Actual time to steerable canopy

[RockSkyGirl 10]

As part of my own ongoing research on several safety topics:

Flysight users please help me out - how long does it ACTUALLY take (in altitude) from the moment YOU start to flare out of your break-off track (on a regular skydive, not a wingsuit dive) to the time you have a fully inflated, steerable canopy?

Your audible goes off at X altitude, you slow down, wave off, pull; canopy deploys, snivels, and finishes inflating with the slider down at least most of the way to the risers. How much altitude does this ACTUALLY take, for you, with the canopy you fly?
When you answer, please also state your canopy type and wing-loading.

I'm getting a Flysight very soon so I can see this (among other things) for myself with the canopies I fly; but I'm looking to see what the range is out there. I have a feeling that the process in its entirety takes longer than most people think (which is the safety topic I'm looking into with all this). I have an Atlas but it's not nearly sensitive enough to answer this (there are times it is still giving me a freefall descent display a solid three seconds after my canopy is fully inflated); and my Atlas and OptimaII don't agree on altitudes (Atlas reads lower than OptimaII beeps indicate on both airplane ascent and freefall descent, and at times during canopy descent as well).

Thanks!

[billvon 2,990]

>how long does it ACTUALLY take (in altitude) from the moment YOU start to flare out of
>your break-off track (on a regular skydive, not a wingsuit dive) to the time you have a fully
> inflated, steerable canopy?

Four to five seconds, about 600 feet. This is while doing video so there's not much flaring out. (I know because I always start counting when I pull just in case.)

[ljwobker 2]

It’s extremely dependent on canopy. I have over a thousand Katana jumps on KA-150’s that would take 8-10 seconds to fully inflate. Add about 4 seconds of stopping the track, waving off, and getting the PC out and this is easily a 1500 foot opening sequence from “start” to stop.

I also have almost a thousand jumps on a Zulu-132 where the inflation starts almost immediately once the PC is out: this is more like a 7-8 second sequence (total, meaning 3-4 seconds to inflate) and takes about 700 feet total.

[husslr187 24]

I have a fully inflated canopy in 3-4 seconds after I pull. 170 sabre 1 with pocket slider loaded at 1.2. Usually I'm open within 4-500 feet. As far as the time beforehand, that's all dependent on who I jump with, how many, agreed break off altitude, and altitude itself.

[EnricoPalazzo 1]

I think that with a Sabre I, you could have a steerable canopy overhead before you even know that you released the pilot chute ;)

[kuai43 7]

I believe you should modify your specification for the time to begin once you toss your pilot chute.

I jump Snivelettos, but I pack for myself in a consistent manner. so my experience may not be typical.

Once I toss my PC, it would be unusual for me to not have a solid, flyable (rears), canopy over my head within 5 seconds. That being said, it's a smooth deployment with no line twists/slammers for the last many hundred.

Shit, Now I've jinxed myself.

Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess

[BIGUN 1,306]

Billvon Quote (I know because I always start counting when I pull just in case.)

+1

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[husslr187 24]

I haven't had any slammers on this. The pocket slider seems to work well and I roll the nose when I pack as well. It is also lined with vectran so no shrinking line to screw up my opening. With that said its not as comfortable of an opening as say a pilot or a sabre 2.