best openings?

[FlyingJarhead 0]

im curious as to the opinions people have formed regarding the canopies they own.

how consistent is the canopy you fly and what size?

im currently at a 190 and as soon as i downsize some more ill be in the market for a rig.
i think ill buy new..
i know everything is pretty good these days but i want experienced opinions.

thanks

[piisfish 140]

my best opening canopy is a Neos 109
otherwise also very happy with Crossfire2 119, Safire2 139.
More than happy with Techno115 and PD-143 R

Also had a Sabre (1) 150, openings were not bad at all considering the reputation of the canopy, harder than my other canopies, but would still jump it anytime.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[dragon2 2]

Best openings? Spectre/Pilot. Hands down.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

Crossfire 2 139, Spectre 190, Safire 149, and a Sabre 170...that's the order I would rate all the canopies I have jumped. The Sabre 170 opening was by far faster then any other of those canopies. My worse Crossfire opening rates better then my best Sabre 170 opening.

_________________________________________
www.myspace.com/termvelocity

[sinjin 0]

i jumped pilot, spectre, sabre1 and sabre2.. the pilot had the softest openings but does not fly as nice as the spectre/sabres.. spectre is really nice and i just bought one. i am jumping a 150 loading at 1.2.. it flares nice and i can get nice accurate landings. sabres will always open but maybe a little faster than you would like.. as far as flying performance the sabres are great.. i am jumping camera and decided to put my neck out of harms way with the spectre...

demo from PD... they are f@#$@ great

p

dont let life pass you by

[ChrisL 2]

Cant go wrong with a Pilot

__

My mighty steed

[riggerrob 643]

Hah!
Hah!
Back in the good-old-days, I got the best openings on a Strato-Cloud with a reefing line.
That reefing line slowed openings so much that it was the only canopy that I enjoyed opening in a track.
Mind you, most of the time it only opened 3/4 of the way without plenty more control input by me.
Oh, and packing a reefing line was not joy. Most of the time, my fingers were bleeding by the time I finished.

[ripcord4 0]

Spectre 210...far and away the softest, most reliable on-heading openings. Good flare at the bottom.

[skydiverek 63]

From my different post to a skydiver who needed soft openings (previous back injury):

"Hi there,

Yeah, Spectre would be perfect. Also, opt for Dacron lines, which strech more than Microline and have more friction when the slider grommets slide on them. Here is Performance Designs' opinion on them (from their website):

"Why would anyone want to use Dacron line on their canopy?

Though most people prefer the lower bulk and drag of Microline or Vectran, Dacron is often the best choice for some applications. Dacron is a fairly elastic line, so it gives a little when there is a sharp "spike" to the opening force. This elasticity won't change the really good openings very much, but it can take the edge off those occasional abrupt openings where your packing was a little off or your airspeed was a little high at opening time. Dacron may be preferable in a student operation, where unusual body positions can compound opening issues. Some camera flyers with very heavy helmets also prefer Dacron lines. Older jumpers, who may not want to subject their bodies to hard openings, may want Dacron to help reduce the impact should something get a little out of control at opening time."

Also, Bill Booth made some comments on that issue, too:

"Spectra (or micro-line) is strong and tiny, so it reduces both pack volume and drag , which means you get a smaller rig and a faster canopy. Unfortunately, It has a couple of "design characteristics" (this is manufacturer talk for "problems") It is very slippery (less friction to slow the slider), and stretches less than stainless steel. This is why it hurt people and broke so many mini risers when it was first introduced. Now, I must say that the canopy manufacturers did a wonderful job handling these "characteristics" by designing new canopies that opened much slower than their predecessors. However, the fact still remains, that if you do have a rare fast opening on a microlined canopy, Spectra (or Vectran) will transmit that force to you (and your rig) much, much faster, resulting in an opening shock up to 300% higher than if you have Dacron lines. (It's sort of like doing a bungee jump with a stainless steel cable. At the bottom of your fall, your body applies the same force to the steel cable as it would to a rubber bungee cord, but because steel doesn't stretch, your legs tears off.)"

