First canopy

[flyingstrauss 0]

Can someone tell me what is the first canopy I should buy if I want to learn canopy piloting??? Thanks...

[davelepka 4]

PD Navigator 280

[chuckakers 426]

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Can someone tell me what is the first canopy I should buy if I want to learn canopy piloting??? Thanks...

Something docile.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[Sangi 0]

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PD Navigator 280

At 73 jumps lol?

More like Sabre2 / Safire2/ Pilot / Fusion (size depending on weight and capabilities).

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Icarus Tandem 364

[ianmdrennan 2]

It's a hard question to answer since it depends on a multitude of factors:

wingloading, canopy size, canopy type, currency, etc.

I think Chuck's response was most appropriate. Something docile, that you can spend time on focusing on building a solid foundation for higher performance canopy piloting.

Right now, you should be working on your core skills - landing patterns, flare height and technique, etc. The more time you spend on these, the easier the other stuff becomes.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[davelepka 4]

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At 73 jumps lol?

73 jumps on what? T-10? Yugoslvian military surplus from WW2?

73 jumps when? 1989? 1979?

With the information provided, the Nav 280 is the canopy of choice. If he wants to share his experience to date, exit weight, and goals in canopy flying, I'd be happy to revise my answer.

Even the most remedial amount of research would have revealed the importance of those factors when it comes to canopy selection and learning progressions. In the absence of even remedial research into the subject, the only thing I would reccomend is the 280.

[DocPop 1]

If you read his profile, it does say he has only been in the sport for 2 years, so that implies 73 jumps in that timeframe.

Only a Nav 280? Not a Manta 288, or something else?

Do you have to adjust the way you sit on your harness to compensate for the weight of that chip on your shoulder?

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[ianmdrennan 2]

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Do you have to adjust the way you sit on your harness to compensate for the weight of that chip on your shoulder?

Take it to PM's.

Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[sparkie 0]

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Can someone tell me what is the first canopy I should buy if I want to learn canopy piloting??? Thanks...

the basics can be learned on any canopy.

Canopy piloting, as in hp landings etc, comes much much later. By then you will be able to decide by yourself what canopy comes next.

I am really into CP and enjoy the canopy flight more than the falling part, but i am still sometimes amazed at how little i know. I started making real progress after about 600 jumps, and after i slammed into the ground once first.

Just keep jumping, take the time to learn the basics.

For future reference and if you are a PD guy you could consider the sabre2-katana-velo path.

probably more info than you needed but hth

[JohanW 0]

My advice would be a Silhouette, loaded about 0.9:1.

You may rapidly outgrow this, to the point of wanting to fly 1.0:1 or maybe 1.1:1 (depending on style, age, weight and a lot of other things), so if at all possible, rent at first, a whole rig or just the main canopy.

But it would help if we knew more about you - so you may want to ask someone who has seen you jump and land and who knows what's possible in your circumstances and surroundings, and what's not, like your local instructor.

One of these days, I should really jump a Sabre 2 at a wingload around 1.0; it may be an option but right now, I lack first-hand knowledge and am too conservative to recommend that one. But it may be an option in your immediate future (I hesitate to say now, at 73 jumps).

Making jumps ~100-~600 on a Silhouette never hurt me, and kept me alive when I made my one bad mistake so far.

Johan.
I am. I think.

[half-a-greek 0]

I love my Triathalon... it always opens, it's not the fastest or coolest canopy but it's still fun to fly, and it's easy to kick out of line twists in. It enables you to learn without getting in over your head. good luck with the search

[AggieDave 6]

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It enables you to learn without getting in over your head.

That old design flares so very differently then every single other modern canopy on the market, that it is now a horrible choice. If a 7-cell is desired, there are much better choices available that set you up for success as you grow and transition to other canopies.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ianmdrennan 2]

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My advice would be a Silhouette, loaded about 0.9:1.

I've put a bunch of jumps (recently) on a Silhouette 170, 150 and Sabre 2 150.

No doubt the Silhouette is a great canopy, but I really found the Sabre2 to be a far nicer canopy (for me), from opening all the way through to touchdown.

I'd favor it over your recommendation.

However, as always, different strokes for different folks
Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[half-a-greek 0]

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It enables you to learn without getting in over your head.

That old design flares so very differently then every single other modern canopy on the market, that it is now a horrible choice. If a 7-cell is desired, there are much better choices available that set you up for success as you grow and transition to other canopies.

sniff sniff... but I love my Triathlon

In seriousness though, you have me interested. Why is the Triathlon outdated and what other canopies would be better?

[regulator 0]

So what are 'normal' wingloadings used by CReW dogs?

do most of you doing canopy formations on lightly loaded canopies? >.10?

just curious

[AggieDave 6]

Aerodyne has worked very hard to try to keep the canopy current, releasing new lineset versions. The canopy doesn't open all that well, it flies OK, but the flare stroke leaves a lot to be desired. The bottom end of the flare isn't very powerful and unlike other more modern designed canopies, it doesn't plane out very well.

