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27
WARNING! Mistakes during the
execution of the following
manoeuvres may seriously
compromise the safety of
pilot.
Collapsing the paraglider
Asymmetric collapse
The UP Kibo belongs to the new
generation of paragliders that, as well as
having very good performance, also
exhibit a high degree of stability. Wing tip
collapses can almost always be prevented
through active flying.
Once an asymmetric collapse has
occurred, the pilot aims to maintain flying
direction through weight shift and careful
application of brake input on the open
side.
If the open side is braked too much it may
stall, and the wing will enter a spin – this is
the classical recipe for cascading events
(see the spin chapter).
In rare instances a wingtip may catch in
the lines during asymmetric collapses (see
cravats here below).
Cravatte
Our test pilots have found absolutely NO
tendency towards cravatting in all the test
flights the Kibo has been subjected to. But
under extraordinary circumstances any
paraglider may cravatte, and if this
happens the pilot should know how to deal
with the situation.
The first step is to STOP any rotation, or, if
this is not possible, to slow down the
rotation as much as possible – a cravatted
wing that is left to its own devices may
very quickly enter into a spiral dive of such
vehemence that the pilot cannot stop the
rotation any more. Once the rotation is
under control the pilot attempts to free
the cravatte by pulling on the (purple)
stabilo line, perhaps in combination
with pumping action through the brake
lines.
If neither of these approaches
work then the experts may
decide to try either a full
stall or a brief spin on
the cravatted side – please
note that these measures
should ONLY be practised
during an SIV training over water.
WARNING! Should the pilot
be unable to control the
rotation it is normally
best to deploy the
reserve parachute
immediately. Uncontrolled
and cravatted spiral dives are among
the most dangerous canopy
configurations in paragliding
Full frontal collapse
A negative angle of attack occurring
through turbulence or from
simultaneously pulling down both A-
risers results in a full frontal collapse of
the leading edge of the canopy. The
UP Kibo will normally reinflate quickly
on its own, but can be assisted
through the application of a light
double-sided symmetrical brake input.
The stalls
When a paraglider flies through the air
a laminar and a turbulent airflow forms
around the surface of the wing. When
the laminar airflow along the top
surface is interrupted, dangerous flight
configurations follow – we say that the
wing stalls. This is most often the
consequence of attempting to fly with
too high angle of attack.
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