Moreover, you can opt for lighter, brass slider groomets, instead of heavier, stainless steel slider groommets. Lighter mass equals less momentum (speed) down the lines. BTW, Precision Aerodynamics favors them, saying they contribute to softer openings.

Also, on their website Performance Designs says that "larger Spectres open slower than the smaller models".

So, to sum up, if I were you my choice would be large Spectre, Dacron lines, and brass slider grommets. Careful packing and deploying at no faster than 120mph (and not while tracking, especially steep tracking) will help, too. Some people also say that Psychopacking helps, but I am not sure about this.

Good luck and welcome back
Bart"

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Hey,

I'm pretty new, but I have had the oppurtunity to jump a bunch of different canopies.

Softest to Hardest Openings
1:Pilot 170
2:Spectre 135
3:Sabre2 150 x2
4:Navigator 280
5: Manta 288
6:Silhouette 210

Best flying parachutes(note: size has an effect here):
1:Sabre2
2:Spectre
3:Pilot
4:Navigator
5:Silhouette
6:Manta

Best Flaring parachutes (Again, note for size):
1:Sabre2
2:Spectre
3:Pilot
4:Navigator
5:Silhouette
6:Manta

I only got to put a few jumps on the PIlot and Sabres but they are nice canopies. The Pilot scared meas it took a LOOOONG time to open. I don't know altitude wise, but rest assured I had my hands on my handles ready to chop. I now jump the Spectre all the time and I love it. It is always on heading, nice and snappy in turns, great flare, always make it back, I just love it. I've opened in a track a few times and there's no difference from a normal opening at all. The Sabres were nice openings, but I found them quick. They weren't hard at all, they just happened faster, which makes them seem harder, but it's a consistent opening if that makes sense. It doesn't slam you at any point, it just opens quicker.

I think my Spectre was my favourite canopy so far out of all of them. Even if I downsize in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll likely still keep my Spectre, I plan on getting into video. I would also like to try a Pilot at the same W/L as my Spectre.

Chris

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[pincheck 0]

i would say just demo everything you can. What i like is different from what he/she may like, which again will be different from what you like
I'm with the pilot group

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[aeronaut 1]

the best opening i ever had on Safire 2 139 (WL 1.4), consistent soft and on heading with normal pro pack, c.a. 270m.

also soft and on heading Crossfire 2 119 , spectre 150 / 135

soft and mostly on heading Crossfire 2 129(currently flying) / 139

openings that i don´t like or which i would call fast or hard : Demon 120 , Sabre 190 / 150 , Stiletto 135 , Contrail 135, and the worst ever Spark 150.

the best flaring of them all i had on Crossfire 2 139 (WL 1.4) , 0 wind long final without accelerating i can do a Telemark landing , or with a double frontriser hook turn a nice swoop
the parachutes that i like to fly : 1.Crossfire2 129 , 2.Crossfire2 139 , 3. Safire2 139 , 4.Spectre 150 , then the rest,,,

[pela 0]

I start with Pilot 188, now I have 168 and this coming season I will down size and it will be Pilot again. I just love this canopy, the way is opening, the way is flying and that strong flare. As a beginner this is all what you should be worry about it. Check section Gear and go to "Main and Reserve Parachutes: Aerodyne Research Corporation" read those reviews!!!! this canopy have 30 of them, I don't think if any other have more....
Good idea is to demo as well, before you make a choice.

adrenaline

[woodpecker 0]

errr....PILOT 150, best openings by far (for me anyway).

jumped, sabre 1's, hornets, sabre 2's, tri's, and a jedei for skydiving.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?

