8
ADVANCED FLIGHT TECHNIQUES
Big Ears
Folding-in the wingtips increases the sink rate whilst maintaining
forward speed, this is useful for staying out of cloud. To pull big ears,
keep hold of your brake handles and take the outermost A-line and
the stabilo line on each side, then pull out down (preferably one at a
time) until the tips of the wing fold under.
Do not use the brakes other than for re-inflation. For directional con-
trol while using the Big Ears, you should use weight shift steering.
To reopen your big ears, release both A lines at the same time. To
help reinflation, brake gently one side at a time until tips regain pres-
sure. Avoid deep symmetric applications of the brake as this could
induce parachutal or full stalls.
Big ears and accelerator
Once the big ears are in you can further increase the sink rate by
pushing on the accelerator bar.
NEVER try to pull the Big Ears in with the speed bar already
applied. This can lead to a major asymmetric deflation.
Big ears and spiral dive
Whilst it is possible to enter a spiral dive whilst holding in Big Ears,
the high forces applied to the lower lines could exceed the breaking
strain of the lines leading to equipment failure!
IMPORTANT: Ozone strongly recommends to NOT use this
manoeuvre!
Wingovers
The Mantra R10 is not designed for aerobatic flying. The limit is
tightly banked S-turns, commonly known as wingovers. These must
not exceed 90 degrees of bank
WARNING: Uncoordinated wingovers can lead to large
Turning
The R10 has relatively light brake pressure and is very responsive
to inputs. To familiarise yourself with the new wing your first turns
should be gradual and progressive.
Application of too much brake will
cause excessive roll and dive in the turn or cause the wing to spin.
Active Flying
To minimize the likelihood of suffering collapses in turbulent condi-
tions, it is essential to use active flying.
Flying with some brake applied (approx. 20cm) will give you the re-
quired feedback from the wing. Inputs can be symmetric or asymmet-
ric; you may have to apply both brakes or just one to maintain equal
pressure across the span/chord of the wing. These subtle adjust-
ments will keep the glider flying smoothly and directly above you
Avoid flying with continuous amounts of deep brake in rough air as
you could inadvertently stall the wing. Always consider your airspeed.
IMPORTANT: No pilot and no glider are immune to collapses
however active flying reduces any tendency to collapse.
When the conditions are turbulent, be more active and
anticipate the movements of your wing. Always be aware of
your altitude and do not over-react. We advise you to keep
hold of your brakes and not to fly in very turbulent condi-
tions.
