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Section 7
Dangerous situations and extreme flying
07 Dangerous situations
and extreme flying
Dangerous situations
Pilot error, extreme wind conditions or
turbulence which goes unnoticed by the pilot
for too long may leave the mini wing in an
unusual flying position, requiring special
reaction and skills on the part of the pilot.
The best way to learn how to react calmly
and correctly in a serious situation is to
attend safety training, where you will learn
how to manage extreme situations under
the guidance of a professional.
Ground-training is another safe and
effective method of familiarising yourself
with your mini wing’s reactions. Launch can
be practised, as can smaller flying
manoeuvres.
Any pilot who flies in turbulent conditions or
who makes an error in handling the mini
wing is at risk of getting into an extreme
situation. All of the extreme flight figures and
flight attitudes described here are
dangerous if they are carried out with
inadequate knowledge, without the right
safety altitude or without training.
DANGER
The Hybrid Sport is not a parachute!
Never use the Hybrid Sport for free fall
openings.
Glider collapse
Asymmetric collapse
Asymmetric collapses are caused by the
stagnation point moving to the trailing edge
of the glider. A negative angle of attack
makes part of the canopy collapse and tuck
under, and the glider may plunge down, turn
away or spin. Because of the small surface
area and the speed with which it turns, there
is a chance of becoming twisted.
A pilot flying the Hybrid Sport must be in a
position to counter-steer actively on a side
collapse in order to maintain direction. Any
pilot who does not feel able to do this should
not fly the Hybrid Sport.
WARNING
Swing recommends against using the
Hybrid Sport to practise extreme flight
attitudes, because the smaller surface
area can quickly become too
demanding for the pilot and there is a
high risk of twist.
WARNING
Always keep within the recommended
operating limits. Avoid aerobatics and
extreme loading such as spirals with
“big ears”. This will prevent accidents
and avoid over-loading the structure of
the mini wing.
NEVER fly with open trimmers in
turbulent conditions, always keep
enough distance from rock faces and
other obstacles. Time and sufficient
altitude are needed to recover from
extreme situations.
Deploy your reserve if the corrective
manoeuvres described in the following
sections do not return the glider to a
controllable flying position or if there is
not enough altitude for correction.
