dude - you should get an award for doing this. You said your'e not a professional but anyone willing to do this has cred in my book. thank you so much - this is amazing.
Fantastic work, great photography from your colleagues - my compliments on your calmness. That roof landing was scary - the best advert for a steerable reserve that I have seen. Very instructive - thanks, well done!
A lot of professional thoroughness in this almost scientific comparison ! And above all, a first rate cool-headedness that apparently made room for a great team spirit with friends shooting the scenes from different angles. Really awesome
Thanks for taking on the risk to create this comparison! It's really nice to have an idea of what to expect should I ever need to throw my reserve. Glad you're okay!
Wow, brave testing! Bravo! I know this is an old video, but the main point is still valid: Using the Reserve is always a gamble. Though it might safe you from perishing, it by no means garanties you to walk away uninjured. And: It's a big difference between throwing the reserve from a perfectly working wing in straight and level flight or from a completely messed up and twisted wing.
Excellent. Thanks for the video. As your final summary makes clear all reserve systems are far from perfect. Good fortune plays a large part. English repacker
also, curious what inspired you to do this? Seems to be a lot of risk throwing a reserve with a working paraglider, so curious about the motivation, thanks.
I can’t speak for him, but having this out there for others to watch can be really beneficial. It helps others know what to expect and what to do if they have to throw a reserve.
Excellent video. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make the tests. I'd been wondering if a steerable would have some advantage, but it appears it opens more slowly? PS How did you get down from the roof! If you had slipped you could have had an injury?
I think its best to give an heads upp about the cruciform (square) reserve. This is not an steerable reserve and thoose holes that is refered too at each corner creates stability by letting air out (very stabel and increases drifiting because of reduced oscillation versus PDA). Here is the summary given by flybubble.com to clearify pros and cons about each type of reserves: flybubble.com/blog/choose-the-right-reserve-parachute/ Cruciform (Square) A mid-priced option that uses a square design with corner vents to offer the same descent rate (in a certification test) from a smaller canopy and thus a more compact package. It achieves increased pendular stability and lift generation by tracking sideways, but you have no control over the direction. Sometimes this glide could be useful, sometimes not: for an unplanned deployment it’s no worse than a PDA which will drop you on whatever happens to be beneath you. However, if you’re doing SIV/acro over a safe landing zone, you need more space because you can’t reasonably estimate where you’ll track to under a square reserve, and you’ll track even further if you disconnect (or pull in) your paraglider. The lightest version of the square (Independence Ultra Cross) provides an incredibly small package, at a price. Pros: reduced oscillations during descent, small volume, fast opening Cons: no steering, planned deployments need larger safe space due to tracking sideways
Thank you for doing this comparison. One big problem i have with this video is that you used a round reserve that was badly designed. The vent is not sized correctly on that particular round reserve causing the pendulum movement. If the vent were properly sized this would not happen.
Great video. What reserve are you flying with now? I just bought a Beamer 3 and releasable carabiners. I think that in an emergency having the option to release your wing and steer the reserve is invaluable.
@ezglidreful You say the uncomfortable pressure on your head, being pressed forward into your chest was distracting. Is it due to the typical shoulder-top reserve connections? Should reserves instead be connnected at the main wing biners, providing the pilot with designed harness comfort, enhancing his focus on important tasks? True, if thrown low, he may need to quickly stand for PLF
I guess when you read comments you see how great job you have done - well presented! I'm viewing this after few years but it's never late, a lot of points to learn...wanted to share my fear with you...recently I fall down (6m) and had fracture of my tibia and fibula and obviously now I do have a fear...4-5 m/s is huge for me now, so I can't say that I have found a good reserve...Any advice on how to get rid of this fear first of all....in fact I wish there is a mechanism with a dumb, so when you press it does opens within 3 seconds and it should open even if you are low as 20 meters....I guess this doesn't exist in the market :( :( :(. Help me out guys so I can fly again.thanks a lot.T
Tom, my understanding is if you throw a Paragliding reserve at terminal velocity it will disintegrate! Even sub terminal will damage the reserve and your back.
Please may we keep a copy of your interesting video on our local paragliding club website (Cumbria Soaring Club)? I'm making a 'Knowledge Base' for our club website and would prefer to keep local copies to guard against broken links in the future.
let's fix this problem with the wings calapsing, so that threre is not as much of a need for a reseve. Do you know a designer that would be interested in changing the wing a little bit as to not calapse? I have an idea.
