MAC PARA Charger2, User Manual

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Approach and Landing:
It is important to start to prepare for landing at an adequate altitude to avoid surprises.
This leaves you enough time to observe and appropriately deal with wind direction and any
other aircraft in your vicinity.
The Charger 2 is very easy to land. The final leg of the landing approach must be into the
wind. There are two methods in landing a paramotor. One without power (this minimises
the risk of propeller damage in the event of a fall) and the second with power.
Power off landing
When deciding to land your paraglider check the wind direction and your height. The next
step is to power off your engine at about 30 m. Glide toward your landing like a paraglider
with trimmers set in the neutral setting with your brakes released. During your final glide
just before touch down, you need to decelerate the glider by pulling your brakes converting
your excess speed into lift before your feet touch the ground. Proper timing and how fast to
pull your brakes depends on conditions. A general rule is to pull down on your brakes when
your feet are approximately 0.5m over the ground. If too much brake is pulled too early, the
glider may climb gaining height resulting in a sudden drop to the ground. Strong wind
landings require correspondingly less brake. Your instructor will assist you to understand
how to properly time your brake pull (also called a flare). Every pilot should practice
landings without power because one day your engine will fail (run out of gas etc.) and this
skill could be useful.
Power on landing
Fly towards your desired landing area at a shallow angle. Start to flare the wing before
touch down to loose speed then switch off your engine immediately after touchdown. In no
wind conditions, be prepared to run a few steps after touchdown. Then pull the brakes few
times dynamically (like a fluttering bird). This stops the canopy over your head and gives
you time to turn and put the glider gently on the ground. Do not apply full brakes before you
are safely on the ground. Do not turn unless the propeller stops turning.
The advantage of the power on landing is that if you get it wrong you can power up to
launch and try again. The disadvantages are the increased risk of expensive
propeller/cage damages if you approach too fast or forget to flare in time. Another danger
is falling over with the engine running and getting your lines caught in the propeller. Make
sure you switch off the engine before the wing deflates on top of you.
Attention! The final glide on approach during the landing should be straight and not done
with any steep or alternating turns. This can result in dangerous pendulum movements too
close to the ground.
Attention! Do not allow the canopy to come crashing down onto the leading edge. This
can destroy the internal structure of your glider and affects the life of the ribs at the leading
edge.
If possible, get familiar with the landing field before the approach. Check the wind direction
before landing. Landing with power off requires much less space. Practice makes the
master. Practice until you feel totally safe.