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Look at the data panel Assuming it's square, the area is chord X span. You'll get a different measurement from topskin to bottom skin... I guess you could average the two. If it's tapered, you could measure the area by the sum of the area of a few geometrical shapes, then average top and bottom. Those are real world measurements; if you want to know what the manufacturer "says" it is, you'll have to call the manufacturer and ask (if you can't read it on the data panel). EDIT: Damn, you got to it first! Jason

Any regulations imposed by the IOC would only affect those people attempting to go to the Olympics i.e. the swoopers. I can't see any reason why these regulations would transcend the sport of skydiving in the US. Every Olympic event has rules and regulations, but they don't affect anyone who participates in that particular sport for recreational purposes only. Jason

No offense, but he's asking for advice, not a plug. There are a few different canopy control schools to choose from. Gabo: Flying a VX can be a bit tricky because of the extremely high front riser pressure. This is more of a problem if you do gradual turns instead of snap hooks. As the speed builds it becomes more and more difficult to hold the riser(s) down. There are a few things you can work on to manage this: First, not only should you know how much altitude you lose for a given degree of turn with a given turn rate, but you should also know how long it takes for pressure to build up for a given degree of turn with a given turn rate. Once you match the time it takes to build pressure with a given degree of turn, then see how much altitude was lost, you've hypothetically come up with the most efficient turn. You should do this with any turn you do. Second, you can approach your pattern in deep brakes to minimize the initial front riser pressure. The last thing I can think of is nailing your setup. With such high front riser pressure, if you're off on your setup, it's almost impossible to adjust your turn halfway through on front risers so you're stuck adjusting with the harness, rears or toggles. I prefer my Xaos-27 for this very reason. I can easily adjust my approach mid-turn. However, you still get the best swoop if you nail the setup, adjust the turn very little, and have maximum pressure built just as you're coming out. I write this assuming you're already proficient with strait in approaches and you're already intimately familiar with the VXs recovery arc. Jason

The whole point of a tetrahedron is to have a structure that's heavy enough that it doesn't turn in light winds. It should only turn if the wind is significant. It should never have to be pinned down. And if you're relying on a tetrahedron at the airport that may or may not be pinned down, build one specifically for the dz. Jason

Well, we could argue the "what if's" ad nauseam. I would take the chance of having a couple additional regulations to see a few skydivers basking in the glory of an Olympic medal, rather than just sitting back and accepting the status quo out of fear. Plus, regulations imposed on NASCAR drivers would have no effect on everyday drivers.... Why would regulations imposed on swoopers in an Olympic event have any effect on skydivers in general? Jason

A stamp is supposed to prevent pencil packing? Sheesh. All you need is a spare packing data card to get around that. A person could pencil pack their own long, consistent history of packjobs onto it too. If you really wanted to prevent pencil packing, I guess you could go around ripping your seals off after 120 days.... But that's only a little better. Jason

Yeah, I can just picture Mr. Wuffo Couch Commando watching the Olympics saying, "Ohhh! Did you see that dude smack? I knew he didn't have enough altitude to use his rears... and he should have stuck with the Velocity 79 loaded at 2.1 instead of the 75! And when did he start doing that 180 to 360 crap?! Everybody knows that turn makes accuracy more difficult! We need to regulate swooping and skydiving." Etc., etc.. I've watch Olympic sports such as skiing, and I've seen people crash, but the first thing that came to my mind was not "those Olympic caliber athletes shouldn't be allowed to use those skis, or run that course." I thought, "s/he messed up." Jason

It may not provide a great financial return, but it will provide great savings. How long do you plan to be skydiving? How many repacks, etc. does that amount to? I initially got my ticket so that I could simply do my own rigging. Now, as I expect happens with many riggers, I do more rigging for others than I do for myself. Rigging also allows you to become more familiar with your gear and gear in general. Like the others, I like to know how things work... Jason

His numbers are right, he's just clarifying that it technically won't open at 750 ft if you're going 29 mph (13 m/s): It'll open at 1000. Here are some examples: @1000 ft -> student is traveling 29-78: Cypres fire. @1000 ft -> student is traveling 78+: No Cypres fire yet. @750 ft -> student is traveling 78+: Cypres fire. This is very significant when a student rides the plane down (because of weather, etc.). I've seen a Cypres fire @1000 ft due to a high descent rate. Jason

A more realistic estimate would be something like 200-300 (there are over 100 PST Pro qual'd pilots alone), but I'm sure it's still quite small. Edit: Of course many of the PST Pro qual'd pilots fly something larger than a 90 (e.g. me), but the majority fly something smaller. Jason

The existence of a pop-top does not a two pin system make (e.g. Reflex). Jason

You're correct, thanks for clarifying. Jason

Yes, but most modern sport rigs use a one pin system. Racers are probably the most common example of a two pin system. Jason

Expert: Fires at 78mph at 750 ft. Student: Fires at 29mph at 750 ft. One pin: For one pin reserve containers. Two pin: For two pin reserve containers. Jason

I use ~18 inch ~3-5 lb. weights (using lead shot from a gun shop) made of 2 inch tubular nylon webbing (from an outdoor/climbing store). I only use clamps for hanging a canopy up for inspection. Jason

Uh... don't you mean Andy, Luke, Shaylan, and TJ? Jason

Poynter's parachute manual, vol. 1, has a lot of good general info. Jason

I am a bit of a grump, aren't I? Forgive me. Okay, I'll concede that familiarity may help. But I made my point... though I probably could have done it more lightly ;) Jason

Bad advice.... The bag is different, bridal routing is different, and the closing order is different. It doesn't matter if your riggers has ever packed a Javelin, in fact better if he hasn't considering what Phree just said. As long as he is properly rated and is willing to read the Wings manual. Phree, I'm not trying to bust on you, but rigs have different TSOs for a reason.... Jason

Wings Owner's Manual I wouldn't worry about the rigging issue (as long as your rigger is willing to read and follow directions). Jason

I have two Mirages, but it'll only let me vote once! Jason

So is this a landable canopy? Are you ready to market it or is it still in prototype stages? How does it open, fly, land? Does the cross-bracing only go back to the C lines? Which are you going to sell, the 7 or 9 cell planform? Cost? Demos? Have you done datalogging, and if so, does this canopy perform appreciably better than other HP canopies (and I don't mean the Cobalt)? Riser pressure, front, back? In other words, would you care to elaborate? Jason

Hey Ramon, what's up? Sorry for the delay, I've been out at the dz for a few days.... Ahh, I haven't seen the video yet! I just emailed SteveO about that. How did I start doing them? Not very well! When I first started trying them I would usually catch a knee in the water and pop up like you're saying. So instead of leaving my knees in front of me, when I want to do a double foot drag (which usually leads to a dead man ;) I try to set my feet in first and let them drag my legs behind me, so I can't catch a knee. But it is hard to leave enough ooomph to get yourself out of the pond after dragging so much. The only course it would really be good for is zone accuracy-- if you're going too fast... other than that it's all for fun!! Jason

Better canopy? Hmm, that's a very subjective question. I think that the VX and the Velocity (I've never flown an FX) are both very nice canopies, and with the right pilot below them, can be flown equally well. Many of the reasons I've heard for choosing one or the other have boiled down to small personal preferences. I will say that Velocity's that I've flown have opened better than the VX's I've flown (and Xaos' open better than either....). Jason

I have a couple jumps on a Sigma 370-- I think it's an awesome canopy. It flies a bit like a big Stiletto, but opens better. Very nice. I put one of the first ten jumps on one particular S370, and I thought it would be difficult to pack, but it wasn't bad even though it's a ZP monster. Jason