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Flat spin
In normal thermalling flight, you are very far from the limits of a flat spin. Nevertheless, should
this occur, just let up the brakes and wait for the glider to surge forward, checking it with the
brakes if it surges too far. Never release the brakes if the glider is far back behind you, always
try to release them when the glider is above or in front of you!
Cascade of events
Many reserve deployments are a result of a cascade of over-corrections by the pilot. Please
note that over-corrections are often worse than no input at all.
Losing altitude
Extremely strong and widespread lift is found, for example, in storm conditions. The best place
to be in this situation is on the ground. Nevertheless, if you have been caught out by the
weather and find yourself needing to descend rapidly, there are several ways to do so. The best
way is, of course, to find sink. Failing that, try one of the techniques below. Most of these
techniques place undue stress on your glider, and should be avoided if you wish to extend its
lifetime. We recommend you initially practice these manoeuvres under qualified supervision
during a safety training course.
Big ears
Big ears is a safe method of moderately losing altitude while maintaining some forward speed.
Pull in big ears one at a time, using the outer A line on each side. Although the noise of the wind
around your ears may indicate the airspeed increases, the airspeed does not increase by pulling
big ears. In fact it decreases. You may use the speed bar in combination with big ears to
maintain your sink rate but increase forward speed.
The glider can be steered while in big ears using weight shift alone.
When you release the lines, the Boomerang 4's ears will come out on their own, or may require
a short pump. Release the big ears at least 100m above the ground. If this is not possible, keep
the big ears in until you flare for landing rather than letting them out on the approach. This is a
