Free Flying on The South Downs
Safety Notices
Advance Progress & Easiness reserve handles
SAFETY NOTICE
Reserve handle check is required for PROGRESS 3 & EASINESS 2 harnesses
This notice applies to PROGRESS 3 harnesses with serial numbers lower than 1147390, and EASINESS 2 harnesses with serial numbers lower than 1147140. The reserve handle must immediately be inspected by pilots of these har- nesses. The serial number of the harnesses can Be found on the back of the logo label next to the carrying handle on top of the rucksack. If this inspection is not satisfactory it is essential that the reserve handle and reserve container be changed before the next flight. Replacements will be provided by ADVANCE free of charge.
The reason for this notice is an incident with a PROGRESS 3 harness. When the reserve handle was pulled the yellow plastic release splint came away from the handle, so that the reserve parachute could not be released. In this case the pilot was, fortunately, not injured.
Initial internal investigations have shown that the attachment of the cable to the handle may have a defect which could be related to manufacturing procedure. Other harness models are not affected by this. Other PROGRESS 3 and EASINESS 2 harnesses (with serial numbers greater than the serial numbers above) are expressly not affected either, as from July 2018 the release handle in question was manufactured with different material and different processing.
As it cannot be ruled out with certainty that this is an isolated case, ADVANCE is launching a precautionary recall of all reserve parachute handles and reserve parachute containers on EASINESS 2 (serial numbers less than 1147140) and PROGRESS 3 (serial numbers less than 1147390) harnesses where the split pin cable cannot withstand a load of approx. 10-12 kg. Below we provide instructions for a simple test to determine whether the reserve parachute handle can withstand this required deployment force.
If the test is not satisfactory and the reserve parachute handle is affected, a new handle including container can be ordered free of charge at www.advance.swiss/en/recall/progress3_easiness2
We apologise to all affected PROGRESS 3/EASINESS 2 customers for any inconvenience caused by this safety notice. Reliable equipment and high quality workmanship have been ADVANCE‘s top priority for over 30 years. We continue to focus on the highest quality product and its assurance, and will continue to improve this continuously.
If you have any questions or doubts as to how to proceed, please contact ADVANCE or your dealer directly. Thun, 31 May 2024
ADVANCE Thun AG Tel. +41 (0)33 225 70 10 info@advance.ch Uttigenstrasse 87, 3600 Thun www.advance.swiss support@advance.ch
Reliable Paragliding Equipment advance.swiss
Instructions for the PROGRESS 3 and EASINESS 2 reserve parachute handle check
For PROGRESS 3 harnesses with a serial number lower than 1147390 and EASINESS 2 harnesses with a serial number lower than 1147140. Carry out the check on your reserve parachute handle according to the following instructions.
Tools required
• (Disposable) rubber gloves to prevent the cable from slipping out of your hand.
• Weight 10-12 kg, e.g. a rucksack or bag filled with weight in the form of 1.5 litre PET-bottles, sandbags or
other items.
• Line and possibly a carabiner to attach the weight.
• Reserve handle incl. inner container.
Preparation
1. Pull the reserve out of the harness.
2. Take the reserve parachute out of its inner container.
3. Attach the weight 10-12 kg to the reserve handle by a carabiner and/or line.
4. Put on a glove so that the yellow cable does not slip out of your hand, grasp it on one side of the handle and lift it until the entire weight is lifted from the ground.
5. Repeat step 4 with the yellow cable on the other side of the handle..
IMPORTANT: The yellow cable must not be gripped with pliers or similar metal devices. This can damage its smooth surface and jamb subsequent releases.
ADVANCE Thun AG Tel. +41 (0)33 225 70 10 Uttigenstrasse 87, 3600 Thun www.advance.swiss
info@advance.ch support@advance.ch
Reliable Paragliding Equipment advance.swiss
Assessment of the test result
1. The cable must not have any play or be able to be moved off centre. A minimal movement of approx. 2 mm is permissible due to the elasticity of the fabric.
2. If the cable can be pulled out on one side and not on the other, the handle and container must be replaced.
3. If the cable can be moved such that its sewing or threads are visible or frayed, the handle and container must be replaced without question.
