thegreekone 0 #1 August 11, 2005 Emailed Kolla about if and or whens when it comes to Katana 135/150s........and she PMed me from Rantoul and talked about them demoing out two of each and that it should only be "a few more weeks yet" too cool for school! a guy can dream, can't he? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #3 August 12, 2005 Super. So do you really have 125 jumps? I think it's nice that PD can offer more sizes, but unfortunatly just because they make it doesn't mean most jumpers should be flying them.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cloudi 0 #4 August 12, 2005 Quotejust because they make it doesn't mean most jumpers should be flying them. Bingo! Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joellercoaster 6 #5 August 12, 2005 Yah. I was talking about this to a l33t sw00per the other day, and he said that nobody's buying Stilettos any more when they want to go HP because PD brought out the Katana. The problem with that being, a lot of those people should definitely still be flying Stilettos FWIW, I've seen Stilettos being flown a fair bit and they scare the piss out of me anyways.-- "I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan "You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #6 August 12, 2005 Well that sux I asked a couple of months ago when I bought my Stiletto, and was told they were not due to be ready this year if it were only a months or 2 away I wold have waited for the 135 Not Happy JanYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USPA 0 #7 August 12, 2005 You should have bought a secondhand stiletto here in The Netherlands. They are dead cheap and plenty avaible. This is because dutch canopy regulations don't allow people with less then 500 jumps flying a stilleto. But since there are alot of people out there with stilleto's, the supply is huge and demand very little...The trouble with skydiving; If you stink at it and continue to jump, you'll die. If you're good at it and continue to jump, you'll see a lot of friends die... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #8 August 12, 2005 QuoteThe problem with that being, a lot of those people should definitely still be flying Stilettos Its a sad state of affairs when Stiletos are viewed as intermediate canopies....Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joellercoaster 6 #9 August 12, 2005 Would you say, then, that it's because canopy technology is progressing faster than the skills of the population? The way I hear it, Stilettos used to be the cutting edge (sorry), and were rightfully viewed with fear and distrust by the great majority of jumpers. Now, because you can get Katanas and Xaoses and Velocities oh my, they're sort of in the middle of the performance curve when you stretch it all out. The problem obviously being, they're no less twitchy than they ever were, and that's not where the middle of the population's skill curve is at all - there's an awful lot of canopy models appearing up at the hurty end, and not really that many skilled pilots capable of safely flying them yet. Does this sound likely?-- "I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan "You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,502 #10 August 12, 2005 Quotethat's not where the middle of the population's skill curve is at all - there's an awful lot of canopy models appearing up at the hurty end You use a lot of technical terms there , but yep, I think you're dead on. Canopy technology is advancing, people-learning technology isn't advancing as quickly. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
outlawphx 1 #11 August 12, 2005 QuoteQuoteThe problem with that being, a lot of those people should definitely still be flying Stilettos Its a sad state of affairs when Stiletos are viewed as intermediate canopies.... Yep. When I came into the sport in '92, Sabre I's were high performance, and people would usually make a couple hundred F111 jumps before getting a Zero-P. Nowdays, Sabre I's are considered dogs, and people are buying Sabre2's right off student status. Now I don't think that is the problem so much as the second and third canopies they've moved on to within their first couple hundred jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelel01 1 #12 August 12, 2005 You should talk to someone who's flown a Katana. I've heard that they're VERY aggressive, and you'd be loading it at 1.3. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,049 #13 August 12, 2005 "Hey! I hear they're offering 1100cc sport bikes with training wheels. I was worried about all that power, but now I can get one!" Going to a bigger size does not make the Katana a safe intermediate canopy. It's still a Katana. If you want a 150 to learn to swoop on, get a Sabre2. When you're bored with that, get a Nitro 135. Then, when you have absolutely mastered that, get a Katana 120. And even THAT is a very aggressive progression. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #14 August 12, 2005 Quotef you want a 150 to learn to swoop on, get a Sabre2. A 150 is a high performance canopy. Short lines, quick response, everything involved. I really really wish I would have stayed on a larger canopy at a lighter wingloading earlier in my skydiving career, it would have made me a much better canopy pilot today.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cloudi 0 #15 August 14, 2005 QuoteIts a sad state of affairs when Stiletos are viewed as intermediate canopies.... You are sooo right. Stiletto's are high performance and for some reason people are beginning to look at them as if they are intermediate. The canopy didn't change, so obviously the mind-set did. Buying rigs that you need to downsize into, thinking that 200-400 jumps is enough for a hp canopy, not getting canopy coaching (beyond the basic fundamentals of aim & flare), and thinking a 150 or smaller is conservative with 100 jumps because they're only loading it @ 1:1 are all issues that we need to get our heads out of our asses about. What's the f'ing hurry!!?? Why be so anxious to turn a "biff" into a divot? The larger Katana's are great news for people who have the experience and skill level [read as literal, not what your ego tells you] to safely and skillfully fly them and who have only been waiting for a larger size. Period. They are very fast and aggressive, and you will get hurt or die if you don't know what you're doing. I think that is the very definition of "high performance", isn't it? Most of us have no business with one (myself included, obviously). Sorry for the rant. Just a little job related frustration. I'll just wait for the next Katana request from someone with 400-ish jumps who wants to load it at 1:8... There is nothing cooler than watching someone make a canopy do what they want it to and there is nothing scarier than watching someone who hasn't figured it out yet. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mysky 1 #16 August 16, 2005 What is wrong with the Stiletto? I have a Velocity 103 and Katana 120 and I wish I would have kept my Stiletto 135 just for fun. I think Stilettos are still a blast to fly. And I know for a fact that many people who own Stilettos stayed with them even after the Katana came out. Many people including pro teams (I jump out of Eloy to give you an idea) still prefer them over the Katana so don't stress about how you should have waited for the 135/150 Katana. You are just as well off with that great flying and proven Stiletto canopy. There are 3 kinds of people in this world, those that know how to count, and those who don't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
