Besides the glider itself, the harness geometry makes a significant contribution to the flight behaviour. To minimize this bias during a glider certification according to the EN standards, the harnesses used for the certification flights have two specified dimensions based on the pilot's take-off weight:
1. Harness width – distance between the carabiners
2. Harness height – distance between the carabiner and the seat plate
|
Take-off weight |
< 80 kg |
80 – 100 kg |
> 100 kg |
|
Harness width |
40 ± 2 cm |
44 ± 2 cm |
48 ± 2 cm |
|
Harness height |
40 ± 2 cm |
42 ± 2 cm |
44 ± 2 cm |
Harness width is usually an adjustable element, which has a direct impact on the flight. Basically the wider the harness is, the more movement from the glider will be transferred to the pilot. It is a benefit to some extent, because the movement contains information about the air, helping to detect thermals and fly effectively. But too much information/movement can be overwhelming, meaning that the flight might seem too bumpy and exhausting. The other extreme is overstabilisation of the harness by tightening it too much. That may make things feel more calm, but also comes with a kind of "blindness" to the air and a slightly higher chance of getting twisted if some unexpected manoeuvres occure. There is no perfect solution, adjusting a harness is always a question of compromise. Give it a try and find out what you feel most comfortable with in combination with your UP wing.