Reserve size

[Lefty 0]

I was wondering, do you all have smaller reserves then your main canopies, or larger, or the same size? Any advantages/disadvantages to your choice would be appreciated. I'm using this as info for my new rig. Thanks.

- Lefty

Provoking a reaction isn't the same thing as saying something meaningful.
-Calvin

[trigger 0]

With respect to reseverve size!Mines larger than my main.
With respect to selection.Something you feel compentent enough to land without incident given any situation!

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[bmcd308 0]

See this post:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=636727#636727

Also search for reserve canopy sizes - this has been discussed a lot in the past, and you should be able to find some useful info.

----------------------------------
www.jumpelvis.com

[billvon 2,995]

On one rig I have a larger reserve; on the other a smaller reserve. I suggest getting a reserve you _know_ you can land well under just about any condition. Some people are concerned about getting a reserve the same size as their main in case they have a cypres firing after they pull, but since the ratio of times you land your reserve vs. the times you land both canopies together is like 100:1, I'd be more concerned over the reserve's landing performance.

[Amazon 7]

My reserve reflects a less than 1 to 1 loading...close but not quite.. I want to be able to land my reserve under any possible condition I may be in and live with out doing further damage if I WAS injured.

My Main is currently 1.1 to 1 and my new canopy will be about 1.4 to 1....

I still want a BIG reserve ...

Jeanne

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

I was wondering, do you all have smaller reserves then your main canopies, or larger, or the same size?

143 reserve
105 main

You can load a modern main a lot more heavily than a reserve without compromising landings (which are more likely to be in a smaller area or with a sub-optimal landing surface) and don't have to worry about landing it without flaring as the case will be if you had a cypres fire due to incapacitation.

Two canopies out might not be nice, although can avoid that by being responsible about your pull altitude.

[Blahr 0]

Slightly larger reserve

main Sabre2 210
reserve PD-218R

[phoenixlpr 0]

Ive tested a gear.

Main: Merit170
Reserver: Cricket 147

Exit weight: 98kg(218lbs)

I had a mal and I chopped it. I had a normal, stand-up landing with the reserve.

[PhreeZone 20]

No one has ever been under a reserve saying "Gee, I wish this was smaller and faster"

I'm jumping a 136 main and a 160R. I'll probalyl try to keep the 160R for as long as I'm jumping above a 100 main.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[phoenixlpr 0]

Check my previous post. I was really relieved after landing with that cricket. That was the smallest conpy Ive used. Ive expected worse landing with it.

[D22369 0]

I have a 85 fx for a main, and a 120 micro raven for a reserve, it was a 150 tempo but me and my girlfriend swapped our reserves so she could have a larger reserve.

I would prefer a larger reserve myself, but we could not afford to purchase her a new one. My wingloading on it is 1.4.......... the stall point is probably going to be viscious and brutal, but I prefer to be under it rather than take the chance of her being under it at 1.2....but I am (barely) within the upper guidelines of the manufacturer.
Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[mr2mk1g 10]

I have a 176 reserve which I have test jumped (demo canopy) and I've more than happy that I could land it in the worst of situation (well at least as well as any canopy).

Im about to downsize from a 190 to a 170 and will be keeping the 176. Im looking for a 160 though. I have no plans to go any smaller than the 160... ever. Plans change, but I can not see any worthy advantage in me ever going smaller than a 160 reserve.

The advantages are asthetics and the disadvantages are death and serious injury.

[Chrisky 0]

I have a 120 Main and a 135 Reserve. The manufacturer (Paratec) of my reserve uses a new fabric (completely TSO'd and exclusively licensed), which makes my 135 pack smaller than a PD 126.
So the answer to your question is NO, we donot all have smaller reserves.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[AndyMan 7]

My main is a Stileto 150.

Currently, my reserve is a Tempo 210.

I'm planning on replacing my 210 with a PDR 143.

I have a demo of the 143 which I was jumping last weekend. Last weekend had 20mph winds, and I landed it downwind 3 times. It was loaded at 1.6. I used the ENTIRE landing area.

Don't ever get a reserve that you're not willing and able to land down-wind in 20 mph winds. If this thought scares you, don't jump it.

