Long-Flying Canopies?

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I'm still new to the sport, but from my first jump I realized that I really like sitting under canopy. The swoop crowd is telling me I should downsize, but the truth of the matter is if I could sit under canopy for an hour, I'd do that. I'm more than a little tempted to buy a vario and go looking for updrafts after pulling.

Are there any particularly slow-falling canopies I should be looking at? Should I start jumping a tandem rig solo? Should I try to master the art of the 12K high pull? Or is all that just a little too odd?

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[GobbleGobble 0]

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I'm still new to the sport, but from my first jump I realized that I really like sitting under canopy. The swoop crowd is telling me I should downsize, but the truth of the matter is if I could sit under canopy for an hour, I'd do that. I'm more than a little tempted to buy a vario and go looking for updrafts after pulling.

Are there any particularly slow-falling canopies I should be looking at? Should I start jumping a tandem rig solo? Should I try to master the art of the 12K high pull? Or is all that just a little too odd?

There are plenty of flatter trimmed canopies out there. Additionally you don't always have to sit in full flight...

[theplummeter 15]

I would go paragliding.

[Squeak 17]

When next at your DZ, Go and seek out the CReW Dawgs.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[faulknerwn 38]

Big canopies come down slower for sure. And the crwdogs do live it up there as well!!

[erdnarob 1]

Hi,
The fact that a canopy gives you a long ride depends on three factors according John LeBlanc from Performance Designs :

1) the pitch angle
2) the load distribution on front and rear lines
3) the shape of the airfoil

The canopy which seems to have the lower pitch angle is the NITRON-190 with 13.19 degrees. In comparaison a Sabre 2-170 has a pitch angle of 15.34 degrees and the Katana which has the highest pitch angle with 18.03 degrees.
In order to have a longer ride you would need a canopy with more load on the rear risers (ask the manufacturers) that will make the toggles harder to pull.
For the airfoil prone to a longer ride, again ask the manufacturers.

A canopy I have tried and which can give you a good long ride woud be the PULSE from PD with his low pitch angle allowing you a quite flat descent. Anyway, you will always need a canopy matching your weight and your experience. For this, refer to your instructor.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[NWFlyer 2]

As others have mentioned, a flat-trimmed canopy at a light-to-moderate wingloading will give you a nice long canopy ride. For your experience level, two options to consider would be the Pulse from PD and the Pilot from Aerodyne. I've owned both, but am partial to the Pulse (I have them in both of my rigs). See if you can demo both and decide which one you like better.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[cocheese 0]

I do a high pull every other visit to the dz. It's a great way to end the day/weekend. Leg strap discomfort happens a lot, but I deal with it.

[Pacific 0]

Are you sure about the specs on the Nitron? Biggest i've seen was a 170

[bofh 0]

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Are there any particularly slow-falling canopies I should be looking at?

Try to buy one of these:
http://www.airborne-sys.com/pages/view/raider-hi-glide

But on the other hand, that it is a bit problematic to combine it with a normal dropzone. They want to drop the next load and people dont really like falling down near open canopies.

[Beatnik 2]

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But on the other hand, that it is a bit problematic to combine it with a normal dropzone. They want to drop the next load and people dont really like falling down near open canopies.

It isn't so bad. A canopy system I have been designing and testing is having greater results than the raider. The last test jump I did on it two weeks ago, I got out at 3500' while everyone else went to 13500'. I watched all everyone open up and I was still at 3000'. I just stayed away from the general direction of jump run and away from the active runway. As long as you are far enough away from what the danger zones, there is no problem. Plus it is pretty neat being the first one out of the plane and watching everyone else jump, open, and land while under canopy.

[scottd818 0]

my biggest worry about being up for that long is the possibility of being hit by another passing airplane you would want to wear a transponder of some sorts so other aircraft and ATC could see you.

[erdnarob 1]

Actually, you can get theoretically a Nitron of any size by special order. The one I have jumped twice was a 190 sold by Chuting Star Georgia.

About the pitch angle, I did a mistake about the Nitron 190. Forget the figure on my post. The lowest pitch angle I have measured is the NITRO 150 (German original) with 13.25 degrees. The Nitron 190 has a pitch angle of 15.19 while another Nitron of size 135 had 13.75 degrees.

My method to evaluate the pitch angle is relatively fast. Just two measurements on one bearing seam of the middle cell: distance between A and D attachment points (X) and with the same two attachments points pulling the corresponding lines together and measuring their difference in lenght (Y).
The pitch angle is : sinus of (Y/X). John Sherman from Jump Shack told me that my method yields the same results than his more theoretical approach, at 1/10th of a degree.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[deltron80 0]

Pulse...you can exit first, pull low, and still land last, but you will piss off the tandems.

[Shredex 0]

I'd look into a "Powered Paraglider". They are Paragliders with a big fan on the back that propels you forward. These things can take your from the ground up to 12,000+ feet.

It does require a bit of training, as well as just Paragliding. Very worthwhile to do, though.

Paragliding you actually have a harness thats more of a seat and it doesn't strain your legs at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9orYHYuavoY

[Beatnik 2]

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my biggest worry about being up for that long is the possibility of being hit by another passing airplane you would want to wear a transponder of some sorts so other aircraft and ATC could see you.

It all depends on the airport that you are at. If I wore a transponder it wouldn't do a whole lot of good. The only traffic at the dropzone is our aircraft mainly there are a few others but everyone knows what goes on.

Some drop zones, I would be a lot more cautious of doing this sort of thing but I don't really see it much different than doing cross countries or high hop and pops. You should still be operating in the drop zones NOTAM which should alert pilots passing by that there is activity in the area.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I'm still a fairly new jumper and a bit paranoid about that, so I usually turn 90 degrees to the jump run and head south. I'm usually pretty well out of the way when I pull. I have seen planes cross a couple miles south of where I usually end up, but they seem to give us a good bit of breathing room.

Since I'm coming back from the south for my descent, I can kind of chill over there and give the faster canopies time and space to get on their approaches. I've pushed my holding pattern pretty wide and still managed to make it back without too much effort. A couple of times I've come uncomfortably close to the edge of the landing zone, but I know better to push it that far when the wind's blowing that way, now.

We're a busy airport though, so I do have to be wary of other air traffic and potentially up to three aircraft worth of skydivers. Occasionally even more than that if we have visitors.

There are a number of ultralight aircraft about, including one of those oversized lawnmowers someone mentioned. I might have to branch out to ultralight piloting at some point, I guess. Like I need another super-expensive hobby right now... heh heh heh!

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?