• Assureur Beal AIR FORCE 1 rose mat
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Beal

Beal Air Force 1 Belay Device

Beal Air Force 1 Belay Device

16,90€
16,90€
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The manual braking device that covers the whole single-rope range

Beal Air Force 1 belay device: one slot, every single rope

The Air Force 1 is Beal's manual braking device for single ropes from 8.5 to 10.5 mm. That range is the point: it takes the skinny ropes people climb on today and the fatter gym ropes, without swapping devices.

Its grooved V-slot works both ways. Rope runs freely when you need to pay out slack fast. On a fall it brakes firmly and progressively, soaking up part of the energy instead of sending it straight back into the climber.

That slot is also wide and smooth, and over time that matters: less friction when the rope runs at an angle, and less wear on the rope. A belay device that's easy on the rope — which makes sense, coming from a ropemaker.

This is a manual braking device, and that has to be said plainly: the braking is on you. The brake strand stays in your hand for the whole belay, and you stop a fall by pulling it down below the device. The Air Force 1 gives you no assisted braking and never replaces the braking hand. It's certified EN 15151-2:2012 — mountaineering and climbing equipment, braking devices, part 2: manual braking devices.

Beal rates it for belaying and rappelling, in climbing and in mountaineering. In the gym on a 10 mm, at the crag on something skinny: same device. To belay one or two seconds straight off the anchor on a multi-pitch, Beal makes the Air Force 3 and its guide mode. Two jobs, two devices.

Every unit carries an individual number for traceability — useful for tracking a gym's rack of gear, and for knowing the history of a device that's yours.

43 g, all aluminum: it works for someone learning to belay and for a climber who lives on skinny ropes. Made by Beal, a French manufacturer based in Isère, France, since 1951.

Why choose the Beal Air Force 1?

  • Every single rope from 8.5 to 10.5 mm: skinny crag ropes through to fatter gym ropes
  • Grooved V-slot: pays out slack easily, brakes firmly and progressively
  • Wide, smooth slot: less friction at an angle, less wear on the rope
  • Belaying and rappelling, in climbing and in mountaineering
  • Manual braking: the brake strand stays in your hand — certified EN 15151-2:2012
  • 43 g · aluminum · one slot
  • Individual number on every device for traceability
  • Beal, French manufacturer since 1951

Availability and delivery time

We order this one from Beal once your order comes in. Count on 5 to 10 business days in most cases, depending on what the manufacturer has on hand.

Outfitting a gym, a club or a community program? Email us at information@shopclimbing.com and we'll confirm the exact lead time and availability before your order goes through.

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Mickaël Mawem, champion du monde de bloc

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Un système d'assurage simple, pour l'escalade en salle comme en extérieur. Il s'adapte à tous, sans complexité ni technicité, et reste suffisant pour tout faire en escalade.

Pourquoi les grimpeurs l'adoptent

1

Every single rope

From 8.5 to 10.5 mm: skinny crag ropes and fatter gym ropes alike, without swapping devices.

2

Easy slack, firm braking

The grooved V-slot lets rope run when you need to pay out slack, and brakes progressively when the fall comes.

3

43 g that does it all

Belaying and rappelling, in climbing and in mountaineering, with one aluminum device.

Technical specifications
  • Manufacturer reference: BMDAF1.PP
  • Type: manual braking belay and rappel device
  • Standard: EN 15151-2:2012 — mountaineering and climbing equipment, braking devices, part 2: manual braking devices
  • Rope compatibility: single ropes from 8.5 to 10.5 mm
  • Rope path: one V-shaped slot, grooved
  • Intended use: belaying and rappelling, in climbing and in mountaineering
  • Weight: 43 g
  • Material: aluminum
  • Sport use: yes
  • Professional use: no
  • Color: Rose Mat
  • Markings: individual traceability number, minimum and maximum rope diameters, month and year of manufacture
  • Manufacturer: Beal, France
  • Documentation: Beal instructions for use supplied with the product
Size guide / How to use

Rope and carabiner

The Beal Air Force 1 is made for single ropes from 8.5 to 10.5 mm. Outside that range, the device is no longer working in the conditions Beal certified it for.

Use a locking carabiner, loaded along its major axis, gate closed. Beal advises against a screw-lock carabiner: the rope can cause it to open. The device's cable is only there to hold it in place — it has no strength rating and must never be used as an anchor point.

Belaying

  1. Pass a bight of rope through the slot of the device.
  2. Clip the bight of rope and the cable together, then clip the carabiner to the belay loop of your harness, or to the anchor.
  3. Lock the carabiner and check which way the rope runs before you set off.
  4. To belay a leader, the rope has to run through a quickdraw placed above the belay device.

