APCO Aviation Mayday Squared User manual

V1.01 2019 01 13
APCO Aviation
Setting Future Standards
Factory: 7, Chalamish Street - Industrial Park - Caesarea 38900 ISRAEL www.apcoaviation.com
Tel: [phone] Fax [phone]

SETTING FUTURE STANDARDS
TABLE of CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Warning
Disclaimer of Liability and Warranty
Maintenance
Cleaning
Repairs
Periodical Repacks
Identification
Attachment Procedure
Preliminary Notes on Packing
Intended Use
Technical Specifications
Parachute Durability
Operating Conditions
Storage
Parachute Installation
Parachute Function
Parachute Assembly
Technical Specification of Individual Parachute Parts
Materials
Instructions for use
Pre-flight checks
Deployment
Controlling the Parachute:
PACKING INSTRUCTIONS
Airing
Tools
Checking the canopy
Checking lines
Packing Tabs
Folding
FINAL NOTES

Introduction
Even pilots flying the safest paragliders, can sometimes find themselves with their glider damaged, disabled or tangled
and out of control. In such cases a reliable
Emergency system with a fast opening parachute can make the difference between a simple scare and a fatal accident.
APCO is happy and proud that its emergency systems, developed and perfected over nearly three decades have saved
the lives of many pilots, from beginners to world champions.
WARNING
Your emergency system has been designed for a fast opening at a low air speed. Do not, under
any circumstances use this emergency system for free fall parachuting.
SPEED WARNING — Not suitable for use at speeds in excess of:
49 m/s (176 km/h) (strength test 5.3.5.2 passed)
DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM WARNING
This parachute system has been tested and found compliant using the original manufacturer's
inner container. Use of any other inner container may produce different results, including failures.
Disclaimer of Liability and Warranty
In designing and manufacturing the Mayday parachutes and any of its subassemblies or
accessories, our aim has been to create a rescue system that will allow the user to engage in the sport of paragliding in
a safe and confident way.
However, paragliding is a high-risk activity, which may cause or result in serious injury or death. When you take it upon
yourself to participate in this sport, you accept the risk inherent therein. You may reduce the risk by receiving proper
instruction and by following the basic safety requirements. The Mayday Reserve Parachute System is a sensitive
device, which may easily be damaged. Before each flight, the container should carefully be inspected for evidence of
damage or wear and proper closure. Any deviation from the manufacturer's specifications concerning maintenance,
repair, alterations and modifications constitutes wilful negligence. It is expressly understood and agreed that by
the use hereof by the buyer or any subsequent user that Apco Aviation Ltd. And/or the seller shall in no way be
deemed or held liable or accountable and makes no warranty, either expressed or implied, statutory, by operation of
law or otherwise, beyond that expressed herein. Paragliding equipment is sold with all faults and without any warranty
of merchantability or fitness for any purpose, expressed or implied. Apco Aviation Ltd.
disclaims any liability in tort for damages, direct or consequential, including personal injuries, resulting from a
malfunction or from a defect in design, manufacturing, materials or workmanship, whether caused by negligence on the
part of Apco Aviation Ltd. or otherwise.
By using any Paragliding equipment manufactured or sold by Apco Aviation Ltd
Or allowing it to be used by others, the buyer and/or user waives any liability on the part of Apco Aviation Ltd., for
personal injuries or any other damages arising from such use.
The liability of Apco Aviation Ltd. is limited to the replacement of defective parts found under examination by
manufacturer to be defective in material or workmanship within 120 days after purchase, and which has not been
caused by an accident, striking, improper use, alteration, tampering, excessive use, misuse or abuse. The damages of
the buyer and/or user shall be deemed liquidated in the costs of replacement as above.
Maintenance
The materials we use to manufacture the Mayday range of parachutes are carefully selected from the best mil. spec.
products available on the market today. These materials are however sensitive to sunlight (UV). The container or
harness will protect the canopy from ultra-violet rays. When storing the parachute, it should be kept in a cool dry place.
Beware of mildew.
Should your parachute be exposed to any moisture, it must be opened and air dried, out of direct sunlight, and
repacked when completely dry.

