Care And Maintenance - Nova PRION 3 Handbuch

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Make a habit of mentally rehearsing throwing your parachute by, for
example, practising putting your hand on the parachute handle during
flight. This is useful preparation should the worst happen.
Many clubs or schools offer an opportunity to practise throwing your
reserve parachute on a zip line. The most effective practise is obvi-
ously actually throwing the parachute during an SIV/pilotage training.

Care and maintenance

With care and careful handling, a paraglider can remain in a technically
perfect state for many years – even if used intensively. An exception
to this are lightweight paragliders which degrade more rapidly with in-
tensive use.
We recommend the following:
• The wing should not be unnecessarily exposed to UV radiation, for
example if left for a long time in direct sunlight on take-off or landing.
• When folding the glider it is advisable not to bend the rods in the
leading edge.
• If the wing is wet or even slightly damp when being packed, it should
be fully dried as soon as possible. Storing the glider damp can lead
to permanent damage.
• When landing or groundhandling, try to avoid hitting the leading edge
hard on the ground. This can result in damage.
• The lines should be protected from dirt and sharp rocks. Never step
on the lines if on stony ground.
• Over a period of time, dampness in combination with dirt can lead to
lines shrinking and the glider going out of trim.
• Salt water (including sweat) and sand damage lines and sail cloth.
This has a negative effect on their durability and strength.
Packing the glider
To us, paragliding
means freedom. Keep it simple! NOVA paragliders can be stored in a concertina bag,
And freedom means
but it is not essential (we haven't found that concertina bags prolong
not having to deal
the life of the wing). If in a hurry, they can be stuffed into the inner bag
with complicated
(but please don't store them like this in the long-term!).
equipment.
We use the conventional packing method for our own wings: lay the
wing flat with lines on top and then fold towards the middle. The cell
openings should be in line and can then be used as a reference. Then
fold, rather than roll, the glider towards the nose as this improves the
comfort when carrying it in the glider bag. When folding the wing, plea-
se ensure that the rods in the leading edge are not bent.
This packing method is possible due to our conservative use of rods –
they are only used in the profile nose.
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