GroundZero

made me look too... Doh!

What kinda canopy? Chris

Angle of attack on crossbraced canopies is virtually identical to non-crossbraced canopies... Higher wingloadings generally get them to the ground quicker, but angle of attack, incidence and glide are for the most part very similar with all canopies. Chris

I don't have the experience that you do on a Crossfire2, but with every other canopy I've flown, smooth is the key. I'm sure that transition from risers to toggles varies with different canopies, but in every case the smoother the transition, the less energy lost...should translate into more energy, more distance. Have fun, Chris

Not true... People should learn the use of rear risers on every canopy they jump. And they should learn to rear riser to a full stop landing... (a broken steering line is not a reason, alone, to chop a canopy). Yoshi, continue on your learning, be careful and respectful of your equipmqnt. Chris

might check that pack volume on the Crossfire 2 149... it's closer to 400c.i. than 350.... gonna be a tight fit. Chris

Here's your "Longest Swoop" video... Been crossposted elsewhere, but you swoopers should be watching it here too.... http://para-net.org/paramag/archives/directlive/direct193/images/soul2.mov http://para-net.org/paramag/archives/directlive/direct193/images/soul2.mov Geez... someone showed me how to make clicky...doh! Chris

Yes you can jump a Super Raven as a main or reserve. However, what everyone above has suggested is you must practice a landing at altitude anytime you jump a new canopy, whether it is main or reserve. When I teach a first time jumper, I talk about practicing the flare. Same applies to anyone jumping a new canopy. I practice the flare on every new canopy I test jump prior to landing. This will prepare someone for the ..."Woa, that baby has a short control stroke compared to my xxxxx canopy". When you mention that he's loading at 1.3, assuming it's a Micro Raven 135, that indicates that he is about 175 lbs out the door. (The placarded max for the 135 Micro Raven is 138 lbs, if it's a Dash-M 135 that is 182 lbs... we'll assume it is the Dash-M.) With those canopies the end of the control stroke may be about mid chest at that loading. If one passes that point the canopy will stall. If flown proficiently at the correct point, that canopy will, in fact, surf nicely at that loading! The difference is correct flare. Practice prior to landing will make the difference. Chris Precision Aerodynamics Wait til you see the new r-MAX reserves... built like a tank and flies like a dream. One of the refinements of this new canopy was producing a reserve that flares more like your main at higher loadings... "try it, you'll like it!"

don't know exactly what his loading was... something in the 3.0 plus i believe.... but in the 750' range, he'd drive that thing at the ground as hard as he could... with no luck firing the CYpres in his fanny bag... seems to me, it kinda pissed him off that he couldn't fire it... Mikeal has a 53 and yes he's lighter... Chris

Keep the Cypres in there... In the earliest days, we had Charlie Mullins jumping his 58 with a Cypres in a bag on his waist... he was terrified of jumping one on that (then smallest) canopy... he couldn't make it fire... it became a vendetta... he wanted to make it fire but couldn't... he tried and tried with no luck... Jump with a CYPRES, know its limitations... but don't worry about the canopy... we have yet to build one that can "fool" the CYPRES. Now if you're jumping the 21 sq.ft... that may be a different story... Chris

Very nice aspect of the Astra from FXC.... Chris

blue ones for sure... And the other person? Chris

He's landing... kinda long! if he's taking off, he did a good job working his performance numbers.

ditto.... Tennessee Oy! Chris (what are we doing posting on a Saturday?!?!?!?!)

damn he's got an s3 too.... looks like i'm gonna have to keep up with the "Joneses"... Chris

Derek, There is no need to "set the lines" on a new parachute or a new reline. Take your new canopy to terminal on jump number one. This old idea comes from the early days of spectra lines. Some of the early producers of spectra line did not stress/stretch the line and uneven loadings would stretch lines differently. In the earliest days of spectra here, we actually pulled it before installing it on canopies. Today, feel free to take all new canopies to terminal on jump number one. Chris Precision Aerodynamics

10-15 seconds is terminal velocity... All parachutes are designed and manufactured to open at full speed. Go skydive. Chris

Thank God that Bubba drank too much and fell while trying to catch last weeks toss... a old black and white 25"... console model no less!

Due to the bad weather (and associated heavy consumption of alcohol) last weekend, the Toilet and TV toss has been rescheduled to this weekend in Tullahoma. We did collect a few more TV's for the event and have restocked the refrigerators... And we will be skydiving also... Hot dives, great airlift (Westwind Beech), good times... and all that stuff... Once the drinking begins, NO ONE will be allowed to catch the tossed TV's, period. Chris -- Chris Martin Tennessee Skydiving Center, Inc. P. O. Box 674 Tullahoma Regional Airport Tullahoma, TN 37388 800-483-DIVE

Due to the bad weather (and associated heavy consumption of alcohol) last weekend, the Toilet and TV toss has been rescheduled to this weekend in Tullahoma. We did collect a few more TV's for the event and have restocked the refrigerators... And we will be skydiving also... Hot dives, great airlift (Westwind Beech), good times... and all that stuff... Once the drinking begins, NO ONE will be allowed to catch the tossed TV's, period. Chris -- Chris Martin Tennessee Skydiving Center, Inc. P. O. Box 674 Tullahoma Regional Airport Tullahoma, TN 37388 800-483-DIVE

Due to the adverse weather (and related heavy drinking)... the toss was postponed to this weekend... Video, uh...er... we'll need to ducktape over the N-numbers... (note, buy more ducktape!) While you can expect video, it never does it justice. Something about the smash seems to get lost in the digitizing. Get out to view the drops in person, get out early for the best seats. CHris

Andrea... No need to roll the nose on a psycho-pack... In fact, rolling the nose kinda defeats one of the advantages of psycho-packing. It makes it tougher to purge the air. Chris

Mark, You're way over simplifing the entire process. To say that most crossbraced pilots turn at 4-500' is sending the wrong message to younger pilots. I'm a conservative guy.... and my landing approach begins at well over 1000'. At that altitude I may do simply a 90 degree turn... slowly descending the entire time... Careful everyone... There is not an altitude that is perfect, it always depends on the severity/intensity of the turn. There is no magic number and there is, not yet, the perfect approach... Kinda like Golf, what's perfect? When someone plays the "perfect game" there is no reason to continue further. Chris And I have yet to hit 18 hole in ones...

this should be an interesting to lurk.... Chris

Or contact Ivan above... (I thought I heard that the dz moved... maybe not.) Anyway Ivan can hook you up.. Chris