I'm chosing to downsize because I'm vain, and I want a smaller container. I am not currently concerned about how the two canopies will "play" togeather, because having two canopies out is easy to avoid.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[riggerrob 643]

I own two reserves: an Amigo 172 and a Parachutes de France 190.
I bought the 190 when I was jumping mains in the 210 - 220 square foot range and I bought the Amigo 172 when I was jumping Sabre 170s.
The one time I needed to use my Amigo, I was pleasantly surprised at how much it flew like a Sabre.

I currently jump mains in the 135 to 150 square foot range.

[mr2mk1g 10]

I'd be pissed if my reserve flew like a sabre.

on the couple of occasions that my sabre has twisted (screwed locking stow leading to uneaven deployment) it dove off almost vertically until I kicked a couple of twists out.

when I demoed my reserve and made it open with twists the thing just flew straight and level until I took the twists out at my lesure.

[Aviatrr 0]

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Don't ever get a reserve that you're not willing and able to land down-wind in 20 mph winds. If this thought scares you, don't jump it.

That's an incredibly stupid statement. I'm not comfortable landing ANY canopy downwind with a 20mph wind. And yes, the thought scares me. Does that mean I'm afraid to jump in high winds? No...it means I'm smart enough to know how to land INTO the wind. If I'm under reserve, and forced into a downwind landing - so be it. I'll deal with it then. I'm not going to go out and land my reserve(or a canopy just like it) downwind in hellacious winds just to "show that I can do it". Do you go out and smash your car into a brick wall at 50mph just to see if your airbag deploys and you will survive it if it happens when you're NOT expecting it? Same logic, except it would be like using somebody elses car to do it.

Practicing downwind landings are a controversial subject, but one that I am in favor of(assuming reasonable winds - no point in putting yourself in a ridiculous amount of danger by trying it in 20mph winds)....BUT...what you did borders on either insanity or stupidity - I'm not sure which.

Mike

[timmyfitz 0]

Something to consider when purchasing main and reserve is what happens if you have 2 canopys out. Although this is very rare, it could happen. If your main is a Small fast elliptical and your reserve is a large, docile 7 cell, how would they fly in a side by side configurations? My guess is one will want to fly faster than the other. I'm not sure what the result of this would be but it seems as though it could (possibly) cause a problem.

Just a thought.

[AndyMan 7]

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BUT...what you did borders on either insanity or stupidity - I'm not sure which.

Well, I guess I"m lucky that's not the prevailing attitude. Downwind landing skills are important ones to have, and if the speed is an issue then jump in light winds or jump a larger canopy.

The day that I was doing these downwind landings, the only person who made a comment much like the one above, was a guy who last year broke his leg on an unintentional down-wind. I don't think he saw the irony.

Before somebody buys a canopy, they should be confident that they can handle it in the bad conditions just as much as the good ones. If you want to argue that you can have this confidence without actually DOING them, then I'd counter by pointing out that if you are so confident, then doing them is no issue.

Shit happens. We have low cuttaways, we get cut off on final, we land off into tight spaces. These are important skills to have.

It's odd. We tell our students to down-wind if necesary in every first jump course. Watching over the student landing area on a busy saturday sees at least a handful just off radio do this, too. At the other end of the spectrum, swoopers downwind at rediculously high wingloadings even more frequently then students do. They say it's fun to do, I say it's fun to watch. Why a phobia once people start to get experience? Swoopers do it and students do it. Why can't you?

This is not a sport in which "prey and hope for the best" is a scenario I'm willing to plan for.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[davelepka 4]

*** I am not currently concerned about how the two canopies will "play" togeather, because having two canopies out is easy to avoid.



Wow, thats quite a statement. I would say two canopies out would be the result of some sort of gear malfunction. If you can avoid a gear malfunction, why not go without the reserve altogether? Think about how small your rig could be then! If you would be willing to convert to a spring-loaded ripcord deployment, you could hook up a Cypress to your main, just in case you expereince a skydiver malfunction.

[billvon 2,995]

>I would say two canopies out would be the result of some sort of
>gear malfunction.

Well, no, it's a very specific type of gear malfunction. Two-out situations, in my experience, happen around 50 to 100 times less often than simple reserve rides - so it's best to plan primarily for malfunctions, with two-out situations coming in a distant second.

In other words, get a reserve you can land well after a mal, rather than one that will fly well with your Crossfire 75.

>If you can avoid a gear malfunction, why not go without the reserve altogether?

BASE jumpers do just that all the time. Skydivers can't because it's illegal.

