Öngörülen pilot seviyesi: 
Temel kalkış tekniklerine hakim, belirlenmiş bir iniş noktasına uçabilen ve son yaklaşma ve iniş gerçekleştirebilen pilot.

Amaç / Yasal not: 
Bu öneri/tavsiyeler listesi son 10 yıl boyunca toplanarak uçuş becerilerini geliştirmek ve olası kötü durumlarla daha iyi başa çıkmak isteyen yamaç paraşütü pilotları için hazırlanmıştır. Bu yazının hazırlanmasına yardımcı olan, pilot arkadaşlara teşekkürü borç bilirim.(katılımcılarxxx). Bazı tavsiyeler xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Yazar, bahsi geçen extrem manevraları yapmayı  önermemektedir. Yazar, bu dokümanda verilen tavsiyeler sonucu meydana gelebilecek zarar ziyandan veya yaralanmalardan sorumlu değildir. Bu doküman tamamen veya kısmen, yazar Jerome Daoust’un izni olmadan kopyalanamaz.( E-mail ).

Önem sırası / Revizyon tarihi / Renkler: 
Bu dokümandaki tavsiyeler önemlerine göre 4 farklı şekilde verilmiştir:

L1: En önemli tavsiye. Yapılması, uyulması zorunlu olan. Başa gelme olasılığı çok yüksek.                                            L2: Önemli. Yapılması tavsiye edilir. Karşılaşma olasılığı var.                                                                                      L3: Yaparsanız işinize yarar.Alışkanlık haline getirmeye çalışın.Çok karşılaşmayacağınız bir durum.                             L4: Aklınızda bulunsun. İsterseniz bir de bunu deneyin.

Önem sırasından sonra, tavsiyenin son revizyon tarihi belirtilmiştir. 1 Nisan 2000 tarihinden sonra eklenen tavsiyeler bu renk ile gösterilmiştir. Örneğin “L2- 1990/5/18” yapılması tavsiye olunan (L2) ve en son 18 Mayıs 1990 tarihinde revize edilmiş (keşfedilmiş değil) bir tavsiyeyi ifade eder.

Yazar Hakkında: About the author :  

Jérôme Daoust ( E-mail, bkz: My Photo Album) 1989 yılından bu yana yamaç paraşütü sporu ile uğraşmaktadır. İlk eğitimini Kanada’da almış ve daha çok Montreal yakınlarındaki Yamaska dağından uçmuştur. 1993’te Fransa’ya taşınan Jerome, uçuşlarına Alplerde devam etmiş, 1996 yılından bu yana Kalifornia’da yaşamaktadır. Jerome, şu aralar Marshall uçuş bölgesinde Crestline Soaring Society Klübü ile (bkz. External Links/Flying Site) uçmaktadır. Yaşamış olduğu her 3 ülkede de (Paragliding Association) sınavlara girerek lisans almıştır. Çeşitli yarışmalarda ödüller kazanmasına rağmen olayın stresinden dolayı yarışmayı pek sevmez. Zaten çalıştığı işte yeterince stres yaşamaktadır. Müstakbel eşi Sylvie, kendisini yıllardır fevkalade bir şekilde desteklemektedir.

1 kg = 2.205 lb (pound-mass)
1 m = 3.28 ft
1 m/s = 197 fpm (feet per minute) = 2.24 mph = 3.6 km/h
1 km/h = 0.621 mph (miles per hour) = 0.278 m/s = 54.7 fpm

L1- 1999/5/26. Grup psikolojisi. Çoğunluğun yaptığı birşeyi yapmak gerekiyormuş gibi hissedilebilir. Onlar sizden çok daha deneyimli ve tecrübeli olabilirler ve siz aynı şeyi yaparak gereğinden fazla risk almış olabilirsiniz. Bu durum egonuzu kontrol altında tutmanızın gerektiği, tecrübenizi ve alacak olduğunuz riskleri tartmanızı gerektirecektir.

L3- 1992/9/1. Bu sporu yapmanızın asıl nedeni egonuz olabilir, ki bu da birçok insanın zamanla bu sporu bırakmasına neden olmuştur. Bir noktaya gelince çok fazla risk aldıklarını fark ederler (belki gösteriş için) ve durumun kendi kontrolları altında olmadığını fark ederler. Bu durumda daha ileri gitmeden durmak en iyisidir.

**burayı kompile siyah yap**L3- 2000/8/4. Ün. Bir yamaç paraşütü pilotunun alabileceği en büyük ödül nedir? Dünya şampiyonu olsanız veya en yükseğe/uzağa giden kişi bile olsanız, birçok insan yamaç paraşütünün ne olduğunu bile bilmez. Siz öldükten 1-2 yıl sonra çok az sayıda insan sizi hatırlar, yamaç paraşütü sporu ile ilgili olduklarından değil, sizin yakın arkadaşlarınız veya aileniz oldukları için. Belki de performansınızın en büyük getirisi kendinizi bilmek (halen bilmiyorsanız tabi) olacaktır. Clint Eastwood (bir film yıldızı)şöyle demiştir: “Siz, kendi kafanızın içindeki kahramansınız”

L4- 1999/2/20. Kendinize bir not: Yamaç paraşütü bana asla düzenli olarak mükemmel uçuş havası vaad etmez. Başka tür tutkular gibi, bu spor bazen beni çok alt üst edecektir. Bir arkadaşım bana çok iyi bir uçuş gününü kaçırdığımı söylediği zaman, o kadar üzülüceğimki: “Artık bu havası tutmaz, bir günü belli olmaz sporu bırakacağım” diye düşünürüm. Anahtar, geride bıraktığımız yıla bakmakta ve kendimize bu sporu bırakırsak kaybedeceğimiz yamaç paraşütü sporunun bana kattıklarını ve önümüzdeki mutlulukları heyecanları xxxxx

L4- 1999/3/2. Başka hobilerle de ilgilenin. Yamaç paraşütü sporu sizing işiniz olmadıkça, 1-2 yıl sonra her allahın günü uçmak sizi yavaş yavaş bayar ve sizi acayip arayışlara sokar xxxx

L4- 1999/4/6. Cesurluk eğrisi. İlk 5 yıl boyunca bir pilotun cesareti bir çan eğrisi şekline benzer. Pilot spora gerek tecrübesiz olması gerekse de yüksek tedirginlik yüzünden temkinli başlar. Ortalarda, tecrübe düzeyi artar, tedirginlik azalır, ve daha cesur kararlar almaya başlar. Cesurluk genelde ileri seviye pilot konumuna gelindiğinde en üst noktasına gelir. Bu daha çok “orta seviye pilot” sendromu olarak adlandırılır. Sona doğru, kötü durumların herkesin başına gelebileceği gerçeği tecrübe edildiğinde, verilen kararlar yine daha temkinli olmaya başlar.

