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The ideal pull direction varies with the construction of the harness or external con-
tainer in combination with your reserve and the attachment point used on the inner
container. A direct sideways (not upwards, forwards or back) pull works at best on
most systems. Find out and remember – practise the compatibility test!
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Throw the reserve away from you outwards, as hard as possible,
and don’t forget to let go!
Minimal elapsed reserve release time
is the first priority in most real emergency situations!
DO NOT HESITATE, time is crucial! Most real emergency reserve throws are near to
the ground!
Emergency situations near the ground can become critical very quickly. If high g-loads and rota-
tion or airspeeds build up, reserve-throwing becomes much more challenging! The best strategy
to avoid such a situation, is to react before high g-loads and critical speeds build up. An
instant
reserve-throw
is the best decision, if you are low over the ground.
The direction of the throw shouldn’t be towards the paraglider and its many lines (even if that’s
where you hope to soon see the reserve as parachute).
Throw the reserve outwards,
not into
the centre of the rotational movement. Centrifugal forces will help you to stretch the lines quicker,
if you throw outwards, and the risk of the reserve getting caught by the paraglider’s lines is much
lower.
If the thrown reserve stretches the suspension lines with
residual momentum
, the reserve canopy
will open faster!
Throw as hard as you can!
In emergency situations with lower tangential speeds,
a high residual momentum can speed up the opening sequence a lot.
