Understanding the EN system for paragliders

How do we know our equipment is safe? Bastienne Wentzel finds out how our flying kit is certified

Almost every piece of equipment we use, from glider to harness, helmet and reserve, is tested, rated and certified. Having a certification system means you can rely on the quality of the equipment you are using. It also helps you choose which class of glider to fly. But how did your equipment get the classification it has?

What is tested?

It doesn’t matter where you buy your paraglider, before most mass-market wings are released commercially a pre-production model of the glider is sent to a testing centre in Europe, where it goes through a shock test, load test and flight test.

The shock test and the load test are done with the help of a car. In the shock test the glider is attached to a tow truck by a long line of...