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Downsizing a reserve

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Everybody is posting questions about downsizing a main canopy and if it is safe to downsize...
What about a reserve canopy downsizing?

I'm planning to buy a new rig. i'm planing to have it for a very long time. that is why i'm buying container the smallest it can currently be for me - my experience/knowledge (main up to 120ZP, reserve hmm... here is my question...) i'm 85kg (190lb) and i'm wondering what is the smallest reserve i can safely land (probably not under perfect conditions).

I'm thinking of getting a PD reserve, since it's known as a very good reserve, if not the best.I looked at the charts, and saw that they recommend for PD 126R for experienced skydiver 176 lbs max but maximum suspended weight allowed under the same canopy is 254lbs. Does that mean that a 230lbs person can still land that canopy ??? (assuming that he is experienced canopy pilot)B|

i'm afraid of even thinking to have PD 126 reserve above my head, without even trying it before. I'd love to demo it, of course i'd try bigger reserve before, to see if i'm able to land that one... , but i'm afraid that PD wouldn't send two reserve canopies to europe-slovenia just for me to demo them...:S

OK to end this looong boring story, do anyone know, how PD reserves handle (flare, response,...) and is it possible for a 190 lb person to fly/land a PD 126R...:o

any advice would be appreciated.:)
"George just lucky i guess!"

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What about Quick reserve? They have a small packing volume, and it easiest for you to get it.
My Quick 135sqft fits tight in container that is built to fit PD 106R, Raven-M 109 or Tempo 105. (It is a Wings w-3 container.)


Blue ones..
Igor


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Hmm as much as i know, accordingly to manufacturer recommendations, no company but PD recommends wing loading up to 1.4 - 176 lbs on 126sq feet and maximum suspended weight is 254 lbs on 126 sq feet - 2.0 : 1. For quick it's recommended 136 lbs on 135 sq feet - wing load 1.0:1 and i am 190Lbs ... [:/]
"George just lucky i guess!"

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Why risk a higher loading under a reserve??

The only thing that has made me consider downsizing reserves is the 2 out scenario. I have a 97sq foot main and a 143 sq foot reserve. From what I see in the test jumps that could kill me easily. So you have to ask the question? Do you take the risk of a small main and a bigger reserve raising the chances of your reserve landing you "o.k." when you are unconscious or do you jump something that is a little more 2 out friendly?


Rhino

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Are you happy to land a 126 f1-11 canopy into a tight landing area that may have curl over from trees and such near by and power lines cutting down your outs etc etc etc - if not dont get one - if you only jump at one DZ what is the surrounding area like? Tight or wide open????

Just my £0.02 worth

Cya

Michael

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exactly my thoughts! That is why i'd like to know how PD reserves are handling. With 120 sq feet eliptical ZP, i'm not afraid of landing in such circumstances. Actually i did just that. Landed standup in a rather tight area (had to because of power lines), without knowing exact direction of the wind.
but F-111 hmm :S
And since i propably won't be able to demo PD reserves, i'd like to at least hear how they handle. At PD they say it has tons of flare... unfortunately that is all i know.[:/]
"George just lucky i guess!"

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You should pick the size reserve you need, then determine which size container to get. The 254 lb statement in the PD literature is the maximum allowed by LAW under the testing system used for the approval of the reserve by the FAA. Notice that ALL PD reserves 126 and bigger have a max of 254. That's because they were all tested under the same standard. The 176 lb is the PD recommendation for appropriate performance. A lot of people push these limits and get away with it but its not a good idea. If you weigh 190 lbs under canopy you'll weigh 215 to 220. I'd stick with at least the 160. No offense but 251 jumps is not a lot of landings.

"A lot of flare" is relative. Try to find a 190 sq ft non zp nine cell or if you can a 7 cell and jump it. You'll quickly see that a lot of reserve flare is nothing like zp elliptical. Relearn/remember how to do a PLF.

Rhino's comment about two out is appropriate but at least that is something you may be able to fix (or may not depending.) But how many times do you expect to have two out versus use your reserve? I know for some that a silly question.;)

Anyway, don't scrimp on reserve size just to be cool.
I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

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Anything is possible.

Think of the worst cast scenario in which you'd have to land or use your reserve. How big a reserve would YOU want in that scenario? Other than being knocked unconscious and having a cypres fire, the worst I can think of is a broken right arm or collar bone. You'd be unable to deploy your main, activate your reserve and have to PLF the landing.

I'm figuring your total exit weight about 215lbs for a wing loading of 1.7: 1 on a pd126. Do you want to land a reserve loaded that high? It's up to you.

Ken
"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

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if you are comfortable landing a 120 main, you should be just as comfortable landing a 126 reserve.

pd reserves fly just like a spectre canopy.

if in doubt the solution is easy. instead of a online debate, just demo the reserve as a main. all you questions will be answered. (and i am a firm believer that the first time you fly your reserve should be under planned conditions)....

