Evaluating paraglider airworthiness has been a central concern for APPI since its creation in 2010. Being able to verify if an aircraft's trim is compliant has been part of the curriculum that all qualified APPI tandem pilots and instructors have gone through.
The story
In 2019, after extensive formalization work resulting from the collaborative effort of APPI experts and paraglider designers, APPI introduced the APPI Check & Repair training for maintenance workshops.
While some paraglider manufacturers offer training programs, they are generally limited to inspection and trim adjustment of their own products. With the Check & Repair program, APPI offers a unique comprehensive multi-brand training. It covers not only thorough inspection but also a large variety of repair techniques, even complex ones. This allows APPI trained technicians to perform a complete inspection and maintenance on paragliders from different manufacturers. This structured approach addresses a real market need, because many workshops operate based on self-taught learning, which can sometimes lead to non-standardized and potentially risky practices - as unfortunately demonstrated by some incidents related to inadequate maintenance operations.
Ressources
Report of past workshops:
- Pro Workshop in France >
- Pro Course in Japan >
Training Program
The Check & Repair training is organized in two phases
Phase 1An intensive one-week course that lays the foundation. It is taught in a professional workshop equipped with all necessary facilities: laser and differential trim measurement systems, destructive and non destructive strength test bench, porosimeter, Bettsometer, sewing machines...
This course offers a structured curriculum with two essential components: 12 hours of theoretical training and 60 hours of practical training.
• The theoretical part deeply explores concepts of material aging, airworthiness criteria, fundamentals of design and certification, as well as various methodologies for control, repair, and airworthiness validation.
• The practical part allows participants to acquire expertise under direct instructor supervision. This includes: complete equipment inspection, reliable trim measurement and correction, line manufacturing and testing... as well as various professional canopy repair techniques ranging from simple repairs to partial replacement of upper or lower surface panels or internal structure repair. Inspection, packing, and installation of reserve parachutes of different designs according to industry standard practices are also covered, as well as inspection of harnesses and connectors...
Upon completion of the course, participants will have a solid foundation of skills to perform inspection, maintenance, adjustment, and repair of paragliding gear and evaluate its airworthiness.
Phase 2
The educational team supports participants throughout their first professional steps, as expertise is built through guided experience. This continuous mentoring leads to the APPI Maintenance Expert qualification, a rigorous certification that attests to genuine professional competence. This qualification opens doors to the international network of APPI maintenance centers.
Control Tools
A distinctive element of the program is the use of the ACT (APPI Control Tool), which guides participants through each step of the control process. This tool represents an ecosystem that standardizes inspection and reporting protocols. The APPI platform allows for building a collective library of these standardized control files, shared by APPI expert technicians worldwide.
To date, the APPI database contains 1090 ACTs ready for use.
Always seeking to improve testing procedures, APPI has also developed and validated a non-destructive line strength testing protocol. This procedure represents significant progress both for workshop operations and pilot safety.
International Network
The international community of APPI maintenance operators, which includes members involved with various manufacturers, maintains constant contact in a discussion group, fully dedicated to knowledge sharing and excellence in paraglider maintenance.
The APPI training, currently supported by 8 manufacturers, enables the development of an international network of qualified experts, whose technical rigor is essential to the safety of our sport.
Manufacturers Agreements
These manufacturers acknowledge the relevance of APPI paraglider maintenance training and the validity of APPI airworthiness criteria. They recognize the competence of APPI maintenance operators to perform maintenance and repair of their equipment.