COMPANION SQR Series User manual

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www.companion.aero
V 3.0 EN – 2019#40
USER MANUAL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 4
2. REGISTRATION AND THE MYCOMPANION ACCOUNT 5
3. GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT FLYING SPORT 6
4. INTENDED USE AND SAFETY REGULATIONS 7
4.1 Packing and inspection requirements 7
4.2 Additional packing and inspection conditions 7
4.3 Service time, entry into service and extension 8
4.4 Water and seawater 9
4.5 Other special conditions 9
5. DESIGN FEATURES 11
5.1 SQR – Square Round: the best of two worlds 11
5.2 Structural details 12
5.3 Hangglider swivel 14
6. INSTALLING THE RESERVE 15
6.1 Installing with an integrated inner container 15
6.2 Installing in the SQR inner container 16
6.3 Installing in an external (e.g. front) container 18
6.4 Avoiding canopy damage in the harness/container compartment 21
6.5 Connecting the reserve to the harness/external container 22
7. COMPATIBILITY TEST 24
7.1 Compatibility test advice 24
7.2 Compatibility test issues 25
8. USING THE RESERVE 27

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8.1 Preightcheck 27
8.2 Releasing and throwing the reserve 27
8.3 Disabling the paraglider and descending 29
8.4 Landing 30
8.5 Aerlandingchecks 31
9. PACKING 32
9.1 General information 32
9.2 Sorting the lines, preparing the canopy 33
9.3 Verifying the layout 36
9.4 Folding the canopy 39
9.5 Matching the inner container width 45
9.6 Matching the inner container length 49
9.7 Putting the folded reserve into the inner container 50
9.8 Stowing the lines 51
9.9 Closing the inner container 53
10. PERIODIC INSPECTION 58
10.1 Checking the canopy surface 58
10.2 Checking the lines 58
10.3 Checking the bridle 59
10.4 Checking the connector link or direct looping between reserve and harness/external container 59
11. TECHNICAL DATA 61
12. STORING 62
13. SUPPORT AND SPARE PARTS 63
14. ENVIRONMENT AND RECYCLING 63
15. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT! 64

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1. INTRODUCTION
ManythanksforchoosingtheSQRreserveparachutesystem.Wearecondentthatyouwillbe
satisedwiththisproductineveryrespect.
The current manual contains all the important details about packing, storage, care, maintenance
and - if necessary - throwing your reserve. Please read through this user guide carefully before
taking the product into the air, and take the time to become thoroughly familiar with the character-
istics of your SQR reserve.
You can certainly maximise the reliability of your reserve system if you
▶regularly repack it as described in this manual,
▶deploy the reserve according to the instructions for your harness,
▶maintainandlookaeryourreserve,andtherestofyouryingequipment,asdescribedinthis
manual.
The actual version of this manual can be downloaded on www.companion.aero/manual.
Wewishyousafeightsandhappylandings!
The Companion Team
www.companion.aero

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2. REGISTRATION AND
THE MYCOMPANION ACCOUNT
Registeryourproductsothatyoucanbenetfromthecomprehensiveservicesofthe
myCompanion Online Account:
▶An email packing reminder makes sure you do not forget your annual repack date.
▶The legal warranty period of your country gains an additional year.
▶You have access to all the relevant information about your product, can direct your questions to
Companion Support and will receive important product updates.
▶You can also record your repacks online and always retrieve your packing record online as a
PDF.
▶ByscanningtheQR-Codeontheproductcerticationlabelorontheback of the Quick-Guide
Booklet, you and your packer can easily refer to successful compatibility checks, inspections or
repairs. As soon as a new packing entry has been made, your packing history is automatically
updatedandconrmedbyemail.
Register your product and activate your myCompanion account by scanning the QR-Code on
thecerticationlabelorthebackoftheQuick-GuideBooklet.Youcanalsodothisdirectlyonour
website www.companion.aero/register.

