RESERVE PARACHUTE PACKING

Last Saturday 8th November the Ulster Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club organised a day where we learned to pack our own reserve parachutes under the expert eye of Bill Morris who trains BHPA packers.
The purpose of the event - in Bill's own words:

“Learn how to pack your own reserve and how to use it. The day will consist of a talk on reserves showing deployment examples, a full demonstration of how the reserve works followed by a detailed demonstration of how to repack. Pilots will then have the opportunity to repack their own reserve under supervision. ”

The course at the Brownlow Centre in Craigavon (BT65 5DL), which was FREE to club members, was very well attended and it was also good to see pilots from the IHPA who made the journey to Craigavon.
We were not disappointed. Bill's expert advice and information showed that packing your reserve parachute is a fairly simple procedure but there are vital elements that you must get right if it is to deploy successfully. Aside from techniques that are common to all reserve 'chutes, different makes have their own particular variations and these were all demonstrated and practiced.

Bill had lots of video of reserve deployments, including those following mid-air collisions and talked us through all of them, pointing out the important points to note in each. He emphasised that it is wrong to think that in a low level situation you are  too low for a successful deployment - modern canopies open fast and even if only partially open before arrival on the ground you will still be slowed down. You are never "too low to throw". Other myths about reserve 'chutes were similarly discussed and explained.
This was one of the best events organised by the club and thanks must go to those members of the committee who organised it and to Bill Morris and to those members and friends who attended.

A SORT OF UPDATE

Had forgotten about this blog for a while. Only one more flight in 2013 - at the SW face of Agnew's Hill in strongish wind. First flight in 2014 was on 11 January at Dungiven. Had an excellent flying trip to Algodonales with Simon Murphy being well looked after by Johan and Jackie of FlyAlgo - highly recommended.

Some local flying and training back home then off with Alastair McMaster and family and Simon Murphy (again!) to Rose Valley Lodge in Bulgaria in July for 8 days' flying with Gavin of Rose Valley Lodge. Gavin and his wife Lucy (a couple from Belfast), with Texan Charles Austin have started a fly/guide business based in the village of Kliment where they now live and which is convenient to the main Bulgarian flying site at Sopot. We had some excellent flying for all but two days along the massive mountain range in big easy thermals. Unfortunately Alastair had a heavy landing the first day which spoiled things for him and the family but he is now back in action. Accommodation, food, guiding and transport were excellent and all included in the package.

Managed to get the dust shaken out of the Magnum tandem at Big Collin on return, with Martin Bates as ballast! Flying since then has been at Dungiven and Big Collin where we currently seem to have a spell of SE winds and I have had some students out. Visiting Romanian pilot Cristian Negrisanu has a ball on Big Collin and managed a series of slope and top landings, which he had never done before.