Canopies in Ukraine

[Magistr8 0]

Here is the scoop, my friend got back back from the ukraine and was all inerested in getting into skydancing when the people over there told him that their canopies are "Different". When I asked him to elaborate he told me " They said they make them a little different, you know with a different material and thickness".
Can someone shed some light on this here. Don't all the chutes come from reputable companies and not some Joe Ukraine in his mama's basement?

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Napoleon Bonaparte

[PhreeZone 20]

Could he be refering to sizing? And yes... some canopies are made in the basement of some places. How do you think most the companies that are big names started out?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

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[Magistr8 0]

He wasn't talking about sizing, I probed there and he said that the canopies were different somehow. I got the impression that there were supposed to be some differerent material or odd shaping that is exclusive. I'm just going to pass it off as someone who gave him some info and it may have been a little distorted.

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Napoleon Bonaparte

[riggerrob 643]

Building canopies in your basement is not that difficult. Back in the late 1980s I built 2 canopies from kits supplied by a (now-defunct) company in Texas. I put 200 jumps on one of the canopies and 300 jumps on the other before they fell out of fashion. Sewing canopies is not difficult, just time-consuming.
There are 2 reasons why I quit making my own canopies: first, tolerances are much tighter on tiny crotch rockets and secondly, little Mexican ladies are willing to work for way less money than me. I can purchase a decent used canopy for less than the cost of materials for a new canopy.
As for the thicker material, Ukrainians probably have difficulty getting their hands on high-grade, silicone coated fabric, so they use left-overs from the communist era.

[Magistr8 0]

Thank You, I'll have to tell him about it next time it comes up.

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Napoleon Bonaparte

[mmacro 0]

I've jumped over in Kiev before. As a matter of fact that tandem was what got me back into jumping (former paratrooper).
I was told that they are hurting for any kind of good condition rig and canopy.
I was told that their Special Forces are hurting for them so bad that they are sewing them.
The last time I was in Kev you could jump for $7 with good rigs (Javelins etc...) And I have been told that a pilot and plane can be rented for a very reasonable rate if it's only a few people jumping.
There are summer cottages about 6 kilom. from the DZ that rent for something like $50 a week. And as a bonus, on down time... beer is $.70 a liter!