Video Clips
The video clips below show how reserves work. These clips are not meant to scare you into purchasing a reserve. All of the pilots in these clips were doing aerobatics which significantly increases risk of needing a reserve.

Videos: clip 1 | clip 2

Why do I need a reserve?
Reserves are intended as a backup in the event that your wing sustains an unrecoverable malfunction. These incidents are extremely rare and the most occur during aerobatics or very thermic conditions.

What are the chances I will need a reserve?
Most pilots will never see their reserve except once a year when they do their annual practice deployment, followed by a repack. So why have one? Reserves have saved lives. Think of a reserve as cheap insurance you’ll probably never need. It's all about peace of mind.

How does a reserve work?
Designing a parachute that opens quickly at low speeds is not trivial. But low speeds and quick deployment is exactly what you need if you have a malfunction at 70 feet. After years of research, it turns out that the best solution is a hand deployed specially designed chute with a long bridal. You actually throw it!

How many pilots fly with a Reserve?
Approximately half of the PPG pilots fly with a reserve. In contrast almost all PG pilots fly with a reserve do to the dynamic air these pilots fly in. However, more and more PPG pilots are starting to fly with reserves.