[davelepka 4]

***Shit happens


I don't think this statement is quite in line with your earlier post.

Two canopies out is shit happening at its finest. I thought you could 'easily' avoid this. So what is it?

[Aviatrr 0]

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Well, I guess I"m lucky that's not the prevailing attitude. Downwind landing skills are important ones to have, and if the speed is an issue then jump in light winds or jump a larger canopy.

Yes, downwind landings are a good skill to have...but landing downwind in 20mph winds intentionally is like cutting away at 500'.....just so you know what it's like. My reserve is loaded around 1.4. I've landed a reserve at 1.8. I don't jump a reserve that small because it's out of my comfort range for ALL situations....but for the specific jump(h&p from 7k right over the dz to demo a main, which mal'd on me), I was comfortable with it. I don't jump a reserve that small because of off field landings. If I was sure I would land ON the dz every time, I would jump with a much smaller reserve. I would not, however, land that reserve downwind with a 20mph wind just to see what it's like.

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The day that I was doing these downwind landings, the only person who made a comment much like the one above, was a guy who last year broke his leg on an unintentional down-wind.

I wonder how many others were thinking it, though?

Quote

Shit happens. We have low cuttaways, we get cut off on final, we land off into tight spaces. These are important skills to have.

So do you cutaway at 500' so that you are experienced at it in case it happens for real? If not, are you not confident enough in your abilities to do so? I quote you....."If you want to argue that you can have this confidence without actually DOING them, then I'd counter by pointing out that if you are so confident, then doing them is no issue."

Quote

Watching over the student landing area on a busy saturday sees at least a handful just off radio do this, too. At the other end of the spectrum, swoopers downwind at rediculously high wingloadings even more frequently then students do. They say it's fun to do, I say it's fun to watch. Why a phobia once people start to get experience? Swoopers do it and students do it. Why can't you?

Why can't I land downwind intentionally with 20mph winds? Because I don't consider it a smart or safe maneuver to "practice". Downwind landings - done many, all but one intentional. Hell, I even do some downwind swoops now and then....but not with winds over about 8mph. Plus, downwind swoops often end up with a quick pop and turn or carve at the end putting me crosswind, dissipating most of the forward speed. I'm certainly not an expert canopy pilot, but I am very confident in my canopy skills - without doing things I consider not so smart(I'm trying to keep it civil here). Why don't you ask some of the pro-swoopers if they do their swoops downwind with a 20mph push.

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This is not a sport in which "prey and hope for the best" is a scenario I'm willing to plan for.

I don't personally know anybody that fits into that category. Planning and preparing for something is one thing....but, as I said before, I feel that what you did - and what you are suggesting others do - is stupid. Hell, I'm not going to land a 300sqft reserve in a 20mph downwinder intentionally....so I guess you feel I should "jump a larger reserve", or just quit altogether, huh?

If I want to "practice" landing downwind at over 20mph, I'll jump off the back of a truck doing 25mph or so. Doesn't sound too smart, does it?

Mike

[Rdutch 0]

Quote

I was wondering, do you all have smaller reserves then your main canopies, or larger, or the same size? Any advantages/disadvantages to your choice would be appreciated. I'm using this as info for my new rig. Thanks.

- Lefty

A reserve should be bought with the intention that you could safely land it unconcious.
Bigger/smaller than your main is hard to decide, if you have a large Main you can use a smaller reserve i.e: 230 main, 196 reserve. But if you jump a 135 the best bet might not be a 113 reserve. This is all based on your own personal choice, and resons. If you dont own a cypress the whole unconcious theory kinda dissapears, if your asleep you cant pull, so you dont need a reserve. My suggestion is buy something that will cary your weight, ie a 1.1 or better wingloading. Landing a F111 7cell isnt as easy as you think, its a lot difft than landing a responsive Zp canopy. Also contact PD they will demo you a reserve to use as a main, so you can see how your reserve will fly, it will surprise you how well Pd reserves fly, but they are still difft. If you have an oportunity try to fly a raven, they sometimes are used as mains, you will see why PD reserves rule! Dont just listen to me, look, around and ask lots of questions.

Ray
Small and fast what every girl dreams of!

[Tonto 1]

Quote

I was wondering, do you all have smaller reserves then your main canopies, or larger, or the same size?

107 Main (1.82)
120 Res (1.60)

t

It's the year of the Pig.