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3. GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT FLYING SPORT
Takingpartinyingsportrequiresappropriatetrainingandasatisfactoryunderstandingofthe
relevant equipment, as well as the necessary insurance and licensing. A pilot must be capable of
correctlyassessingtheweatherconditionsbeforeaighttakesplace.Beforeeveryight,allitems
ofyingequipmentmustbecheckedfordamageandairworthiness.
Every pilot bears sole responsibility for all risks associated with ying sport, includ-
ing injury or death. Neither the manufacturer nor seller of a reserve parachute can be
held responsible for, nor can guarantee the safety of the pilot.

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4. INTENDED USE AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
Thisreserveparachutesystemwasspecicallydevelopedasahand-deployedreserveparachute
forparagliding,paramotoringandhanggliderying.Itsuseisnotpermittedinconjunctionwith
otheraerialactivitiessuchasparachuting,skydivingandbasejumping!TheSQRreservesystemis
certiedaccordingtoEN12491andLTFNFLII91/09standards!
Do not deploy a SQR reserve at airspeeds exceeding 115 km/h (32 m/s)
4.1 Packing and inspection requirements
Every 12 Months the reserve must be opened, aired and repacked. This packing event should be
noted (online) in the reserve packing and inspection record.
Every 24 Months the SQR reserve must have a periodic inspection and this event entered (online)
in the packing and inspection record.
4.2 Additional packing and inspection conditions
Whenever the reserve has been exposed to sand, dampness, water or other external threats, a
repack must be considered, or the packing interval shortened.
If the reserve has been strongly compressed when packed in order to achieve mini-
mum volume, we recommend a reduced repack interval of 6 months!
Ifyouareuncertainabouttheeectsofthesefactorspleasecontactaqualiedorganisation.To
review your repacks, packing intervals, inspection and repair history you can refer to the online
record that was automatically set up at product registration (www.companion.aero/register).

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4.3 Service time, entry into service and extension
The expected service time of a reserve is 10 years. Even if the reserve has never been used, it must
bereplacedaerthistimespan.
The oicial service time of a reserve starts when it is rst installed, known as the Entry into Ser-
vicedate.Thisdatemustbenotedonthecerticationlabelonthebridle,bywhoeverinstallsthe
reserve. The 10 year service time, and the dates for the repacking schedule all refer to this Entry into
Service date.
Dealer repack exception: if a reserve remains in a dealer’s possession for more than a year he
must air and repack it before sale to a customer. If the reserve remains in the dealers possession for
2 years it is deemed to have entered service on this 2 year date.
Two year extension: at the end of the 10 years service time, a two year service time extension
can be granted by the manufacturer. This must be arranged online, see more information on our
website. The work requires a comprehensive factory inspection and measurement of the reserve. If
satisfactory, a two year service time extension will be granted and documented.

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4.4 Water and seawater
Aeralandinginwaterthereserveshouldberepacked,butonlyaerithascompletelydriedoutin
the fresh air. For best drying hang up your reserve upside down in a symmetric state. If any part of
thereserveisnotcompletelydry(canopyorlines),thecompletedevicecanshrinkasymmetrically!
Never use a heat source to speed up the drying process.
Seawater: if any part of the reserve gets wet with seawater the whole reserve must be rinsed sever-
al times in fresh water, then dried.
If seawater has not been rinsed away within 36 hours, the reserve must be declared
NON-AIRWORTHY AND DANGEROUS – not own again!
4.5 Other special conditions
Ifacanopyshowssignsofmildewormould,itsstrengthcanbeaected.Itmustbesenttoadealer
or the manufacturer for inspection and test.
Your reserve should be sent for a factory inspection whenever any of the following situations apply:
▶20 deployments or
▶40 repacks or
▶Adeploymentat,closetoorabovethemaximumcertieddeploymentairspeed
(115 km/h – 32 m/s – 71 mph)

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Afactoryinspectionshouldonlybecarriedoutbyacertiedorganisation.Yourlocaldealercan
adviseonthissubject.
To be sure that the correct materials and techniques are used, any repair should be done by the
manufacturer.