Niviuk ROLLER, User Manual

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speed and attitude after any type of incident. 

4.3 ACCELERATED FLIGHT

The ROLLER profile was designed for stable flight throughout its entire 
speed range. 

When accelerating the wing, the profile becomes more sensitive to 
turbulence and closer to a possible frontal collapse. If a loss in internal 
wing pressure is felt, tension on the speed-bar should be reduced to a 
minimum and a slight pull on the brake lines is recommended to increase 
the wing’s angle of attack. Remember to re-establish the air speed after 
correcting the angle of attack.

It is NOT recommended to accelerate near obstacles or in very turbulent 
conditions. If necessary, constantly adjust the movements and pressure 
on the speed-bar whilst doing the same to the brake lines. This balance 
is considered to be ‘active piloting’.

4.4 FLYING WITHOUT BRAKE LINES

If, for any reason at all, the ROLLER’s brake lines become disabled in 
flight, piloting the wing with the C-risers and weight shifting will become 
necessary. The C-lines steer easily because they are not under much 
tension, however you will need to be careful and not handle them too 
heavily in case this causes a stall or negative spin. The wing must be 
flown at full speed during the landing approach, and the C-risers will 
have to be pulled symmetrically all the way down shortly before contact 
with the ground. This braking method is not as effective as using the 
brake lines, and hence the wing will land with a higher groundspeed. 

4.5 LINE KNOT(S) IN FLIGHT

The best way to avoid knots and tangles is to thoroughly inspect the lines 
as part of a systematic pre-flight check. If a knot is spotted during the 

take off phase, immediately abort the launch sequence and stop.

If inadvertently taking off with a knotted line, the glider drift will need to 
be compensated by weight-shifting to the opposite side of the wing and 
applying a slight brake pull to that side. Gently pull the brake line to see 
if the knot can be undone or try to locate the problem line. Try pulling 
it to see if the knot can be undone. Beware of trying to clear a knotted 
line or untangle a line in flight when close to the terrain. If the knot is too 
tight and cannot be undone, carefully and safely fly to the nearest landing 
zone. Be careful: do not pull too hard on the brake handles because 
there will be an increased risk of stalling the wing or entering a negative 
spin. Before attempting to clear a knot, make sure there are no other 
pilots flying in the vicinity.

5. LOSING ALTITUDE

Knowledge of different descent techniques could become vital in 
certain situations. The most suitable descent method will depend on the 
particular situation.

To become familiar with the manoeuvres described below, we 
recommend practising within the environment of a competent training 
outfit.

5.1 EARS

Big ears is a moderate descent technique, able to increase the sink rate 
and reduces the ground speed. The angle of attack and effective wing-
loading will also increase due to the smaller surface area of the wing.

To re-establish forward speed and the correct angle of attack, the pilot 
must accelerate once the ears are pulled.
Big ears can be applied until landing but should be released at the 
moment of braking.