18
19
Full stall
A full stall does not occur unintentionally on its own – it happens
if you pull both brakes all the way below the seat and hold them
there. The wing then performs a so called full stall. Releasing the
brakes improperly
may in rare cases lead to a massive surge of the glider, with danger
of falling into the canopy. The full stall is a complex manoeuvre
and as such outside the scope of this manual. You should practice
and learn this
manoeuvre only during SIV clinics, under professional tuition.
Deep stall
Generally when in deep stall, the wing has no forward motion and
at the same time high sink speed. When in deep stall the wing
is almost fully inflated, but looks “limp” and creased from below.
The D-light is very unlikely to get into a deep stall unintentionally,
but under rare circumstances it could possibly happen if you are
flying at a very low speed in turbulent conditions. Also the porosity
of the material and line stretch on a very old glider can increase
the risk of deep stall. If you have already trained this manoeuvre
during an SIV clinic you probably know that it is very hard to keep
the D-light in deep stall, because as soon as you apply a little bit
more brake you immediately enter a full stall phase, and if you
release the brakes just a little bit too much the wing returns to
normal flight. If you want to practice the deep stall on SIV courses,
you need to master the full stall first.
Fast descent techniques
Fast descent techniques should be familiar to any pilot, as
they are important tools to be used in certain situations. These
manoeuvres should be trained as a part of the normal paragliding
pilot training at your flying school. We also recommend practicing
these manoeuvres during SIV clinics, under professional tuition.
Big ears
This is a safe method to moderately loose altitude while still
maintaining forward speed. To do big ears, release any brake line
loops around your wrist, set your leg on the speed bar, but do not
push it. Now pull the outer A lines (the A2 risers in the drawing)
on both sides. As long as you keep the A2 risers pulled, the wing
tips stay folded and the sink rate increases. To return to normal
flight, release the A2 risers, and if necessary apply the brakes with
short pumping movements. Release big ears at least 100 meters
above the ground. While using big ears, the wing speed decreases,
which is why we also recommend using the accelerator half way
in combination with big ears to maintain enough horizontal speed
and to also additionally increase vertical speed. Be careful not to
pull the brakes while making the ears! Steering is done by weight
shift only. Always do the big ears first and then accelerate; not the
other way around as you risk getting a frontal collapse.
B line stall
While in the B-stall the glider has no horizontal speed and the
sink rate increases to about -8m/s. To enter the B-stall reach
for the B risers just below the maillons and pull both B line
risers symmetrically for about 20 cm. To exit the manoeuvre,
simultaneously release both risers quickly. On exit the D-light
gently surges forward, without deep stall tendencies.
Spiral dive
The spiral dive is the most demanding of all three manoeuvres
(Big ears, B-stall, Spiral) and should only be trained gradually and
always high above the ground. The spiral dive should be practiced
and learned on a SIV course under professional tuition. To enter
the spiral, weight shift to the desired side and gradually apply the
brake on the same side. Then let the wing accelerate for two turns
and you will enter the spiral dive.
While in the spiral, control your descent rate and bank angle by
applying more or less inside brake. Depending on how steep the
spiral is you may need to apply outer brake. To exit the spiral dive
we recommend returning to a neutral weight shift position. If you
release the inner brake, the wing exits the spiral dive by itself.
The D-light has no tendency to remain stable in a spiral, but you
should always be aware of the correct procedure for exiting a
stable spiral.
To exit a stable spiral dive, weight shift to the opposite side of
the turn and apply the outer brake until feeling the deceleration of
the wing rotation. Then release the outer brake and let the glider
decelerate for the next couple of turns. To avoid a big pendulum
movement after exiting the spiral, apply a short brake input on
the inner side before the glider exits the spiral.
Warnings (Spiral dive):
• There is a possibility of losing consciousness while in a spiral
dive. Never make a spiral with more than -16 to -18m/s vertical
speed.
• In fast spirals it may be necessary to apply the outer brake to
begin exiting the spiral dive.
• If practicing the spiral dive low, a pilot may not have enough
altitude or time to safely exit this manoeuvre.
Winch launch
The D-light is easy to launch using a winch and has no special
characteristics considering this kind of launching. To practice this
launching technique, special training is needed and you need to
be aware of the procedures and dangers specific for winching.
We do not recommend using any special towing device which
accelerates the glider during the winch launch.
Aerobatics
The D-light was not designed for aerobatics, therefore, these
should not be performed on this glider. In addition to this, any
extreme manoeuvres place unnecessary stress on the glider and
shorten its lifespan.
Primary controls failure
If for any reason you cannot use the brake lines, you have to pilot
the wing to the landing place by using weight shift. Weight shift
should be enough to safely land the glider. You can also use the C
risers to control and steer the wing. Be careful not to over-handle
the glider by using the C riser technique when steering. By pulling
the C risers too far you may cause a stall or a negative spin.
Land your glider at trim speed without using the C risers, to avoid
