pal

I have just put about 50 jumps on my new safire 139 at 1.35. I am very happy with the way it flies but find it does not have a great flare Just wondering if any one else has noticed this or is it just lack of technique

you have had good advice already but here is my opinion I would recomend you go no smaller than the 107 on the stilleto. When you load the canopy over 1.8 you start loosing performance and the canopy becomes ineficient. It can still be used but as you get higher loading it becomes more dangerous and you will have less performance (ie shorter swoops) Bulge distortion alone reduces a 9-cell canopy area by 9% and zig zag distortion by 4%. So if you are jumping a 100sq ft canopy you are actually flying 87sq ft of material giving you lift. To make things worse on landing the flare will pull the canopy even more out of shape increasing zig zag distortion to 12% added to the 9% bulge distortion and your landing 79sq ft of canopy giving you lift. .....and you want to jump a 97?.... do the maths you will only have 76.63sq ft of useable canopy during yor flare.... A x-braced canopy does not suffer from zig zag distortion and loses about 8% from bulge distortion so on a 100sq ft x-braced canopy you are actually flying and LANDING 92sq ft of canopy giving you lift with only 8% added to your drag. This means you can go smaller, safer on a x-braced. Try a 107 stilleto or better yet get a sub 100 x-braced but make sure you have the extra $$ and 20-25% extra space in your container although you save space through the added downsize. hope you enjoy wish i was jumping one

i have about 200 jumps, 170 of which have been on my 175 falcon (loaded @1.1) which is very porous (over 1500 jumps) has a couple holes and a few patches. To get any flare i need to hook it (which i figured out after 20 jumps on it) I started on 90 front riser turns then 180,360 then 720 with a couple crash and burns but now usually stick to 360 front riser turn to final which gives about a 8m swoop (dont laugh). I have done many jumps on friends canopies 170-150 sabre 150 hornet 140 beta 150 alpha 135-139 safire and loved to fly all of them (all stand up landings). I have done over 10 crw jumps with the local sick canopy dogs pulling lots of bi-planes 2 down-planes etc (all of whom have commented on the state of my canopy). i feel i have good canopy skills and especially knowledge for someone with so little jumps. I am obviously now looking for a new canopy (since i finally have some cash) and would appreciate some advice. I have done lots of research to what is available and have been looking at a cobalt 135.People from my DZ called me crazy and said get a square 150 ie sabre although i feel i should have got that for my first canopy instead of the falcon. I am now considering a safire 139 which i will be test jumping again this weekend. I wanted to get a elliptical but now am settling for a semi-elliptical after been told to stay on square any opinions appreciated