IMPORTANT: Only a few cms of input from your brakes can
maintain your wing in the stall. Always release your wraps
if you have taken them!
IMPORTANT: Do not y in rain, doing so signicantly in-
creases the likelihood of parachutal stalls occurring. To
reduce the chance of stalling in rain avoid using deep brake
movements or Big Ears. Find a safe area to land and using
the speed bar, maintain a good airspeed at all times.
Caring Tips
Careless ground handling damages many paragliders. Here are some things
to avoid in order to prolong the life of your aircraft:
• DO NOT drag your wing along the ground to another take-off position -
this damages the sailcloth. Lift it up and carry it.
• DO NOT try to open your wing in strong winds without untangling the
lines rst - this puts unnecessary strain on the lines.
• DO NOT walk on the wing or lines.
• DO NOT repeatedly inate the glider and then allow it to crash back
down. Try to keep this movement as smooth as possible by moving
towards the glider as it comes down.
• DO NOT slam your glider down on the ground leading edge rst!
This impact puts great strain on the wing and stitching and can even
explode cells.
• FLYING in salty air, in areas with abrasive surfaces (sand, rocks etc.)
and ground handling in strong winds will accelerate the aging process.
• If you y with a wrap, you should regularly undo the twisting that ap-
pears on the main brake lines. By twisting the line become shorter and
you can end up with a constant tension on the trailing edge (which can
lead to problem on launch, stalling, glider not ying symmetrically, ...)
• Change your main brake lines if they are damaged.
• Be Careful when groundhandling to not saw the brake lines against
the risers or main lines. The abrasion caused by a sawing motion can
damage the main lines and lead to premature ageing of the risers. If
you notice any signs of abrasion, especially to the lines, make sure
Cravats
If the tip of your wing gets stuck in the lines, this is called a ‘cravat’. This
can make your glider go into a spiral, which is difcult to control. The rst
solution to get out of this situation is to stabilise the glider into normal ight,
i.e get control of your direction and then pull down the stabilo line until the
wing tip frees itself. You must be careful with any brake inputs or you may
stall the opposite wing. You can also use strong deep pumps on the brake
to the cravated side, when doing so it is important to lean away from the
cravat otherwise you risk spinning or deepening the spiral. The aim is to
empty the air out of the wing tip, but without spinning. Correctly done, this
action will clear the cravat.
If it is a very large cravat and the above options have not worked then a full
stall is another option. This should not be attempted unless you have been
taught how to do it and can only be done with a large amount of altitude.
Remember if the rotation is accelerating and you are unable to control
it, you should throw your reserve parachute whilst you still have enough
altitude.
IMPORTANT: A bad preparation on launch, aerobatic ying,
ying a wing of too high a level or in conditions too strong
for your ability, are the main causes of cravats.
Deep Stall / Parachutal stall
It is possible for gliders to enter a state of parachutal stall. This can be
caused by several situations including; a very slow release from a B-line
stall; ying the glider when wet; or after a front/symmetric deation. The
glider often looks as though it has recovered properly but carries on de-
scending vertically without full forward motion. This situation is called ‘deep
stall’ or ‘parachutal stall’.
It is unlikely to happen on any Ozone glider, but should it happen, your rst
reaction should be to fully raise both brakes. This normally allows the glider
to return to normal ight. If nothing happens after a few seconds, reach
up and push the A-risers forwards or apply the speed bar to regain normal
ight. Ensure the glider has returned to normal ight (check your airspeed)
before you use the brakes again.
INCIDENTS
Deations
Due to the exible form of a paraglider, turbulence may cause a portion
of the wing suddenly to collapse. This can be anything from a small 30%
(asymmetric) collapse to a complete (symmetric) collapse.
If you have a collapse, the rst thing to do is to control your direction and
return your trimmers to the slow position. You should y away from the
ground or obstacles and other pilots. Asymmetric collapses should be con-
trolled by weight shifting away from the collapse and applying enough brake
to control your direction. This action alone will be enough for a full recovery
of the wing most of the time.
Once a glider is deated it is effectively a smaller wing, so the wing loading
and stall speed are higher. This means the glider will spin or stall with less
brake input than normal. In your efforts to stop the glider turning towards
the collapsed side of the wing you must be very careful not to stall the side
of the wing that is still ying. If you are unable to stop the glider turning
without exceeding the stall point then allow the glider to turn whilst you
reinate the collapse.
If you have a deation which does not spontaneously reinate, make a long
smooth progressive pump on the deated side. This pumping action should
take about 1-2 seconds per pump. Pumping too short and fast will not
reinate the wing and pumping too slow might take the glider close to, or
beyond, the stall point.
Symmetrical collapses reinate without pilot input, however 15 to 20cm
of brake applied symmetrically will speed the process. After a symmetric
collapse always consider your airspeed. Make sure the glider is not in para-
chutal stall before making any further inputs.
If your Zero collapses in accelerated ight, immediately release the accel-
erator and manage the collapse using the same methods described above.
you get the wing professionally serviced and importantly. modify your
groundhandling technique to stop any further damage.
It is recommended that you regularly CHECK your wing, especially after a
heavy period of use, after an incident or after a long period of storage.
Storage and Transport
Always store all your ying equipment in a dry room, protected from direct
heat. Your wing should be dry before being packed away. Moisture, heat
and humidity are the worst elements for damaging your glider. Storing a
damp glider in your car under the sun would be terrible for example.
Take care that no insects get packed away with the wing. They may eat the
cloth and make holes in a bid to escape. They can also leave acidic depos-
its if they die and decompose.
Transport the wing in the supplied bags and keep away from oils, paints,
chemicals, detergents etc.
IMPORTANT: Never pack away or store your glider wet.
Cleaning
Any kind of wiping/scratching can damage the coating of the cloth. We
recommend for cleaning to use a soft cloth dampened only with water and
to use gentle movements little by little across the surface.
If you land in salt water, you must rst rinse it thoroughly with clean fresh
water. Dry the wing completely, preferably out of the sun, in the wind. Never
use a hair dryer, etc.
IMPORTANT: Never use detergent or chemical cleaners.
Wing Repairs
Always let a registered dealer or the manufacturer carry out major glider
repairs.
If you damage the sail:
If the rip is small, you can x it yourself. You’ll nd all the materials in the
repair kit you need.The fabric can be simply mended with the sticky rip
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