Team 5 Blue, Owner'S Manual

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FLYING IN THERMALS
Once you have found an appropriate body of thermals, centre with the brakes applied about 20-25
cm for optimum bank angle.
The best speed is around minimum sink. The canopy performs narrow turns and maximises height
gained from the thermal. It is recommended to keep a little brake applied on the outside wing.
By varying the amount of braking, you can prevent tip deflations and also control the angle of bank
more effectively.
If thermals are very narrow and strong a higher speed and bank angle will be helpful, in which
case release the brake on the outside wing. Always maintain sufficient airspeed, particularly in
thermals drifting with the wind.Try to keep to the windward edge of the thermal by expanding the
into-wind semi-circle of each 360, and turning more tightly in the downwind sector. If you should
drop out of the thermal on the windward side, you will tend to descend back into it because it is
tilted downwind whereas falling out on the lee side results in greatest loss of altitude and makes it
more difficult to re-enter the thermal without making a lateral detour or flying very fast).
FLYING IN TURBULENCE
When passing through strong turbulence it is best to stabilize the canopy through applying both
brakes simultaneously.
Up to a certain degree of turbulence the BLUE is very resistant to deflations even at full speed.
An experienced pilot may well extend this limit by “active” flying. As the
canopy tries to move forward above the pilot in turbulence, it is held back by careful and correct
application of the brakes. This “active” form of flying is also effective in preventing asymmetric de-
flations. In rough conditions, it is possible that the required amount of brake travel will be greater
than the stall point in normal flight because, due to the altered relative airflow, you are far away
from the angle of attack which will produce a stall.
When flying into strong vertical gusts from below, you act in the opposite way: In this situation the
brakes must be released in order to counter rearward movements of the canopy.
Before you fly the BLUE in strong turbulence or go cross-country, you should first have acquired
a feeling for the specific characteristics and reactions of the canopy, so you can control it in the
manner described.