7.7. Aerobatics
Your Firebird-Glider is not designed for aerobatic manoeuvre, and they are not permitted. We strongly
discourage the use of this glider for such flying. Firebird undertakes no liability for the safety of the
pilots who participate in aerobatic flying.
8. Glider cair, repairs
Care
The life of your paraglider depends in large on how you treat it. Your glider was a major investment
and should be worth looking after. Do not forget that your life may depend on the good condition of
your wing!
UV Damage
It is commonly known that UV rays degrade paraglider cloth. Do not leave the wing lying out in the sun
for a moment longer than necessary.
Ground Handling
Many paragliders are damaged by careless ground handling.
Do not drag your wing along the ground to another take-off position. This damages the sail cloth.
Do not try to open your wing in strong winds without untangling the lines first. This puts unnecessary
strain on the lines.
Do not walk on the lines or wing.
Do not inflate the glider and allow it to crash back down to the ground leading edge first! This will put
great strain on the wing and stitching and can even explode cells. Almost all claims of “faulty stitching”
or “weak sailcloth” originate from leading edge slams.
Packing Your Glider
In order to guarantee your glider a long life, it is necessary pack it correctly.
Lay the glider out on its top surface, check the lines are not tangled, then lay them on the wing, free
from kinks. The risers should be laid together at the center of the trailing edge.
Fold the wing from each wing tip to the center cell, making sure that the leading edge is in one straight
line, until it is on or two cells wide.
Push any remaining air out by flattening the folded wing from the trailing edge to the leading edge.
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