PARACHUTE RIGGER HANDBOOK
 

Chapter 5

ROUND CANOPIES AND PILOT EMERGENCY SYSTEMS

The first thing the rigger should check is the continuity of the canopy to make sure it is straight. Do so by laying the system on the table as if the wearer were lying face down, head toward the canopy. (On some models, such as military seat parachutes, it may be face down with the feet towards the canopy.) Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Ensure that the canopy is right side out (i.e., the data panel faces out) and the gore numbers are readable on the outside. Attach the required tension devices and apply light tension. Standing at the canopy, split the riser line groups and grasp the two gores that separate them. The top panel should have line number 1 and the last line of the sequence depending on the number of lines on the canopy. Starting with number 1, the lines will run in sequence counterclockwise around the canopy.

(See figure 5-6 for typical line sequences.) The four lines attached to these two gores comprise the standard “fourline check” for a round canopy. By running these four lines from the canopy to the connector links, the rigger can make a quick check of straightness. If the rigger was the last person to pack the parachute, he/she may feel this is sufficient to ensure continuity. However, most riggers do a full check of all the lines, even on their own pack jobs.

 
 
 
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