Velocity , Katana, or ??

[speedy 0]

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I wish I had started swooping as a discipline earlier...

I wish I'd never started swooping. It's like a drug, you keep doing it even after the long hospital visits.

You break bones, and they heal, but how many bones do you have to break to kick the habit?

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[piahenzi 0]

Im guessing, the last one.....

As if skydiving wasn't bad enough to be addicted to, swooping takes it to a whole different level of "need for speed"... I totally agree and I get it. Nice to know there are others out there feeling the same and having a place to share that bond. As I stated earlier, I wish I'd started earlier ( my first JUMP was at 33 yrs old) and after 9 years, that wish just gets amplified, but better late than never. I am sooooo immensely happy that I made that first tandem.. and here I am, ordering a Katana 97.. Yeah baby, that's LIVING!!!

[LoudDan 0]

No assholioness intended, but the person referred to in that link had around 1300 jumps and was considering between a Katana and a Velo.

Personally I think the Katana is a great and extremely fun canopy to fly....that said I (and this is just my two cents here) don't think it is the best tool to use for getting rid of Stiletto habits.

Many people believe that the KA was designed as a replacement for the Stiletto which is definately not the case. The Stiletto has a very flat trim and very shallow recovery arc, the Katana on the other hand is the polar opposite it is ground hungry and has a deep recovery arc approaching that of a Velo.

I'm not saying you couldn't safely pilot a Katana, what I'm saying is that if your goal is to pilot a Katana and after that a Velocity well, a good transitional canopy between the Stiletto and the Katana would be a Sabre II. It is a stable platform that is more forgiving when you are figuring things out. Learning proper technique on something bigger and slower makes transitioning to the higher performance wings easier.

Whatever you choose get coaching, BE SAFE and BE CONSERVATIVE.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

[tonka 2]

I just sent back a Katana 83 demo.
Put 25 jumps on it.
Sweet canopy.
Flies great at a 2.0wl
It dives like nothing else I have jumped.


I usually fly a cobalt and competition cobalt.
You should demo either of them.
Dont dive quite like the Katana but they are
awesome swoop canopies.
The have tons of flare when you need it and
the rear riser pressure is much lighter than the Katana.
Cobalts easily plane out on rears and glide forever.

I think I will stick to the Cobalts for a few hundred more jumps and then get the Katana 83 when I can afford it.

Try a cobalt. Demos are free, just pay shipping.

[dharma1976 0]

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I wish I had started swooping as a discipline earlier...

I wish I'd never started swooping. It's like a drug, you keep doing it even after the long hospital visits.

You break bones, and they heal, but how many bones do you have to break to kick the habit?

I so identify with this...its like the rest of the skydive doesn't matter as much as the canopy flight most of the time...I find myself doing whatever it takes to get in the air...filming four way...filming students...coaching students...pretty much so I can swoop (well and with the students I do love working with the excitedness)

Dave

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[piahenzi 0]

exactly....why else do 4-way video if not for the free canopy ride?? I am all about it

[Metekanya 0]

I have read a comment saying that the Katana is a completely different canopy than the Stiletto. It is, but I switched from a Stilleto 107 loaded at 1.5 to a Katana 97 and though the Katana is truly more ground hungry, I immediately felt safer with its longer recovery arch, giving me more time to go for rear risers, adjust the direction if necessary, etc. I had been warned of this fact before jumping it and I just started the turns higher and went down little by little, with patience and getting mentally accustomed to the loss of altitude in the turn. I did not have the feeling at any time that I suddenly had got into an absolutely new race machine that wanted to kill me at the first possible occasion or anything like that. I felt very comfortable from the beginning.

I am not saying that this change is the most recommendable, but it is not something crazy having a little of patience and care.

The Katana (of course smaller) is definitely more sensitive to body position on opening, but once this is taken care of, it opens fantastically.

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[superwoman8433 0]

IAN DRENNAN----I demand an apology. How can you dare say nothing good comes out of Texas??? That's where I was BORN AND RAISED!!! Until you apologize, I am not coming to see you

I think Annie would be real upset if we didn't come for the farm wedding

Although, I did get the hell out of there as soon as I graduated.

[LoudDan 0]

Don't do it dude........make her beg for an apology not demand one.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

[ianmdrennan 2]

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IAN DRENNAN----I demand an apology. How can you dare say nothing good comes out of Texas??? That's where I was BORN AND RAISED!!! Until you apologize, I am not coming to see you

I think Annie would be real upset if we didn't come for the farm wedding

Although, I did get the hell out of there as soon as I graduated.

Kevin and yourself will just have to come and ask for it personally
So...I stand by my previous statement until then

Performance Designs Factory Team

[superwoman8433 0]

Well I guess I have to come and demand an apology in person....you know I am going to demand a little more than an apology. I haven't been the same since your comment

If I come get it in person then you owe me a jump, since I never got one last time because of some crazy biooootch