L1 - 1999/11/20. Harnese oturma. Birçok kaza, pilotların kalkıştan hemen sonra harnese oturmak için dengesizce debelenmesi sonucu olmuştur. En kötüleri de frenleri elinden bırakmadan harnesin altını tutarak oturmaya çalışırken meydana gelmiştir. Pilot farkına varmadan Stall (Full, Recovery) yapacaktır, veya harnese yerleşmek için tek elini kullandıysa kanopi Spin (Recovery). ‘e girecektir. Bkz. Image: Repositioning harness with brakes in hand Bir başka kötü fikir ise, önce frenleri bırakıp sonra elleri kullanarak harnese yerleşmeye çalışmaktır. Bir kapanma Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) olduğunda frenleri o kargaşada tekrar bulmak kolay olmayacak ve pilot yamaca çakacaktır. Bir başka çok da kötü olmayan fikir ise, frenleri tek elle tutup diğer elle harnese oturmaya yardım etmektir. Yinede bir kapanma olduğunda düzgün bir müdahele mümkün olamayacaktır. Eğer kalkıştan hemen sonra harnese kendiliğinizden oturamadıysanız, en iyisi yamaçtan bir miktar uzaklaşmayı bekleyin ve bunu deneyin: Ellerinizle kolonları ileriye doğru iterken(frenleri bırakmadan ve normal fren pozisyonunda), geriye yaslanın ve dizlerinizi karnınıza doğru çekin, bu şekilde harnesinize cuk diye oturabilirsiniz. Harnesinizi garajınızda uygun biryere asıp deneyerek bu haraketi pratik yapmanız çok faydalı olacaktır. Ayrıca harnesinizin sırt yaslanma ayarlarının da çok sıkı olmadığını kontrol ediniz

L2 - 1990/7/1.  ATTİTUDE. Kalkış yapmak zorunda değilsiniz. Eğer hava şartları veya yeni bir uçuş bölgesinde uçacağınız için rahat hissetmiyorsanız, bırakın başka bir gün, daha iyi şartlarda, daha iyi yerlerde uçun. Grup sendromunaGroup Effect ve sadece şov yapmak için uçanlara dikkat edin. “Hey, ben bu havada uçarım, kalkıyorum” diyip patlak rüzgarda kalkıp geriye sürüklenen yada olduğu yerde mahsur kalan kişiler çok olmuştur, eminim çok eğlencelidir.

L2 - 1990/6/1. Rüzgar hızı 3 saniye içinde 10km/s(6mil/s)’den fazla değişiyorsa, hava türbülanslıdır. Kalkış yapmayın.

L2 - 1991/7/1. The following applied to a rounded summit launch. As a general guideline, one can still launch if the average wind speed is 20 km/h (12 mph) with gusts up to 25 km/h (15 mph) not lasting more than 5 seconds, and still have a reasonable margin of safety with respect to the wing's air speed. One must measure the wind a far ahead as he can on the launch to avoid turbulence. Incline the wind meter to find the maximum wind speed direction. Remember that wind is reduced as it gets closer to the ground. Remember that there is more lift (better) and less horizontal wind speed if you can move forward from the launch.

L2 - 1991/8/1. Gri bulutlar daha da kararıyor. Termikler ve kaldırıcı bölgeler daha da güçleniyor.  Kalkış yapmayın, eğer havadaysanız, inin. Etrafınıza baktığınızda yakın bir mesafede sağanak yağmur görebilirsiniz. See also : Flying in Rain, Landing near/in Rain.

L2 - 1990/5/1. Ön kolonları çekip kanadı şişirmeden önce keninize şöyle demelisiniz: “Bu bir deneme, ve herşey uygun ve yolunda giderse kalkışı yapacağım” Sakın kendinize şöyle demeyin: “Bundan önce iki kere kalkmayı beceremedim, bu sefer insanların bana gülmelerine izin vermeyeceğim”. Ayrıca azgın sivrisinekler de kalkışı aceleye getirmek için kötü nedenlerden biridir.

L2 - 1990/8/1. Kalkıştan hemen sonra, kanadınız hız kazanmak için öne dalar.(yeterince hızlı koşmadıysanız)  ve ardından bir kabarma izler. Eğer siz bu kabarmanın başlangıcında frenleri çekerseniz bu sallanma haraketini arttırmış olur ve salınımın üst noktasında kanopiniz  Stall (Full, Recovery) olabilir. Bu etki termiklere(veya herhangi bir kaldırıcıya) girerken de göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.

L2 - 1998/11/1. Kalkmak için en kötü 10 neden:  10) Yeterince bekledim. 9) Aşağıya yürümek istemiyorum. 8) Açım, üşüdüm. 7)Bu kadar yol geldim. 6) Hava kararmak üzere. 5)Yağmur başlamadan kalkalım. 4) Amanın! Sivrisinekler beni canlı canlı yiyorlar! 3) Akşam yemeğine gecikeceğim. 2) Kalkmassam korkak olduğumu düşünürler( Group Effect) 1)Bu tatilimin son günü.