The brake strand stays under control in your hand at all times. To hold a fall, grip the brake strand hard and pull it down below the device.

Beal recommends wearing gloves, especially on skinny ropes. How well the device brakes depends on the diameter, suppleness, friction and dampness of the rope, on the cross-section of the carabiner and on the user's grip strength: test it with your own rope before you commit to it.

Rappelling

Extend the locking carabiner away from your harness with a lanyard or a sling. Back the rappel up with a Prusik-type hitch, placed around 20 cm below the device so it can't come into contact with it. Control your speed so the device doesn't overheat.

Care and lifespan

If the device is dirty, clean it with fresh water and wipe it with a non-abrasive cloth. Replace it immediately if it shows deformation, corrosion, a crack or any sharp edge forming.

Beal gives the lifespan as unlimited as long as nothing calls for retiring it. Heavy use, contact with chemicals, high temperatures, abrasion, cuts, hard impacts, misuse or bad storage all cut it short. Buying a second-hand device is strongly discouraged.

FAQ

Is the Air Force 1 belay device auto-locking?

No. It's a manual braking device, certified EN 15151-2:2012. It gives you no assisted braking: the brake strand has to stay in your hand for the whole belay, and you stop a fall by pulling it down below the device.

Which ropes can I use it with?

Single ropes from 8.5 to 10.5 mm, which covers most of what you'll find in the gym and at the crag, from the skinniest to the fattest.

What's the difference with the Air Force 3 belay device?

The Beal Air Force 3 adds a guide mode, which lets you belay one or two seconds straight off the anchor — that's the multi-pitch device. The Air Force 1 is built for standard belaying off the harness, on a single rope: gym and crag.

Which carabiner should I use?

A locking carabiner, loaded along its major axis, gate closed. Beal specifically advises against a screw-lock carabiner, because the rope can cause it to open.

Is it a good pick to start out on?

Beal intends it for beginners and for expert climbers on skinny ropes alike. Like any belay device, it takes some learning: it should only be used by a competent person, or under the supervision of a competent person.

What is the individual number engraved on the device for?

Traceability. Each device carries its own number, so you can follow one specific device through a rack of gear, or pull up its inspection history.

Shipping & returns

Lead time

We order this belay device from Beal once your order comes in. Count on 5 to 10 business days in most cases, depending on what the manufacturer has on hand. We'll let you know if it's going to take longer.

Bulk orders

Gym, club, community program: email us at information@shopclimbing.com. We'll confirm the exact lead time and availability before your order goes through.

Returns

Returns accepted within 14 days, product new, unused, in its original packaging with its instructions. Since this is personal protective equipment, no return is possible on a device that has been used.

En savoir plus

Manual or assisted braking: which belay device should you pick?

That's the first question you ask yourself standing in front of a wall of belay devices, and it deserves more than a one-line answer. The European standard EN 15151 covers braking devices for climbing and mountaineering, and its part 2 is the one for manual braking devices. The Beal Air Force 1 sits in that part 2: your hand does the braking, first meter to last.

What that means in practice. You never let go of the brake strand. The device creates friction and multiplies what your hand can do, but the fall is held by the hand pulling the brake strand down. Beal spells it out in the instructions: how well the device brakes depends on the diameter of the rope, how supple it is, how much friction it has, how damp it is, the cross-section of the carabiner and the user's grip strength. Hence the advice to test the braking with your own rope before you commit to it — two ropes of the same diameter but at different stages of their life don't behave the same.

What you get for it. A manual braking device is light and has no moving parts, and it does more than belay: Beal rates the Air Force 1 for rappelling too, in climbing and in mountaineering. For anyone splitting time between the gym, the crag and days in the mountains, that's one device that covers everything, for 43 g hanging off the harness.

The diameter range matters more than you'd think. A device that's too open for a skinny rope brakes poorly; too tight for a fat rope, it pays slack out in jerks. The Air Force 1 takes single ropes from 8.5 to 10.5 mm, which covers nearly everything a climber runs today: the skinny workhorse rope on a crag project as much as the 10 mm gym rope that's already seen a few seasons.

And rope wear? That's the point almost nobody checks at purchase and pays for later. The slot of the Air Force 1 is wide and smooth: less friction when the rope runs at an angle, less wear. Coming from a ropemaker, that attention to detail is no surprise.

An assisted braking device answers other needs, especially on long top-rope working sessions. The two families live happily in the same pack. To compare them, have a look through our full range of belay devices.