MAN-0012 Rev. I
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Even if your parachute survives a high-speed opening you may not. Parachutes tend to
open faster with increases in airspeed and increases in altitude. Faster openings mean higher G
loads on your body. Excessive G loadings from high-speed deployments have caused severe
injuries and death. Lower weight is a major disadvantage in this situation. Lower weights will
decelerate faster for a given canopy deceleration force so the G loading (and your risk) will go
up as weight goes down. The TSO requires the canopy to open in relatively low distances to
increase the survivability of low altitude deployments. However, this feature also exposes you to
high G loadings from high airspeed and/or high altitude deployments.
Premature deployments may result in deployments above the maximum speed. Many
of the newest container systems have much better protection against premature deployment.
We recommend that you only use modern equipment designed for your specific uses.
IN SUMMARY
•
Plan your opening altitudes and body positions so that you stay within the operating limits of
your parachute.
•
If you are going fast, make sure you spend enough time slowing down before deploying your
parachute, altitude permitting.
•
Each component is marked with its individual operating limits. The user must check each
component to be sure they are inside the operating limits of all the components.
MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED WEIGHTS & SPEEDS
The charts at the end of the manual contain the absolute maximum suspended weights.
Exceeding the maximum suspended weight may result in serious injury or death due
to landing injuries. Exceeding the maximum suspended weight is illegal, a violation
of the Federal Aviation Regulations, and may result in serious injury or death due
to structural failure as well as landing injuries.
Do not exceed the maximum suspended weight!
SAFE OPERATING GUIDELINES AND COMMON SENSE
Reserve parachutes are tested at weights and speeds significantly higher than the
placarding limits to give a reasonable safety margin. However, only new parachutes are
tested and usually no more than three high speed/heavy weight tests are performed on a single
canopy and a specific deployment system. Different deployment systems may affect
opening loads. There are some variations inherent in materials and manufacturing. Different
temperatures and humidity may significantly affect material strengths. Furthermore, parachute
materials get weaker through age, use, UV light exposure, dust, sand, and chemical exposure
(including things as simple as human body sweat).
Parachute equipment has historically had a relatively low failure rate. However, a large part of
this low failure rate is due to relatively conservative operational use. Few canopies are
deployed much above 110 kts or close to their maximum operating weight. As with
any other device, the higher you load it, the higher the possibility for failure. With all
these variables, there is a possibility that your reserve parachute will fail at lower