L2 - 1999/11/16 Ters kalkışta dönerken ayakların yerden kesilmesi. Pulled up during rotation from a reverse inflation. Eğer kanopi tepemize gelir gelmez ayaklarımızın yerden kesilmesi riski var ise, bu meydana gelmeden çabucak dönüşü yapmak iyi olacaktır. . Bkz Foto Image: Pulled up during rotation from a reverse inflation Eğer bu hızlı dönüşü yaparken ayaklarınız yerden kesilirse, dönme haraketini durduramayıp döndüğünüz yönde kolonlar çaprazlaşacak ve yüzünüz yamaca dönük şekilde uçmaya başlayacaksınız. Bu benimde başıma geldi ve düzeltmek için çektiğim yanlış fren kanopimin tam yamaca doğru dönmesine sebep olmuştu.  Bunu önlemek için, öncelikle dönüşü çok hızlı yapmayın ve/veya arkanızdan tutarak kalkışa yardım edecek tecrübeli birinden yardım isteyin. En önemlisi de ters bir şekilde havalandı iseniz, soğuk kanlı olmak, kanadınızı yamaçtan uzaklaştırmak ve ondan sonra kolonları eski haline döndürmektir. Önünüze dönerken kolonları elinizle tutun ve ileri döndüğünüzde tekrar öteki yana dönmemek için birbirinden ayrı tutun. Kalkmadan önce göğüs kolonunun çok sıkı olmadığını kontrol edin

L2 - 2000/1/10. Wing Examination at Launch. Kalkışta kanat kontrolü. Havalanmadan önce kanadınızı kafanızın üstündeyken ters takılmış kolonlarıTwisted Risers (Harness Flipped),, ip atmalarınıLine-Over (Recovery),, kravatlarıCravate (Recovery) ve düğümlenmeleriKnot (Unstable, Recovery) iyice kontrol edin. Bir defa uçuşa geçtikten sonra bu durumlardan kurtulamayabilirsiniz. Eğer yeterince rüzgar varsa bir süre sabit kalın ve kanadınızı iyice kontrol edin

L3 - 1989/9/1. Kanat kafanızın üstündeyken yana yatmaya başladı. Bundan kurtulmak için yukardaki tarafın frenini çekmek, eğer öne doğru çok güçlü bir kuvvet uygulamıyorsanız, sadece diğer tarafında yere yatmasına neden olur. Bu durumda yapılması gereken, kanadın yatan tarafına doğru ilerleyip vücudunuzu kanadın merkezine almaktır

L3 - 1999/7/25. Wing Kill (B Line). Kanadı B kolonlarıyla yere indirmek. Yer çalışması yaparken kanadınızı aniden yere indirmeniz gerekirse, frenleri bırakıp B kolonlarını çekin. Bu hareket kanadın yüzeyini azaltıp kanadı frenlerle inderebileceğinizden daha hızlı yere indirir. Unutmayın ki frenleri bırakmadan bunu yapmayı denerseniz, B kolonu ve firar kenarı arasında rüzgar alan bir bölge yaratırsınız. Bu teknik B kolonunun bağlantı noktalarını çok zorladığından her inişinizde bu yöntemi kullanmayın. See also : Wing Kill (Slip Collapse), Dragged by your wing.

L3 - 1999/7/25. Wing Kill (Slip Collapse). IKanadı yana kayarak yere indirmek. Kanadınızı kısa bir sürede söndürmenin bir yoluda Kanadın bir tarafına doğru koşarken aynı tarafın freen ipini elinize dolamaktır. Bu kanadı yan çevirecek ve kanadın daha az bir alanı rüzgar alacaktır. Kanat 45⁰ den fazla döndükten sonra ters taraftaki kulak kapatacak ve kısa bir süre sonra hücrelerin büyük bir kısmı kapanacaktır. See also : Wing Kill (B Line), Dragged by your wing.

L3-1990/5/1 Uçuş şartları hakkında senden daha fazla bilgiye sahip bir başka pilotun kalkmasını bekle.

L3-1990/5/1 Zayıf rüzgarda kalkacaksanız en az engel olan koşu yolunu seçin.

L3-1991/5/1 Genellikle termikler düzgün zaman aralıklarında oluşur. 20 dakika kadar rüzgarı izledikten sonra bir sonraki termiğin cıkacağı zamanı tahmin edip, rüzgar artmadan kalkış yapabilirsiniz. Bu sırada her aralıktaki rüzgar hızının değişimini de gözlemelisiniz.

L3-1991/6/1 Kalkış sırasında yüzünüze hafif bir rüzgar gelirken arkanızdaki ağaçların sallandığını görüyorsanız bunun nedenini, rotor bölgesinde olmadığınızdan emin olmak için  bulmaya çalışın.

L3-1991/7/1 Kalkış noktasında rüzgar güçlü eserken yer seviesinde hafif bir rüzgar olduğunu aşağıdakilerden öğrendiniz. Bu rüzgarın düşük irtifadan gelmediğini ve uçuş sırasında iyi bir kaldırıcı bölge bulamayacağınızı gösterir. Fazla kaldırmayan bir rüzgarlarda kalkış yapmak için hazır olun

L3 - 1999/12/5. Cliff Launch. Bir uçurumdan kalkış yapacaksınız ve kalkışın önündeki sert rüzgar arkanızda bir rotor yaratır. Eğer çok geriden kalkış yapmaya çalışırsanız kaldırıcı bant sizi geriye doğru, rotor bölgesine, atmaya çalışacağı için dikkatli olun. Mümkün olduğunca ilerden kalmaya ve maximum hızda uçmaya çalışın. Eğer uçurumun kenarında durmaya niyetliyseniz, yatay olmayan rüzgar yönü, eğer frenleri yeterince çekmezseniz ileriye ceker, kanadın biraz önünüzde stabil hale geçmesine neden olacağının farkında olun. See Image: Cliff launch.

L3 - 2001/3/20. Cross-Wind Launch. TRüzgar 30⁰den fazla bir açıyla geliyor ve arazi yapısı nedeniyle (Ağaçların arasından açılmış bir pist veya kayak pisti.) bu şekilde kalkmanız gerekiyorsa kalkıştan hemen sonra rüzgarın geldiği taraftan kapatma Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery)yaşayabilirsiniz. En kısa zamand rüzgara doğru dönün. . See Video: Asymmetric collapse following a cross-wind launch, 2000, Aspen, CO.

L3 - 1999/11/20.   Forgot to Fasten your Leg Straps. Bacak kolonlarını bağlamayı unuttunuz. Bu nedenle bir kaç insan ölmüştür. Koltukaltlarıyla birkaç dakika çaresizce asılı kaldıktan sonra kendini bırakan insanlar. Eğer sizinde başınıza böyle bir şey gelirse şunları yapın. Kolonları sıkıca tutun. Ağırlığınızı kollarınızla taşıyarak ayaklarınızı yukarı doğru sallayıp, iplerin ve kolonların arkasına çengel gibi geçirin. Bu şekilde baş aşağı dururken ellerinizle oturak kısmını altınıza çekin. Normal oturma pozisyonuna geçmek için öne doğru hafif sallanıp bacak kolonlarınızı bağlayın.Bu tekniği garajınızda deneyebilirsiniz. See Image: Recovering from untied leg straps.

