Debu Choudhury in India this April
Recreational paraglider pilots who don’t need top performance should “carefully consider” whether they need to fly a pod harness, the DHV has said.
In a report published on the DHV website the German Hang Gliding and Paragliding Union say they have tested six models of pod harnesses and found “several systemic safety problems” in the concept.
The report discusses reserve deployment, harness closure systems and back protection in six harnesses, including:
Advance Impress 3
Woody Valley X-Alps GTO
Gin Genie Lite
Ava Sport Tanto Lite
Sup Air Sypper
Sup Air Delight
The DHV say:
The latest pod harnesses are generally very expensive, are heavy and voluminous, more complicated to setup and adjust, and require more attention to detail when checking for airworthiness due to their complexity and the use of fiddly components. In addition, pod harnesses can hinder pilots during takeoff and severely influence (increased twist danger) reactions to collapses and extreme flight manoeuvres
And add:
Performance gains while flying through reduced wind resistance are only possible when pod harnesses are carefully setup and aligned to the direction of travel. At a glance the advantages may appear clear, but the non-trivial setup is often ignored and results in no effective gain.
The full report is on the DHV website here.
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Okay, so maybe I’m not gaining any performance from my pod harness because I didn’t test the setup in a wind tunnel. But then again, it keeps the cold air away from my legs during longer XC flights which makes it very useful just by that. I do however agree that most pilots, especially those never going XC, can and maybe should use a conventional harness.
Why am I not surprised?
What will be their next report?
What about: “DHV advises to use a virtual reality flight simulator – Flying in the real sky poses unnecessary risks”
I agree. I have seen those reactions in a SIV course. I go XC and so far, for me, I have not seen the need of a pod harness.
never Mind: Mr slezack also proposes a-Type gliders for everybody to guarantee for Security.
Hey folks, it’s not the safety equipment, it is the Pilot. And it is Not High Risk but when it Hits there is usually an Impact that can cause damage. Therefore use your brain and not your bumper, whatever harness you use!
I have no problem with the test results from the DHV, but I do dispute their understanding of why recreational pilots are using pod harnesses.
In my case the pod harness is vastly more user-friendly than all my previous harnesses. The integration of all the elements of the harness means I can concentrate on launching and landing and flying.
Every element of my harness is sorted from the manufacturer. Drinking system, storage, instruments, reserve, speed bar. All just work smoothly with no compromises. I don’t have to worry about the stirrup tangling with the speed bar.
I don’t need any release systems to stop tangles of reserve, speed bar and stirrup. My flight deck sits in exactly the right place every time and the full range of my speed bar is easily accessible.
I did have to modify the flight deck closure system to reduce the chance of forgetting the leg straps. That has always been a problem since flight decks became common. It is not specific to pod harnesses.
I do have my pod harness adjusted for comfort and ease of use rather than performance. It is not hard to do.