I was under the assumption I was 175 when I got my Fox 245 about a year ago. Now I'm about 190. Exit weight around 195-200 which makes my wingloading .8:1 How unsafe is this? The jumping I do that worries me has primarily been 400 - 500 ft exits from antennas in factory deep brakes. Also quite a few S/L and PCAs in the 200-250 range. Should I move up to the next size in square footage? Would going up a size have any bearing on 3000 ft cliff jumps?
What about 400 ft cliffs?
I jump a mojo 280 loaded at .83lbs/sqft. and I am going to move up to a 310 at some point. I am happy with the overall flight characteristics at this wing loading, but some of my landings have been less than desireable, esp. when going downwind in the dark, and I know the larger canopy will help some. I have a friend with many jumps on 310 sqfoot mojo and he has started calling tombstone......"old faithful" because he loves it there...i reckon its in the 400' range.:7
c-ya
I scale in at 195lbs and jump a Fox 245. I plan on getting a larger canopy seeing as I have failed at getting a smaller gut. But, as for my 245, the landings are sometimes less than desireable but the openings from 300' up to 2000' have been on target and consistent.
Here are two scenarios for the teachers out there?
1) I jump a docile 7 cell 240' canopy on my skydives because I am a BASE jumper and I like to fly the same canopy on my skydives as I will use when BASE jumping.
2) I fly a 120' high performance elliptical canopy on my skydives and use a docile 7 cell 240' canopy on my BASE jumps knowing that flying the 7 cell 240 will be easy in comparison.
Of course in option 2 I do jump my 240' occasionally on skydives just to practise stalls, downwinders, etc.
Which one of these scenarios is going to produce the better BASE canopy pilot, in general as I know there will always be exceptions out there.
I think that from jumping the high performance elliptical all the time you feel like you have a whole lot of canopy over your head when you BASE jump and hence you are more controlled.
Wait for the answers and make your decision on wing loading.
I am 190lb and fly a 240' Mojo (0.79 wing loading) and have no intnetion of changing up soon, I fly a 150' skydiving (1.26 wing loading). I feel the decrease in wing loading offers me enough of a safety factor.
Flame away }>
Hmm, I'm 150 lb, so I load my Fox 245 about 0.67:1. I load my 92 Jedei about 1.85:1. I don't feel that experience on the Jedei makes me much better with the Fox, because the way I land the two canopies is radically different.
The Fox isn't necessarily "easier" to fly. I can work myself into a corner just because it floats a lot more than what I'm used to, so I have to stay on the ball there. I have to remember consciously to flare high with the Fox, and let it sink in a bit, since this seems to result in the softest landings.
I would say generally someone with experience on a similar canopy is going to be the better BASE canopy pilot.
Michael
I personally think that they shouldn't make 310 and offer a program similar to Jenny Craig for all those fat asses. Lose some weight or learn how to fly a canopy.
Better yet just go buy a tamdem rig for base.
When considering the ideal wingloading for a BASE canopy, one should think of-- altitude of landing areas, how well it would land with no brakes, can you sink it in, and glide ratio. I am 195lbs and jump a MOJO 240. Some of the landing areas are well above 5000ft, I am moving up to a 280. Bigger is better!
-TODD
>I am 190lb and fly a 240' Mojo (0.79 wing
>loading)
Just to clarify, do you weigh 190, or is that your exit weight, including your rig, clothes, knee pads, elbow pads, boots, rain jacket, helmet, and whatever else you might be wearing?
It's a big difference... 0.79 could in fact be 0.9
Combine that with a deep brakes approach or higher altitude landing and ouch. :'(
As for the scenarios, I think jumping a 240 seven cell on skydives is going to be MUCH better for one's base skills, but it'll also make skydiving that much more boring.
You just have to remember that your Mojo doesn't fly like your Stiletto and vice versa!
-Josh
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