Best big way canopy?

[lifesatrip 0]

What is the best big way canopy? I know you want something that you open lower and will open consistant and on heading. My Samurai is just not that canopy and I got a second rig this winter for doing bigger stuff. So what should i get for doing big ways?

[skydiverek 63]

How about Pulse?

[Ron 10]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=canopy+for+bigways&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=&sb=score&mh=25

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[josephwood 0]

Pilot

[billvon 2,989]

Canopies I have used on bigways -

Nitro 108. Excellent bigway openings (moderate speed, always on heading.) For a really big dive I'd use a larger version though, just to have more time to deal with close calls.

Pilot 140. Very good canopy. Slightly softer openings (not always a good thing when you're in the outer ring) mostly on heading.

Spectre 150. Not so great. Not as good on heading performance and very slow openings.

Crossfire2 109. Not a good canopy. Has a mind of its own on openings.

Safire1 129. Good all around canopy; usually on heading, moderate speed openings. Very nice flare for a 130ish sized canopy. (This one had the line mod.)

If I had my choice, for something like the 500-way I'd want a largish (140-150) Nitro.

[BikerBabe 0]

I would argue that the best big way canopy is the one you are MOST comfortable and proficient at flying.

when i had money and could still afford big ways, I used my Jedei 105, loaded at about 1.5:1. Because I KNEW the canopy. I knew how to fly it, how it opened, how to put it down exactly where I wanted it to go, and how to land it in all sorts of conditions. Most people would say it isn't a "good" big-way canopy, but really, I think i would have been uncomfortable flying anything else with 100 other people in the sky.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[jsaxton 0]

Quote

Pilot

I demo'd a pilot 124 at the last event (185way) and was pretty impressed. It was very manageable in spite of loading 1.8:1. Only had 1 "off heading" (meby 30 degrees off) opening. opened good, flew good, good flare.

[diablopilot 2]

One that flies similar to the others on the load.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[zoobrothertom 5]

Only half-joking...

Jump anything F-111 in a 7 cell and you can pull ontime and watch everybody snivel by you. Or, you can pull low and open with everybody else and still land last!

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[pinkfairy 0]

Quote

One that flies similar to the others on the load.

Moderate planform 7 or 9 cell, wingloaded from 1.26-ish:1 to 1.77-ish:1 Good opening characteristics, good glide characteristics, easy to float in brakes, big enough that you feel good about landing it out wearing whatever weights you require to be in the formation.

I really like my Pilot, but I'd feel good about jumping a spectre, Sabre2, Pulse, Safire, Storm or anything similar. I fly so small canopies anyway that care must be taken to pack an on heading opening, but all of these have good openings.

With the ZPX fabric, you could get a bigger Pilot that fits your rig than you could with other canopies.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?