{"id":17965,"date":"2018-03-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=17965"},"modified":"2021-01-28T19:59:12","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T19:59:12","slug":"2018-03-05-good-canopies-bad-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2018-03-05-good-canopies-bad-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"GOOD Canopies, BAD Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So, you are ready to get that shiny new wing, or sell your current canopy<\/strong>?…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well caveat emptor \u2013 buyer beware \u2013 good readers. Are you making good decisions about this purchase, or the sale of your \u201cold\u201d wing? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image by Javier ‘Buzz’ Ortiz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We are seeing a disturbing, fatal trend among skydivers worldwide as newer, faster wings come onto the market and older wings become perceived as less high-performance. To help combat this, we all need to examine our mindsets when it comes to buying and selling canopies.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Canopy changes affect other skydivers as well as ourselves; we must do our due diligence on preparing that person to fly that wing safely, whether ourselves or the people buying our old wings. We may not be in a position to train a buyer to fly the wing safely, but we absolutely are in a position to assess that person\u2019s skill and determine whether he or she is a good fit for that win or if it will be a loaded gun in untrained hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is not designed as a guide for canopy progression but rather to get you to think about the evolution of wings and how we can all continue to push the limits of our sport without needlessly increasing our risk. You don\u2019t have to be an expert canopy pilot or a sponsored athlete to enjoy flying a high-performance wing, as today\u2019s wings offer many advantages over their ancestors in performance, design, and construction. And this, sports fans, is the very heart of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Trending?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

People always want more. Release a new sports car, digital altimeter, or mobile phone and pretty soon a lot of people want it. Parachutes are no different; every time a new canopy design is released, a glut of \u201clast-generation\u201d high-performance canopies hits the market as people buy up the new canopies and sell off their old wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has happened with every new advancement in the canopy market, whether it was the release of the Performance Designs Stiletto in 1992 or the release by NZ Aerosports of the Leia. Once the new canopy arrives, the sales begin as skydivers sell the old to purchase the new, or purchase the latest and greatest to keep up. A quick search of Dropzone.com today found over 40 used Crossfire, Katana, Stiletto, Velocity, JFX, and JVX canopies for sale; all of these could be considered \u201cprevious generation\u201d high-performance wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time a new canopy design is released, a glut of \u201clast-generation\u201d high-performance canopies hits the market”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Stiletto is considered a ‘previous generation’ high performance canopy but that doesn’t make it any more suitable for new jumpers \u2013  Image, Pete Harries opening, by Martin Skrbl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing wrong with wishing to upgrade your wing or sell the old. This is the evolution of our sport, but the key to buying or selling a canopy is to keep that skydiver on the new wing \u2014 yourself as the buyer, or your buyer if you\u2019re selling \u2014 within their capabilities. Putting a skydiver under a higher-performance wing without the pre-requisite experience to fly it safely is creating a whole new type of problem. This problem is being observed at dropzones around the world. It was well summarized by comments Bryan Burke, one of the world\u2019s foremost experts on skydiving safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m very concerned that a lot of people will be buying used canopies as the more \u2018expert\u2019 jumpers sell off their Velocities, Xaoss, and JVXs to get Leias and Valkryies,<\/em> Some recent fatalities were visitors from out of state, uncurrent, and especially in the latter case, not trained. One individual had downsized to the Velo from a Spectre 120! I never would have let him jump it if I had known. It seems like we might need to start screening visitors for appropriate choice of main and adequate training and supervision.\u201d<\/em><\/p>Bryan Burke<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Skydivers don\u2019t want dropzones to screen their canopy choices, and trust me, drop zones don\u2019t want the hassle of doing it either! But some drop zones may choose to screen canopy choices if it seems that this will help protect their customers and their business. The way to avoid external regulation like this is always with education and self-regulation, so let\u2019s work on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perception versus Reality<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Some seem to think that certain high-performance canopies have lost performance or become more forgiving just because newer technology is available. Not so! Not a single thing changes about a wing when another one comes out; what changes is our perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some seem to think that certain high-performance canopies have lost performance or become more forgiving just because newer technology is available”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Sabre2 does not change in performance because PD release the Sabre3
Photo by Henny Wiggers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perception<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the wings such as the PD Valkyrie and Leia circulate more, the number of used canopies for sale such as the Velocity, JVX and Xaos is increasing. This has led to a perception that canopies such as the Katana, Crossfire 2, or Stiletto are now mid-range or newbie canopies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it like a car. The 2006 Ferrari Katana is not any less capable because the 2015 Ferrari Valkyrie has been released. The 2015 model will have a new shape and upgrades that make it more desirable; however, they are both high-performance machines capable of getting you into trouble more quickly than your 2000 Dodge Navigator (which don\u2019t forget is also a more than capable canopy). What has actually happened is that the older canopy is now perceived to be slower relative to the new design. This creates a perception that it has magically transformed into a lesser or more mid-range canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The PD Spectre is suitable for novice to experienced jumpers, WS and cameraflyers, and a great canopy to learn survival skills on \u2013 Image by Raymond Adams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The reality is that all ram-air parachutes are high-performance. They are highly maneuverable whether you\u2019re flying a 365-sq-ft tandem or a 67-sq-ft Petra. Make the wrong decision when flying any canopy, and the consequences may be dire. The reality is that most people downsize too rapidly without spending enough time on their first wings to develop the survival skills they\u2019ll need to safely handle a canopy with increased performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make the wrong decision when flying any canopy, and the consequences may be dire<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Managing the Risk<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

How do we mitigate this new perception vs reality risk? As buyers, we must select a canopy that is appropriate for our currency, skill level, and experience, and by being brutally honest with ourselves about our level of proficiency. This may mean we have to swallow some bitter pills from more experienced jumpers and canopy coaches, but this is how we\u2019ll learn what we need to work on before we progress to higher-performance wings. As sellers, we must be selective when we sell a canopy to another jumper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selling and Buying<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When buying and selling canopies, we have a responsibility to each other to make sure the right canopy is finding the right user. Random canopy sales\/purchases without due diligence are careless and are not in the best interests of our skydiving family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Random canopy sales or purchases without due diligence are careless and are not in the best interests of our skydiving family”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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If buying a Valkyrie, as well as being sure it is within your capabilities (highly experienced cross-braced pilot), only sell your previous high performance canopy to a jumper with the appropriate flying skills \u2013\u2013 Photo by author, Ken Stone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sellers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are a seller, maybe the guy with low jump numbers is not the person to whom you should be offloading that Katana 107. You have a responsibility to people with lesser knowledge and experience. Maybe it is someone on your DZ, or maybe it\u2019s a faceless someone replying to your advertisement. Either way, it doesn\u2019t take long to ask a few questions to confirm their level of expertise with regards to their ability to safely fly your canopy. If you don\u2019t know this person, you may not want to take their word for it, so ask for their home drop zone and contact the DZ management and\/or instructors there about this person\u2019s abilities. Taking this time to find out might save a life, prevent an injury, and\/or stop your DZ making the news in the wrong light, which hurts everyone in the sport. Don\u2019t be an accessory to injury \u2013 or worse!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Sabre3 is suitable for novice to expert (at different wing loadings) and a good canopy to learn high performance approaches on BEFORE you get that Katana \u2013 Photo by Scott Jontes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Buyers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are a buyer, be honest with yourself as to your level of skill and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n