Date: 10.03.2010
Revision: 0
Manual
Striker
Page: 14 of 17
Fly market GmbH & Co. KG
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Am Schönebach 3
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87637 Eisenberg
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Germany
Early recognizing of the situation and a fast reaction by evenly dosed breaking of both sides
helps you to keep the loss of height very small and avoids an escalation of this flying
incident.
14.4. Parachutal Stalls
During a stall a paraglider has no forward movement anymore but very big sink rates.
Letting go of the B-risers too slowly exiting a B-stall with old porous material, damaged
lines or ribs, pulling the C or D-riser or incorrect takeoff weight can result in the glider
falling vertically but still holding its shape. The tendency for a stall is also increasing if the
canopy is wet or the air-temperature is very low. You can tell whether or not your
paraglider is parachutal, as the flying noise can hardly be heard even though the brakes are
free and you are sitting in your unusual position under the canopy. Normally, letting up on
the steering lines will allow the glider to resume normal flight. If the canopy and the lines
are in good condition, the STRIKER will speed up again automatically after 2-3 seconds. If
this does not happen you must push the A-risers forward or use the speed-system of the
glider. Does the glider stay in a repetitively parachutal stall without any noticeable reason
(e.g.: wet canopy, wrong take-off weight), the glider has to be checked before the next
flight by your dealer or by the manufacturer.
Attention
: Never pull the brake-lines during a
parachutal stall, because the glider would go into a full stall immediately. Near the ground a
parachutal stall should not be released because of possible pendulum movements. Instead
the pilot should prepare for a hard touchdown.
14.5. Full Stall
You can only induce a full stall if the both brake lines are completely pulled through and
remaining in this position for more than one second. When stall speed is reached the
canopy will empty itself at once, the pilot is hurled forward and the impression is given that
the canopy falls backwards.
It is vital to keep the brakes pulled down until the empty canopy is above the pilot again
(this will take 3-6 seconds). If you let go of the steering lines with the paraglider still behind
you, the glider will shoot forward and dive in front. Not until the glider is above the pilot
again the steering lines can be released moderately quick and symmetrically. The perfect
ending to a full stall should take place in two steps:
1.slow refilling of canopy (slow loosening of brakes, approx. up to the shoulder) until the
canopy is reopened completely, then
2.releasing the brakes altogether
If you release this maneuver too fast or asymmetrically, the glider can collapse frontally or
asymmetrically.
Attention:
A wrong, too early, asymmetrically or too fast released full stall
can cause an extreme forward movement of the canopy. In an extreme case the canopy will
shoot and dive under the pilot.
14.6. Negative Spin
Pulling down hard on one brake can cause the air stream to break away on that half of the
wing. A reversion of the air-stream direction can occur. The slowed half flies in the opposite
direction. The paraglider then turns around its vertical axis. For negative spins there can be
two reasons:
-one brake-line is pulled too fast and too far. (E.g. while entering a deep spiral)
-during slow flying one side is braked too much (e.g. while flying circles in thermals)
If an unintentional negative spin is released immediately during its beginning, the glider
normally goes back into normal flight without losing lots of height. But if the negative spin is
kept for a longer time and the glider can accelerate in this negative spin the release of the
spin can cause the canopy to move extremely asymmetrically in front of the pilot. Big
collapses and cravats can be the result!
