7
strong, take some of the pressure out of the canopy by taking in one or both of the brake-
lines (or the C-risers).
Always fly with sufficient clearance from the terrain. The VELVET glides best with closed
trimmers and open brakes, descends best with lightly applied brakes. In turbulence fly
with brakes lightly applied to avoid canopy collapse. If the canopy pendulums forward,
this should be corrected by prompt braking. A pendulum movement of the canopy
backwards is corrected by loosening the brakes in good time.
Turns can be initiated using the brakes in two different ways.
The pilot pulls the brake on the side to which he wishes to turn. To minimise sinking, the
brake on the outside of the curve is lightly applied.
The pilot pulls the brake on the side to which he wishes to turn and shift his weight to the
same side. Turns can also be flown with the harness alone, by shifting the weight to the
inside of the curve. This weight shift has a greater effect, the more loosely the chest-strap
is fastened. An optimal steering technique is achieved by a combination of braking and
weight shifts. It is pilot's skill to use both of these techniques specially in thermals.
A further possibility for steering is best limited to emergencies (if the brake-lines break, for
example). This entails gently pulling the front (watch out for collapse of the canopy) or on
D-riser (beware asymmetrical stall). We recommend that you do not use this form of
steering in normal flight.
To avoid stressful situations in the approach to landing, it is important to initiate the
process at an adequate altitude. This leaves you enough time to observe and
appropriately deal with wind direction and any other aircraft in your vicinity.
The final approach should generally be made into the wind and with fully released
brakes, in order to maintain maximum energy in the glider. If the air is turbulent, it is
better to land lightly braked to minimise the possibility of the canopy collapsing. In order
to land on your feet, rather than lying on your back, you will need to lean forward in the
harness not lower than 5 m above the ground. At an adequate height (about 1-2 m above
the ground), pull both brakes fully down until the glider is sufficiently slowed.
In a light headwind pulling the brakes only lightly is enough to give a soft landing. In a
calm, or even tailwind, you must pull the brakes as abruptly as possible. This
dynamically increases the angle of attack and gives you the maximum braking effect.
Flight
Steering
Approach and landing
Turns with brakes
Turns with brakes and weight shifting
8
Flight with speed system
Motorized flight and towed flight
To make faster flight possible, the VELVET is equipped with a special speed system.
To accelerate the paraglider we recommend the following steps:
a) extend the speed bar
b) use the speed bar to control speed
Never activate the speed system in turbulence, at low altitude, or when approaching a
landing (the lower angle of attack results in less stability despite the higher speed).
The Velvet was designed for paramotoring but is suitable for free flight and towed flight.
VELVET has no tendencies towards deep stall/parachuting. Therefore we allow tow-
launched flights with a similar techniques to that described above. There is sufficient
margin to counter-steer the glider in a normal towing situation. Make sure you use proper
equipment, experienced personnel and all relevant safety precautions for towing.
This section describes flying conditions which can be deliberately induced, or which can
develop unintentionally due to turbulence or pilot error. Any pilot who flies through
turbulence is sure to be faced with these special flight conditions at some point. So take a
good look at these flight manoeuvres and prepare for them by SIV (safety training over
water). Mastering these flying conditions significantly improves your active flight safety.
Sufficient height, as well as the carrying of a reserve parachute, is imperative.
Note!!
However, motorized flying has been made with great success due to its very easy
take-off characteristics, stability and good handling, always use certified combinations
of engine - harness - glider. If in doubt check with your federation.
WARNING!!
Please always ensure that the brake lines are adjusted to the lengths
recommended here. Setting them shorter could lead to a tendency to stall during towed
flight. Apart from this, there are no special procedures.
WARNING!!
The VELVET is not suitable for jumps from aircraft.
WARNING!!
All the critical flight conditions described here require thorough knowledge;
otherwise carrying them out may be very dangerous. Sufficient height above the ground
is imperative. Bear in mind that all disturbances of the canopy can increase the sink rate
by 2 - 10 m/sec, depending on the degree of disturbance. Carrying out these
manoeuvres wrongly may lead to a crash.
EXTREME AND CRITICAL FLIGHT MANOEUVRES