If any part of a harness/container/reserve combination is new or has been changed, the correct installation and deployment of the harness/container/reserve combination must be proven by a test release, also known as a Compatibility Test.
The harness/container/reserve combination should be tested in as realistic a situation as possible, with the pilot sitting in a normal flying position in the harness hanging by its carabiners.
To pass the test, the reserve has to be successfully deployed by the pilot in this situation. The force required for a safe reserve release should be between 4 and 8 kg. If you are unsure about your test result or have other queries, please ask a qualified person.
Compatibility test advice
The compatibility test means errors can be spotted and rectified before it is too late. This is no-mistake territory: aviation regulations are “written in blood” for good reason!
A compatibility test is not difficult or costly. You need to hang your harness – you can use two rope loops over a tree branch or beam, or a dedicated harness hanger. The test is simply to ensure that you, the pilot, can successfully pull your reserve out of the reserve compartment while in flight.
The compatibility test does not check the opening behaviour of the inner container. It tests how the reserve parachute is pulled out of the reserve compartment, and the throwing motion can be practised as part of the exercise.
If you have short pieces of packing line to hand for re-closing the harness compartment or front container afterwards, you can do a compatibility test yourself, easily. It is a good idea to always keep packing lines in your harness pocket in case your compartment opens by mistake.
Discovering you cannot extract your reserve when you need it is vastly more inconvenient than performing a compatibility test – and practice makes perfect.
Compatibility test issues
The following factors can prevent a successful reserve release and result in a failed test:
- Reserve volume does not match the certified volume range of the container/harness compartment: the reserve is too large or too small for the compartment/container. The certified packing volume is shown on the certification label of every SQR reserve. The permitted reserve volumes for your harness/container will be stated in the user guide/manual for this equipment.
- The reserve has been stowed incorrectly in the compartment – wrong direction or alignment, folded to wrong shape etc. Please follow the harness/inner container instructions.
- Incorrect pilot technique – the reserve cannot be freed. Practice makes perfect.
- Ergonomic issues such as pilot’s arm length, range of motion, etc. can affect the success of a reserve release. Small people with short arms can sometimes have difficulties releasing a reserve. It is therefore important that the compatibility test is carried out by the individual pilot who will be flying with the equipment. It can be worth exploring different harnesses and different flying positions, or consider an external container. Three-way compatibility is the goal: pilot/harness/reserve!
- Under high g-loads (> 3g, e.g. in a spiral) reserve-throwing becomes more challenging. For training, this situation can be simulated with the G-Force Trainer.