HGFA Skysailor Magazine

38 SKY SAILOR May | June 2019 I n both cases, when I pulled the handle on the table, the handle and bag easily came clear, but left the parachute and lines in situ – inside the harness. In the first instance, the main culprit was perished rubber bands and the bag had been placed inside the harness with the weight of the parachute resting on the end of the bag closed by the rubber bands. On deployment, the bands all failed, allowing the parachute to slide out as the bag was pulled away and allowing the parachute and lines to remain in the harness space. After repacking the system with new bands I also replaced the bag into the harness with the closed end sideways so that a pull on the handle put the pressure of the parachute onto the side of the bag, to ensure the parachute would remain in the bag even with the mouth open. In the second problem repack, it’s difficult to assess exactly what went wrong with the system. This reserve system used a cloverleaf flat bag with a loop of shockcord as a fifth side to be used to stow the lines as well as securing the flaps. On the initial pull, the bag and handle all came out very easily, leaving the parachute and lines in the reserve space under the harness. Since I hadn’t forensically dismantled the opening sequence, I couldn’t tell exactly how the system had been packed in the first place, but it was obvious that: a) the lines had not been stowed on the shockcord loop, and b) the shockcord had not been passed through the bag grommets and locked there with a bight of the lines. On repacking, it was evident that there was enough bulk in the parachute to put plenty of pressure on the shockcord to have it properly secure the bag closed. I did several reserve repacks this season and two pack jobs stand out because both would have resulted in total malfunctions if used in the air. by John Chapman Some Problems Encountered During Paragliding Reserve Repacks Caption please Caption please