RESERVE PARACHUTE REPACK
Annual Reserve Repack took place on Sunday 19 March 2023, 12.00 – 3.45pm
The "NEW HALL", ANTRIM FORUM, Lough Road, Antrim. BT41 4DQ
Why do we do this?
1.Familiarise ourselves with the position of the reserve handle
I recommend on every flight, that you take 2 seconds to locate and grab the reserve handle, this will create muscle memory, and in the event of having to throw, it will make things much easier
2.Prevent velcro lock
Velcro can in some cases bond together, if it hasn't been separated for a long period of time
3.To check, when handle is pulled, that pins/plastic tabs disengage and the reserve and inner bag is hanging from the handle
If pins/plastic tabs don't release, then reserve will not deploy. On some occasions pulling the handle, the inner bag will come away from the reserve, this results in either reserve left in reserve compartment (bad) or the reserve been deployed (not as bad).The reason you want to have reserve and inner bag hanging from handle, is so you can throw the reserve away from the paraglider, to prevent any entanglement
4.Throw
If your glider is spinning around you, aim to throw behind the trailing edge of the glider, it is the action of throwing which deploys the reserve, remember to let go of the reserve handle! you can assist the opening of the reserve by tugging on the bridle. (You will have the opportunity to practice throwing your reserve parachute, hanging from a long rope attached near the roof of the centre).
5.Once your reserve is open, disable your glider to prevent entanglement with the reserve
By repacking your reserve, you will become more familiar with it, you understand how it works. Hopefully you will have more confidence in it. You may come across unknown problems, Why is it stained? did my harness get a soaking at anytime, should i have checked the reserve, let it dry out and repack it again.
When you pull the handle, does the reserve release smoothly? or do you have to really pull to get it to release, maybe its worth checking what is preventing the smooth release. A common mistake is placing the reserve package in the harness compartment the wrong way up so that attempted deployment results in the reserve rotating and becoming jammed in the harness instead of smoothly sliding out.
This event is a chance to practice deploying your reserve, as above. If you're not happy, repack and deploy again, talk to others who may have more experience in this field.
Handy things to have for a repack:
Reserve parachute handbook
Harness handbook
two lengths of thin cord (12 ins of old paraglider suspension line or similar is ideal for each)
adjustable wrench
elastic bands
Your normal flying gloves and helmet for practice deployment.
There was lots of help on hand from pilots with experience in packing round, pulled-down apex chutes - but if your reserve is unusual, e.g. square, or steerable rogallo, you should not rely on others to know its intricacies. The repack event was well-attended affair (22pilots last year) so perhaps get there earlier rather than later - the process takes longer than one might imagine if there is a queue.