HARNESS
Any harness with a hang point at about chest height may be used with a
SOL ELLUS
.
Special note:
The hang point position changes the position of the
brakes relative to the pilot's body.
The harness carabiner’s distances are 40, 42, 44 and 46cm, for S, M, L
and XL sizes respectively.
Warning:
•
Chest straps that are too tight can drastically effect the handling and
may not actually contribute to higher safety. Make sure they are set
at the correct distance.
FLIGHT
Preflight Check
A thorough preflight check is essential for any aircraft and the
SOL
ELLUS
is no exception. Having unpacked and laid out the paraglider in a
horseshoe shape, the following checks must be made before flying:
•
The paraglider should be arranged in such a way that the A-lines in
the center section of the canopy will tension before the ones at the
wing tips. This ensures an easy and balanced launch.
•
All lines and risers should be untangled and arranged in a way that
they do not catch on anything.
•
Special attention should be paid to the A-lines, which should run free
and untangled from the A-risers (marked with red) to the canopy.
It is equally important to untangle the control lines so that they are clear
and cannot get caught during launch. The control lines should run freely
through the pulleys to the trailing edge of the canopy. Make sure the
risers are not twisted. It is important that no lines are looped around the
canopy. A "line-over" may have disastrous consequences during takeoff.
Before every launch, perform a thorough check of the lines, risers and
canopy for damage. Do not launch in case of even the smallest damage
.
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Launch
The
SOL ELLUS
is easy to launch.
To make it easier to distinguish between the different risers, the A-lines
and A-risers are different colors. So are the control lines and control
handles.
When you are ready to take off, hold the A-risers and the control handles
in your hands. Hold your arms stretched back and down as an extension
of the A-lines. Before continuing, a final check of the canopy is important.
After the initial effort of inflation, keep applying forward pressure on the
A-risers (pushing them forward not pulling down) until the pressure on
the A-risers eases. The canopy should now be directly over the pilot's
head. It is not necessary to get a running start with slack in the lines.
A good progressive run helps your
SOL ELLUS
will inflate evenly and
come up quickly. With the correct technique, the glider will not “over fly”
you.
Always have a very small amount of brake applied so you can feel the
glider and possibly correct for any drift in order to keep it above the your
head. Moving your body to the center of the glider is the best method of
correction if there is sufficient room.
The pilot looks up and checks that the canopy is fully inflated with no line
tangles. Only after checking that the glider is fully inflated should the
decision be made to continue launching.
The
SOL ELLUS
is also easy to reverse launch. As this launch technique
can be difficult and can result in the pilot taking off with twisted risers, it
is recommended to practice the reverse launch on a training hill first.
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