MAC PARA ARAVIS 17, User Manual

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spiral with excessive sink can change the manoeuvre considerably; pilot action may be
required. In such cases, exit the spiral by weight-shifting to the outside and progressively
applying the outside brake.
Before entering a spiral, make sure you have adequate height for recovery. To initiate a
spiral, look in to the direction you want to turn, weight shift and smoothly pull down on the
inside until the glider enters the spiral. Once in the spiral you should re-centre your weight
shift and apply a little outside brake to keep the outer wing tip pressured and inflated.
Spirals with descent rates above 10 m/s are not recommended. Very high decent spiral
dives with high speeds and G-forces can be very disorientating and could lead to a loss of
vision and even black out. Always pay particular attention to your altitude. Always maintain
ground clearance of 150 – 200 m. The manoeuvre must be exited at this height above
ground.
To exit the spiral, check your weight is centred (or slightly towards the outside) and
progressively release the inside brake. As the glider starts to exit the spiral, you may also
choose to reduce the pendulum moment by briefly re-applying the inside brake.
Attention! Due to energy retention, the glider will climb a lot after a deep spiral-dive
release. If you apply inner brake and decelerate the glider for two or three turns, big
pendulum effects can be avoided.
WARNING!! Practise spiralling with caution and lower sink-rates to get a feel for the
gliders behaviour. A pilot who is dehydrated or not accustomed to spiralling can lose
consciousness in a steep spiral dive!
Big ears
Big ears are the simplest method for rapid descent. The advantage is that the horizontal
speed is higher than the sink rate (3-5 m/s), unlike a spiral dive or a B-line stall. This rapid
descent technique is used to quickly and horizontally exit a dangerous area in the desired
direction. It is even possible to land using big ears (for example top-landing).
In order to collapse the outermost part of the wing, pull the A1-risers down. The Aravis
easily tucks the wingtips and enters a stable descent mode. The pilot keeps hold of the
brake handles along with the A1-risers in his hands. By braking on one side and weight-
shifting, the canopy remains steerable. In order to increase the sink rate as well as the
horizontal speed, this manoeuvre should be done together with use of the speed system.
Apply the speed system after big ears are induced (step into the speed-bar before you
grab the outer A1-risers). Big ears substantially reduce the risk of canopy stability problems
in turbulent air. To exit big ears release the A1-risers. The canopy does very slowly self-
recover. To quicken the recovery, the pilot can dynamically pull down and immediately
release the brakes of the glider.
WARNING! Never do big ears in spirals, as this may drastically reduce the number of lines
taking the already high loads, causing structural failure.