2 cents...

sincerely,

dan<><>
Daniel Preston <><>
atairaerodynamics.com (sport)
atairaerospace.com (military)

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I recently went through this same kind of decision myself. I asked my S & TA about it and he suggested demoing one. That was the best idea ever. I weigh 230 out the door and demoed a PD 143 reserve. The canopy flew great a little sluggish but nice. After demoing one I did not have a problem with it for a reserve. PD was able to get a demo to me within 4 days of contacting them.
Blue Skies
Kirk

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Two pieces of advice:
First, demo a bunch of 7-cell canopies similar in size to your next reserve. Seven cell canopies made of F-111 fabric (wiht only a few jumps) will fly and flare similar to new reserves.
The other alternative is to borrow a Triathlon about the same size as your next reserve. You will notice a huge difference in flare power between 7 cell squares and 21 cell, cross-braced ellipticals.

Secondly, thew two out scenario was rare until the introduction of Cypri. Today the vast majority of two-outs occurr because of low main deployments that snivel through 1,000 feet. The easiest way to prevent a two-out scenario is to stay altitude aware and stay in the habit of deploying your main around 2500 feet.

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if you are comfortable landing a 120 main, you should be just as comfortable landing a 126 reserve.



Do you think this is good advice, considering that when you're under your reserve, you're usually low, usually about to do an off-dz landing, and usually under a LOT of stress?

Secondly, given that reserve f-111 fabric seems to age with packing rather then jumps, is it wise to heavily load f-111 fabric that will deteriorate even without "use"?

_Am
__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

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i'm wondering what is the smallest reserve i can safely land (probably not under perfect conditions).


The only way to determine that is to jump them. Even though you probably won't be able to get a demo from PD due to where you live, with some work you can probably find an all F111 seven cell to borrow for a few jumps. Try jumping one around 160 sq ft first, then try one a bit smaller if you're comfortable with that. This isn't ideal of course; the canopies you'll find will likely have quite a few jumps on them, but you'll get the basic idea.

Quote

they recommend for PD 126R for experienced skydiver 176 lbs max but maximum suspended weight allowed under the same canopy is 254lbs. Does that mean that a 230lbs person can still land that canopy ??? (assuming that he is experienced canopy pilot)


No, not really. It means that PD is confident that the canopy won't blow up with 254 pounds under it. Maybe one of the world's best and most experienced canopy pilots could safely land a seven cell F111 canopy at over 2.0 pounds per square foot... but I strongly doubt that 90%+ of today's skydivers could do it safely.

You're looking at about a 1.6 wingloading on a 126. That's pretty aggressive, even if you are highly experienced. Do you consider yourself to be highly experienced? I consider 1.6+ to be a bit much for a main for someone with 250 jumps, much less a reserve...

Lemme put it this way. If you called me where I work, said you have 250 jumps and weigh 210 pounds out the door, I probably wouldn't sell you a 126R. A 160R? Okay. Maybe even a 143R, if you could convince me that you've flown all F111 seven cells in the past. But not a 126. imho at your experience level, that's too small for the canopy you need to be able to land safely in the absolute worst of conditions - and if you have a Cypres, you need that canopy to be able to land you safely without input from you (i.e. Cypres fire because you were knocked out).

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Why are most (if not all) reserves F-111?



I dunno, but Packin' Cathy told me at WFFC (she imparted a lot of advice on me as she tighted my Reflex poptop) that ZP on reserves was EVIL because "ZP fails on the creases, while F-111 only fails on the seams."

At least I think that's what she said. I didn't have my notebook with me. Can anyone elaborate?
Skydiving is for cool people only

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[reply(i.e. Cypres fire because you were knocked out).



This happens often while skydiving with Lisa, a good hearty Bytch-slap and you're glad you bought the cypress.

I'm about your weight, I just ordered a new rig with a PDR 143. Only a small handfull of my jumps are on nine cells. I would not go any smaller. I only have a few more jumps than you. My new main is a Spectre 150. If I ever go to a 135, the 143 will still be a good match.

JP

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>Why are most (if not all) reserves F-111?

Because most reserves are retired before their porosity gets to the point where it's an issue. The raven-MZ reserve from Precision has a ZP topskin; it does not fly appreciably differently than the F111 raven, but will maintain its performance longer. If you anticipate a lot of jumps on the reserve (i.e. you will use it for rig testing or competition CRW) it might be a good idea.

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>and is it possible for a 190 lb person to fly/land a PD 126R...

Of course. 190 lb people have landed 89 sq ft parachutes; there's no reason that, given enough practice, they couldn't land a new F111 126 sq ft parachute, if they remain current on that parachute and replace it when it gets even a little porous.

By the same token it is unlikely that most people will remain current enough on a tiny F111 reserve to be able to safely use it for a reserve. I recommend you choose a reserve that you can land _now_ - that way when you have more experience, the larger reserve will give you that much more margin of safety.

>i'm planing to have it for a very long time. that is why i'm buying
>container the smallest it can currently be for me . . .

