MAC PARA PITBULL RX, User Manual

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23
FLYING THE PITBULL RX
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 PitBull RX 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 30m. 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 and 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.