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| Wills Wing Parachutes
- Overview |
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Wills Wing offers a full line
of emergency reserve parachutes for hang gliding
and paragliding. With luck, and good, consistent
decision making, you will never need to use
an emergency reserve. If the worst happens,
and you should encounter a structural failure,
mid-air collision, irrecoverable collapse
or incapacitating medical emergency, your
emergency reserve is your last, best chance
to avoid serious injury. Wills Wing has been
selling emergency reserve parachutes for over
20 years, and we believe we have the best
products in the industry.
All hang gliding parachutes are fitted with
a 25 foot bridle and a paraswivel connection
between the bridle and parachute lines. The
purpose of the 25 foot bridle is so that during
deployment the deployment bag package will
reach clear air beyond the glider before the
lines are pulled from the deployment bag,
reducing the chance of entanglement with the
glider. The paraswivel prevents a spinning
or rotating glider from twisting up the parachute
lines and closing the canopy during descent.
All paragliding parachutes are fitted with
a 4 foot bridle so that the parachute canopy
will deploy below the main paraglider canopy.
Paragliding chutes are not fitted with paraswivels,
as this has not been found to be necessary.
Choosing the right parachute is the first
step, but looking after your safety in this
area doesn't end with your purchase of a reserve.
You need to maintain your parachute, protecting
it from damage and having it re-packed regularly,
and you need know how to use it. You can take
care of both of these needs by attending a
parachute seminar, practicing a simulated
deployment under supervision, and then having
your chute re-packed.
Parachutes are available in two different
designs - PDA or pulled down apex, and Annular.
The pulled down apex design was historically
the first improvement in hang glider reserves
over the old conical parachutes. A line connected
to the parachute apex pulls down the apex
which flattens the parachute and increases
inflated diameter. Both of these increase
drag and reduce the sink rate for a given
size of parachute, allowing for the same performance
with a lighter, less expensive chute with
a smaller pack volume.
Annular parachute technology takes the concept
one step further, using specially shaped gores
(the triangular segments from which the parachute
is made) to better control the inflated shape
and further enhance the aerodynamic performance
of the parachute. A properly designed annular
parachute affords the lightest parachute weight
and smallest pack volume for a given rate
of descent.
Wills Wing distributes PDA chutes and the
high technology LARA, for Low Aspect Ratio
Annular, parachute line, both manufactured
by Free Flight Enterprises. These parachutes
have proven themselves over the years to be
the highest quality parachutes available.
The PDA parachutes are an excellent choice
where low purchase price is the primary concern.
For a lighter and smaller parachute with the
same or better performance, step up to the
LARA series. For the lightest, smallest chute
available, choose the LARA Gold - manufactured
with Spectra lines and a Kevlar bridle - for
an exceptionally light weight, and low pack
volume reserve.
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