_57 _EN_56
2) Spiral dive
The spiral dive is the most demanding descent technique and should
be learned at great height, preferably during an SIV/pilotage course.
The manoeuvre has two phases:
• First the pilot weight-shifts into the turn and then uses the inner brake
to induce an ever tightening turn (note: do not jerk the brake, but pull
it smoothly and continuously). With increasing acceleration, there will
be a moment where the g-forces rapidly increase and the nose of the
glider begins to point to the ground until (during a successfully per-
formed spiral dive) the nose is nearly parallel with the ground
• At this point the wing will reach sink rates of 20 meters per second
(m/s) or more. The acceleration can be more than three times gravita-
tional force (>3g). The pilot must be aware of these forces.
Before learning to spiral, pilots should practise controlled exits from
steep turns. These exits are performed by using the outer brake, whilst
the inner brake initially remains in the same position. The outer brake
is pulled until the rotational movement slows. To achieve a smooth exit
without pitching forward, the outer brake must be released more as
soon as the wing starts to level, i.e. as soon as the wing is no longer
horizontal.
The actual spiral dive – as outlined above – only occurs after the above
described transition phase, i.e. the diving of the wing. At this moment
the pilot is pushed outwards in his harness. The pilot should release
the pressure to avoid the wing locking into the spiral.
Then the sink rate can be varied using the inner and outer brake.
If the pilot’s weight remains on the outside, releasing the inner brake is
sufficient to continuously slow the rotational movement of the glider.
Exiting the spiral is then performed as described above.
If the pilot strongly weight-shifts to the centre, the glider may lock into
the spiral, regardless whether the brakes have been released. In this
case symmetrical braking or braking on the outside may help, as well
as weight-shifting to the outside.
In thermals, in addition to the inner brake, we recommend lightly bra-
king on the outside as well – this helps to control bank and speed of
rotation, i.e. you get better feedback from the wing. Additionally this
increases the stability of the wing tip. Tight, controlled turns and
smooth direction changes need practise but should be a skill all pilots
have mastered.
Please note: if the paraglider is no longer steerable using the brake
lines (for example if they have become tangled) then the wing has
limited steering capacity through the HAB-Handles. This, in combina-
tion with weight-shift, still allows reasonable turn correction. Using
this technique also permits a safe landing. The B-risers should not be
pulled so hard that they cause the wing to stall.
Landing
Landing the XENON is very simple. In turbulent conditions it is advi-
sable to make your approach whilst pulling a little brake in order to
increase stability and to increase the feeling for the wing‘s movement.
Immediately before touchdown the brakes should be pulled hard –
even to the point of stall.
Rapid descent techniques
To quickly lose height, we recommend two possible manoeuvres. We
have ordered these by degree of difficulty:
1) B3 stall:
To induce a B3 stall, pull down both B3-lines symmetrically. If you can-
not reach the lower end of the B3-line, you can grab the (black) B3
moveable pulley line and pull it down.
Keep pulling until the outer wings bend backwards markedly and the
sink rate increases significantly. The XENON will remain in this stable
flight formation until the B3-lines are released again. In all our test
flights this manoeuvre proved to be straightforward and forgiving of
small errors.
Please note: a full stall
– if initiated too early –
can lead to heavy lan-
dings or even serious
accidents. Therefore
the brakes should
only be pulled fully
immediately before
touching the ground
(<0.5 meters).
!
These physical
demands can be
simulated in a g-force
trainer. We recom-
mend such g-force
training to all pilots.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General