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Written by Alain Zoller
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Open letter - Where we goes with Paragliding Sport
Air Turquoise - Alain Zoller point of view; maybe to say loud what lot of professional knows, but doesn't want see the true way.
Introduction
After sad competition at Piedrahita in July 2011, CIVL decide to stop Paragliding Open Class for next competition. Quite a lot of Federation agreed and was quite happy, at least to have certified gliders in competition which means more safer competitions(?) . Since July some manufacturers have worked persistent to get their previous competition gliders into certification system. In November 2011, it was without count of pugnacity of manufacturers work, we can see the first "Gun" glider ready for certification flight test. It was quite strange situation to have under our hands the first two and a half liners for test.
As test laboratory, we were thinking a lot when first comp glider arrived for the certification if it was good way to do it? When we tested it, we discover that this kind of gliders can be really in the border line of the standard, but in fact they fulfill EN & LTF requirement in category D.
The main question was, should we continue to certify such glider? Is it a good way? So technical it is, it's more the skill of the test pilot can be able to perform the maneuvers? In fact it was our job to perform the tests after the requirements until we got more experienced, but the same questions were more demanding right after my accident?
The situation
After my accident, Randi toke in charge to have a big reflection between test laboratories and Federations. Randi asked them to stop immediately the process of these gliders, and to react as fast as possible for to save our Sport. She proposed to stop certification on such gliders, even all D categories for to have time think about the next steps.
We'd a round table meeting beginning of December between test houses (DHV - Academy - Air Turquoise, Aerotest & PMA) in Austria. This meeting was scheduled from long time ago and we (Air Turquoise) added new points in the agenda about EN/LTF D category and/or create a special class for competition gliders.
During the meeting we passed through quite easily the agenda, we discussed little bit about the situation of new revolution of D class...There were few arguments for or against to add limits of EN D, but the speech was quite short and nobody wish to take responsibility or thinking it was necessary to react at this situation. Meeting arguments were:
"The certification system has not the power to issue technical limits like aspect ratio or speed. This is up to the manufacturers and competition organizers. The pilots have to realize that within the EN-D category there is a wide range of gliders for different levels of pilots. Gliders, which are designed to be used only by the most skilled pilots in top level competitions and the traditional style EN-D gliders as we have known them since many years for the more recreational pilots."
The description for pilot level to fly with an EN-D glider is defined in the norm: quote from EN-926/2:
Paragliders with demanding flying characteristics and potentially violent reactions to turbulence and pilot errors. Recovery to normal flight requires precise pilot input.
Designed for pilots well practiced in recovery techniques, who fly very actively, have significant experience of flying in turbulent conditions, and who accept the implications of flying such a wing.
I understand this brief summary, is not at the test houses to have technical issue for limiting EN/LTF classes and in same time PMA keep their eyes closed behind the EN definition. The definition sentences was made for to keep open a kind of good performance gliders, but never to open the doors at such of "Gun" as we knows today.
I agree, test houses have to respect the standard and not make policies of manufacturers, same as PMA they should look after her organization and let test houses doing them job. Now it's seems that PMA try to be supervisor of test houses, they try to defend LTF system instead caring about EN & LTF, this is just not acceptable. They should promote mainly the European norm and then after LTF requirement for Germany ONLY.
We also discover during this meeting, they're some differences between test houses, especially how to interpret the both standards (EN<F). The summary was; in Germany, test houses doesn't take care about EN, they just give EN certification without to perform strictly the requirements. We even heard that someone asked to stop EN tests, because nobody is supervising them as long as accreditation system is not established (this will audit the test houses), they also meaning LTF tests are supervised by the German LBA. It was also returned a rumor told a possible reason why some of the new hot EN D wings will maybe not get LTF??? -Very nice to return to rumors; and those who said that just forgot that, Air Turquoise is a serious company, if you doing ISO you're audited every year and costs lot more money than LBA. LBA is auditing only every two years. The reason why someone says that EN should be stopped it is because we don't have any technical audits, but bear in mind neither do LTF. In fact audits are just administration, nobody can be able or have the knowledge to be real technical expert for audit. Paraglider accidents are happening from technical part, never by administration.
Normal procedure is to follow EN and LTF, without any preference just perform all maneuvers with repetitions (to be sure maneuver is repeatable), but of some point there are differences between both standards. This kind of technical details scares me when I heard about. Fortunately this is not so much visible at the end on the final product, but we can always thinking about and to be in the doubt.
