DHV Certification Classes: recommendations from the DHV Safety Department

DHV Class	Target group and necessary experience	Normal flight requirements	Recovery requirements	Rapid descent requirements	Schooling suitability
1	For all pilots, from beginners to cross country flyers, who want the highest passive safety standards in their canopy.Pilots who fly less than 15-20 hours airtime per year are recommended to only fly canopies with this rating.	To fly and steer these canopies, techniques learned during schooling to the DHV A rating are sufficient. For safe thermal flying, employment of active flying techniques are required.	Canopies of this class do not require over average flying practice or reaction speeds in order to recover from instability. Basic knowledge on preventing and recovering from instability is however required.	To safely conduct advanced flying manoeuvres such as spiral dives and B-stalls, appropriate experience is required. Pilots not having this experience should receive a special briefing on the canopy (preferably by attending an SIV course).	Generally suitable.
1-2	For thermal flyers and cross country pilots who have regular flying practice (a minimum of 20-30 hours airtime per year) and advanced flying knowledge.	Flying and steering canopies within this class require careful, measured and precise pilot inputs and a largely automized active flying style to cope with shorter brake control lengths, less roll- and pitch-damping and more dynamic handling characteristics.	Canopies of this class require higher flying skills and shorter pilot reaction times to recover from instability. Pilots require adequate experience in the recognition, prevention and recovery from the most common instability cases: asymmetric and front collapses. Pilots not having this experience should receive an introductory briefing on the canopy (preferably by attending an SIV course).	Advanced flying manoeuvres such as spiral dives and B-stalls require higher flying skills, due to more dynamic handling characteristics of canopies in this class. Adequate practical experience of these manoeuvres is required. Pilots not having this experience should receive a special briefing on the canopy (preferably by attending an SIV course).	Generally suitable, providing the manufacturer does not negate schooling- suitability in the canopy handbook.
2	For ambitious cross country pilots who have several years of regular flying practice (a minimum of 50 hours airtime per year) and expert flying knowledge.	Canopies of this class have exacting flying and steering characteristics (short brake input lengths, low damping on all axes, highly dynamic handling) which require intensive training of steering- and active flying techniques. Detailed experience on the immediate recognition, prevention and recovery from instability is required.	Canopies of this class require advanced flying skills and immediate pilot reactions to recover from instability. Intensive instability training is required in order to competently recover canopies of this class. Pilots not having this experience are recommended to receive an intensive briefing on the canopy through attending an SIV course.	The reactions of canopies in this class to B-stalls, spiral dives and other advanced flying manoeuvres may, depending on the particular canopy, be particularly challenging to master. Pilots are required to have extensive experience in these manoeuvres. Pilots not having this experience should receive a special briefing on the canopy by attending an SIV course	Generally not suitable

2-3

and
3

For highly ambitious
pilots with very extensive flying practice
(a minimum
of 75 hours
airtime
per year for class 2-3, and 100 hour
airtime per
year for class 3), who wish
to achieve the maximum possible for example in cross

Canopies in
these classes
are optimized
for maximum
performance
and require many years
of active
flying practice, and expert flying knowledge in
order to fly them.

Canopies in these classes
require a maximum of flying practice and reaction speed in the event of instability occurrence. For the safe recovery from instability, or advanced flying manoeuvres such as rapid descents repeated practice is required to remain at the peak
of training. It is most important that even the smallest pilot errors should not occur when recovering from instability or conducting advanced flying manoeuvres.

Generally not suitable