4. Replace the container if you are not sure. This applies for any uncertainty, if you suspect point 2 or 3 or the test is inconclusive.
If the test fails and the reserve parachute handle needs to be replaced, you can order it free of charge by stating the serial number at www.advance.swiss/en/recall/progress3_easiness2
When you have received the new handle and inner container, have your reserve parachute put back into the container and installed in the harness by a specialist.
ADVANCE Thun AG Tel. +41 (0)33 225 70 10 info@advance.ch Uttigenstrasse 87, 3600 Thun www.advance.swiss support@advance.ch
Drone surveying at Saddlescombe Farm (Behind the Dyke)
From: david.knight@historicengland.org.uk
Sent: Sep 18, 2023 at 11:07 AM
To: secretary@shgc.org.uk
Subject: [Anything else] Drone flying on the South Downs
David Knight (david.knight@historicengland.org.uk) sent a message using the
contact form at https://www.shgc.org.uk/contact.
Good morning,
I'm just dropping you a quick line to let you know that we will be conducting
a drone survey (weather permitting) at Saddlescombe Farm, immediately
adjacent to Devil's Dyke, on the afternoon of Monday 25th September
(operating between approximately 15:00-17:00) and on Tuesday 26th September
(approximately 13:00-17:00). The drone flying is for survey purposes and will
be intermittent. I will be keeping quite low in the valley (approx 50m AGL),
but might need to rise up for a few shots. I will have observers with me at
all times to warn of any air proximity, but I thought it prudent to let your
club know in case there was any flying taking place on those days.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do feel free to contact me.
Many thanks,
Dave Knight
2023 AGM Safety Report - [My speaking notes]
Good evening everyone. I'm going to be a litle long-winded I'm afraid, but do please try to stay engaged...
I had written the bulk of this report before I knew anything of the detail of Chris's presentation. Our members have had a significant array of incidents or positive feedback from failing to have had a scare when they really should have. I always think of flying in the melee as a danse macabre...Incidents only being avoided by a combination of full attention and not a little luck!
Approaching weather fronts or rain cells are often accompanied by the sudden arrival of strong winds, the gust front. It is better to familiarise yourselves with this phenomenon while safely sat on your glider on the ground and not while aloft.
Having the rain alarm app on your phone can really help with keeping track of approaching rain.
Keep a careful watch for the arrival of the sea breeze, which may be identified by the characteristic curtain cloud, but may only be evidenced by a lessening of cumulus cloud. Watching the surface of any water upwind will often be a very good indicator.
Sometimes the sea breeze will give you a lovely gentle ride to cloud base, but more often it will be turbulent, sometimes extremely so. Many, many pilots have had serious accidents when the sea breeze arrived.
Tying in with Chris' presentation you really must maintain situational awareness with regard to the wind strength and direction. And don't push your luck with sketchy conditions – we haven't had a serious accident caused by the weather since someone fell out of the sky in 2019, but if pilots carry on in this vein it won't be long before we have another...
May
Newhaven – A pilot outlanded on the rocks near Telscombe, causing an open fracture of the leg. We do keep harping on about this, the rocks are not a safe place to land and avoiiding injury when doing so is a matter of extreme good luck. Only the pebbled areas are safe to land on.
July
H&O - Pilot misjudged level of turbulence, suffered a deflation and autorotation. He went over the trees and was extremely lucky to walk away unscathed.
August
Dyke – Pilot apparently suffered some form of absence and only came to moments before a midair with a dual. Luckily the dual continued to fly but the solo pilot suffered major injuries and had decided to leave the sport.
Dyke – a pilot reported finding sink close to the slope and ending up flying through a bramble patch then gift wrapping a tree. This is far from the only episode of this nature that occurred last year, as every year. On a thermic day, when air is going up, it is also going down somewhere. Accord yourselves a greater margin for error whenever it is bouncy and where safe and possible, maintain a margin of speed so that you have energy to covert if required.
H&O – Experienced pilot launched from the south take off then suffered a possible stall after meeting descending air over the northern landing area. He observed that the wind was blowing over the back there and was possibly turbulent. Be mindful of possible wind directions and the effects this can have on the airflow. He got away with a jarring landing but noted that a good plf would have reduced the risk of injury considerably.