Who is responsible to react ASAP when security is at stake? At least not PMA, maybe test houses can share the experience, but how? In fact the Federations through EHPU should be the right interlocutor, they're aware of the accident statistics, it's them they should discuss with Insurance and work hard to avoid our sport not considering as "Risky Sport" and at the end. The federations, they should defend interest of their members, it's also their job to give the security line at competition.
This was the target of Martin Scheel by CIVL to find a kind of "Certification" system for comp gliders, even to create a new class how can be accept as European Standard, but under the pressure from manufacturers (PMA) his first idea was put in dungeon and Martin should do a kind of compromise as we know the result today. He and his working group did the best for security in competition and at the end it's almost Martin's fault that the accidents happened last year, this is not fair.
About certification now it's more as 6 years we work on EN 926-2 for flight test with classification A-B-C-D. Since 17.12.2009 become same classification in Germany with new LTF, even if some maneuver are not strictly the same at least Paragliding world can finally speak same language about classification. Unfortunately what was created with these classes begin to be obsolete and we can even see some glider with 6.8 aspect ratio in category C!!!
I remember end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 we were quite scared and in doubt to be able to certify such of glider in D category. Until we started with new "Gun" or new technology the classes was clearly defining for the level of every type of skill of pilot. Now it seems that every classes should be pushing down from one level and that doesn't correspond at all at the definition of the standard, in fact we don't need and don't want that.
Two points of view from of this situation; 1st, it's fantastic to see how manufacturer can be able to develop and push forward performance, speed and security. 2nd, make me afraid how this performance running, more aspect ration and more speed. That is the good way? We should thinking that 70-80% of pilots doesn't have possibilities to fly often, the landing fields getting fewer and smaller and with more performance of gliders, the more difficult for normal pilots who can manage and steer properly their gliders, mainly pilots want to fly for fun and take pleasure. Every professional like Instructors, Schools, Manufacturers, Test houses and for sure Federations live and exist because of these 70-80% pleasure pilots. I feel, we start to sawing the branch on which we sit on.
Lot of work and priority is done for these 70-80% of pilots, but I think we spend too much time on the performance, competition, for meeting concerning "High Level", chats, emails and shouting for just small minority of competitors. The statistic says only around 2% of pilots are competitors, even less in PWCA or CIVL competitions, maybe around 100 to 120 pilots??? I don't understand all this energy for so few pilots, and the worse to finality is like with lot of sports, we don't have any money or Press coverage for the pilot who wins the title… that make pleasure only the scene, but it has been this way from the beginning and will be like this in the future. For sure we cannot and is not the target to be popular as Football or Tennis.
Conclusion
Many points deserve to be thinking thoroughly and maybe discussed:
We need to keep competition, this is the development of our sport. The new technologies arrive on the market after experimentation in competition. In the other hands, why we want certified comp glider without any intervention from the pilot?
That why we need to thinking about:
- To create a new class for comp glider. Doesn't matter the name if is "Open Class" or "Competition Class" or "Class E" etc… but we need to have a specific category for Gun Gliders.
- To say to EHPU, now is the time to take decision and to be the real "Chairman" of the Paragliding scene.
- Stop to just listen what Germany say, it's not the center of the world, we've lot of specialist everywhere and everybody can be listen to, doesn't matter which country or Federation.
- To find a solution for to calibrate test houses, that can be also a target of EHPU but far away not PMA
- At the end, how will take responsibility when pilot will died within competition and/or for leisure sport?
I just relate some point after 25 years experience with certification for to explain my point of view when I see how the development of our sport is at this day. I like my job and I'll continue to work as clean as possible and as close as possible of the requirement. Probably some people will be not agree of me, even will thinking totally opposite, but it's normal we're in democracy. I don't want convince anybody, take this letter just like "my personal Open Letter". Some time is nice to say out loud what's on your mind and not speaking about rumours to be true or not. Also to have a critical eye on the evolution. Anyway, flying will continue to be a dream of many pilots, it doesn't matter how many kilometres or the altitudes. Just to share a flight memories together with friends and discuss about our personal achievements, this is nice thing bout paragliding and not everybody can understand that. Only the guys who flies will do. That's why it's so marvellous.
Take care and fly safe
Alain
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