Skywalk Cult XC (PAST MODEL)

Sometimes an accident serves as the impetus for the development of an innovation. This is often the case in the automobile industry, and exactly so in aviation.

Let us look back to April 2008: Karl Slezak reported on an accident with a fatal outcome, when the speed bar was blown back above the rescue. The pilot was no longer in the position to throw the rescue as the speed bar blocked it after the rescue felt through the accelerator.

Thanks to the actions of the reporting police officer, who left the harness with reserve in exactly the condition he found it in, the accident could later be documented. Had it happened the other way around, it is entirely possible that this accident could have passed undocumented.

The conclusions are obvious: it is possible that the headwind blew the accelerator backwards, over the pack with the rescue apparatus. This is possible with many harnesses which have bottom containers. Therefore, we could re-enact Karl’s accident according to the accident report with a CULT XC, also with a bottom container. 

This set of problems can occur with stirrups also, however, the skywalk stirrups separate on one side as soon as the rescue is activated, therefore, there is no danger that they will be caught up in the rescue.

When the reserve is pulled through the blown-back speed system, then the rescue cannot be thrown by the pilot at this point. If he lets go, then there is another chance that the reserve will activate, however, in this stressful situation it can hardly be expected that the pilot will act in time. The normal reaction is to pull with all of one’s strength in order to release the supposed block, see photo 4

The longer the speed system is adjusted, the greater the danger is that it will be blown further backwards. The problem is aggravated if the pilot has forgotten to hang the accelerator on the risers, then the path becomes larger for the accelerator to blow further back.

Elastic retention bands, as long as they are 100% adjusted and fully-functioning, can improve the situation, although they do not completely solve the problem. skywalk has thus developed, parallel to the already existing automatic stirrup separation, an automatic speed bar separation, the AS-Speed System. (Automatic Separator)

At the same time, the available stirrup splint-strap separation construction is ingeniously enhanced through a similar system for the speed bar.

When the pilot pulls the reserve, the stirrups as well as the speed bar separate before the rescue pack falls out, thus preventing 100% any danger of fall-through or hanging of the reserve!

By activation of the rescue, the connection between belt and the attachment of the stirrups and speed bar, secured with a splint (yellow) on the right side of the harness, is completely separated. Thus, the possibility is eliminated that the rescue drops down through the stirrups or speed bar. 

Still before the rescue is completely pulled, the stirrups and the speed bar are completely separated on the right side from the harness. There is no danger of becoming entangled!
Now for the show-stopper: through redirection on the speed bar and above on the brummel hooks, the pilot does not have to get used to a different system, the operation of the speed bar remains the same. High-quality spliced Dyneema lines are used in order to prevent thickening of stitching. 

Additional advantages of the concept: all CULT harnesses can be retrofitted with an AS-Speed System, the assembly kit is also relatively simple for the amateur to mount. Completely illustrated mounting instructions are included with every AS-Speed System

Complete Retrofit Set for the AS-Speed System for CULT and CULT2 and CULT XC. 

The new CULT XC harness is optionally available completely equipped with this innovative system.

The number of possible similar accidents is unknown, but even if one similar accident can be prevented in the future through the use of the AS-Speed System, then the work involved in development was worth it.