Cobalt first impressions

[Snowflake 0]

did 3 jumps on a Cobalt 150 loaded at 1.4 today. I was a little nervous is this canopy too much for me? etc....well let me say so far it fly's as advertised. I have a little over 100 jumps most of those on a spectre 170 at 1.2. On the first jump I open high around 6k the opening is very different but on heading as the outside cells open I do a quick turn left then right I rear riser the end cells open and I'm flying straigt I collapse the slider and pull it over a toggle I pull it behind my head grab the toggles and flare.....sweeeet full flare is close to around 1/2 of what it is on my Spectre. I pull some 360's and bam I'm down past the other high pullers and the blood is getting cut off by my legstraps .......Oh I like this canopy I line up for final oops I'm going way long.....coming in I have to steer all the way down I flare it's not pretty but I land fine a litttle Texas 2 step but on a very light wind day I'm very happy with the results yes I can land this puppy straight in and no it doesn't feel to fast and the flare is sweet. Second jump I open and notice the 2 stage opening in full effect I look up and it lloks like it's open I grab for the risers and bam I do a 180 (I guess I'll be learning body position during opening) flare out the end cells I have a nice ride down play with ther risers etc...I come in to land straight on again I overshoot by 10-20m flare and this time it's not bad ride the flare out(we won't call it a surf but if I had dropped my foot it would have been) and stadn it up easy no run off.......I'm in love
3rd jump open same 180 thing (okay I need to work on that. I screw up my approach and try to riser 180 I get a little nervous 90 degrees through it and come of the riser I'm 90 off the wind line ....now the test.......I flat turn into the wind and I'm barely gonna cross the runway I get into the wind just in time to set up for flare and I have a SWEET flare drag a toe (holy shit I'm dragging a toe) fly it out and I barely need to take a step on landing.
To sum it up at no time did I feel that this canopy was to fast or that I wasn't in control as advertised this newbie had no problems whatsoever flying it in very lightwind conditions. I'm sold and I really haven't gotten to know it yet anyone need a Spectre 170 with 70 or so jumps. I'll update on Sunday and let you know how the rest of the weekend goes
JG

[Snowflake 0]

It's Monday and I am in love with this canopy. On Saturday I got to see what this canopy can do when I screw up. Me and Phree do a sit jump and open and were a little long on the spot. I go to collapse the slider and it's haging up on the toggles. I fart around with that instead of turning towards the DZ immediatly, thats mistake#1. I finally get the #$%& slider over the toggle and grab the toggles and here comes mistake#2. I packed the excess brake line on the right side to loose when I grabed the toggle I put 2 fingers through the excess brake line before I released the toggles. I release the toggles and turn towards the dz and get in brakes. Thats when I notice that the brake line is going around my fingers and up through the other side of the toggle and as a bonus the toggle is upside down. I really don't like this situation I need to stay in brakes to make it back but I want to get this toggle fixed. I try to bring my hands together in brakes and undo it but I'm making yself do little turns and it's eating up altitude. Then I get smart and use my teeth to undo it get it undone just high enough to turn into the wind. I start a left hand turn and realize if I dont finish it I'll be running into the side of a building mistake#3.....thats no bueno. It's to late to try and make a right so I'm gonna be taking a downwinder. I start a nice stream of expletives and think oh well. I get to flare height and I am moving at a good clip I think to myself this might hurt I flare and flare and flare (the wind was at least 10 mph and I was moving). Then wonder of wonders I have a run out and I'm standing up and the canopy is still over my head
In a slightly stressed situation I was able to stand up a downwinder to me that says a lot more about this canopy and it's performance, then any description of riser pressure, flare power(tons), etc.........
Sorry for the long story but as has been said before it's not weather you can land in perfect conditions that count in making choices about your canopy it's can you land in bad situations that really count.
To sum up great openings (I need to learn body position though I have a tendency to turn right as the second stage ends). Riser pressure is a lot lighter then my spectre (it's the only thing I can compare it too) front risers now feel like a dive instead of a shallow bank. toggle input is about half of what I give my spectre and did not feel twitchy(like I know what a twitchy canopy feels like?). Flare tons!!!!!! comparing the flare on this canopy to the flare on my Spectre is like comparing apples to oranges, till now all I've ever had is apples but that orange sure did taste good.
Peace
JG

[PhreeZone 20]

