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Reserves

No pilot's kit is complete without a reserve parachute and only a fool would fly without one.

There are a lot of choices in manufacturer, from pro to copycat, dirt cheap to mad expensive. So, what to look for in a reserve parachute?

• Make sure you are within the placard weight range of the reserve, including your glider and all your gear.
• A bigger reserve does give a slower descent rate, but takes longer to open.
• Only buy a reserve that has been certified by a recognized authority like AFNOR, SHV, DHV etc.

Though many different designs have been used in the past, the current models are typically the pull-down apex or double canopy types. The PDA or low-aspect ratio reserve improves on the stabilty of the older half-round parachute by allowing some of the air to spill out of it. Air flowing out of one side pushes it back the other way automatically compensating and reducing oscillations. Very simply, the more stable the canopy is the more efficient... you get a slower descent rate for a given size.

A more recent development is the double-canopy design pioneered by Metamorfosi. This takes the stabilizing vents up into the top half of the canopy for more rapid stabilizing response and allows a further reduction in parachute area for a given descent rate. Of course the extra detail in construction makes them more expensive. I think it's worth it for bigger pilots and certainly for tandem use.

Another thing that's commonly overlooked in a reserve system is the length of the bridle. Under tests, it's found that increasing the bridle length improves stabilty which greatly decreases descent rate. However, the longer the bridle the more time the reserve takes to deploy, which means more altitude lost waiting for it to open. Also, a bridle that's too long may interfere with the paraglider and thus fail to open...

There are some very good articles on reserves written by people far more knowledgeable than myself, so please check them out:

One thing I do know about reserves is that quality is important. A couple of things to look for to insure the chute will survive a high-speed deployment:

• Lines sewn onto canopy at least 100mm up the skirt.
• Ripstop material sewn parallel to the seam for best strength.
• Suspension lines of sufficient strength.

Whatever you buy, make sure it is installed correctly and regularly repacked. And, hope you can always shrug your shoulders when asked the question, "What color is your reserve?"

Paratech PS1 rescue
The RS1 series offers a lower sink rate than even double cap reserves with it's unique celled wall construction which vastly improves stability. Descent rate is incredibly low for it's size and the quick stabilization means that low descent rate is reached very quickly.

Model	PS1 S	PS1 L	PS1 XL	PS1 Bi
Size (m2)	31	35	48	58
Number of Cells	17	17	19	21
Weight (kg)	2.0	2.2	3.0	3.5
Minimum Weight (kg )	60	75	95	130
Maximum Weight (kg )	80	100	130	195
DHV certification	in process	yes	yes	in process
SHV certification	in process	yes	yes	shock test