Advance acoustic AXESS 4 User manual

Edition 1 / 7_2018Manual

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Contents
Thank you for flying ADVANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About ADVANCE ...........................................5
AXESS 4 – Elementary Allrounder ..............................6
Features at a glance .....................................7
Protectors at a glance ...................................9
Safety information .........................................10
General recommendations about
paragliding ...........................................10
Preparing the product ......................................11
Delivery .............................................11
Delivery package ......................................11
Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector ...............................11
Setting up the harness ..................................12
Exchanging parts ......................................15
Fitting the optional foot stirrup ............................17
Cockpit attachment ....................................17
Installing the reserve....................................18
Compatibility check ....................................26
Clipping in ...........................................27
Takeoff preparation and check............................27
Takeoff and Landing/Balance Strap System .................27
Use in Practice............................................27
Using the speedbar ....................................28
Flying with the foot stirrup ...............................28
Flying with ballast ......................................29
Use for training........................................29
Winching ............................................29
Acro flying ...........................................29
Tandem flying .........................................29
Paraglider compatibility .................................29
Landing in water.......................................30
Care, check & repair .......................................31
Care and maintenance..................................31
Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector Care...........................32
Check...............................................32
Repairs..............................................32
Disposal .............................................33
Technical Data ............................................34
Material description ....................................35
Certification ..........................................36
Service..................................................37
ADVANCE Service Centres .........................37
The ADVANCE website .................................37
Product registration ....................................37
Warranty.............................................38
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Congratulations on your choice of an AXESS 4 – a quality product
from ADVANCE. We hope that you will spend many rewarding hours in
the air with it.
This user manual is an important part of the harness. Here you will nd
instructions and important information about safety, care and main-
tenance, and that’s why we recommend that you read this document
carefully before your rst ight.
Register your AXESS 4 online on www.advance.ch/warranty; you
will then receive product updates or safety-related bulletins about
the AXESS 4 direct from us. This information will also be available to
download from our website at www.advance.ch, as will the latest versi-
on of this manual and further updated information.
If you have any further questions or problems please contact your dea-
ler or get in touch directly with ADVANCE.
Now we wish you a lot of enjoyment with your AXESS 4, and always
«happy landings».
Team ADVANCE
Thank you for flying ADVANCE
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ADVANCE, based in Switzerland, is one of the world’s leading para-
glider manufacturers. Since it was founded in 1988, the company has
consistently pursued its own directions and concepts, both in develop-
ment and production. The results are quality products with distinctive
characteristics.
Behind the ADVANCE brand name is a team of specialists who share
the passion and trust in the company’s products. At home in the air
themselves, they contribute their valuable personal experience and
dedication to the working processes.
Total control of the production process and supervision of the work-
ing practices at the ADVANCE factory in Vietnam ensure a high stand-
ard of workmanship. Long term relationships with fabric and line man-
ufacturers means that ADVANCE knowledge and expertise also nds
its way directly into the development of new materials.
ADVANCE attaches great importance to after-sales customer sup-
port, and has built up a worldwide service network for this purpose. An
on-going interaction with its customers brings in a steady ow of new
knowledge that nds its way into ADVANCE products, thus completing
the «Circle of Service».
About ADVANCE
5

The AXESS is the classic ADVANCE beginner harness, and has beco-
me the ADVANCE bestseller - because of its large range of usefulness.
In this fourth generation removable SAS-TEC visco-elastic soft-foam
side and back protection, inherited from motorsport, joins the well-es-
tablished Air-Foam Hybrid main protector. These additions mainly pro-
vide defence against sharp objects, but also lessen the eects of
impacts. With its small packed volume and base features such as ba-
lance strap, Easy Connect and logical adjustment systems the seat-
board harness is intended to be an allrounder, for which generally sim-
ple handling is essential.