I had my faith in the Cobalts restored this weekend too. After watching that dow winder, and having some LONG spots that I made it back from and still had time to play....
I had got a demo 135 over Christmas, 6 jumps on it and I bagged it and left it in the car. There was no such thing as a snivel on it. Even subterminal I felt like I was hit with a sledgehammer. After that experience I swore off getting another Cobalt once I sold mine.
The great folks here at San Marcos loaned me their demo Cobalt 135, it did the perfect opening and flew like a dream. Even on no wind, I was able to just pop up the landing after laying on the risers alot on final. Snappy flying and none of the twitchyness of the stiletto at a 1.4:1 loading.
"Hey.. Its my camera, and my remote... I'll rewind if I want to!" ~ Goat #2

[bhale 0]

I have, almost, 3,000 jumps. 2000+ have been on "hot rods". I bought an h-mod 95 several weeks ago and love it so much, I ordered a comp. 95. Once you learn to stay away from the risers during deployment, the openings are fantastic!
Cobalts are IT!!!

[ramon 0]

I'm sending you a PM.
ramon

[eames 0]

I did 40 jumps on a Cobalt 120 demo. I didn't like the openings. Snivel, snivel, SNAP. Sure it sniveled for a long time, like they said it would, but then it would finish up too hard. Maybe it was just that canopy, but why would they send out a demo that doesn't open well?
I did like the way it flew, but I've since found canopies that I like a lot more. I haven't tried the h-mod or comp Cobalts.
Jason

[cobaltdan 0]

hi jason,
there are several variables that effect the opening sequence of a cobalt. for example after stage 1 if you put pressure on the rear risers you can abort the pause betwen the stages and cause a snappy second stage. it is important to read the instruction sheet before you jump them. when you get the chance go to our web site and read the faq page as well as the 2 stage opening page. then let me know if you still have any problems.
sincerely,
dan
atair
www.extremefly.com

[eames 0]

Thank you for trying to help, but I did read the instruction sheet before I jumped it. I never used the rear risers to steer during inflation. And not only did I not like the terminal, normal altitude openings, but the sub-terminal and high altitude openings were even worse.
I've been jumping Xaos' ever since, and they open much more nicely than that Cobalt demo did. Subterminal, terminal, high altitude, low altitude, high speed, low speed, with rear risers and without. I'm not trying to bash your product-- it probably was that particular demo. I just didn't have very good luck with it. But I do know of a bunch of people that had the same problems on different demos.
Jason

[GrumpySmurf 0]

There is a review on the Atair website refering to 2 demo Cobalt 95's that openned hard, 1 of which that would 'finish with a pop that wasn't soft at all.'. There was mention one had been pulled from a pond landing. Could it be a trim issue with the demo canopies being put through the grinder constantly as demos? The reviewer spoke very highly of the 150 sent his way though, one would think the folks demoing the larger 150 intermediate wouldn't put it through the same stress as someone trying a smaller 95 swoop monster - they use Spectra, not Vectran, lines right?
Oh well, who knows, just idle thoughts - I'm awaiting my Cobalt demo from Atair to show up today, though the FedEx guy came and went, and no canopy.

[roq 0]

If you don't have good openings with cobalt is better you check your pack job or number of jumps the canopy.
I have one friend with a broken rib that chose my Atair 120 for jumping with broken ribs because very soft openings and very soft landings.
I have four hundred of jumps with cobalt and impulse 85, and a 40 jumps with 120 and all openings are soft. I never had a hard openings.
Roq

[cobaltdan 0]

the 95 reviewed that opened strange was put in the pond dozens of times and unfortunately dried in the sun. doing such changes the dimensions of the canopy tapes, we hold very tight dimensions of the leading edge tapes as they effect openings. always dry a wet canopy in the shade.
sincerely
-dan

[eames 0]

Quote

If you don't have good openings with cobalt is better you check your pack job or number of jumps the canopy.

I'm very particular about packing and I followed the directions that came with the canopy to a tee. I now have very consistant openings on an elliptical canopy loaded at 2.4. If I'm botching my pack jobs, which I doubt, then my current canopy is much more forgiving of packing errors. Like I said, it was probably just that demo canopy. But if I was sent a demo with 2000 jumps that has been in the water 5 times and dried in the sun, well that's too bad for Atair, 'cause that's why I didn't buy a Cobalt.
Jason