L3 - 1991/4/1. Göğüs kolonunuzu bağlamayı unuttunuz. Benzer bir durum arabalarda kullanılanlara benzer kilit mekanizmasının uçuş sırasında boşalması nedeniyle benim de başıma geldi. İlk şaşkınlıktan sonra tekrar kitlemeye çalışın. Kilitlemek için gerekli güç, oturma pozisyonunuza bağlı olarak ağırlığınızın %25’i kadar olacaktır.

L3 - 1999/11/20. Dust Devil (Waiting to fly and connected to your wing). Hortum. Eğer kanada kuşandıktan sonra bir hortum yaklaştığını fark ederseniz kanadın havalanmasını önlemek için hemen ortasına atlayın. Kalkış için beklerken kanadınıza gereksiz yere uzun süre bağlı kalmayın. See Image: Holding wing down during a dust devil. . See also : Dust Devil (On approach).

L3 - 1999/12/5. I'm Launching - Make people aware. Kalkıştan önce önünüzdeki insaların kalkacağınıza dair uyarın.Onlar sizin kalkışınızı/kalkamayışınızı izlerken siz de önünüzdekilerden birinin kanadını şişirip koşo yolunuzu kapatmasını veya türbülans oluşturmasını önlersiniz See Image: Make people aware that you are trying to launch.

L3 - 2000/3/10. Pre-Launch Reserve Check. Yedek kontrolü. Taşıma sırasında yedek tutacağını yerinde tutan velcro iyice sabitlenip, gerektiğinde, yedeğin atılmasını zorlaştırabilir. Kuşama girmeden önce:

1.    Tutacağın yerine nasıl bağlandığını kontrol edin.

2.    Yedeğin pinlerinin iyice yerleştirilmiş olduğunu kontrol edin.

See Image: Siggy Bockmaier's reserve deploys at launch.

L3 - 2000/8/1. Urinate before Launch. Kalkıştan önce tuvaletinizi yapın.An empty bladder is much less prone to rupture than a full bladder during a crash-landing.

L4 - 1999/4/19. İplerinizi açmayı kolaylaştırmak için A kolonlarından birini tutup, aynı tarafın fren ipini çekin. Bu genellikle diğer iplerin de açılmasını sağlar. Eğer kuşamınız takla atmadıysa ve kolonlar birbirlerinin içinden geçmediyse A kolonlarından başlayın.

L4 - 1989/10/28. Herhangi bir nedenle kanadınız karmakarışık bir hal almışsa açmak için şunu yapın: Hücum kenarının ortasından tutup kulaklara doğru açılmalıdır. Kulaktan tutup dışarı doğru çekmeye çalışmak durumu daha da karıştırır.

L4-1991/5/1 Termik geçerken rüzgar artıyor, fakat önünüzdeki ağaç dalları kıpırdamıyorsa, termik bulunduğunuz noktanın gerisinde oluşuyor ve sizin bulunduğunuz bölgedeki havayı çekiyor olabilir. Biraz soğuk bir hava hissedebilirsiniz. Bu kalkmak için iyi bir zaman değildir.

L4-1990/5/1 sert rüzgarda kanadınızı sererken birisi kanadınızın hücum kenarına, kanadın havalanmasını önlemek için, bir kaç küçük taş koyabilir veya A kolonlarından çekerek 30 cm yüksekliğinde bir duvar oluşturabilir.Bu kanadın üstündeki rüzgarın hızını azaltır.

L4 - 1994/7/1. You will need to launch on a very slanted grassy slope. Bring a few clothes line pins to attach your leading edge to the grass so it doesn't slip.

L4 - 1991/6/1. You have a piloting seat (popular in the early 1990s) on your harness, and are launching with a heavy backpack. This will increase the wing's angle of attack. Apply more pressure with your legs to compensate the weight offset.

L4-1998/7/1 Her kalkışınızda kulaklar kanadın ortasından önce yükseliyor ve at nalı veya V şeklinde kanadınız yükseliyor. Bunu önlemek için A kolonunu tamamen çekmek yerine A kolonundaki, en dışta kalan ipi hariç,  iplerini elinize alarak çekin(eldiven takarak). Bu ilk kanadın ortasını çekmenizi sağlar.

L4-1998/11/1 Kalkışa hazırsınız fakat yağmur başlıyor.Acaba gerçekten bu uçuşu yapmalı mısınız? Bilinki yağmur damlaları büyüdükçe bulutun altındaki çekim daha güçlü olur. Yani eğer damlalar küçükse kaldırıcı çok fazla olmayabilir ama büyüklerse kalkmaktan kaçının. . See also : Flying in Rain, Landing near/in Rain.

L2 – 1990/8/1. Eğer inişten hemen öncesine kadar minimum çöküş oranında uçuyorsanız şunu bilmelisiniz ki yere yaklaşırken rüzgar gradyanı (rüzgar hızına bağlı olarak) sizi 3-5 metre kala Stall’a  Stall (Full, Recovery)sokabilir. Son yaklaşmada bu tehlikeli durumdan sakınmak için daha yüksek bir hava hızı ile uçun.

L2 - 1990/5/1. Yengeçleme. Crabbing.  İnişe hazırlanıyorsunuz ama rüzgar sizin yaklaşmanız ile aynı doğrultuda değil. Bu durumda bir yengecin yan yan yürüyüşüne benzer bir şekilde, gidiş yolunuza belli bir açıda uçmanız gerekir.

L3 - 2000/9/7. Landing near/in Rain. Ufukta yağmur şiddetli bir şekilde yağıyor. (10+ km) İnişe geldiğinizde rüzgar hızının dramatik bir şekilde artmasına hazır olmalısınız. Bu sağanak ile gelen soğuk havanın yere çarptığında dağılması sonucu meydana gelir. See also : Flying in Rain, Wing Degradation due to Humidity.

