PARAMOTORING'S BURNING QUESTIONS

[Features Editor]

The Round Table in Paramotor Magazine is where we get experts to answer your questions about out sport and the industry. So what are those questions?

Help us find the best topics to explore by submitting your best three questions to this thread.

Cheers

[JC CATALAN]

I don't know if you would consider this the best question, but it's the one I'm trying to get an answer for now.

Basically, ppg pilots normally fly away from mountains and assuming we are flying higher than 100 meters, then what is the best choice for reserve and what considerations should we have in mind. Assumption: we don't have a system to throw away the motor off our backs while falling under the reserve, so the landing will be with a heavy engine on our backs.

Let me explain my question further. If I'm all up 139 kilos, this includes pilot, clothes, helmet, radio, vario, wing, paramotor, reserve, and full tank of fuel. Then should I fly with a round canopy or better a rogallo? If I choose a round reserve what should be the max weight range? 140 kilos? 160 kilos or go all the way to 200 kilos max range?

Same question if I chose a rogallo.

And then to fully complement this topic. What are the pros and cons of using a quick release in case of having chosen a round canopy reserve and the pros and cons of having chosen a rogallo type reserve.

Cheers. JC

[Beery]

Just a general response to your question and I am sure there are reserve experts that can offer more insight.

You want a reserve that opens quick and you want a reserve that has the slowest descent rate. Back last year, Chris Santacroce, one of the experts in PG and PPG that holds a number of clinics said basically (paraphrased) "get the biggest reserve available" so that you get the lowest descent rate.

Beery

[JC CATALAN]

Thanks. That would be a round 200kg reserve then.

[Features Editor]

There has just been a huge independent review of over 40 reserve systems by the French and Swiss hang and paragliding associations. The results were fairly shocking with one in four reserves failing to meet EN standards!

To quote from the news article we have written for the next magazine: "under full load only a quarter (10 reserves) came down within the European Norm (EN) guideline sink rate of 5.4 m/sec. A further 13 met the slightly more relaxed DHV criteria of 6.5 m/sec maximum. The rest came down quicker."

So Chris' advice of the bigger the better would appear to be very well aimed. My only experience was with a payload of 110 kg on a reserve that went up to 200 kg. The landing was lovely, if not just for the relief of surviving.

Read the full report in the next issue of Paramotor Mag, or before hand in issue 125 of Cross Country Magazine.

I will put JC's other questions to some of the magazine's experts and report the results in Round Table next issue.

Cheers

[Gabriel]

There has always been talk of a smaller reserve opening faster, and this is why we see different sizes for different loads. The difference in weight and packed size between a smaller and larger reserve is really not much. I use a 42 for motoring and a 38 for free flying.

[JC CATALAN]

This is great feedback. Actually I posted similar questions in a different forum and received same advice of bigger is better.

So for free flying, I think it is important to open very quickly since we fly close to mountains trying to find lift. Also the size of the reserve is important, since too big takes longer to open and may be less stable going down (considering thermic conditions).

For paramotoring and if I understood correctly, I should pick a round 200 kg reserve so I have the softest landing. Important considering we carry a heavy engine on our backs. Normally we fly away from mountains and in not so strong thermic conditions, so falling will be more stable than in free flying. By the way, I normally fly 200 meters or higher from the ground, so I should have plenty of height for openning the reserve (I hope).

I'm still curious about rogallos and have not yet received any feedback to best determine if I should buy a round or rogallo type reserve for paramotoring.

Thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge.

Regards. JC

[-NewGuy-]

[-NewGuy-]

[Xplorer]

I don't agree with the bigger is better philosophy for a few reasons.
Firstly. bigger reserves with lower wing-loading, are slower to open, require more vertical height for full deployment and more likely to suffer malfunctions.
Secondly, their is a HUGE difference in the packed bulk and weight among different sizes and weight ranges. Many years ago I bought a large reserve based on some excellent reviews I read about that brand. Unfortunately I found it cumbersome and too heavy, so often I opted to take on extra fuel and leave the reserve behind. One day I needed the reserve and it was lying in my car many miles away... That was my last flight for many weeks while I did intensive research into reserve options. I spoke to many reserve manufacturers, especially those doing actual empirical tests and actual filmed test-deployments. Eventually I purchased a Metamorfosi Conar PG18 and was amazed at the light weight and its compact size. The difference was actually quite staggering. The amazing this, was this smaller, lighter reserve, actually had a SLOWER descent rate than the larger, heavier reserve I had bought earlier.
I am now on my third Conar 18 reserve and am saddened that the designer and manufacturer, Angelo Crapanzano, is no longer with us.
I see that now many manufacturers are experimenting with lighter reserves, such as APCO's new Mayday Light and Mayday Superlight.
I commend this R&D for our benefit.
I hope that some reserve manufacturers will continue to do R&D on reducing the size and descent rates. These two criteria need not be mutually exclusive.
I am not fond of the steerable concept, though I hope this will improve and eventually become mainstream.