Curious canopy question for the Napkin jumpers

[jumper03 0]

This is for you guys jumping the sub-100 sq ft canopies that I KNOW don't weigh sub 100 lbs from a curious newb....

My understanding of why you can safely land the highly loaded canopies is because you come in hot and convert the speed to lift to you touch down - in a similar fashion to an airplane. Where as the big ass dump truck canopies like I jump just kinda float down slowly.

Can you do a float down, low speed landing with the sub-100 ft canopies? or is the descent rate too high and you really have to "fly" it to the ground to keep from doing damage?

The reason I ask is I was thinking of someone landing off on a highly loaded canopy and the landing area not having much of any place to "fly" in BUT you could do an accuracy type approach.

Thanks,
Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[jdhill 0]

You do not need to induce speed into a sub-100sf canopy to land it safely... I have seen a 68sf VX loaded at 3:1 land in half breaks uneventfully.

Josh (velocity 96 @ 2.4:1)

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[PhreeZone 20]

You can land any canopy with out additional speed inputs.

Sinking in a highly loaded canopy might not be the softest landing, but it can be done if you know your canopy well enough. (And you should if you are jumping that small of a canopy)

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Quote

This is for you guys jumping the sub-100 sq ft canopies that I KNOW don't weigh sub 100 lbs from a curious newb....

My understanding of why you can safely land the highly loaded canopies is because you come in hot and convert the speed to lift to you touch down - in a similar fashion to an airplane. Where as the big ass dump truck canopies like I jump just kinda float down slowly.

Can you do a float down, low speed landing with the sub-100 ft canopies? or is the descent rate too high and you really have to "fly" it to the ground to keep from doing damage?

The reason I ask is I was thinking of someone landing off on a highly loaded canopy and the landing area not having much of any place to "fly" in BUT you could do an accuracy type approach.

Thanks,
Jump

in reference to you asking about peaple landing off on a sub 100 sf canopy. if you ask most pilots jumping these you will likely find there deployment alt is 3500 ft or higher. high performance canopies breed high performance malfunctions. also the higher you are the better choice you have in outs. i find myself looking at the spot before i leave the airplane and while im in freefall. also i never get on the plane without knowing the winds.....with all this in mind it is rare that i land off.....and the landing area at my dz is not very big either.. and there isnt alot of outs..

[Yoshi 0]

I am not sub 1`00... but I do have a 111 crossfire II loaded at 1.85 or so. I have landed it in half brakes with ease. I wouldnt want to do it down wind, but I am sure I could without breaking anything.....
(lets hope I dont have to find out...knock on wood)

-yoshi

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[cobaltdan 0]

we have landed cobalts and onyx canopies well into the 3 # / sq' range without swooping and with a complete shut down.

obviously it requires a very high degree of skill, but if you can land your canopy as such you are jumping too high a wing load.

sincerely,

dan<><>
atair aerodynamics
www.extremefly.com

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

[D22369 0]

if the canopy isnt totally ragged out, there isnt any need to add extra speed, unless you go REALLY small.........I have a fx 85 at 2-1 it lands really nice straight in..........but its sooooooo much fun to swoop

Roy

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

[VectorBoy 0]

All canopys can be flown straight in nothing fancy. High performance canopys and anything heavily loaded will be more sensitive to inputs so a much greater experience and finesse are required.

[Steel 0]

Quote

You can land any canopy with out additional speed inputs.

Sinking in a highly loaded canopy might not be the softest landing, but it can be done if you know your canopy well enough. (And you should if you are jumping that small of a canopy)

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Just for the sake of clarity I may reiterate something here. I can land my canopy loaded at 4.1 straight in to a perfect shutdown, not having to take any steps(with slippery terrain) without any extra speed inputs. A sinking landing on the other hand is a different story. The more I have to sink the harder the landing will be (as is with any canopy only more pronounced). Just think if this was not the case then students would be told to go into deep brakes at 100 feet and hold it there all the way down. But that is not the case because the landing will be harder, always.
As for landing out. The last time I landed out was about 250 jumps ago. I was on a 12-way with people jumping canopies double the size of mine on the average. They were of course were spotting for themselves and not for me. But landing out was certainly nothing to cry about and I had no problem with it whatsoever.

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[Pablito 0]

You don't have to swoop in every jump, you can land them in straight in approaches no problem.
and even in half breaks

"If you don't overcome your fears they will overcome you first"
Shady Monkey/6Segundos Rodriguez/AKA Pablito

[ramon 0]

I jump at about 2.1-2.2. I would prefer not to have to set my canopy down in a small unknown area.

the small area is not the problem the problem is that many times small telephone and or power lines not visible at 1000' when you commit to your plan of action suddenly become visible while making a turn on to final.

Smaller canopies will have a greater rate of descent no matter the angle or efficiency so quick desicion making becomes crucial when landing in tight areas especially residential areas. It is much much easier to make last minute decisions on a 7 cell loaded at 1.2 and then actually sink the canopy striaght down to avoiad an obstacle than to realize there is a cable in your glide path on final under a 95 at 2.3

I can set my canopy down in a very small area if need be, the problem is the unknown areas causing poor decisions.

I have incorporated landing area considerations well in to my skydiving such that I have landed off only once since I started loading over 2.0 (of course this was one where small guide wires and powerlines appeared on final . I am usually last out on the first pass. but my napkin of choice (Competition Cobalt 105) always gets me back to the DZ...knock on wood

"Revolution is an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.", Ambrose Bierce.

[Pablito 0]

wise words Ramon

"If you don't overcome your fears they will overcome you first"
Shady Monkey/6Segundos Rodriguez/AKA Pablito

[monkeybot 0]

I got a comp cobalt 95 2.1:1 and coming straight in with 20+ winds was not an issue. No carve, no front risers nothing.
When I decided to keep this canopy that was one of my main issues (Landing straight in without any radical input) I flew this canopy straight in for about 15+ jumps in different wind conditions before doing any front riser manouvers.

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