[FlyingJarhead 0]

how do i go about demoing a canopy?
the dropzone ive been going too likes icarus, and i asked one guy about the pilot (which from my research sounds like a kick-ass canopy for me) and he said the pilot has bad flare and some other skydiver lingo i've yet to learn.

now lets say i purchase a rig made for a 170, in order to downsize i need a new container right? one that is specifically made for that size? is that correct?

is a wingloading of 1:1 good? i was gonna aim for that to downsize to, id like to get to the point where im fine with a certain size and just keep that size for a while...everyone says im just gonna wanna keep downsizing. are smaller canopies safer? i see the videos of my coach's opening which seem very quick but yet soft (they seem) his risers also come down very fast, where as my openings (rental gear) it seems to take longer for the risers to come down, and when the risers come down, they come down over my head, which apparently is bad.. haha

im just hear to sponge up information. ive read the reviews on the gear section but id rather talk to people. :)

[Speer 0]

Jason,

You should talk to your instructors, and then go into the gear store there and talk to Bonnie. She can help you set up some canopy demos appropriate your weight and skill. She can also help you choose a container that will give you the best flexibility in later downsizing.

I know we used to have a Spectre 210 available for rental, and there are the Safires available in various sizes for you to try as your skill development allows. Are you currently jumping the Silhouette or Navigator?

Russ

Generally, it is your choice; will your life serve as an example... or a warning?

[Andy9o8 2]

I am very happy with my Pilot. Soft openings (important for my over-40 body), consistently on heading, plenty of drive with a flatter glide trajectory than some others (I happen to like that), and nice flare. Spectres are very soft on openings, too, although with a steeper glide angle, which some people prefer. I demoed both before deciding on the Pilot; but Spectre owners swear by their canopies, too. I demoed Sabre-2s, also. They're brisker on opening (I thought), but they're also very responsive to inputs (for an intermediate canopy) and have an impressive flare. (I think if I was 20 years younger I might prefer a Sabre-2, because when I started jumping a looong time ago, typical openings were a lot faster than they are today, and mentally I'd prefer as fast an opening as my body could take – but it just can't take too many fast openings any more.) I haven't jumped a Safire, but I've heard it's similar to the Pilot. I decided on the Pilot probably because I was comparing it to the Sabre-1 I'd been jumping, and I'd grown tired of having to clench my butt-cheeks at pitch time to avoid a stiff neck by the end of the day.

[EddieJ710 0]

my sabre2 opens BY FAR better then ANY other canopy ive jumped with the exception of the spectre. i dont understand all the talk about pilots opening nice...the 170 and 132 i jumped opened like crap..

[justchrisdsp 0]

you should have jumped he 140 pilot that you packed for me blindfolded, that thing opened better than any other canopy i have ever jumped, and did i mention you packed it blindfolded?

The only bad skydive is your last!
chris "sonic wookie" harwell
Piedra-belluda-roja Rodriguez

[mangledspoon 0]

My Falcon 150 opens like a bitch every time... except once when a friend with the same canopy packed for me with all these fancy techniques... it was the only time it actually snivelled rather than almost instant canopy...

[EddieJ710 0]

haha i cant believe i actually pulled that off and i cant believe it opened nicely....

[EddieJ710 0]

oh yeah you need to get ur big @$$ up to SA soon...shady prick lol

[3331 137]

I jump the Firebolt, you get soft on heading openings, easy landings and can downsize to dangerous.

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

Best opening canopy I've ever owned (or jumped, for that matter): an F-111 PD 9-Cell 170. Dead on heading, nice snivel, but not too much... like clockwork, even if I dumped in a track.

Sabre1 135: not too bad, but would occasionally open hard (never painful) and would frequently whip a 180 to the left.

Sabre2 120: Flies like a dream, never opens hard, but NOT consistent. Every opening is an adventure, although after about 100 jumps I figured out how to compensate for it.

Never jumped one, but the consensus seems to be that he spectre is the nicest opening canopy out there.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[nate_1979 9]

From what I have jumped best to worst with * next to canopies I own(ed):

* PD Reserve (just had to throw that in )

* Spectre 170 (my current canopy)
* Safire 2 189 (I actually tie this with the pilot, both good)
Pilot 190
* Fusion 210 (also very good)
Silhoutte (spelling?) 210
Origional Sabre 1 210 (this thing sucked)
Old beat up PD 210 (This one was just a POS)

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.