L3 - 2002/5/28. Landing in Wind Shadow. The wind is strong and you must land in an area hidden from the wind, like a large hole in the forest. You will need to compromise between 2 evils : Dealing with Turbulence and a Stall (Full, Recovery) due to a reduced air speed as you enter the hole. The most likely event is a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) due to turbulence, which may turn your wing around and result into a high speed impact. It is recommended to fly with 20% braking and practice Active Flying as you approach such a landing zone. You can expect a mild-to-moderate forward surge from the wing as it re-adjusts its airspeed.

L3- 1990/7/1. Rüzgarın fazlaca olduğu bir tarlaya iniş yapacaksınız. Yanyana duran  ağaç veya ev kümelerinin, türbülansı, yüksekliklerinin 10 katı uzağa kadar gönderebileceği unutmayın

L3 - 1999/10/3. If you must land on a slanted slope and there isn't enough head wind to reduce your ground glide ratio enough to land facing the wind, increase your wing's angle of flight against the wind (don't head into the wind as much) until you start losing relative altitude against the slope under you. Flare (just before touching down) by turning into the wind.

L3 - 1999/7/25. You have landed. Nothing can happen right ? Someone has already died from being dragged after landing through a field, knocked unconscious by collisions along the way and swept into a neighboring river. See Dragged by your wing.

L3 – 1991/7/1. Rüzgar hızı ne kadar fazlaysa, inişte yere konarken o kadar az fren çekmek gerekir.

L3 - 1999/7/25. Dust Devil (On approach). Stay as far as possible from dust devils. If one is on the landing zone, land elsewhere. See also : Dust Devil (Waiting to fly and connected to your wing).

L4 - 1991/9/1. If you have been flying for over an hour, make sure you legs are not numb. Beware of those tight variometer straps.

L4 - 1998/11/1. Backwards landing. If caught going backward at the time of landing, spin in your harness crossing your risers. Do not flare, this wound increase your ground speed. It is easier to run facing forward rather than backward.

L2-1998/12/1 Tepeye iniş yaparken, türbülansta daha satbil olduğu ve daha fazla çöküş sağladığı için  kulak kapatma Big Ears (Execution) alışkanlığınız var. Fakat bu durumda kanadınız öne saldırdığı zaman frenleyebilecek kadar kontrolünüz olduğuna emin misiniz? Önden kapamalara Frontal Collapse (Recovery) hazır mısınız? Peki bu sırada hızlandırıcıları kullandığınızda  Accelerator (Usage) önden kapatmalara karşı ne kadar stabiliteniz var.Do you think using the at the same time makes you less or more susceptible to a Frontal Collapse (Recovery) ? See Video: Frontal Collapse while under Big Ears.

L3-1996/5/18 son yaklaşmada çok yüksek kaldığınızı fark ettiniz.Aşırı fren alıp, stol Stall (Full, Recovery),noktasına çok yakın uçmayın. Pas geçip tekrar kaldırıcıya girin ve yükselip tekrar deneyin. Rotorda kalma riski olduğundan arkadan yaklaşmalardan kaçının. Bunun yerine yaklaşmanızı yandan yapın ve yere inerken rüzgara doğru dönün. Yerel pilotlara en iyi iniş rotalarını sorun.

L3-1999/1/15 Süzülüş oranını azaltıp inişi kolaylaştırmak için bir teknik. Yaklaşmayı yandan yapın (Varsayalım rüzgarda sağınızdan geliyor.) ve sağ tarafa ağırlık basarken, sol frenle normal iniş rotanızda kalmaya çalışın. Bu süzülüş oranınızı azaltacaktır. İnişten hemen önce sol freni bıraktığınızda kanat rüzgara karşı dönecektir

L3-1999/3/21 Tepeye inmekten daha zor ne vardır ki? Bunun yapmamaya karar vermek. Eğer etrafta güçlü termikler veya türbülans varsa tepeye inişi iki defa düşünün. Bunu yapmak diğerlerinin tepeye indiğini gördüğünüzde daha da zordur, diğerlerinin gazına gelmeyin. Group Effect.

L3-1999/12/5 Top Landing - Make people aware.Tepeye iniş yaparken etraftakileri uyarın. Onlar sizin inişi zevkle zlerken sizde birinin iniş rotanızda kanadını havalandırıp sorun çıkmasını önlersiniz See Image: Make people aware that you are trying to top land.

L3-1999/9/20 Süzülüş oranınızı azaltmak için dik bir şekilde oturabilirsiniz

L3-1999/3/10 Flapping.Bazı pilotlat inişte Lift/drag performansını azaltmak için frenleriyle küçük pompalar yaparlar. Bu teknikte kısa aralıklarla ( saniyede 1+) iki fren birden çekilir. Bu hareketi kuşların inişinden kopyalayarak yapacaksanız unutmayınki  biz kanatlarımızın hücüm kenarını onların yaptığı, havaya göre aldığı yolu arttırmak için, gibi yukarı aşağı hareket ettirirken ileri geri de hareket ettiremeyiz. Önemli olan stola Stall (Theory). girmemektir. Bu teknik eğer frenleri bıraktığımızda kanadın üstündeki havanın düzgün akışı, frenleri çekerken ki zamandan daha kısa bir zamanda gerçekleşiyorsa, sabit frenle gitmekten daha iyi olabilir. Ama bu şu ana kadar cevapsız kalmıştır. Unutmayınki pompalamak kanadınızın stolaStall (Theory). girmesini engellemek.Alternative metodlar ise: S’ler çizmek veya kulak kapatmakBig Ears (Execution) See also : Butterfly.

L4 - 2000/12/14. Butterfly. This technique consists of repeatedly deep braking for about 2 seconds and releasing. The wing ends up doing ample pitch motions. I don't recommend it. See also : Flapping.

L2 - 1991/6/1. Look, lean, turn. Turn your head to see if the space is clear before making the turn. Furthermore, turning the head naturally tends to perform a proper weight shift in the harness.

L2 - 1989/12/1. Recall of basic flight rules. Avoid by the right. The pilot with the mountainside to his right has priority. The pilot just under you has priority. If you enter a thermal with other pilots already in, turn the same way they do.