Always approach a landing in plf position, especially if the conditions are in any way difficult. Because there is little chance that you will get into plf position before impact if something does go amiss.
Caburn – Pilot suffered an inadvertent reserve deployment despite a, to be quite honest, unusually thorough pre-flight check. He landed uninjured but noted that had he sat immediately after launch, as far too many are wont to do, he would have been unable to get upright in time for the landing.
He was dragged by the reserve and observed that not all pilots know how to de-power a reserve in this situation; the solution is for one pilot to grasp the peripheral hem, or a line near to the hem if they are brave. The reserve will then stream and can be brought under control. Another option is to get downwind of the reserve and allow it to gift wrap you. This, of course, only works if the reserve is flying close enough to the ground to do so.
I inspected the harness and, like many, the handle was prone to pop out of the front retaining cloth – it does appear to be a fundamental design flaw but there are various solutions, up to and including using a single stitch of rotten cotton to secure the handle. (RC is a low strength cotton or nylon thread – test the solution then re-apply)
November
Dyke
NQP reached down to get into harness while still holding the brake. After some minor low level aerobatics he landed uninjured.
Video footage exists of a british pilot at StHilaire letting go of the brakes at about 100' ATO. He suffered a large deflation, was unable to regain the controls and fatally spiralled into the ground.
If you have to use your hands tho get into the harness, wait until you are established in your soaring pattern and are well clear of the hill.
Better still, improve your technique so that you don't need to let go of the brakes to get in, or buy a stirrup.
H&O
Conditions well off to the west. Mixing airmasses. Was nice to the east side of the bowl.
A PG pilot flew low in the west side of the bowl in a potentially turbulent area. Apparently he had a collapse, not large, followed by several "rotations" before arriving safely in a big ash tree near the bottom. The tree and surrounding bushes cushioned his arrival. He was unhurt and pilots recovered his wing from high in the tree.
Harks back to my earlier comment about being aware of the airflow and its potential risks when flying, especially here. Also there is a suggestion that the pilot may have overcontrolled the wing after the initial collapse. An SIV course, refreshed regularly, can help you avoid this.
2023 March
Pilot blown back into the gun emplacement near the coastguard tower. Suffering a broken leg.
I had not practiced any ground handling in quite some time and failed to de-power the wing correctly before it began to drag me backwards.
Over the winter period I had also not flown too frequently. It was my 3rd flying day of the year.
Also. I was wearing winter gloves due to the cold weather which I had not used Paragliding before. The reduced grip and dexterity affected my grip on the brakes and riser's whilst launching.
I feel if I had more ground handling practice and had been more current
in flying the accident would have been prevented.
Great assessment – Make one for yourself before you have an incident, not after.
Simultaneously, a launching pilot was blown back into the brambles and suffered considerable thorn injuries. His glider was not recovered that day.
Newhaven is typically flown when the wind strength is at the upper limits of a paragliders performance. You must be a master of your ground handling before attempting to launch there unaided.
Beachy Head
Another ground handling injury, this time only a twisted knee, but the lesson still holds. Practice, practice and practice your ground handling.
April
Beachy Head
A dual pilot had their P2 catch their foot in the pilot's flying suit foot strap, causing a minor drag. All known dual pilots have been warned. Do please ensure that your club membershoip record is up to date, especially if you're an instructor as it saves you money!
H&O
Pilot carried downwind low over the back by thermal activity. He flew downwind and fortunately landed clear of the rotor.
The best option if low is probably to fly crosswind rather than downwind.
No matter how experienced you may be, do be conservative in your weather assessments. It is always better to be down here wishing you were up there rather than up there wishing you were down here.
Caburn
NQP tore leg muscle making a misjudged top landing approach. He didn't get the lift he expected and was too slow turning it into a slope landing.
Think all the time. Think quickly and don't fly into the hill. If your groundspeed seems too high on a landing approach you are probably headed downwind. It is much more effective to turn into wind than to try to flare!
Hang Gliders
Koala landing technique. Probably all our hangies are now aware of this new technique, but just in case: When crashing transfer both hands to one upright and you rotate about that upright rather than getting a glider in the back of your neck.
