Ozone Swift Six - CARING TIPS; Ground Handling Care; General Wing Care

22
Caring Tips
Careless ground handling damages many paragliders. Here are some things to avoid in order to prolong
the life of your aircraft:
• DO NOT drag your wing along the ground or any hard surface as this is guaranteed to cause damage to
the sailcloth. Lift it up and carry it clear of the ground.
• DO NOT try to open your wing in strong winds without untangling the lines rst - this puts unnecessary
strain on the lines.
• DO NOT walk on the wing or lines.
• DO NOT repeatedly inate the glider and then allow it to crash back down. Try to keep this movement
as smooth as possible by moving towards the glider as it comes down.
• DO NOT slam your glider down on the ground leading edge rst! This impact puts great strain on the
wing and stitching and can even explode cells.
• FLYING in salty air, in areas with abrasive surfaces (sand, rocks etc.) and ground handling in strong
winds will accelerate the aging process.
• DO NOT y in the rain or expose the wing to moisture.
• DO NOT expose the wing to unnecessary UV or high levels of heat. Leaving the wing sitting in the sun or
allowing it to get hot (e.g in the back of a car) will signicantly increase the chances of premature ageing.
• If you y with a wrap, you should regularly undo the twisting that appears on the main brake lines. By
twisting the line become shorter and you can end up with a constant tension on the trailing edge.
• Change your main brake lines if they are damaged.
• When ground handling be careful to not saw the brake lines against the risers or main lines. The
abrasion caused by a sawing motion can damage the main lines and the risers. If you notice any signs
of abrasion, especially to the lines, make sure to replace them. It is important to modify your ground
handling technique to stop any future damage.
• Your wing has an opening on the wing tips called the ‘Butt hole’. The Butt hole makes it easy to empty
any sand, leaves, rocks, mobile phones etc that may have accumulated in the wing.
It is recommended that you regularly CHECK your wing, especially after a heavy period of use, after an
incident or after a long period of storage.