L2 - 2001/2/24. Abrupt Steering. Sharp changes in steering input will increase your sink rate, as will tight turns. Perform smooth maneuvers to get the best performance. Sharp changes will also make your banking angle oscillate. The following describes a common accident. Facing away from the ridge, the pilot thinks that if he starts his turn sharp enough, he has time to complete a full turn. Supplying a sharp steering input, he quickly obtains a high banking angle. But just as he is now starting to face the hill, the bank angle now oscillates back to almost zero, sending him straight for the ridge at that time. Thinking that he is not supplying enough turning input, he "stuffs" the inner brake inducing a Spin (Recovery) and falling into to hillside.

L2 - 2000/4/3. Brake Toggle on Wrist. Flying with your brake toggles around your wrists (you threaded your hand) is dangerous because if you need to grab/throw your Reserve (When) or reach for something far from your last brake line pulley, you will be inducing an unexpected reaction in the wing from the excessive brake pull. The brake toggle may not slip out of your hand when you need it to, especially if you are wearing gloves. I also believe it provides less feedback than holding the brake with the fingers.

L3 - 2001/10/4. Harness Recline Angle. Adjust your harness so you can recline. Reclining in our harness doesn't feel natural at first (as other things in aviation), but when you do it will enhance your flights. To demonstrate the difference between flying upright and flying reclined, try this exercise. Sit in your harness whether in flight or in a simulator and note the things that are within your line of sight. While sitting upright, with your eyes on the horizon, you can see :

	your feet
	the ground

When you recline (with your eyes on the horizon) you can see :

	your hands (i.e. the brake input you are effecting on the glider)
	your Riser to Harness Connection (i.e. the weight shift input that you are effecting on the glider)
	your Accelerator (Usage) (i.e. to what extent it is engaged on each side)
	your glider (out of your periphery)
	the ground (with reference to the way your glider is pointing and hence, your track across the ground)

Try making the biggest weight shift turn that you can while upright and the while reclined. You will find that you can perform much bigger weight shifts while reclined than while upright. There is a drawback to being too reclined : The pilot's inertia about the yaw axis is increased, leading to an increased chance of twisting the risers following a big Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). See also : Chest Strap Adjustment.

L3 - 1990/5/1. During turns, lean your weight into the turn to load the harness on the side you are turning, otherwise you will be counteracting some of your steering input.

L3 - 2001/10/4. Wind speed and direction at cloudbase, can be observed by looking at the movement of the Cloud Shadow on the ground.

L4 - 1997/6/1. When flying a ridge, low and close to the hill, always be weight shifting away from the hill, that way if you have a hill-side Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) you will be less likely to turn into the hill as you are ready to correct before a problem develops. Note that too much weight shifting away from the hill will require extra hill-side braking that is detrimental to the wing's performance. Determine your own safety/performance compromise.

L4 - 1991/7/1. The clouds indicate the wind gradient (speed and direction change with altitude). The head of the cloud gives an indication of the wind at its level while its base is more influenced by the winds closer to the ground.

L4 - 1991/8/1. To better understand another pilot while flying, turn your head such that you have one ear heading in the direction of the wind, thus reducing the whistling noise in you ears.

L4 - 1990/6/1. For those with a piloting seat (common in the early 1990s) on the harness, adjust your speed with the harness to reduce the braking effort and improve performance.

L4 - 2000/8/1. In-Flight Drinking. Sipping is actually a metabolic drinking method, where if you take in small amounts of water at a time, your body is able to metabolize it without causing much of it to end up in your bladder as if you guzzle it down.

L4 - 2002/6/25. Ballast. If it is hard ballast (which could hurt someone below), keep it with you. Letting go of your extra ballast (water), will not give you a big sink rate advantage. See the laws below. For example, assuming your best sink rate is 1.1 m/s (217 ft/min), letting go of 10 lb (4.5 kg) when your total flying weight is 200 lb (91 kg) will only better your best sink rate to 1.072 m/s (211 ft/min). So concentrate on you technique instead. Letting go of your ballast will indicate your desperation to others. This is the basic law : Force = Drag_coef . Area . Speed² The following can be deducted : Speed_final = Speed_initial . Sqrt( Weight_final / Weight_initial ) Note that you can also apply this rule to you horizontal speed when thinking of increasing your speed with ballast. Adding 10 lb (4.5 kg) to a total flying weight of 200 lb (91 kg), will only give you an additional 2.5 % or 1.1 km/h (0.7 mph) if you had a max speed of 45 km/h (27.9 mph) before.

A ballasted pilot looses out in turns from both the direct increase in sink rate, and the increase in sink rate that results from the steeper bank angle that is required for a given turn radius. The total effect is roughly proportional to the change in weight. Only if you expect to be racing, spending 2/3 or more of your time gliding (not thermalling), then it might be good to be heavily loaded on your wing. This would be particularly true if you expect the thermals to be turbulent (when the extra agility and stability would help you core the thermal). Ballast can also allow you to fly a bigger glider that glides a little better, and which can fly a little slower and turn a little tighter in thermals. See also : Wing Loading.

L1-1999/11/28 Güçlü bir termiğe girdiğiniz zaman kanadın altında ileriye doğru gittiğinizi ve yükselmeye başladığınızı hissedersiniz. Bu sırada frenleri yukarı alarak kanadın hız kazanmasını sağlamalısınız. Eğer bu anda bir tarafa doğru sert bir dönüş yapmaya çalışırsanız Spin (Recovery)e girme riskiniz vardır. Termiğe girdikten sonra hızınızı en fazla minimum çöküş hızına kadar düşürün. Termiğin merkezini bulmakCentering the Thermal (using a Vario)., minimum çöküş noktasında uçmaktan daha önemlidir. Termikten çıkarken kanadınız ileri doğru saldıracağından, frenlerle dalışı kontrol etmeye hazır olun.Also see Active Flying.