Outstanding Features
Elementary
The AXESS 4 has all the basic qualities that make up a beginner, and
also allround harness. These range from easy adjustment, very stra-
ightforward securing system, safe riser clip-in system to easy sliding
back after takeo and standing up again before landing.
Compact & robust
The AXESS 4 is constructed to be robust, has a seatboard and now
SAS-TEC crash protection in addition to the main protector. The har-
ness packs down small, especially considering the safety items it con-
tains. When folded the back section folds snugly to the seatboard, and
the main protector compresses when conned in the paraglider rucksack.
Safe
The AXESS 4 has the removable ADVANCE Air-Foam Hybrid model
main protector – now in its third generation. This protector was spe-
cially developed for the AXESS 2, and is notable for its full protection
function before a takeo attempt. Visco-elastic SAS-TEC components
at the side and all the way up the back to the neck vertebrae also pro-
vide protection from pointed objects and mild mishap impacts.
AXESS 4 – Elementary Allrounder
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Features at a glance
Side view
1 Drink tube guides
2 Shoulder strap Velcro (e.g. for Solario)
3 Drink tube exit
4 Reserve V-connection channel with zip
5 Pocket inside for drink system
6 Generous back pocket
7 Outer container with Labyrinth closure
8 2 side pockets: 1 zip-up outside pocket (left),
1 inside mesh pocket (right)
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Front view
9 Popular 2-buckle closure system
10 Easy Connect System
11 Attachment for optional foot stirrup
12 Cockpit or front container compatible
13 Markings on the straps for basic settings
14 Neoprene covers on the leg straps
15 Speed system with carbon speedbar
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Protectors at a glance
The AXESS 4 has a LTF (91/09) certied Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector,
visco-elastic soft-foam protection at the sides and the back – ex-
tending up to the neck vertebrae. The visco-elastic parts from the
German SAS-TEC company attenuate impacts and provide protection
from pointed obstructions.
All the protection parts can be replaced. See also section
“Replacement Parts”.
1 Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector
2 SAS-TEC Side crash and penetration protection
3 SAS-TEC Back crash and penetration protection
4 Carbon Seatboard
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Like all commercially available reserve parachutes, paraglider harnes-
ses are never suitable for free fall parachuting because their design
and construction details do not allow such a thing. Neither the reser-
ve parachute nor its attachments to the harness can withstand the loa-
dings involved in an abrupt opening.
All harness adjustments should be made before the harness is own.
Correct adjustment of the AXESS 4 greatly contributes to safety, cor-
rect function and comfort in ight.
No protector can provide complete and guaranteed protection. The
Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector solely serves to attenuate impacts and the-
reby minimise injuries that could result from a crash from a low height
that may be associated with a takeo or landing mishap. The SAS-TEC
elements at the sides and back reduce the eects of impacts and re-
sist the penetration of sharp objects.
When carrying out SIV training over water you should be aware that the
air in the Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector oats it in the water – and can tip
the pilot head down. Then there’s the risk that foam parts will eventual-
ly ll with water and sink, with the pilot.
AXESS 4 certication is restricted exclusively to paraglider sport.
General recommendations about
paragliding
Taking part in paragliding sport requires appropriate training and a
comprehensive knowledge of the equipment, as well as the neces-
sary insurance and licences. A pilot must be able to correctly assess
the weather conditions at the chosen site before taking o. His abilities
must be sucient for the demands of the selected paraglider. When
carrying out paragliding the pilot must also take responsibility for his
care of the natural world and the landscape.
The wearing of an adequate helmet, suitable footwear and clothing,
and the carriage of a reserve parachute are all essential. Before every
ight all items of equipment must be checked for damage and airwort-
hiness. A pre-takeo check must always be carried out.
While engaged in paragliding every pilot bears sole responsibility for all
risks, including those resulting in injury and death. Neither the manu-
facturer nor the seller of a paraglider can guarantee the safety of a pi-
lot, or be held responsible for it.
