best canopy for camera flyer??

[StevePhelps 0]

I'm 225lbs BEFORE gear and currently jump a Sabre 190 and a Sabre2 190 and I occaisionally borrow a Sabre 170 (I like it a lot). As you can see by my profile I have about 750 jumps. The Sabre 190 is on its last legs, and I'm THINKING about a new canopy. I'm NOT a hot shot canopy flyer -- actually, I'm quite conservative. My main priorities are SOFT openings. Any suggestions?

[PhreeZone 20]

Spectre from experience and reputation is the Pilot.

I'm waiting on the new canopy from Aerodyne to see how it opens, if its like how I hear the Pilot is then I will be trying it. About a month to do on that wait.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[DaGimp 0]

i have been jumping crossfire2's for about 800 jumps....from a 139 to a 99...and love them....softest openings i have found.......other videographers have just seen my openings on camera adn said "i think you just sold me a crossfire"-deuce...another vidiot at my DZ...jumps a stiletto..i say his openings are hard...he jumped my canopy and said "dude...i now know why you say my canopy opens hard"-BlueSBdeath.......

"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas

[skinnyshrek 0]

Well, i am 270 out the door and jump a nitro 135 love it love it love it awesome openings i used to jump a s2 150

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[BETO74 0]

I tried Safire 169 also like the Nitron don't know if they make that size I fly a 135, I have a crossfire 159 with mod lines that opens soft they usually do. The crossfire 159 is too much of a down size but if you can find a 170 it will work. I believe PD solve the problem with the hard openings with the sabre2 you can try that one.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[Anvilbrother 0]

I jump a spectre 230, and have good openings. Is is slow after it sits you up, then right before you think it is over it will "pop" one last time.

Postes r made from an iPad or iPhone. Spelling and gramhair mistakes guaranteed move along,

[freefalle 0]

I like my Triathalon, its given me a couple of hard openings but for the most part its been good to me.

[Sonicfreefly 0]

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2417
IMO the softest opening canopy I've flown has been the crossfire2. The video clip is of my old Xfire2 being deployed in a premature headdown dive. Jose walked away without any injury and will also confirm that the X-fire2 let him escape without injury. I believe the neptune showed approx. 170mph at deployment. (yes it was a fast headdown dive).

[skysurfcam 0]

I've owned, or had a good loan of the following as camera canopies- Stiletto, Crossfire, VX, FX, Velocity, Diablo, Sabre. Silhoette, Saphire, Bluetrack, Lightning(ouch!).

The undoubted winner for soft consistent openings is the Crossfire. It rotates you to upright, then gently blossoms into shape above you... Seriously, the hooded nose works well to stop the snatch you get from the Stiletto at the second stage of opening. Additionally it's fairly stable in line twists, without the "OhSh*tImOnMyBackAnd SPINNING" feel a Stiletto can sometimes give. 1000 jumps on my ST120's gave me 4 oppoutinities to test my plan B skills, in 1000 on Crossfires I've never had an opening I thought I'd be getting off, let alone one of those on my back flailing cutaways I hate with a helmet festooned with cameras.

The downside of the Crossfire is it can sometimes feel like it takes too long to open. Expect 1000' now and then. Not great fot a HopnPop from 1800... Also you need to watch out for lazy trackers with fast opening canopies below you, not a nice feeling to see a no track bozo on level with a fast developng VX as you go through the last 200' of a 1000' comfy opening.

YMMV

Craig

Brother Wayward's rule of the day...
"Never ever ever go skydiving without going parachuting immediately afterwards."
100% PURE ADRENALENS

[DanglesOZQld 0]

Definitely Crossfire 2's.

When outside cameraperson's were more prominent here we had 8 guys and girls and more than half were flying 2's.

BSBD! -Mark.

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[dragon2 2]

Love my Spectre 135, loved the Pilot 124 I demo'd and loved the Vengeance 135 I demo'd for camera too although not for BirdMan, so I'll stick to my Spectre for now... Unless someone gives me a Pilot 124 or 132 for free

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[BETO74 0]

then gently blossoms into shape above you... ***


I like how you put it

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[chopchop 0]

I have an exit weight of 270# give or take a few depending on my morning..