If you like the canopy, keep the canopy. If you want to try some different things I recommend you demo some canopies. From there it depends on what your goals for canopy flight are. Do you want a 7-cell or a 9-cell and what do you want to do with it? For 7-cells Icarus and PD both offer some options and both have demo programs. I'm a HUGE fan of the PD Storm, but I would recommend demoing the Omega and the Spectre as well. Understand that those canopies will perform differently then what you have been jumping. So please get with your local canopy mentor for advice and guidance as well.

As for other canopies, well, back in '02 I spent the year demoing everything I could get my hands on. Through demo programs and by borrowing canopies from people. Since then I have continued the process, taking the opportunity to jump new canopies as they come on the market. Jump everything that you want, that is appropriate for your skill level and in appropriate sizes. You'll have fun and you'll learn about different canopies.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[dragon2 2]

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So what are 'normal' wingloadings used by CReW dogs?

do most of you doing canopy formations on lightly loaded canopies? >.10?

just curious

About 1.3-1.4 WL for lightweight team training, world record, funjumps. About 2.0 for serious rotation teams ...

Newbie coaching jumps can of course be done on lighter wingloadings, however if you want to do bigger formations you'll have to conform to the rest of the group.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Aerodyne has worked very hard to try to keep the canopy current, releasing new lineset versions. The canopy doesn't open all that well, it flies OK, but the flare stroke leaves a lot to be desired. The bottom end of the flare isn't very powerful and unlike other more modern designed canopies, it doesn't plane out very well.

It is not a swoop machine that is for sure. If you just want reliable openings and soft landing it is just fine.

[half-a-greek 0]

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Aerodyne has worked very hard to try to keep the canopy current, releasing new lineset versions. The canopy doesn't open all that well, it flies OK, but the flare stroke leaves a lot to be desired. The bottom end of the flare isn't very powerful and unlike other more modern designed canopies, it doesn't plane out very well.

If you like the canopy, keep the canopy. If you want to try some different things I recommend you demo some canopies. From there it depends on what your goals for canopy flight are. Do you want a 7-cell or a 9-cell and what do you want to do with it? For 7-cells Icarus and PD both offer some options and both have demo programs. I'm a HUGE fan of the PD Storm, but I would recommend demoing the Omega and the Spectre as well. Understand that those canopies will perform differently then what you have been jumping. So please get with your local canopy mentor for advice and guidance as well.

As for other canopies, well, back in '02 I spent the year demoing everything I could get my hands on. Through demo programs and by borrowing canopies from people. Since then I have continued the process, taking the opportunity to jump new canopies as they come on the market. Jump everything that you want, that is appropriate for your skill level and in appropriate sizes. You'll have fun and you'll learn about different canopies.

Hmmm... Good food for thought. My lineset only has maybe a 100 jumps left on it, and I need a new slider. I've toyed around with the idea of just getting a different used canopy... I figure I'll start asking about the matter around the DZ when the time comes.

[AggieDave 6]

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If you just want reliable openings and soft landing it is just fine.

The downside is spending too many jumps on it then the transition to a modern design will be much harder. Imagine someone spending their first 50 jumps after student status on a Tri 190 then they buy a Pilot 190 (sticking with in the brand). The transition will be "interesting" to say the least. Now what if that person (sticking with a 7-cell) had an Omega 189 and then bought a Safire2 189, the transition would be smoother simply due to the flaring characteristics of the canopies.

There are some people that love their Tri's, just like there are some people that love their Racers...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[phoenixlpr 0]

At least there would be some people know how to flare a reserve properly.

[superhina 0]

73 jumps on what? T-10? Yugoslvian military surplus from WW2?



LOL

[flyingstrauss 0]

Right now I have 80 jumps, by the time I get a canopy I'll have at least 120. I've been jumping Manta 288, Navigator 280, Navigator 260, Raider 220, and accuracy canopy Kluz K-360... And I weight only 65 kg...

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[SethInMI 174]

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Right now I have 80 jumps, by the time I get a canopy I'll have at least 120. I've been jumping Manta 288, Navigator 280, Navigator 260, Raider 220, and accuracy canopy Kluz K-360... And I weight only 65 kg...

I will throw in my own experience, FWIW.

I jumped a Triathlon 190 from jump 55-130.
Then a Sabre 2 170 from 131-190.
Now a Sabre 2 150.

I weigh 175lbs, too.

I thought the Tri was hard to land in 0 to light winds, it was full flare then a full sprint runout. The Sabre 2 had more flare and could be shutdown better.

I had and have a lot of fun doing mini-swoops, 90 front to doubles on both the Sabres.

Seth

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".