Safety information
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Delivery
Before delivery every ADVANCE product has to be checked by the de-
aler for delivery package contents and correct initial settings. A com-
pleted warranty form makes sure that deciencies of the product, at-
tributable to the manufacturer, are covered by the ADVANCE warranty
(see under “Warranty” in the section” Service”).
We ask you to complete this form on the ADVANCE website under
“Warranty”, within 10 days of purchase.
Delivery package
Delivery of a AXESS 4 harness contains:
§Removable EN/LTF-certied Air-Foam Hybrid Protector
§2 side SAS-TEC soft foam protection
§1 SAS-TEC back soft foam protection
§Speed system with Carbon speedbar
§2 Edelrid Alias alu carabiners
§Ronstan ball-bearing speed pulleys
§Reserve connection
§Reserve handle with attached four ap inner container
§Getting Started Booklet
Optional:
§Foot stirrup incl. tting speed system
§Radio pocket to attach to shoulder strap
Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector
The Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector built into the AXESS 4 has an ingeni-
ous interior design and needs no special treatment. Under normal cir-
cumstances it inates itself with air automatically within 60 seconds of
unpacking the harness. It will therefore be ready to provide full protec-
tion by the time takeo can take place. Should there be a mishap it ab-
sorbs deceleration energy and dampens the impact. The risk of back
or pelvis injury is signicantly reduced.
The Airbag consists of a framework of vertical PU walls, like the frames
and bulkheads of a ship. The predetermined tensioning between the-
se walls assembles the Airbag in all directions when it is permitted to
inate. Air intake and venting is controlled by an assortment of sewing
technology.
The airbag conforms to the LTF 91/09 certication requirements.
Preparing the product
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Setting up the harness
Adjusting the AXESS 4 is very simple. Put the harness on, close the
chest strap and leg straps (2-buckle system) and hang the AXESS 4 up
by its carabiners in a harness stand.
Neoprene covers protect the shoulder, back and chest strap buckles.
Their straps are smoothly adjustable over their full lengths, so the sit-
ting position can be quickly and easily adjusted in ight.
The development team have dened the basic settings, and the-
se are indicated as standard by grey sewing on the shoulder, back
and leg straps. Pictures in this manual show the various adjustment
possibilities.
ADVANCE recommend that you thoroughly familiarise yourself with
these adjustments before your rst ight in the harness. As well as that
you should always make your rst test ight with new equipment in
quiet weather conditions.
Info: For realistic adjustment the harness back pack should be
packed as for flight, and the reserve mounted as well. These
preparations will provide a good simulation of an in-flight situa-
tion.
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1 Adjusting the upper body angle
Upper body attitude is altered by the adjustable back straps .
Pull them in to a reasonably upright back position at which you feel
comfortable. They also set the recline angle quickly and easily du-
ring ight. These straps are mounted relatively high at the sides to
give good back support, and take weight o your shoulders.
Pulling in the back straps results in an upright back – loosening
them completely will put the pilot in something approaching a lying
position. ADVANCE recommend the basic setting.
2 Setting the shoulder straps
The AXESS 4 shoulder straps can be adjusted to suit the pi-
lot’s height and desired sitting position. The neoprene-covered ad-
justers are at shoulder height and can be set to any position. Pull
in the shoulder straps to a loose t, until they provide light support
without putting pressure on the shoulders.
3 Chest strap adjustment
The chest strap is used to change the distance between the
carabiners. The chest strap is secured with the automatic Quick-
release buckles and these make up the Safe-T-System. The wider
the chest strap the more agile the seat, and therefore the more ef-
fective will be steering by weightshift. A narrow setting results in a
quiet and damped feeling from the wing. The adjustment range is
very large and the harness agility can be changed to any setting to
suit the conditions, as the pilot prefers.
Caution: Make sure you close the buckles properly.
Tip: The most important thing about setting the chest strap is
that you feel happy in your harness.
