MWGemini

I'm not really in a hurry to downsize, more in a hurry to be jumping my own rig, primarily for financial reason (less money spent renting is more money spent jumping). I just want to make sure that whatever rig I *DO* purchase is going to be able to last me a long time, since they are so expensive. I'm just trying to make the most informed decision possible. That's not to say that I haven't had fun jumping the 290s,, and I am still having fun, and have a lot to learn, jumping the 230s. But what about in 6 months? A year? 2? THAT is why I'm looking at a rig that is too small for my current abilities, on the assumption that I can grow into it over a period of several years. Skybytch briefly mentioned the canopy control courses I asked about, but did not give any more information. Can you tell me more about them, or where to find them? As I (think I) said, I will *NOT* be downsizing all the way to a 170 right off of student status. I will not downsize until I, and my instructors, feel that it is safe to do so. I know that I have a lot to learn about canopy control and flight, and that there are certain things I need to be able to do before downsizing. That was the original intent of my post, to get help becoming a better canopy pilot on what I am flying now, and then focus every jump on improving my skills with certain exercises or techniques or something, so that I can improve faster, and with that, be able to downsize faster. My primary goal in this sport is, and always has been, safety. I do not want to get hurt or killed out there but without dedicated training, my skills will not improve as much. My instructors are great, and I learn a lot every time I talk to them, but my home DZ is often extremely busy with tandems and such, so it is hard to grab an instructor and sit them down for an hour and ask about things that you all probably take for granted as experienced pilots but that I have no idea about. So, again, I apologize if anyone out there read my original post and mistook it as another dumb student trying to make himself into a stain on the tarmac. I want to be the best canopy pilot I can be, and that is going to take dedicated instruction. So if anyone knows where I can find out about those courses, videos, books that I should read, etc, please let me know. Again, I will NOT jump a canopy that I or my instructors feel are beyond my abilities to fly and land safely. Thanks, Mike EDIT: This is a response to a PM that a concerned jumper sent me, thought it might help everyone understand my intentions. I wrote that while I was tired, so maybe it came out wrong, but I am not in a rush to downsize, and I will not fly anything that is unsafe. I mainly want to learn as much as I can through courses, personal instruction, videos, and books, about canopy flight, so that I can hone my skills so that when I DO downsize, it is safe to do so. I will be progressing down in size slowly, as my instructors and I feel that my skills allow for it. That is why I put my wing loading and exit weight in the first post for several diffferent canopy sizes, as that is going to be what my progression will be, with the rental gear my DZ has. Once off student status, I want to be jumping my own rig as soon as possible, since rental gear is more than the cost of a jump ticket. It is for that reason I want to learn quickly, so that I won't have to be renting long. If I can find a good system sized for a 170 that I can put a 190 in, I would prefer that, but I am looking at a good, low jump G3 complete system that would be just about perfect for me, and would work well for several years and several disciplines of freefall that I want to get in to. It's a good rig at a good price, so I want to get it if I can. One of my instructors even said go for it, just don't be expecting to jump it right off student status, which I am not. So how do I become a better canopy pilot so that I can safely downsize when the time is right? What skills do I need to learn, and master, before I can downsize? Thanks, Mike

I know BOC is bottom of chute, but what is the difference between pull put and throw out? Thanks, Mike

As an added question (for another student jumper trying to plan ahead), are there any rigs that are preferred, or should be avoided, for wingsuit flight? I am currently looking at a Mirage G3, since it is reportedly a lot more freefly friendly than Javelins (and I want to get into freeflying one day as well). I want my first rig to last me as long as possible before I outgrow it and have to buy another one, so if I can get something thats both freefly friendly AND wingsuit friendly, in the right size, I'm set. Thanks, Mike

I am a student, just did my 15th jump today. My first 5 jumps were tandems, then up to 14 I was jumping Skymaster 290s. Today I jumped a Hornet 230 for the first time. My pattern and canopy control have been good throughout my training so far, but I have been tending lately (my last 3 or 4 jumps) to overshoot the target as much as 150 feet. Today I overshot by about 40 or so, so I am improving, and can probably be landing within the circle or pretty close to it reliably within another jump or two. Also, the last 2-3 jumps I have been flaring a little high, I think I may have begun to stall my canopy today, but all of my landings (with the exception of my third tandem) have been stand ups without any problems. I am now looking at buying my first rig, and the one that I am particularly interested in currently has a 150 in it, which I would replace with a 170 (most likely a Sabre). I weigh 135, so my exit weight is somewhere around 155. Jumping the 290, my wing loading was .53. Jumping the 230, my wing loading is .67. Jumping a 210, my wing loading is .73. Jumping a 190, my wing loading is .81. Jumping a 170, my wing loading is .91. I have spoken with my instructors, and they say that I can probably be jumping a 170 within 6 months of getting my A (which should be mid-November). While that seems sensible and reasonable, I'd like to push that up so that I can be jumping the 170 within three months of my A license, if not as soon as I get my A. Before any of you take that the wrong way, I am *NOT* trying or wanting to fly beyond my limits and fly a canopy that is unsafe. I love the sport and would like to stay in it for a long time. Trips to the ER tend to make that difficult. SO, my questions are: 1) Is it reasonable for me to expect to be jumping a 170 loaded at about .91 within a few months after I get my A license (assuming 2 jumps per weekend with rental gear and 4-5 per weekend jumping my own) 2) What can I do, and what do I need to do to ensure that I can safely fly not only the canopy that I am flying now, but every subsequent canopy as well. Along these lines, I have heard of a canopy course by Scott Miller and Team Extreme. Where can I learn more about these courses (specifically dates, times, locations, price) and others like them? Also, are there any videos that I can learn a lot from, or any that I should avoid? If it seems as though I am rushing into this, that is not my intention. However, the sooner I get my own rig, the sooner I can stop paying rig rental fees, which means I can jump twice as often, which means my skills will increase twice as fast. My hope for purchasing the rig sized for a 150 is that I can squeeze a 170 into it, and possibly continue to use it with as small as a 130, so this rig could (and probably will) last me several years before I would have any reason to purchase another. So i basically have two options: buy the rig I am looking at now, and probably not be able to jump it for a few months after I get my A (say 50 jumps or so total by that time), or buy a larger rig that I can begin jumping immediately after I get off student status, but probably not have the longevity the first rig will (in terms of canopy size). This is partially a moot point, since i can't afford to buy the rig in question until I sell my car (so if anyone wants a 1967 Ford Mustang, 3kobo, PM me), but your advice is welcome. Thanks for reading all the way through this rambling post I just made, forgive my ignorance. Mike

I may be mistaken, but I believe the Otter I made my first solo jump from last weekend at Carolina Sky Sports in Louisburg, NC is the same Otter pictured in the images above. It came in with a rudder that looked patched together from at least 3 other aircraft, and I was told by some of the more knowledgeable jumpers that the leading edges were covered in duct tape. Apparently Paul Fayard (the owner) and the rest of the crew were able to replace the damaged parts with spares from the CSS stockpile very quickly, as it was in the air all weekend and seemed to be working just fine. Good luck to all those affected by the hurricane. Mike