When soaring the slope, minimum height of 50 m above the ground is
recommended for safety reasons. It is important to comply with air traffic
rules, especially when many pilots share airspace close to the hill. The
avoidance manoeuvres often happen to be impossible in such conditions.
FLYING WITH SPEED SYSTEM ENGAGED
When flying into head wind or through sink it is advisable (for the sake of
best glide angle) to increase speed, as long as conditions are not too
turbulent.
Full application of the speed system increases flight speed by some 30%. In
contrast to most paragliders it does not decrease wing stability, in fact the
Universal seems to counter the turbulences even better.
Still, if you meet some serious trouble, it is advisable to release the
speedbar. With application of the speed system the brake forces increase,
and brake effectiveness decreases.
At maximum speedbar and fully opened trims we strongly recommend
steering with ALC system (or TEA lines). Turns executed in this way will
be slightly wider, but strength needed to initiate the turn will be smaller and
there will be no decrease in speed.
3.2.3 LANDING
The Universal is easy to land. Just make sure that last turn into the wind is
done with sufficient altitude, since prior to touch down you should build up
speed, fully releasing the brakes. Then flare out at 1 meters over ground by
gently braking. The glider may climb again for a while gaining some height, if
too much brake is used.
When landing n strong wind you can partly release the trimmers, in order to
have better forward speed.
Strong wind landings hardly require braking, if any at all! Use D-risers
(coloured grey) to deflate the canopy after landing. Using the brakes will
probably result in pilot being lifted and dragged backwards.
The final glide of the landing approach should be straight and smooth. Steep
or alternating turns can result in a dangerous pendulum effect near the
ground.
3.2.4 WINCHING
A lot of successful winches on Universal have been made. Experience
shows that it can be done, but proper attention must be paid.
CAUTION
During start, especially winched or with a motor, always remember to bring
the wing directly over your head. The aerofoil and its angle of attack were
arranged so as to give maximum lift coefficient with relatively high safety
15
USER MANUAL
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