4 Leg strap adjustment
The two leg straps should be adjusted equally, and to a rea-
sonable length that allows free movement during takeo. This hel-
ps with a safe takeo, and makes sure that you can easily get into
your comfortable position when clear of the ground. To adjust the
leg straps tilt the seat board forward. The buckles are directly un-
der the seat board trailing edge. The length of the leg straps does
not aect agility and weight-shift steering.
5 Seatboard angle adjustment
The seatboard angle can be quickly adjusted to any posi-
tion. Seatboard setting is purely a matter of taste, to suit the pilot’s
preference.
Tip: Loosened seatboard straps make it very easy to slip into
the harness after takeoff, and the resulting bent leg angle provi-
des roll stability.
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6 Setting the small chest strap
The small chest strap holds the shoulder straps in the best positi-
on for takeo and landing. The width can be adjusted to any position.
7 Adjusting the speed system
The speed system should be adjusted to a length where the
full travel of the paraglider speed system can be used. Make su-
re that the speedlines are not set too short – the wing must not be
permanently accelerated in ight.
8 Mounting the foot stirrup and a cockpit
The optional foot stirrup can be attached to the two tape loops
underneath the chest strap. These loops can also be used to ad-
ditionally fasten a cockpit or front container using softlinks. Both of
these additional items can also be attached to the carabiners.
Caution: When a reserve parachute is carried in a front cont-
ainer it is imperative that its connection lines are hooked in the
main carabiners. The two tape loops are only for securing the
container.
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Exchanging parts
The AXESS 4 is delivered complete with an installed Air-Foam Hybrid-
Protector, visco-elastic SAS-TEC soft-foam side protection and a simil-
ar back protection component. These individual parts can be removed
for repair or exchange.
Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector
The Air-Foam Hybrid-Protector forms part of the harness certication
and should only be removed if necessary – e.g. for drying after a SIV
water landing, for inspection, or for replacement if damaged in an acci-
dent. It lives in its separate compartment under the seatboard.
To remove it, feel around inside the bottom of the back pocket for the
zipper, and open it carefully. Caution: the zip slider does not have a
puller tag! Then press the air out of the protector with the hands and
pull it out of its compartment. This stowage is exactly tailored to the
protector so patience may be required.
To replace: rst press the air out of the protector by hand and lead it in-
to its compartment, with the tapered lower end facing forward. Make
sure that it ends up directly under the seatboard. Close the protector
compartment with its zip slider, then the back pocket, as required.
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SAS-TEC soft-foam back protection
To save weight the SAS-TEC soft-foam back protection can be ta-
ken out. It has its own pocket in the back of the harness. Open the
V-connection zip. Under the V-connection line attachments is a po-
cket for stowing these lines when a steerable reserve is used for the
AXESS 4. The zip you need is in this pocket; nd and carefully open
its slider (no puller tag). Bend the SAS-TEC soft foam component for-
wards and pull it upwards, out of its pocket.
To reinstall, repeat the above in the reverse order. To get the SAS-TEC
foam back in its pocket it has to be bent forward. Only when it is fully
back in position can it then be coaxed at again.
Info: removing the SAS-TEC soft-foam back protection saves
about 300gm. Take note that without this component the overall
AXESS 4 safety provision is reduced, and there may be a small
comfort penalty to pay (back support).
SAS-TEC soft-foam side protection
To remove a SAS-TEC soft-foam side protection open the zip of the
relevant pocket and pull the foam out carefully. Reverse the proce-
dure to reinstall. SAS-TEC side components t their pockets perfect-
ly and can be dicult to remove or ret. As well as that, they contribu-
te to the perfect shape and comfort of the AXESS 4. As a general rule
ADVANCE advise against dismantling your harness to save weight.
