XIX PARAGLIDES SMILE, Owner'S Manual

Page: 7 / 16

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To return to normal flight, simply release the A-
risers again and the glider should re-inflate. If this
does not happen, then a short sharp pump on the
brakes will help. Be careful not to brake for too
long – this can cause a stall.
WARNING!
Ü
You should not use ‘big ears’ during
spiral dives. This can overload parts of
your equipment.
Ü
The SMILE must not be flown with
constant brake when big-ears are ap-
plied.
Spiral dives
Progressive and continual applying of the brake
on one side bring you in a spiral dive. Make sure
that you do not stall which would result in a flat
spin. This method allows you to reach sink rates
over 15 m/s.
The centrifugal forces can be taxing on both the
glider and your stomach especially if you make
many revolutions one after the other. There
is also a danger of loosing space orientation. A
further significant
disadvantage of this descent
method is that in most cases you are not able to
leave the lift band or you are carried off course
by the wind.
To recover from a spiral dive,
slowly release the slowly slowly
brake. The SMILE has very restrained roll and
pitch behaviour, but if you release the brake ra-
pidly in a spiral dive the wing will roll out quick.
He will start a short climb to reduce the higher
speed. Afterwards you should be prepared for
the glider to surge forward as a result and control
it with the brakes.
If the spiral has a sink rate in excess of 14 m/s, the
SMILE may continue to turn for 1 or 2 rotations
after the brakes have been released. If the sink
rate is higher than 15 m/s and the pilot’s position
is unsuitable, a “stable spiral dive” may result. If
this happens, we recommend that you switch
your body and apply the brakes against the rota-
tion until the wing is leaving the spiral.
B-line stall
The B-line stall is another efficient descent me-
thod. This gives you a sink rate of 6-9 m/s.
Check the
airspace below and behind you
before pulling a B-line stall. To begin, grab the
B-risers at the line connections. While holding
both brakes firmly in your hands, pull the B-risers
down symmetrically and progressively until you
pass the first marked point of resistance and the
glider loses speed.
Hold this position. The glider will stop and parti-
ally deflate before stabilising over your head.
To recover, release the B-risers back to their
normal position evenly over a period of 1 to 2
seconds. We recommend that you do not let the
B-risers ‘snap‘ out – this puts severe stress on the
fabric, seams and lines. See the section below on
‘extreme flying’ for what you should do if you go
into a deep stall (which is unusual).
The
disadvantage of the B-stall descent method
is the fact that the airflow over the glider stops
completely and you remain in the lift. Even the
SMILE does behave very well in this particular
manoeuvre it is a unusual stress for the ripps and
therefore not recommanded.
Extreme flying
You may find yourself in the following situations
despite your intentions due to turbulence or be-
cause you have over-reacted.
Collapses
This can happen if you are flying in turbulent air
but is usually no problem with the
SMILE , since it
normally recovers without any pilot input.
If the
SMILE does not immediately recover and
it begins to rotate, brake on the side of the glider
which is still open to control the flight direction,
particularly if you are near any obstacles. With
the brake on the closed side, apply strong sharp
pumps.