Some Things You Should Know:

1. 20% of the parachutes brought to us for a check over or re-pack have faults.

2. 10% of the parachutes we check would probably not have worked if deployed - this could easily have resulted in the pilot's death.

3. Around 45% of gliders we check have faults and need to be repaired in order to make them airworthy again.

4. Up to 10% of the gliders we check are dangerous to fly and should be scrapped or at least 'grounded'.

Amazingly, a lot of pilots don't even bother having their equipment checked over by professionals and just trust their own judgement. This would be fine after many years of experience, but in the time taken to gain that experience, you could easily find yourself in trouble.

Even more amazingly, is that a high percentage of pilots pack their own reserve parachutes and trust to luck as to whether it will work if they need it. Why bother carrying the extra weight and spending all that money on buying one if you're not prepared to look after it to make sure it will be able to do its job and save your life?

For your own safety, it is paramount that you have your wing and parachute checked regularly (at least once a year) by professionals who work with wings and parachutes every day and know them intimately.

Paraglider Inspection

Your wing needs to be checked regularly (at least once a year or every 50 hours) for the following: line strength and integrity, fabric (top and bottom surface, ribs etc.) for strength and porosity, risers, beckets, Maillons, speed pulleys, trimmers and line tidies etc.

It takes around three and a half hours to fully check a paraglider. Every inch of cloth and line are checked meticulously.

Reserve Parachute Inspection And Re-pack

Your parachute should be re-packed every four to six months with an absolute maximum of twelve months. The more recent the re-pack, the faster the opening time will be.

Our CFI Trevor McLoughlin is one of only 18 people in the UK licensed by the BHPA to re-pack reserve parachutes. There are many people who will charge you for re-packing your parachute, but if they are not on this Licensed Parachute Packers List then they are not approved by the BHPA and your life may be at risk.

Many faults are discovered during parachute re-packs. These are nearly always very simple to fix, but have been caused by the pilot's belief that they can safely pack their own parachute. It's not so much the way the parachute has been folded, but the way in which it has been fitted in the harness.

These faults may not always cause a deployment to fail, but they can add vital seconds to a deployment time that could very easily mean the difference between a safe landing, serious injury or even your death.

It takes around two and a half to three hours to inspect and re-pack a reserve parachute. Firstly, it will be deployed to see if it was packed correctly last time (we get you to do this if we can), then it is aired for twenty four hours to allow any moisture to dry out. This also helps the creases from the previous re-pack 'drop out' a little.

Once it is aired it is given a meticulous inspection - all material, seams, stitching, lines and webbing is checked. If it passes the inspection it is carefully re-folded and put back in your harness. The harness deployment system, bridle and connectors are also checked at this stage.

A high percentage of pilots are flying with reserves that are far too small. These may save your life, but you can still be seriously injured landing under
one. If you tell us your 'all up' flying weight we will calculate whether your parachute is the right size for you at no extra cost. A common misconception is that a smaller parachute is more likely to save you from injury because it will open faster - this is absolute nonsense!

Please note; the BHPA insurance policy allows us to only re-pack parachutes that are less than ten years old. If a parachute is found to be faulty it may be returned to you without being re-packed and you will be asked to return it to the supplier or manufacturer (we can often arrange this for you). Similarly, if it's found to be too old we will return it to you without re-packing it.

We always have reserve parachutes in stock and offer a FREE installation, inspection and re-pack if you buy a replacement one from us. Yes - we always check new parachutes too.

Selling Used Equipment

A recent inspection report on your equipment will increase your chances of selling it and may also get you a better price for it.

You will also have the piece of mind in knowing that it was in good order when you sold it.

Club Re-Pack Sessions

Many clubs offer parachute deployment and re-packing sessions and the value of these to the pilots involved are immense. In our opinion every club should run one and every pilot should attend at least once with any new harness or parachute installation - they will teach you a lot and could even save your life one day. The more familiar you are with deploying your parachute, the faster you'll be able to do so.

However, although it's very important that you know how your system works and how it all goes back together; you should always get a qualified professional to check and re-pack it for you before you fly with it again.

Is £45.00 really too high a price for your life? Just think how your family would feel if you were killed because your parachute wasn't fitted and packed correctly - all in order to save the price of an average meal out.

Prices

Solo Paraglider Inspection	£65.00
Tandem Paraglider Inspection	£85.00
Reserve Re-pack, fitted into harness with Full System Check	£45.00
Reserve Re-pack only	£40.00
Solo Paraglider Inspection and Reserve Re-pack together	£100.00
Tandem Paraglider Inspection and Reserve Re-pack together	£115.00

Extras

Lines Under 2.5m Made To Order	£6.50
Lines Over 2.5m Made To Order	£7.50
Rip-Stop Repair Patch (not sewn)	£2.50
Sewn Repairs (email us a picture for an estimate)	£POA
Maillon Rapide Stainless 8mm Square (tandem reserve)	£12.95
Maillon Rapide Stainless 7mm Square (solo reserve)	£9.95
Maillon Rapide Stainless 6mm Trapezoid (harness attachment)	£9.95
Maillon Rapide Stainless 4mm Delta (risers to lines)	£5.00
Covered Reserve Y Bridle (made by Gin)	£19.95
Neoprene Maillon Rapide Cover (for 7mm Square or oval)	£3.95

All the above prices include VAT.