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to let the glider fly normally again.
• If the pilot feels a loss of tension on the wing or a loss of
pressure on the brakes on one side of the wing, they should
smoothly apply brake on the side with loss of pressure and/or
weight shift to the opposite side until the pressure returns. After
that, again release the brake and/or weight shift to the neutral
position and let the glider fly normally.
The key in all cases is to avoid an over-correction and not to
maintain any correction longer than necessary. After each input,
let the glider fly normally again, to re-establish its flying speed. You
can train or get a feeling for most of these movements safely on
the ground while ground handling your glider. Good coordination
of your movements and coordination with the wing on the ground
will allow you a quick progression when flying actively in the air.
The next step is to attend SIV courses where you should also get a
better understanding of the full brake range and the glider’s speeds.
Flying in turbulence
Wing deflations can occur in a strong turbulence. The Queen 3
is designed and tested to recover without pilot input in almost all
situations, by simply releasing the brakes and letting the glider
fly. To train and understand all the manoeuvres described, attend
SIV courses.
Cascade of events
Many reserve deployments are the result of a cascade of over-
corrections by the pilot. Over-corrections are usually not problematic
because of the input itself or its intensity; but due to
the length of time the pilot continues to over-handle. After every
input you have to allow the wing to re-establish its normal flying
speed. Note that over-corrections are often worse than no input
at all.
Asymmetric deflations
Strong turbulence may cause the wing to collapse asymmetrically.
Before this occurs the brake lines and the feeling of the harness
will transmit a loss of pressure to the pilot. This feedback is used in
active piloting to prevent a collapse. If the collapse does occur, the
Queen 3 will easily re-inflate without pilot reaction, but the wing will
turn towards the collapsed side. To prevent this from happening,
turn and actively recover the asymmetric collapse by weight shifting
and applying appropriate brake input on the side that is still flying.
Be careful not to over-brake your wing’s flying side. This is enough
to maintain your course and give the glider enough time to recover
the collapsed side by itself. To actively reopen the collapsed side
after course stabilisation, pull the brake line on the collapsed side
firmly and release it. You can do this several times with a smooth
pumping motion. After the recovery, release the brake lines for
your glider to regain its trim speed. You must be aware of the fact
that asymmetric collapses are much more dynamic when flying
accelerated. This is due to the difference in weight and the inertia
of the canopy and the pilot hanging below.
Symmetric deflations
Symmetric or frontal deflations normally reopen immediately by
themselves without pilot input. The glider will then regain its airspeed
accompanied by a small surge forwards. To actively control this
event, apply both brakes slightly when the collapse occurs and
then instantly release the brakes to let the glider fly. Be prepared
to compensate for the glider’s slight surge forward while returning
to normal flying.
Wing tangle, cravat
A cravat is very unlikely to happen with the Queen 3, but it may
occur after a severe deflation or in a cascading situation, when
a wing tip may get caught in the glider’s lines. A pilot should be
familiar with the procedure of handling this situation with any glider.
Familiarise yourself with the stabiliser main line (“stabilo” line,
outside B-line on B riser) before launching. If a cravat occurs, the
first thing to do is to try to keep the glider flying on a straight course.
Do this by weight shifting and counter braking the untangled side.
After that, grab the stabilo main line on the tangled side and pull it
down until it becomes tight again. At this point the cravat normally
releases itself.
Possible solutions of the cravat situations (consult your SIV
instructor):
• Pulling the wing tip “stabilo” line
• Using a full stall, but it is essential to be very familiar with this
manoeuvre. You will also want to have a lot of relative altitude.
• If you are in a situation where you have a cravat and you are low
in rotation or even with twisted risers, then the only solution is the
reserve parachute.
Negative spin
In normal flight you are far from negative spin. But, certain
circumstances may lead to it. Should this occur, just release the
brake lines progressively and let the wing regain its flying speed.
Be prepared for the glider to surge forward, and to stop the surge
with brake input if necessary.
Full stall
A full stall does not occur unintentionally on its own – it happens
if you pull both brakes down 100% and hold them. The wing then
performs a so-called full stall. Releasing the brakes improperly may
lead to a massive surge of the glider with danger of falling into
the canopy. This is a complex manoeuvre and as such outside the
scope of this manual. You should practice and learn this manoeuvre
only on a SIV course 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. With the Queen 3 it is very unlikely
to get into
this situation unintentionally. This 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 may
increase the likelihood of a deep stall.
