PD Sabre 120 - First Jumps on a Museum Piece

I recently downsized to a Sabre 120 that is over 24 years old, and it is loving being in the air again! The openings are quicker than my Pilot 132 and my heading after opening is determined by rolling a d20 while packing, but I love how she flies and flares!
00:08 Test flight
03:39 Hop 'n Pop (Return from a Long Spot)
06:20 Filming another jumper's opening
09:35 RW practice and Landing on the Bullseye

[@Davros-vi4qg]

So Kortana upgrades to a faster more manoeuvrable wing. Who’d thought!?!

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

I had a Sabre 170 for a few years. I was also a packer so if you want a few tips happy to help. I was going to say they fly well on rear risers from long spots but you had that covered! :)

[@chefgreycatskitchen7488]

I still think you're crazy! Jumping out of a perfectly good plane. But I do so enjoy your videos. Stay safe, Merry Christmas to you and your wife...

[@KortanaDCS]

Haha, I honestly find it relaxing. And thanks! Merry Christmas!

[@UkDave3856]

@@KortanaDCS people used to ask me why I jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft, and my stock answer was always ‘why do you NOT do it’

[@deadmancooking1424]

@@UkDave3856 I became a pilot @ 25 years old. It was because my Uncle forced me to face my fears. I was, and am still (a little bit) terrified of heights. LOL

[@slowhornet4802]

@@deadmancooking1424 I had great uncles, but they could have been even greater if they would have forced me to become a pilot 🙂

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@deadmancooking1424 >>> FWIW, I love flying. I was a student pilot decades ago, although I didn't stick with it long enough to get my PPL. I've flown in open frame and open carpet aircraft and loved it. When I was in the US Coast Guard, I was an aircrewman and flew in the HU-25 Falcon {meh-🤭}, a CASA 212 {cool}, and the Lockheed HC-130H Hercules {VERY COOL}. More than once I stood on the open cargo ramps of airborne Herks {wearing a _gunner's belt_ to secure me in place}. I LOVED ALL OF IT. Being in a tall building, or even _standing next to_ a tall building?? That sh*t gives me the creeps.

[@Chio_OB]

In the dark but guessing parachute lingo? Sabre 120? Anyway I'm still not gonna jump out a working plane! Kortana MVP

[@KortanaDCS]

Haha, yep! So the Sabre is a parachute manufactured by Performance Designs, and the 120 means 120 square feet. Smaller canopies are typically higher performance and fly more aggressively than larger ones.

[@trig]

Better than point break! I bet you cant do a low fast approach and ski on that long pond and land on the shore;)

[@KortanaDCS]

Lol, and you would be right 😂. Swooping is one of those things that takes a lot of practice on little building blocks up high before you can bring it down low (it is still risky, but the risk can be mitigated a bit by proper training). I'll get there at some point, but not before my coach thinks I'm ready for it.

[@jayshockin2305]

Thanks for the wicked footage. Looks like a blast!

[@ryno118]

Calling the Sabre a museum piece makes me feel old! I had a rigger sew air pockets onto the slider of mine. It was the only way to get consistently good openings. Was a common mod for the Sabre.

[@KortanaDCS]

Lol, yeah, a few of the Sabres I have seen had that mod. This one has a larger than normal slider, but the openings are still very quick. Not violent, but very quick. And this canopy was made when my wife was all of 1 year old 😄

[@ryno118]

@@KortanaDCS Yeah, if I packed it carefully with the nose roll, I could get those kind of openings most of the time. But every now and then I'd get smashed by one. After getting a slight back injury from one, I got the mod done. Would snivel with a trash pack after that. To be fair, mine was quite old when I bought it. Surprised they're still around!

[@KortanaDCS]

@ryno118 Yeah, I give the nose a solid 3 rolls on every pack, and I try to slow myself down as much as possible before deployment. As it is, I'm only borrowing this canopy (albeit for an extended duration), so I don't want to do any modification if I can avoid it. Still, after demoing a Sabre 3 in the same size (that video goes live today), I am looking forward to when I can buy one of those.

[@NerdishNature]

Merry Christmas. What a beautiful day to jump

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

When I first read the title of this video, I thought you meant you had gone skydiving with _ME._ 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

[@KortanaDCS]

😂

[@bearcatracing007]

Awesome. Merry Christmas, hope you had a great day.

[@SuperSpannerX1]

That Was Awesome Thank You.

[@a753951852]

This looks fun.. 🍻

[@Daveth1966]

What are the two toggles you tighten above your head when the chute opens ?

[@KortanaDCS]

Those collapse the slider to reduce drag and noise under canopy :)

[@mattweber7089]

How does it work with the chute? You bring your own one you packed or you hire it or something?

[@KortanaDCS]

So, it depends. A parachute rig (container, main canopy, reserve canopy, and automatic activation device) can be an expensive investment. Typically you rent a rig in the beginning to save money, and most DZs have a number of them with different sizes of canopies. Most people will purchase a rig after they get licensed because it ends up being a lot more convenient that way (I had about 75 jumps when I got mine). In terms of packing, some people will pay a packer to pack their rig, but a lot of jumpers will pack their own.

[@skyhorseprice6591]

That thing is damNEAR agile! Put some guns on it and go ruin everyone in dogfights lol,🤓🤣