Thursday July 20, 2006

Wanted to leave for Dayton this morning, but thunderstorms squashed those plans. FOX showed up and I had to tell them the bad news. But they still did a live interview with me in the same time slot as the lift-off was scheduled, so all was not lost.

Some comments on the airframe provided by Phoenix Powered Parachutes. With the exception of having to replace two plates near the front wheel assembly (due to the Voyager being a bit "fat,") this frame has taken the beating the trip has given it and come back for more.

Before the trip started Phoenix did make one change on the frame, that I requested, and it seems to have truly ignited the interest of a lot of people: They raised the "halo bars" about 14 inches. The results have been quite astonishing. The added stability has been a Godsend to me, due to the sometimes windy conditions in which I fly. And the effect on the PD chute, due to the wider attachment points, is beneficial. The chute flies with a much "flatter" profile than closer attachment points, so it acts more like a true wing, instead of a semicircular parachute. The flatter the profile, the better the performance of the wing.

I feel completely safe in Voyager, knowing I'm surrounded by arguably the strongest frame offered. Based on my experience on this trip, I think the Phoenix frame, HKS engine and PD chute is the "trifecta" of powered parachuting.