Here is what Bertrand Maddalena has to
say about it:
Bertrand Maddalena |
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''Washing a paragliding is not recommended.
The water enters the wing from
the seams, glues the fabrics together and it does not dry. The
coating, which is placed inside the ribs, is then destroyed by the
moisture. There are only bad
points when a wing is washed, because the fabric properties are
destroyed. As for the lines, we
saw outer sheath of poor quality lines, shrinking in water.
But sometimes it is necessary to clean a glider, if it has had oil or
other chemicals on it, or also cow poops, which is very aggressive.
No product should be applied on a wings, even if the pH is neutral.
But if you must clean it with a product, it is necessary to use a mild
soap, like "Savon de Marseille" type, or a neutral PH product.
Always use a white cloth so that the color does not rub off the wing.
The cloth must be kept moist, and
not wet, to prevent the water to enter the paraglider by the seams.
You must rub gently, starting from inside the spot to the outside, to
avoid concentration of the product in the center.
Always rinse with clear water with a damp cloth.
These operations must be done in open air if possible and with a little
wind that immediately dries the moisture and of course, in the shade,
which is very important. Water on
a wing exposed to the sun increases the UV phenomenon.
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When rinsing a paraglider, do not hang it, to avoid deforming the ribs
with the water's weight. It must
be rather installed on a slope (if possible) and in the shade.
Use a very small water shoot to
flow over the wing, and if possible in the inside.
Then you must softly give some
air to the glider by shaking it a little.
It is very good if there is a little wind.
Shortly after, you can inflate it. Drying
the wing in the wind is fine and never forget to stay in the shade.
''Washing risers is not impossible, but
not recommended. There is no risk for the polyester
webbing if washed at 30° Celsius (85°
Fahrenheit ).
But the problem is related to any small metal
parts set on the risers that cannot be removed.
If these metal parts are made of
stainless steel, there is no problem.
But if it is a shoddy metal or steel, there is a
risk of rust and therefore damaging the strap.
Pulleys with ball bearings do not
support well water.
Metal pulleys rust, but no problem for plastic
pulleys.
We could hand wash risers in clear
water, but have to make sure to dry them thoroughly,
which is not easy, as the folds in the strap retain
water, which can attack the metal.
For this reason I do not recommend
washing risers (as well as any other part of a
paraglider).
I always favor the life span of a paraglider and safety
rather than aesthetics.''
In conclusion, it is better to have a dirty paraglider that keeps its
properties, but if washing is really needed, it is a question of the
lesser evil.''
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Glimpse of
some of
Bertrand
Maddalena's
accomplisments:
-He
did
his
1st paragliding flight
in 1988;
-He
has
built
his
1st
paragider
in 1991;
-From 1991
to 1993, he
has been in charge
of
the implementation of the
Sup'air workshop
in Poland;
-In
December 1993,
he created the repair
and inspection of
paragliders
workshop
Rip'air,
in
France, which
became the largest
one
worldwide.
-He
was -and
still
is-
involved in
the development of
lightweight products
with
different
paraglider manufacturers,
such
as
Dudek,
Gin Gliders,
Flying Planet
...
-He
has set up workshops
for repair and inspection
of gliders in
countries such
as
Chile,
Brazil, Mauritius,
Macedonia ...
-He
is an expert witness;
-He
is a paraglider instructor
at
the
FFVL
and SNMP
(National Union
monitors Paragliding
- France);
-He
has
been hired by paragliders
manufacturers
to improve the working tools
of their inspection
workshop.
