Ask Our Rigger Shauna - Non symmetrical flight

HI Shauna,

I have a question. I recently bought a used rig and im having some issues. It pulls to the right! I can correct this with my toggles but why won't she fly straight without me doing this. Iv had it looked at by a rigger and i'm told that nothing is out of trim and everything looks fine. My leg straps are symmetrical as well. It's just so frustrating, any advice you can give me would be great

Thank You

Shannon

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Hi Shannon,

Thanks so much for reaching out and asking a question.  I've had this question a few times an here's my take on it:

Since you have already said you've had your rigger check the line trim and it's good, let's start looking at the rest of the gear.  Is there uneven wear perhaps on the risers? Check the toggles and where they are stowed.  What size canopy do you fly?  On large canopies, a pull to the side could also be a toggle/brake fire.  You wouldn't get a violent spin like you would on a smaller canopy but it could still be a possibility. Are the leg strap friction adapters in good working order or do they slip easily? If the gear is second hand, meaning not custom to your body, it may not be fitting you properly and be causing inadvertent harness inputs under canopy.  Harness input is an important and often overlooked aspect of canopy piloting.

Mirage G4 - was it fitted to you?

Also, remember this, the human body is imperfect.  Just because your leg straps are symmetrical, doesn't mean they need to be.  Sometimes we have a leg that is longer than the other, or we have one side of our body that rides higher than the other.  It may "feel" symmetrical but in reality, for the harness to fit properly, your leg straps may be tightened to different lengths.

Leg Straps on a Mirage G4 - did you tighten correct ? 

I had a jumper bring me his gear once, saying the same thing as you.  Everything was in order, line trim etc. I ended up jumping his gear and it flew straight!  His right hip was higher due to a lower back muscle injury from years prior that he had not been bothered with in years!  We corrected the issue by having him tighten his leg straps "unevenly" therefor correcting his body position and allowing the canopy to fly straight.  I would also say that if all else fail, send the canopy back to the manufacturer for inspection and the container back for inspection.  Sometimes it's best to get the final word from the hands that built it.

Hope this helps and have fun flying!

Shauna