f-111 sq reserve rides-1.2 & up

[cruzlite 0]

I would like to hear from those with f-111 sq. reserve rides with reserves loaded at 1.2:1 & higher.
Please give loading & describe the experience, especially the landing.
Thanks,
D

[Hooknswoop 19]

I have landed several reserves loaded at 1.7+:1. I highly recommend against it.

Derek

[TALONSKY 0]

I have not had a reserve ride yet, but I did call PD up and get a demo of the reserve size I downsized to. I demoed a PD 143 loaded at 1.46 to one and it flew great and landed nice. If you are inquiring to gather info on downsizing reserve I would highly recommend calling up PD(I am not sure if other manufactures of reserves will let you demo them) and getting a demo(it only cost if I remember correctly something like $40 plus shipping). Demoing the size I went down to gave me lots of confidence in flying the reserve
Kirk

[AggieDave 6]

I did the same, with a PDr 176 (loaded at almost/about 1.7:1), got the demo, flew it a few times. It flew well, actually, better then I thought it would.

I even hooked it on one of the jumps, it even swooped well.

Now, how will that be when I actually need it? That I can not tell you, yet.


With all of that said, I would believe Derek's (Hooknswoop) comments about loading out a reserve before I'd believe mine, simply because he's a very skilled jumper/rigger and he's used his reserves much more then I have.

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

[psw097 0]

I've had one around 1.5/1 and another 1.7/1. My Micro Raven 120 does not have much glide and a very fast/abrupt stall.

[cloud9 0]

I had two reserve rides on a Tempo 150 loaded about 1.4 I found it sluggish to fly, had a steep glide, turns were slow and the landings were both fine stand ups. No problems at all, overall I really like the Tempo

[AndyMan 7]

I jump a PD reserve loaded at 1.6. I got a demo, set it up as a main, and I've got a handfull of jumps on it. I've landed it down-wind in 20 mph winds, too.

I don't recomend a reserve at that wingloading, unless you've got a lot of two out of three: skill, balls, luck.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[DanG 1]

I've landed a PDr-143 at 1.5 twice with no problems, both nice stand-up landings. Flew much better than I expected.

It may have helped that my first canopy was a 7-cell F-111, so I knew a little about what to expect.

- Dan G

[Kris 0]

I have a reserve ride on a PD-176R loaded at 1.53:1. It flew and landed great. Easy standup on a hot, no-wind day. I think I had to take all of two steps on the landing.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[sdctlc 0]

Landed a PD126 loaded at 1.8 and thought I was going pretty fast so to be safe took a wrap and when I flared I went back up a bit, canopy gave a very strong flare and impressed me. Stood the landing up no problems but dont recomend that load on a reserve, I was mooooving. My current rig I load the reserve at about 1.2 to 1.25 and feel that is more appropiate to my needs.....

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[GravityGirl 0]

PD 113 at 1.4 Great flare in no wind conditions. Yippee!

It has been my experience that PD reserves fly have superior performance at the higher wing loadings.

I have 7 actual reserve rides and a number of demos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[olstad 0]

I landed a techno 140 loaded at 1,9. I felt the landing was like my first canopy. A Maverick. Loaded that much the canpy had a very steep glideangle.

Do the math...

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

I would like to hear from those with f-111 sq. reserve rides with reserves loaded at 1.2:1 & higher.
Please give loading & describe the experience, especially the landing.
Thanks,
D

My exit weight used to be 200-205 pounds. With ~195-200 remaining I put 3 rides on my Tempo 150 and 2 on my PD143 (1.3 - 1.4 depending on weight and how you measure) and had good landings at 5000 feet MSL.

At the same weight and elevation, I put a few jumps on a PD126R as a main (1.5-1.6). The landings were uneventful, although the loading was clearly beyond optimal, I opted for the PD143 in my next rig.

FWIW, the PD's fly a lot better, land better, and have more reinforcing tapes than the Tempos.

[ematteo 0]

PD143R at 1.5. Nice little surf on landing. Good response to control inputs.

My main is loaded at 1.8 and I definitely like my reserve more conservative than my main.

FWIW, when I bought my rig, my rigger (a master rigger) said he would not install a reserve loaded much above 1.5 for anyone. Even the DZO, who had been loaded higher, was sizing back up.

[dragon2 2]

I have 3 rides on my 128 reserve now, loaded at 1.2 First one ended in me braking my nose (threads are around somewhere, 'Not happy with reserve' or something like that). Not really the reserve's fault tho. Second I did an intentional (also, see thread) half a year later, was under it at a little under 3000 ft and practiced flaring a bit, landed it tippy-toe. Then 4 weeks after that (my last repack so far knock knock) I had a lineover on my main, I was last out and had pulled at 4 k so again, enough altitude under my reserve. It set me down quite nicely again. So nice that the other 20 people didn't even notice I had a reserve till I asked for my freebag!
The thing lands much better then my Lightning 126 does!

