Subject : EMERGENCY PARACHUTE	
Date    : 12 2004 	
Source  : British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Ltd
          The Old Schoolroom
          Loughborough Road
          Leicester
          LE4 5PJ
          United Kingdom
          Tel : +44/(0116) 261.1322
          Fax : +44/(0116) 261.1323
          E-mail : office@bhpa.co.uk
          Web    : http://www.bhpa.co.uk/

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- Informations under author responsability.
- Informations sous la responsabilité de leurs auteurs.
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SAFETY ADVISORY

Issued by Angus Pinkerton - 
Chairman of the Flying & Safety Committee 
23 December 2004.

All pilots must READ, DIGEST AND TAKE ACTION 
on the contents of this Notice and keep it for future reference.

If you hold a copy of the BHPA Technical Manual this notice must be inserted 
into it and retained until it is withdrawn or superseded on instructions from 
the Chairman FSC.

EMERGENCY PARACHUTE PAYLOAD:
DHV CERTIFIED CANOPIES

The DHV have issued a recommendation that pilots using DHV certified emergency 
parachutes should ensure that their maximum take-off weight never exceeds 75% 
of the parachute's certified maximum payload. 
(This means that if the emergency parachute has a certified maximum payload of 
say 114kg, it is only recommended for use with a maximum of 85kg payload.)

This is as a result of a DHV study of injury rates arising during the use of 
emergency parachutes. They examined all the reported incidents where emergency 
parachutes had been used by DHV pilots in 2003, and after stripping out all of 
those where the pilot's fall had been arrested by trees, found that the eleven 
incidents left showed a clear trend: pilot injury (generally serious) occurred 
in all those events where the load was greater than 78% of the DHV certified 
parachute's maximum payload.

The DHV emergency parachute standard uses a 6.8m/s descent rate as the criteria. 
This is considerably in excess of the BHPA 5.5m/s recommendation (which is also 
used for the CEN 12491 standard). The high rate of injury uncovered in Germany 
should be no surprise to those following the FSC's carefully researched advice 
on parachute sizes and acceptable descent rates.

If your emergency parachute is a DHV certified type, check to find the maximum 
certified payload and ensure that your total weight in flight does not exceed 
75% of this figure. (The DHV are planning to list all DHV certified emergency 
parachutes and their certified max. payloads on their website: www.dhv.de.)

(Nb. Reducing the max. payload by 25% should, by calculation, reduce the descent 
rate to approx 5.8 m/s. Members are reminded that comprehensive advice on 
emergency parachutes is contained in the BHPA Pilot Handbook.)

Original Note (In english)

By: Angus Pinkerton
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Origine Angus Pinkerton - 
Président du "Flying & Safety Committee" 
23 Decembre 2004.

Tous les pilotes doivent LIRE, ANALYSER, et PRENDRE LES MESURES NECESSAIRES
au sujet du contenu de cette Note en la conservant comme référence future. 

Si vous possédé une copie du BHPA Technical Manual cette note doit être
insérée dedant en attendant une mise à jour du Chairman FSC. 

CHARGE DES PARACHUTE DE SECOURS
CERTIFIES PAR LE DHV 

Le DHV a diffusé une recommandation pour les pilotes utilisant des parachutes
de secours certifiés DHV afin que le PTV maximum ne dépasse jamais 75% de la
masse maximum certifiée.
(Cela signifie que pour un parachute de secours certifié à 114 Kg, il est
seulement recommandé de l'utilisé avec un PTV de maximum 85 Kg)

C'est le résultat d'une étude sur des accidents suite à l'utilisation de
parachute de secours.

Le critère de taux de chute pour la certification DHV est de 6.8 m/s.
Cela dépasse la recommandation du BHPA de 5.5 m/s, (qui est aussi celle du
standard CEN 12491).

Le fort taux d'accident découvert en Allemange ne surprend pas au vu
des vitesses de descente sous parachute de secours.

Si votre parachute de secours est de type certifié DHV, vérifiez la masse
maximum autorisée, et assurez vous que votre PTV ne dépassez pas 75%.
(Le DHV publie sur son site internet la liste des parachutes de
secours homologués avec les masses maximum http://www.dhv.de/).

(Nb. La diminution de 25% de la masse maximum, réduit le taux de chute
 maximum à aproximativement 5.8 m/s.)

Note Originale (En anglais)

Par Angus Pinkerton
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- Informations under author responsability.
- Informations sous la responsabilité de leurs auteurs.
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