L2-1999/11/23 Centering the Thermal (using a Vario).(Termiğin merkezini varyo yardımıyla bulmak) Eğer varyo yükseliş hızının arttığının gösteriyorsa dönüşlerinizi biraz daha geniş yapın (Hatta düz bile gidebilirsiniz.) Eğer yükseliş hızınız azalıyorsa termikten çıkmamak için dönüşlerinizi keskinleştirin. Varyonuzun size son birkaç saniyedeki ortalamaları gösterdiği için, verileri değerlendirmek için geç kalmayın..This technique is good for wide thermal lift without a sharp increase in climb rate near its center. It can also serve to find better thermal cores when multiple thermals merge with altitude. See also Tighten on the Surge, Feeling the Thermal

L2 - 2002/2/3. Tighten on the Surge. When you feel the thermal pushing up solidly, (or the vario indicates the strongest lift) you should tighten the turn and dig the wing into the thermal. Most pilots do not turn tightly enough. When the vario indicates weaker lift or sink, having kept a mental picture of the best lift location, you should widen the turn and anticipate repeating the procedure at the next surge. Do not exaggerate and induce a Spin (Recovery).
This technique is good for narrow thermals or ones with a sharp increase in climb rate near its center. See also Centering the Thermal (using a Vario), Feeling the Thermal.

L2-1991/4/15 Brake Control on Weak Lift Side. Termiğe girdiğinizde kanadın sadece bir tarafı yükselmeye başlarsa, diğer taraftan bir asimetrikCollapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) kapatma riski vardır. Dıştaki frenin boşaldığını hissettiğinizde bu freni biraz daha çekerek saldıma açısını arttırarak kapatmyı önlemeye çalışın. Normal şartlara döndükten sonra termiğe geri dönün veya uzaklaşın, fakat termiğin yanında dolaşmaya devam etmeyin.

L2-1991/6/1 Don't Follow a Thermal Too Far Back.Termiğin merkez ekseni termiğin yukarı doğru hızı ve rüzgarın şiddetiyle doğru orantılı olarak eğilecektirThermal Path,. Yamacın yakınlarında termik dönerken (yükselirken) yamaca doğru gidilmesi bu nedenle normaldir. Fakat unutmayınki termikten çıktıktan sonra yamaçtan uzaklaşmanız gerekecektir. Bunu yapabilmek için karşıdan gelen rüzgara doğru ilerleyebilmeniz gerekecektir. Bu nedenle yukarı ve yamaca doğru ilerlerken 45⁰ den daha fazla eğilmiş olan termiklere girmeyin.

L2-1998/6/1 Yamaçtan uzaktasınız ve birkaç termiğe girip çıktınız. Termiğe geri dönmek için sağa mı yoksa sola mı dönmeye karar vereceksiniz. Bu durumda daha önce kanadınızın hangi tarafı daha fazla kalktıysa o tarafa doğru dönüş yapın. Bu sizin termiğin merkezine daha yakın geçmenizi sağlar.

L2-1991/7/1 Map the Thermal Using Others Bir başka pilotla aynı termiğin içinde hemen hemen aynı irtifada ve geniş daireler çizerek dönüyorsunuz. Diğer pilotun çökmeye başladığını farkettiğiniz anda sizinde çökmenizi önlemek için dönüş çapınızı azaltın.See also Rake the Sky.

L2-1991/7/1 Rüzgarın sizin gitmenizi istemediği yöne doğru uçmaya çalışın. Termik sanki hayali bir yamaç gibi sizi dışarı doğru itmeye çalışır. Eğer kanadınızın sağ tarafının yükseldiğini hissediyorsanız termiğe girmek için, sağa dönüş yapmaya başlayana kadar, sağ frenizi çekin.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Model. In a Thermal Collector, the ground heated by the sun, generates a blob of heated air, in which micro-thermals serve to give the blob some thickness above the ground. Consider the envelope of the blob as a fuzzy one, not well defined (see Thermal Trigger Myth). Due to unstability, or the wind pushing/traversing the blob against a rising ground feature, a Thermal Launch Point is established, from which the heated air will "spill" upwards along a Thermal Path, gradually emptying the heated air blob from the Thermal Collector faster than it was created, creating a thermal life cycle.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Collector. Surfaces that absorb the most sunlight energy will heat up most the air that is in contact with it. Note that moisture content (wet is bad) is more important than color (dark is good). The more the surface that generates the thermals is protected from the wind (vertical structure before or after), the stronger the thermals and longer cycles. These areas will accumulate more heat before releasing a thermal. A surface exposed to the wind (like a rock shoulder) will not be able to gather as much heated air before releasing it. Instead it will render a more constant, but lighter lift. When looking for a thermal source on flatland, consider the downwind side of a village, hedge, forest, hill, small valley (I'm not saying to go low and place yourself in a rotor). A parking filled with cars is better than an empty one. Depending on the time of day (sun position), the best collector is the one with a surface facing the sun, as it ratio of EnergyReceived/Surface is highest. In the morning look for East facing mountain sides, West later in the afternoon. During mid-day flat ground gains in influence. Look for the base of a hill, representing a dish facing the sun. The next thing to identify is the Thermal Launch Point.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Launch Point. It is where the heated air from a Thermal Collector rises. Examples :

	It is most often at the highest point of the Thermal Collector.
	You may find this at the limit of 2 different terrain type (a field and a forest for example). The terrain that heats up more will draw its replacement air from the other (in light wind conditions).
	Instead of having a stationary thermal launch point (exposed hillside) it can be moving (flatland) and following wind at ground level, providing a moving vertical thermal column, even on a windy day (15+ km/h), which can be followed for 10-20 km.

See also : Thermal Path, Thermal Column Inclination, Thermal Model.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Path. On days with very light wind, thermals will rise vertically from their Thermal Launch Point. On a windy day, a thermal column does not have the same incline throughout its altitude. It is more vertical close to its stationary Thermal Launch Point, more inclined at higher altitude where it is more adapted to the wind speed. The trajectory is a function of the thermal's temperature difference (rate of climb), the width of the thermal (more inertia to respond to wind) and the wind strength, all of which can change with altitude. We can visualise it as the shape of a blade of grass in the wind. Also, thermals gather on their way up, think of it as thermal "roots". On strong wind days, the thermal column with a stationary Thermal Launch Point can incline past its stability point and separate into segments. Upwind of a weak core, there can be a stronger core wich originates from the same Thermal Launch Point but has not drifted in the wind as much, because it rises quicker. See also : Thermal Path Indicator, Cloud Shape, Thermal Guide Myth.