That's all folks! Fly safely, keep your kit in good order and have a great 2023!
A word to the weather wise...
At this time of year in particular the weather is very volatile. Pilots are reminded that they need to maintain a watch both upwind and downwind for any approaching changes to the weather.
Approaching weather fronts or rain cells are often accompanied by the sudden arrival of strong winds, the gust front. It is better to familiarise yourselves with this phenomenon while safely sat on your glider on the ground and not while aloft.
Having the rain alarm app on your phone can really help with keeping track of approaching rain.
Keep a careful watch for the arrival of the sea breeze, which may be identified by the characteristic curtain cloud, but may only be evidenced by a lessening of cumulus cloud. Watching the surface of any water upwind will often be a very good indicator.
Sometimes the sea breeze will give you a lovely gentle ride to cloud base, but more often it will be turbulent, sometimes extremely so. Many, many pilots have had serious accidents when the sea breeze arrived.
Rotor
Pilots should be aware that the trees in front of the launch at Firle have been slowly growing, despite the unintentional ministrations of various pilots over the years... We have asked if we could prune them but this request was denied.
In stronger winds these trees present a significant risk of rotor, which can extend to several hundred feet behind the car park.
Hence pilots should avoid launching or landing in the centre of the field and downwind thereof.
__________________________________________________
There are often large horse boxes and the like in site car parks. These can induce turbulence, so landing downwind of them should be avoided.
__________________________________________________
Many of our sites present rotor/turbulence hazards. No matter how experienced you may be, do read the sites guide regularly to refresh and/or update yourself on the known hazards. Remember, the sites are constantly changing as vegetation grows or is cut down.
flying suit foot straps
There has been a minor incident where a dual P2 got their foot caught in the foot loop of the pilot's flying suit and a drag ensued.
Dual pilots should be aware of the risk and, where present but not used, the loops sould be made safe.
SPRING 2023 SAFETY BRIEFING
There are countless reasons to take a break from flying. Sometimes, life just gets in the way, whether it’s due to financial limitations, increased family or career responsibilities, or even health issues. But winter isn't one of them! Unfortunately many of our pilots don't see their wings from the end of September until spring boings back into view.
Lately we are starting to see those pilots who hibernated starting to show up on the hills like a bunch of hungry and slightly dozy grizzlies.
If you count yourself among their number, it really is beholden unto you to carefully brush up your kit and skills. At the very least give your kit a close inspection and repack your reserve(s). Three months is the optimum interval. You may wish to send it off to one of the various professional organisations that offer servicing, but if so, get it booked in now as they do fill up!
Charge all your electronics and upgrade any software and airspace files.
Once you have established that your kit is still airworthy you need to address yourself. Don't kid yourself, a layoff of nearly five months will make even the best consolidated pilot's ground handling rusty and if you only learnt in the last few years you may find that you have almost forgotten entirely how it is done.
Flying a desk is an easy way to re-familiarize yourself with fundamental flying knowledge, flight and weather planning, instruments, airspace, and in-flight workload management. Take the time to review checklists and emergency procedures: How to deploy your reserve, how to kill your wing if you are being dragged, etc.
Get yourself onto a landing field or your more local favourite bit of flat ground and spend a day or three refreshing your skills. It is really disappointing when a simple ground handling fail loses you half of the summer season and it happens every year...
Once you have got your ground handling up to speed, conservatively build up your flying. Start off with gentle early morning or late evening flights rather than diving straight into midday thermals & marginal winds. I have already encountered 3m/s thermals here this month, and that was at 17:30! Oh and by the way, it is excruciatingly cold at altitude right now.
Pick an easy site for your first few flights. Not Beachy Head cliffs or the Dyke on a weekend, but do recognise that if you are the only pilot on an SHGC site it is probably either the hours of darkness or the wrong site!
Consider scheduling some time with a coach or instructor to review basic skills and ease your way back into flying safely. You can’t “fail” a flight review. The point is to ensure that you continue to update and expand your skills as a pilot.
If there are fifty pilots already in the air, now might not be the best time for you to take off. But equally it is usually possible to find a part of the hill which, though it may not offer the best thermal activity, it is pleasantly uncrowded.