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Fitting the optional foot stirrup
The optional foot stirrup, included in AXESS 4 LTF 91/09 certication,
should be tted as follows:
The black loops at the ends of the stirrup support lines attach
to the small tapes loops below the carabiners with small quick-
links (Maillons Rapides). The bungee holdbacks from the harness go
through the D rings at the front of the seat shell , and should be
tied to the small loops halfway down the stirrup lines – as short as
practical, but not under permanent tension.
A speed loop accelerate system is supplied with the foot stirrup.
ADVANCE recommend that only this speed system is used when ying
with the foot stirrup.
A split ring connects the speed loop to the footrest so that the lo-
op can always be conveniently picked up by a foot while ying with the
foot stirrup.
Cockpit attachment
A cockpit can be supported from the small tape loops below the chest
strap, or from the main carabiners.
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Installing the reserve
General advice
The AXESS 4 reserve compartment is in the aerodynamically ideal low
position
Caution: Installing the reserve must be done by a suitably skil-
led person. Your safety depends on it!
Bear in mind that every reserve/harness combination has its own pe-
culiarities. To ensure reliable functioning it is essential that pilot and
packer are familiar with the system before the reserve is installed. We
strongly recommend that the reserve is installed by a qualied person
or your ADVANCE dealer.
Suitable reserves/reserve compartment volume
Older type, relatively bulky reserves, are more dicult to deploy from
modern and more compact harnesses, especially under high g loa-
dings. The certied reserve volume for the AXESS 4 depends on har-
ness sizes. S + M size: 2.5–6.5 litres, L size: 2.5–7.0 litres.
Info: for a general approximation of a reserve volume, its weight
in kilos x 2.7 gives a volume in litres. But, depending on packing
style and skill, it can still be that a reserve that conforms to the
maximum certified volume for a container, using the weight for-
mula above, cannot be released without problem.
Caution: if the volume of the packed reserve lies within the up-
per third of the certified volume range, it is especially important
to observe that the reserve has been correctly folded to conform
to the length of the inner container!
Caution: when installation is complete only a test release/com-
patibility check can confirm that the actual reserve/AXESS 4
combination will work.
Caution: a reserve parachute volume can expand by up to 30%
when it has been newly folded. ADVANCE therefore strongly re-
commend that a new compatibility test is carried out after every
repack.
Steerable reserves
The AXESS 4 can be used with a steerable reserve. The reserve risers
connect to the coloured supports under the covers on the harness
shoulders, using two maillons, each of 2400 daN minimum safe wor-
king load. The reserve risers run to the reserve compartment via the
channel at the side. The unused harness V-connection can be led th-
rough the opening into the back pocket and stowed away.
Caution: steerable reserves tend to take up more volume.
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Info: you can also use QuickOut carabiners with a steerable re-
serve on the AXESS 4.
In general
The reserve handle and the four-ap inner container are xed together
and this combination is designed so that the pull of the handle acts
equally over the whole width of the inner container. This minimises the
risk of the container jamming in the reserve compartment, or the reser-
ve lines getting caught up. The reserve handle together with the four-
ap inner container are essential parts of the harness, and this arran-
gement conforms to the latest LTF certication requirements. Only the
original reserve handle with its four-ap inner container is allowed to be
used.
Packing the reserve in the inner container
Always fold your reserve to the shape and dimensions of the inner con-
tainer supplied with the AXESS 4. At the nal packing stage put the
line bundles opposite the reserve handle. When the lines have be-
en stowed in the inner container there should be 90 cm of reserve line
remaining outside, between the inner container and bridle/steerable
risers.
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Close the container ap in the order indicated (1-3). Secure the nal
container ap (3) with a 5 to 6 cm line loop (ca. 3 nger widths). Now
check the tension of the bungee loop and adjust if necessary. --> lift
the package by the lines - the weight of the reserve should release the
line loop.
Closing the inner container
Now close the outer container ap (red border) with two similar line lo-
ops (5 to 6 cm). These two line loops are secured in the two attached
rubber bands though their eyelets on the outer ap.
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