Cleaning
If your parachute requires cleaning, it should be soaked in lukewarm water with a little mild soap. No rubbing or
scrubbing of the canopy fabric! It should then be thoroughly and repeatedly rinsed with fresh water and allowed to drip /
air dry out of direct sunlight.
Repairs
Should your Mayday parachute require any repairs or you suspect it may be damaged, it must be referred back to
APCO Aviation Ltd. or a professional parachute loft, with a certified parachute rigger to carry-out the repair.
Periodical Repacks
Even though the Mayday Emergency System should remain in good condition and work
properly over a number of years, that the parachute be repacked by a qualified person once every six months. Packing
by an unqualified person is undertaken at the pilots own risk, and is not recommended by Apco.
Lifespan
Your Mayday reserve should last you for many years for security if well cared for. We recommend that a annual
airworthiness check be done by a qualified person to ensure the airworthiness of your system. Any mayday product
older than 10 years must be default be retired, even if it appears to be airworthy. The materials used in the manufacture
of reserve parachute products may age even when stored in ideal conditions and the product is never used.
Identification
The individual serial number, canopy type and manufacture date, is located on the bridle sleeve of the reserve. In any
correspondence to Apco regarding your Mayday, please quote this information.
Attachment Procedure
There are many different harnesses on the market today, with several different reserve stowing systems. Make sure
your harness is certified and has an adequate instruction manual.
For attaching and fitting your reserve to your harness follow your harness manual instructions carefully.
Preliminary Notes on Packing
The following Instructions apply only to the Mayday Squared Range, and not to Inverted Apex or Rogallo style
reserves.
When first delivered, your new emergency parachute system has been inspected and packed by Apco or an Apco
approved dealer and is ready for use. The following set of folding instructions is intended for a qualified packer familiar
with conventional parachute packing, to guide him/her in packing of these particular types of parachutes.
Intended Use
The Mayday Squared is intended for paragliding and paramotoring use, and should be installed into a certified
paragliding harness or external container.
Technical Specifications
Model
Area
m2
Weight
kg
Volume
cc
Packed
Size mm
Sink Rate
m/s @
100kg
Sink Rate
m/s @
120kg
Max
Load
kg
Gr/Kg
Certification
MD SQ
100
25
1.010
3000
200x190x80
5.4
5.6
120
9.16 @
120kg
EN @ 100kg
Parachute Durability
If any damage or wear of parachute material is found, contact the manufacturer or your dealer immediately.
The parachute owner is obliged to inspect and check the condition of the parachute after every use, and after 10
deployments the parachute must be returned to the manufacturer or authorized person for thorough inspection.
Operating Conditions
The parachute functions are guaranteed in an air temperature range from - 30°C to +60°C and relative humidity
corresponding to this temperature range.
Storage
The parachute may be packed for a maximum period of 1 year prior to use. Parachutes should be stored in a cool, dry,
dark and well-ventilated area. If the parachute will be stored for longer than one year, it must be stored unpacked.
Parachutes shall under no circumstances be stored together in the proximity of fuel, oils, acids or other aggressive
chemicals / substances.

Parachute Installation
The parachute is designed for use in paragliding harnesses as a rescue parachute. The parachute is attached to the
harness by means of a larks-head knot or Maillion Rapide with a minimum declared strength of 2000kg. The placement
of the rescue parachute into the rescue parachute casing is subject to technical specification of the harness in use. The
parachute can be used in all standard locations (front, rear, bottom or side).
Only qualified persons or the manufacturer may install the rescue parachute into the harness.
Parachute Functionality
The rescue parachute is used as a safety measure for paragliders, and requires some height above ground for it to
function. This height depends on factors such as airspeed and rate of vertical descent, strength and direction of the
throw and more, so the exact minimum functional height cannot be determined or specified. The parachute is deployed
by pulling the release handle which is fixed to the container where the rescue parachute is located, and throwing this
container to the side. The container must be thrown in such a manner as to avoid it getting tangled in the paraglider.
After the container is thrown and reaches full line extension, it is released from the deployment bag, and the rescue
parachute will inflate due to airflow.
CONSTRUCTION and ASSEMBLY
Container (Deployment bag):
The container accommodates the folded canopy and lines. The release handle is attached to the container. The
release handle can be connected to the centre or side of the container, and must be attached according to the type of
harness or external container. The container has four flaps and is locked in a two-stage deployment closure using a
internal “5th flap” made with a bungee cord.
WARNING — Use of this parachute with any alternative inner container:
the speed of opening and opening shock test has been completed using the inner container supplied.
Use of any other inner container may produce different results (including failure)
Canopy and lines:
The canopy with an area of 25 m2 is made of nylon. The canopy is square in shape and has 16 shroud lines and an
additional four “apex” lines, All 20 lines are permanently sewn into the canopy. The shroud line material is Dyneema,
which has excellent mechanical properties, but is sensitive to high heat and the centre lines are nylon. Do not expose
your reserve parachute to extreme temperatures, chemicals or moisture.
Bridle:
The single bridle is made from Dyneema, and is protected with a Teflon sheath to reduce the chances of damage due
to friction generated during opening. It is essential that any larks head knots used are pulled tight, and locked in this
position with silicon stretch insulation tape (or similar inert stretch wrap tape).

