friend call them from the ground while in freefall, and test how noticable the vibration is. I'd suggest a cheap phone though...just in case. Then report back to the forum. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

What are you, new? It wasn't always required. At least not as recent as 1998 in Florida. I agree that hop'n'pops are important, and at the same time no big deal once you've experienced one. But it was my first and that's why it was unusual. Hey, the plane could have lost an engine at jump number 8 just off AFF and I'd have still reacted the same way. Enough with the "issues" and pet-peeves, instead of telling me you've got a problem with my past progression, why not go out and be an advocate for the current AFF program. Or if you want to know the whole story of me, then we can go over that too. Either way, I've gotten defensive so am going to end this message since it wasn't my intent.

A quick word on part of the initial post not yet addressed: Around 50 jumps, never having done a hop'n'pop, we had an otter shut off an engine at

So much dirt diving has turned into Otter diving at around 6K going up, I can just see the evolution of laziness; Red Light, Green Light, Jumper 1: "Ready, Set, Out......so what do you guys wanna do?" Jumper 2: "I dunno, let's track" Jumper 3: "Man, I just tracked on the last dive" Jumper 1: "OK, let's make Jumper 2 the base and build a round." Jumper 2: "Oh come on guys, why do I always have to be the base?? Let's build a horny gorilla!" Jumper 1: "Oh yeah, like that's never been done before" Jumper 3: "We're getting close to break off, so what do you guys wanna do on the next dive?" Jumper 2: "I'm taking a lunch break, anybody want $5 to pack my chute when we get down?" Jumper 1: "Yeah, then I have to get home. I spent this weekend's jump money on this really cool freefall radio, so I can't afford to jump till next payday." Moral of story, toys lose coolness factor fast, and as a tool I could see some FF coaches or canopy schools getting them, but that's not a big market. Don't feel bad, keep trying. There's still plenty of great ideas to be added to skydiving, that just might not be one of them. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

I say let's offer free tickets to Africa. One way. Anybody can take the tickets, black or white. Anybody who considers themselves and African in America, yet has no connection to Africa shorter then a couple hundred years, is a product of America's poor educational programs. That's who they should be sueing. Then, when they get to Africa, they can sue the continent for all the civil rights violations because I'm sure the war lords who are the decendants of the people who sold slaves to America in the first place give a flipping bleep. Whatever. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Can we go back to posts about boobies? This one is boring. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Most BASE companies recognize 150 jumps as the industry standard. See for yourself on their web sites. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Samurai136 has the olive branch take on this that I'll go with, HOWEVER (kinda like a big BUT), experience counts more than natural ability. It would be dangerous to think otherwise. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Please be very aware of others around you while doing this. I've been cut off in mid-swoopdive by people not paying attention as they rocked back and forth taking up neerly three lanes as apposed to the one. Just look around you before you start. It takes two people to create a mid-air collision, but only one who is aware of their air to avoid it (and then that one gets to have a "chat" with the other rather than receive a "chat"). Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

Whether you have previous flight experience, or just think you're the exception without any reason other than arrogance, jump numbers matter! Are high speed approaches beneficial to landing? Yup, but there is the need to be completely in control that only comes with experience. If you haven't had plenty of good landings, the odds of you handling a negative situation well are remote. Muscle memory can not be learned from thought or reading, it must be beat into the cells. Understanding the risks and thinking you're prepared aren't enough, you need the experience to back it. And it is recognized by many different areas of parachuting. Look at B.A.S.E. courses; They will not allow you to pay them money to go on the training courses unless you have a minimum of 150 skydives. Canopies have many unique in flight characteristics that can only be learned from experience. Got it? One more time...E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E. There are no short cuts. Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words

The nice thing about skydiving is that if you register for boogies...you'll never have to spend another penny on shirts for the rest of your life. Start off with the range of FreeFly and Swoop shirts, then there's the PoPs shirts. Shirts and boogies for all ages and sizes (S,M,L,XL...) Don't Confuse Me With My Own Words