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Section 5
Flying the TWIN RS
Big ears
“Big ears” are the simplest method for rapid
descent and have a sink rate of 3-5m/s. The
advantage of big ears is that the glider
continues to fly straight, meaning that a
danger area can be avoided. It is even
possible to land using big ears, for example
on a top-landing to compensate for the
updraft.
The TWIN RS has a big ears support feature
to make the big ears manoeuvre more
comfortable. This allows the pilot to fasten
the shortened outer A-lines to the riser so
that it is not necessary to keep on holding
them down.
The wing-loading increases by the reduction
in the wing’s surface area, the wing becomes
more stable against collapses in turbulence.
Nevertheless, the air resistance of the wing
also increases, and it flies more slowly and
closer to the stall limit. To counter this and to
increase the effectiveness of the sink, the
speed bar is generally also used in
combination with big ears.
Starting the manoeuvre
Start the “big ears” manoeuvre by pulling
both outer A-lines downwards. This should
start the manoeuvre by folding down a
sufficiently large part of the wing tips so that
the pilot does not then have to counteract the
tendency to reopen. If the surface area which
tucks under is too small (“ears” flapping, high
holding forces) re-open the ears and then
pull down and hold the A- lines a little more
firmly.
The most comfortable way to do this is to pull
down the outer A-lines by the handle to their
limit and then to attach the lines by the knot
into the fastener.
The ears are thus held at the ideal level.
The brake lines are held steady and the pilot
uses weight-shifting to steer the paraglider.
You can now descend safely on the stable
middle part of the wing. The brakes must not
be shortened during the manoeuvre, e.g. by
wrapping the brake lines.
Recovery
To recover, quickly let go of both A-risers.
If you have attached the A-lines into the
fastener, release them by a quick tug on the
handle and then quickly guide the handles
upwards.
Assist the opening process by a short,
impulsive pumping motion with the brakes if
the ears do not open automatically.
Landing
There are no specific characteristics to
observe during landing. Prepare for landing
by making a straight approach flight into the
wind and allow the glider to decelerate at trim
speed. At 1m above the ground, the brake
lines are pulled down as far as they will go,
so that the paraglider has been fully braked
just before the ground is reached.
The brakes should be applied in a more
regulated manner if there is a strong
headwind. Landing out of a steep turn or a
rapid change of direction before landing
should be avoided because of the pendulum
effect caused.
WARNING
The technique of big ears causes a higher
load for the line groups which are still
weight-bearing. Therefore, do not fly any
extreme manoeuvres with big ears.
This manoeuvre should be avoided in low
temperatures. Pilots should be aware that
this increases the tendency to deep stall.
WARNING
Always fly with sufficient speed when you
are near the ground (well above stall
speed) to avoid an unintentional stall.