Parts & Materials
Part
Material
Canopy
PN9
Reinforcement Tapes
MIL-T-5038-III-9/16” 4166/15
Lines
CTT55000B003
Centre Lines
Nylon – 30058-115
Bridle
12mm Dyneema XTape SP212K 09/590P 1700
Thread
Bonded Nylon RN78 060

Instructions for use
Pre-flight checks
Prior to flight, the parachute and release / deployment system must be checked. If any defects are found, do not fly.
Deployment
The rescue parachute should be used as a last resort, and only deployed when the paraglider becomes uncontrollable
due to turbulence, pilot error, collision or is damaged to such an extent that it doesn’t allow for safe landing. The
parachute is deployed by pulling the release handle which is fixed to the container where the rescue parachute is
located, and throwing this container with the handle to the side. The container must be thrown in such a manner as to
avoid it getting tangled in the paraglider. After the container is thrown and reaches full line extension, it is released from
the deployment bag, and the rescue parachute will inflate due to airflow. Once the rescue parachute is fully inflated,
ideally, the paraglider should be suitably collapsed, disabled or released, so that it doesn’t affect the reliable function of
the rescue parachute.
If the connection between the paraglider and harness allows for quick release, this function should be used to dispose
of the paraglider and to then land using only the rescue parachute as this usually results in a lower sink rate with less
pendulum effect.
Controlling the Parachute:
The Mayday Square is not steerable, and will drift with the wind. The higher the altitude and wind speed, when
deployed, the further you will drift before reaching the ground.
In windy conditions it may be necessary to collapse the reserve once you are on the ground to avoid being dragged.
Do this by reaching for a single line and reeling in, until you reach the canopy and then bundle the canopy.
In extreme circumstances using a hook-knife on the bridles (bridles are simple and inexpensive to replace) may be the
best option to avoid injury by dragging.

PACKING / RE_PACKING INSTRUCTIONS
Folding & Packing should be done by a qualified person.
Airing
The canopy should be inflated, and / or aired by hanging it open for at least 24 hours before inspection and repacking.
Tools
The following items will be useful to make packing easier and neater.
4 x Clamps
1 x Bungee Octopus
1x Line Comb
2 x Tie-down straps
2 x Pull-up lines (if installing into harness or external container – not covered by this manual)
Always count all items before and after packing, to ensure that no items have been packed into the reserve.
Checking the canopy
Prior to actual packing, the parachute must be thoroughly checked and in case any defects are found the parachute must not be
packed for use. Inflation in suitable conditions is a good way to check and air a canopy before a repack, but each panel must still
be inspected visually for damage or wear to fabrics and sewing.
Checking lines
Lay the canopy on the packing table and attach bungees to the packing tabs on the top of the canopy and attach them to the end
of the table, attach the bridle to the opposite end of the table and tension the reserve. Now separate the lines into groups and
ensure there are no crossed or tangled lines.
Inspect the condition of each line and sewing of the lines on both the canopy and bridle ends.
Packing Tabs

9
Folding
Once the lines are sorted and combed, increase the tension on the canopy using the tie-down straps attached to the bridle and
bungee octopus on the crown / packing tabs. Next, starting with line 1, then 2, and so on, page through each gore of the canopy,
laying each one flat from the skirt up to the crown, and ensuring that the inner part of each gore is also laid out evenly, until half
way through the canopy at number 8. Now flip the second side on top of the folded side, and repeat the process, again going
from line 1 through to line 8 on the second side.

10

11

12
Finally, you should have an equal number of gores on each side, with one of the four corners of the canopy at the bottom, two
between the sets of gores on the left and right, and the last in the centre on top.

13
Now S-Fold the sides to reduce the width to one third of the original
Then fold the two sides onto one another to halve the width

14
Remove the bungees from the packing tabs

15
S-Fold the canopy into the deployment bag, removing any clamps as you go

16

17
Fold the last “S” to the inside to tidy the pack

18

19
Partially close the deployment container using the integral bungee as one of the four flaps, leaving the 4th flap to close after line
stowing. Lock the bag with a bight of the lines.

20
Stack and stow the lines in two bundles, using 4 aviation grade rubber bands (available from Apco), or silicon bands attached to
the integral bungee.