To me, "the smallest it can currently be for me" means using canopies you can safely land _now._ Take the smallest 7-cell you are _comfortable_ landing, that's a good reserve size. (NOT the smallest 7-cell you have survived landing.)

From personal experience, my first reserve was a PD160R (180lbs exit wt.) I used that for a few years; two landings under it with no problems. I jumped a Tri-135 for a few years, and thus when I got my latest rig I sized it for a PD-143 since I was completely comfortable with a 7-cell that size. (Plus I have a few square feet of margin if I'm not landing under ideal conditions.)

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thank you all for all your advices, none offense taken, from those who said that 126 is simply to small for someone 210 lbs out the door with 250 jumps.
Actually all i was trying to do with this post is, that you help me kill that little voice in my head "get a 126 B|". The numbers are just to obvious. Unfortunately that voice is still lurking in my head, but i wont listen to it for at least another 1500 jumps.:S
So i'll ask every skydiver in my country i know, for a reserve and try to find PD 160 and 143 here, to test them.
I already landed a reserve 170 and it was ok. I'll try PD 143 also and if i find it safe enough (not too fast), i'll get one.:)
thanks
"George just lucky i guess!"

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Because most reserves are retired before their porosity gets to the point where it's an issue.
**cough, cough** :)



Quote

The raven-MZ reserve from Precision has a ZP topskin; it does not fly appreciably differently than the F111 raven, but will maintain its performance longer. If you anticipate a lot of jumps on the reserve (i.e. you will use it for rig testing or competition CRW) it might be a good idea.



So, basically, you're saying that new (or low jump, as in a reserve) F111 will perform as well as ZP?

Sorry for my ignorance, my only experience with F111 is from back on student status/reserve rides. ;)

--
Hook high, flare on time

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>So, basically, you're saying that new (or low jump, as in a reserve)
> F111 will perform as well as ZP?

Riggerrob wrote this post concerning porosity in this thread

Quote


The standard for new F-111 fabric is 0 to 3 cubic feet per minute. The better mills -like Gelvenor - are consistently producing fabric that measures 0.5 cfm.
I am guessing that landings will start to suffer when porosity approaches 4 or 5 cfm.
Perhaps we should ask a major manufacturer like P.D. or Precision.



If the better 0-3cfm fabric is almost as good as ZP (@ 0.5cfm), why wouldn't the performance be the same?

BTW, does anyone know what the tolerance is for ZP fabric? It probably wont be _really_ ZP... but what do I know?

Erno

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>but Packin' Cathy told me at WFFC (she imparted a lot of advice on
> me as she tighted my Reflex poptop) that ZP on reserves was EVIL
> because "ZP fails on the creases, while F-111 only fails on the
> seams."

Not true, at least inasmuch as ZP tends to fail more often than F111 on creases. From George Galloway:

------------------

> ...also,,zp tends to rip farther once started...

The above statement is simply Not True

The truth is, parachute fabric which is coated to zero porosity has more
than double the tear resistance of non-coated fabric. There has been
some misinformation spread around about this in the past, so I will
refer you to the specifications for the most popular ZP fabric in the
world (brand name Soar-Coat) which can be found at
http://www.perftex.com/milpara.htm

--------------------


> He makes the statement that ZP isn't a good material to use
> for reserve
> parachutes. His reasoning is that ZP material unlike f111
> once it starts to tear (as upon opening) will have the tendency to
> continue to rip, whereas f111 is
> rip stop and will generally contain the rip/tear to a small area.

James, this is a common misconception, even among many high time jumpers,
unfortunately.

F-111 was a particular brand of parachute fabric which has not been produced
in the last decade. Today's fabrics are much better than the old F-111, but
no parachute fabric has ever been particularly strong in the Tear Resistance
category.

The tear strength for brand new "Reserve Canopy Material" is only 5 lbs,
even right off the roll. If you take the same roll of fabric and put a ZP
coating on it, the tear strength goes up to about 18 lbs, so in that regard
the ZP fabric is more than 3 times as strong as the uncoated fabric.

The term "Rip Stop" has more to do with the weave pattern of the fabric than
its tear properties. The term "Ripstop" has been misunderstood for a long
time. Although a rip in a parachute is difficult to initiate (due to the
high Tensile Strength of the fabric) once a tear does get initiated, it will
usually travel along the grain of the fabric with very little effort to the
first seam. In the evrnt of catastrophic failure, the tear will then turn
downseam or upseam to the nearest reinforcement tape, but will seldom
"cross" a seam. Never say never.

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>So, basically, you're saying that new (or low jump, as in a reserve)
>F111 will perform as well as ZP?

Performance under a new F111 will be _similar_ to ZP. (Note that no one really uses F111 any more; it's become a term like Xerox that everyone just uses to mean low-porosity ripstop nylon.)

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Performance under a new F111 will be _similar_ to ZP. (Note that no one really uses F111 any more; it's become a term like Xerox that everyone just uses to mean low-porosity ripstop nylon.)



Ok, correction, reserve parachute material. Thanks much BV

--
Hook high, flare on time

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