5. Care, Maintenance and Repairs
The materials used in the Beetle have been carefully selected for maximum durability.
Nevertheless, following the guidelines below will keep your paraglider airworthy and will
ensure a longer period of continuous and safe operation. Excessive wear is caused by careless
ground handling and packing, unnecessary exposure to UV light, chemicals, heat and moisture.
Ground handling
The following should be avoided:
Violent shocks to the canopy (e.g. when the canopy crashes to the ground leading edge
first whilst ground handling).
Dragging the glider along the ground.
Stepping on the lines or canopy. The Kevlar inside the sheath can take lots of pulling force
without stretching, but is sensitive to bending with small radius.
Opening your wing in strong winds without first untangling the lines.
UV damage
Avoid leaving the glider out in the sun unnecessarily. UV rays from the sun degrade paraglider
cloth.
Packing instructions
We advise you to pack the glider ' accordion wise' as shown in the diagram. This packing
procedure takes slightly longer and requires an assistant, but it conserves the rigidity in the
profile reinforcements.
Since folding the glider weakens the materials, pack the glider as loosely as possible.
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