I mostly jump 7 cells, which was why this reserve was okayed for me at 50 jumps, with a Spectre 150 for a main. I must say I'm glad I didn't have to try it out when I was still on the 150 tho. I think flying all those 7 cells (noticiceably the Lightnings) helped me a lot. Right now it is a good reserve for me I believe. And everybody said it was at 50 jumps, too. I'd consider a PD 113 or 126 now, or stick with this one or a Techno 128 (newer version of mine) for my main rig. But now I know better what I'm talking about.
My other rig (CRW rig, maybe soon to be BirdMan rig, too) has a 175 reserve, man that's big! I'd much rather land that one if I end up unconcious or something... No rides on that one yet tho, knock knock.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[darkwing 5]

PD176 loaded at 1.3, at field elevation of 3500. It was fine, but remember, circumstances can be adverse when landing a reserve, so just because all is well when things go smoothly, they might not be when you are battered, bruised, unconscious, or landing in someones back yard.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[airgord 1]

PD126R, 1.8+ at 105 degrees f, 1500' field elevation
(not density altitude). Practiced the flare up high a few times then took a wrap and had a nice somewhat fast standup landing. I do not recommend this wing loading except for highly experienced canopy pilots and even then it may not (landing) be survivable if you were unconsious.

[Tonto 1]

I jump a tempo 120 loaded to 1.6. Our DZ is 5000ft AMSL. I have 3 landings on it. Landings are "demanding" and require all the skill I have - including about 600 dives on F-111 type fabric 7 cells.

Unless you are very current, highly skilled and have good "feel" for what the wing is telling you, I'd steer clear. I won't load higher than I'm currently at.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[mr2mk1g 10]

I demoed a PD176r loaded to 1.31:1. It flew great and was surprisingly nimble. It was packed to open in line twists and flew straight and level until I kicked out the twists at my leisure. The landing was great, with a flair just like I used on my Sabre of the time I came in with a short surf and soft touch down.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Glidepath Criket 144( 147sqf). My exit wight was 211-216 lbs. It was going down fast and steep. I got an accepable standup landing.

[Infensus 0]

Landed a Transfair 128 loaded at 1.56. During opening from a (apparently stable) sit-position maybe 0.5 seconds after exit (the person i was linked with inadvertently pulled my reserve ripcord) from 13000ft the canopy developed a 4 turn twist. The canopy was spinning fairly violently and developed 2 more turns before i managed to stop me rotating relative to the chute.. After i while i managed to kick myself out of the twists and stop the spinning reserve. I lost about 2000 ft doing this. The landing itself was no problem as I had plenty of time practicing flares!

During the spin i thought that if I werent able to fix the twists/spin within 4000 feet AGL, I would have to cut the reserve lines using the hook knife and deploy the main... there was no way I would survive a landing under that canopy.

So.. "heavily" loaded reserves can also spin more than enough to kill you.

[riggerrob 643]

My impression is that 1980s-vintage reserves (Ravens and Swifts) were only designed to be loaded at 1:1, whereas late-1990s vintage reserves (PD, Smart, R-Max) were designed for wing loadings up to 1.5.
That being said, you had better have plenty of jumps on mains loaded at 1.5 before you try landing a reserve loaded at 1.5.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

I jump a PD reserve loaded at 1.6. I got a demo, set it up as a main, and I've got a handfull of jumps on it. I've landed it down-wind in 20 mph winds, too.

I don't recomend a reserve at that wingloading, unless you've got a lot of two out of three: skill, balls, luck.

_Am

Wonder which ones I have - landed my PD reserve at a 1.6 WL (my first, 2nd on canopy) after my mal. I did demo a PD reserve at Quincy when I first started jumping, and did some jumps under an old F111 7Cell as well, I've also jumped a Diablo, Tri, and Spectre. I feel very confident under 7 cells at almost any wingloading up to 1.7. A reserve at that WL is a very serious consideration, and it is NOT a WL for newbies.

The PD-R flew like a Sabre/Spectre at that WL, and flared strong, but it was a really deep flare and it has to be timed right - doing the typical 1-2-3 like you do on ZP will get you broken in half. Turns were sporty and the recovery arc from deep turns was immediate. I could have stood it up, but choose to PLF just in case (it was an off landing).

The PD Reserve is an amazing canopy -- opened fast and on heading after an unstable deployment. I have no desire to to jump any other reserve, but I am starting to hear good things about the Smart

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....