Note that most midairs seem to occur when the stress of flying in crowded conditions is absent. Either because of risk compensation or through inattentiveness because of complacency. So if you do manage to thermal away with just one or two others, do maintain a vigilant lookout.
All good things take time. Don’t get frustrated if you’re not feeling proficient right away. It’s well worth it to put in the hours to ensure your skills are sharp and you feel comfortable in the seat. Enjoy the process! Before you know it, you’ll be returning safely to the skies.
Steve Purdie
FLARE Mustache
03/09/2023 - DHV:
Accidents involving FLARE Mustache
In January and February there were two fatal accidents involving German paraglider pilots using the Flare Mustache.
In South Africa (Lions Head) an experienced paraglider attempted to take off in a very strong cross wind (> 40 km/h, gusts >50 km/h) (Moustache 22). He lost control of the aircraft while it was being pulled up and was thrown against a rock by the crosswind while he was still on the ground.
In Austria, an inexperienced paraglider pilot had initiated a steep spiral with his Mustache 18, which after a short time turned into a spiral dive and could no longer be recovered. The rescue parachute, which was deployed too late, no longer opened fully.
The DHV points out that the Mustache is not a paraglider. The device is (in the small sizes) a hybrid of kite and speed flyer. The sizes 18 and 22 can be seen as a hybrid of kite and paraglider. The manufacturer markets the aircraft as a "para kite". The control and speed regulation is very different from that of a paraglider. Handling requires intensive training. The reflex profile makes the cap very stable and dynamic. It also allows ground handling and take-offs in very strong winds because the pilot is only slightly leveraged. This characteristic can lead pilots to misjudge the force and speed of the wind and to exceed their own personal limits. (Article on Flare Mustache on Lu-glidz )
The Mustache has been strength tested according to the EN 926-1 standard. However, there is no type test according to the LTF or EN standards, because no flight tests have been carried out as part of a type test. The device may therefore not be used as an air sports device in Germany. The manufacturer points out in the manual and on the glider that flights in strong thermals and turbulent conditions should be avoided at all costs. The Mustache is designed for low soaring flights in laminar wind and for use as a speed flyer. High-altitude flights are not one of the intended uses by the manufacturer.
There are no flight tests carried out by a type inspection agency. The extreme flight behavior, collapses, stalls, spirals, etc. has therefore not been tested and can differ significantly from classic paragliders due to the design.
Kanibal Race II and Race ST handles with the DiamondCross and Krisis Karre pods
Kortel Design
(images available on SHGC telegram group)
Safety note
A fatal accident this summer highlighted a potential problem with the compatibility of the Kanibal Race II and Race ST handles with the DiamondCross and Krisis Karre pods.
Description
The Kanibal Race II and Race ST rescue handle has a long attachment to accommodate the wide variety of pods on the different rescue parachutes available on the market, in order to ensure that the rescue parachute can be properly extracted from the harness container in any configuration. However, in some cases, the attachment of this handle can lead to an excessive total length, which can cause the handle to become entangled with the lines of the rescue parachute, preventing it from deploying properly. In the specific case of this accident, the connection of the handle to the pod triangle of the Diamond/Karré rescue parachute brings the length to 50-52cm (pod to top of handle).
Read the DHV report
Procedure
To avoid the risk of tangling, the total length with the current handle should be reduced to about 40cm.
To do this, simply tie a knot just after the lark's head connecting the handle to the pod.
Current setup, showing the total length at 50-52cm from the base of the pod to the top of the handle.
Lark's head knot
Release the knot
Measure approx. 10cm
Tie a simple knot
Tighten the lark's head
Check that the final length is about 40cm
Once the length modification is done, it is recommended to install the rescue parachute in the container of the Kanibal Race II and Race ST, as shown on the right.
Other pod models, with extended attachments or special connection points, may require the same type of modification, with individual length adaptation.
The general principle is to reduce the final length as much as possible (to limit tangling), but to keep a sufficient length to guarantee the opening of the harness container and the correct extraction of the pod.
We remind you that it is imperative to perform an extraction test after each installation of a rescue parachute in a harness of any kind.
Kortel Design
1096 Av. André Lasquin
74700 SALLANCHES
info@korteldesign.com
+33(0)9.50.10.73.27