Currently I am jumping Pilot 140s and the openings are stellar.. I also love the glide ratio which makes the "last tandem outta the plane" spot not seem so bad.

chopchop
gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking..

Lotsa Pictures

[quade 4]

  Quote

I jump a spectre 230, and have good openings. Is is slow after it sits you up, then right before you think it is over it will "pop" one last time.

Then something is wrong either in the packing or the line set. Might wanna have the lines looked at for trim. If you're Psyco packing, you might wanna try packing according to the manufacturer's directions. Doing that, the Spectre -rarely- has anything except butter-soft on heading openings.

Then again, what do I know, I only have about 2500 jumps and zero malfunctions on Spectres.

I think a canopy that opens reliably is pretty important for camera work. That's not to say that people don't ever have malfunctions on Spectres, but when I see some canopies that some camera flyers jump, I cringe.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[mr2mk1g 10]

I recently borrowed a spectre 170 in order to do a load of back to back lifts.

I experianced the exact same kind of openings as anvilbrother describes. The break lines on that canopy were far far too short - I figured they needed letting out 3-4 inches at least. I put the odd openings down to the breaks being too deap during opening because of their shrinkage.

[chachi 0]

xfire or xfire 2. the softest opening canoy that i have ever jumped. i miss it - but i love my VX :D

[flypunk 0]

I have probably put around 700 jumps on my spectre, and it has about 900 on the same set of line and even though, the brakes were seriously shortened from use, I had nothing but nice soft openings.

I am currently on a firebolt and loving it. Its good to pull and be able to smile while you look at it open.

...

[BlueSBDeath 2]

I have to agree with Uncle Gimpy here................
that XFire2 is the softest opening paramachute I ever did deploy with my left hand

Arvel

BSBD...........Its all about Respect,

USPA#-7062, FB-2197, Outlaw 499

[fffff 0]

Try to get in contact with Aerodyne and test jump the Pilot, you'll love it.
I've got a Pilot 124 myself (about 230 out the door) and have gotten the nicest openings, soft & onheading. After opening it's great fun to fly.
Also you can fly it in deep breaks and wait for the team to land or make it back from a long spot.

later
F

------------------------------------------------
NIL VOLENTIBUS ARDUUM.
(nothing is difficult for those who really want it)

[NSEMN8R 0]

Demo a Blade from HiPer. Beezy gives out free demos so you have nothing to lose. If you do I'll bet ya buy it though. I wasn't even in the market for a new main when I did it. My Stiletto was being relined and I wanted something to jump while it was out so I took the free demo. I knew after the first jump on it that I was going to buy it. The openings are awesome and it's fun as hell to fly.

[ltdiver 3]

  Quote

Try to get in contact with Aerodyne and test jump the Pilot, you'll love it.
I've got a Pilot 124 myself (about 230 out the door) and have gotten the nicest openings, soft & onheading. After opening it's great fun to fly.
Also you can fly it in deep breaks and wait for the team to land or make it back from a long spot.

later
F

Believe it or not, the Pilot I demo'd (5 jumps) opened too fast for my liking.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

I had the same on a demo Pilot 140, somewhat unpredictable and quite rapid openings.

Once you get the packing right a Stiletto can open sweet consistently, it comes down to putting the slider in front of all the other rags.

I have a borrowed Safire II 149 in my back to back rig right now, and that one opens sweet even with the worst packjob, can't say that about the Stiletto.

"Don't make me come down there" - God.

My site:http://www.skystudio.nl/video.html
Some of my vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomSkyStudio

[wingnut 0]

i love my safire and will be getting a crosfire2 before the year is out, they open very nice always soft...... my vengance also opened pretty nice too.....

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[hipgnosis 0]

The Blade does have nice soft openings - softer than the Nitro.

Even better is the fact that if you do get line twists for whatever reason the canopy doesn't have a tendency to dive, and instead will be relatively stable while you kick out.

Plus it's a hell of a lot of fun to fly.

Definitely contact Beezy (user name beezyshaw) and set up a demo.


Bill

[dharma1976 0]

well from what I have jumped...

sabre, sabre2, crossfire 2, stilletto(Ouch like I thought I broke my back ouch), safire, pilot...

I like the crossfire2 :)

softest openings to date.

Cheers

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.