L2 - 2001/2/24. Coordinated Turn. A common problem is maintaining a consistent circle while thermalling. An excessive roll motion may send you straight out of the thermal. See Abrupt Steering. Try to maintain a coordinated, banked turn. Start with a smooth controlled lean and a simultaneous and progressive inside-brake application. The wing will bank, your body will follow and the centrifugal force will keep your body outside the wing's circle to smoothly ride the thermal up. Applying Active Flying to will help you keep the wing over your head, which is a measure of a true coordinated turn.
Suggestion : Use twice the amount of inside-brake tension than for the outside brake, and adjust the turn with lean and outside brake.

L3-1991/7/1 Yamaca çok yakın termik dönerken, yamaca çarpma riski olduğundan, 8’ler çizmek 360⁰ lik dönüşlerden daha iyidir.

L3-1991/8/1 Feeling the Thermal.Robbie Whittall’dan: Termiğin kanadınızın bir tarafını kaldırmaya başladığını hissederseniz, o tarafın frenini biraz çekin. Eğer kaldırıcının dışına çıktığınızı hissederseniz dönüşünüzü aynı kaldırıcıyı hissedene kadar keskinleştirin. Bu manevrayı doğru olarak yaparsanız termiğin etrafında bir daire çizmiş olursunuz ve terrmiğin çapını ve merkezini tespit edersiniz.Then tighten your circles. See also : Centering the Thermal (using a Vario), Tighten on the Surge.

L3-1991/7/1 Lost Thermal. Eğer içinde olduğunuz termiği kayettiyseniz geniş daireler çizerek onu aramaya devam edin. Bu sırada sizden aşağıda olan pilotların yükseldikleri yerlerdeki termikleri de kullanabilirsiniz. Fakat sizden yukarıdaki pilotların termikleri sizin bulunduğunuz irtifada kullanilamayabilir.See also : Never Leave Lift, Finding a Lost Thermal with a GPS.

L3-1992/6/1 Weak Lift Optimization Termikleri kullanarak yükseldiniz fakat daha sonra termikler bitti ve yavaşça alçalmaya başladınız. Pek çok pilot bu durumda çöküş hızını dikkate almaz. Termal aktivite yaklaşık 15 dakikalık peryotlarda oluşur (Yerine göre 5 veya 30 dakikada olabilir).Eğer termiklerin oluştuğu bölgeyi tespit ettiyseniz, minimum çöküşte uçarak yeni termiklerin oluşmasını o bölgede bekleyin. Bu şekilde yeni termikler oluşmaya başladığında onları yakalama şansınız artar. Böyle durumlarda siz tekrar yükselmeye başladığınızda pek çok pilot iniş yapmış olur

L3-1991/6/1 Thermal Path Indicator.Eğer aşağıda ağaçların sallandığını görüyorsanız o bölgeden bir termik geçiyordur. Eğer zaten iyi bir termiğin içinde değilseniz o bölgeye gidip termiği arayın. Bir diğer termik göstergesi de havalanan böcekler ve kelebeklerdir. Özellikle yazın çiçeklerin polenleri termikle birlikte yükselir. Eğer aniden burnunuza kötü bir koku gelirse bu kaldırıcı içinde olduğunuzun işaretidir.See also : Thermal Path.

L3 - 2001/7/11. Calm Air and Now Sink. Sakin bir havada uçarken bir den bastırıcıya girdiniz. Bu bastırıcıdan sonra bir kaldırı olabileceğinden hemen geri dönmeyin. Etraftaki kaldırıcıları arayın. See also : Using Sink to Find a Thermal.

L3 - 2001/7/11. A Thermal is a Wind Obstacle. Güçlü termikler rüzgar için bir engel teşkil eder. Bu gibi bir termikten çıkarken bastırıcıyla birlikte türbülans ta oluşur. Böyle bir durumda rüzgarı karşılayarak çıkmak en iyisidir. Fakat bu kural XC uçuşlarında geçerli değildir. See also : Using Sink to Find a Thermal, Thermal Core Offset.

L3 - 2001/7/11. Thermal Core Offset. Rüzgar termiğin en güçlü olduğu bölgeyi estiği yöne doğru kaydırır. Termiğin yataydaki kesitini rüzgara karşı düşen bir su damlası gibi düşünebilirsiniz. Eğer rüzgarın estiği yöne doğru ilerlerken termiğe girerseniz, rüzgara karşı dönüp termiğin merkezini bulmaya çalışın. Termiğin dağınık olduğu bölgede kalmayın.. See also : A Thermal is a Wind Obstacle, Using Sink to Find a Thermal.

L3 - 2001/7/11. Using Sink to Find a Thermal. What follows applies to days where there is wind. If you encounter sink and turbulence, fly in an upwind direction to find the thermal. See why in : A Thermal is a Wind Obstacle. If you encounter smooth sink, the thermal should be downwind of you.

L3-2000/3/21 Lift Rate Estimation.Termiğin kaldırıcısını kalkıştaki rüzgar hızına göre şu şekilde hesaplayabiliriz. Varsayalım:

  Termiğin yukarı hızı = 0,9*(kalkıştaki rüzgar hızının değişimi)

 Ortalama cöküş hızınız 1,2 m/s (236 fpm)

 1 km/h de 0,278 m/s ye (1 mmph=87,9 fpm) eşit olduğuna göreşu sonuca varabiliriz. Rüzgarın hızındaki ilk 4,8 km/h‘lik (3,0 mph) değişimi havada kalmak için yeterli olacaktır. Bu farkın her 4,0 km/h  (2,5 mph) fazlası ise 1 m/s’lik (197 fpm) yükselme sağlayacaktır.

L3 - 2000/3/10. Staying in an Inclined Thermal. If your wing had a null sink rate, you could maintain a constant bank angle to follow the inclined thermal column on your way up. But with our wings that have a sink rate, you would fall under the lee side of the inclined column, so while turning you need to extend the period of time you head upwind in comparison to your downwind phase.

L3 - 2000/10/24. Finding a Lost Thermal with a GPS. (Gps yardımıyla kaybedilen termiğin bulunması) Eğer oldukça yüksekteyseniz ve termiğinizi kaybettiyseniz onu GPS’inizin yol kayıtlarını kullanarak bulabilirsiniz. Ekranı 200 m ölçeğine getirin ve daha önce daireler çizdiğiniz bölgeyi burada bulup, yeni termiklerin oluşmasını beklediğiniz bölgeye geri dönün. See also : Lost Thermal.

L3 - 2000/8/9. Thermals under an inversion. You can expect more turbulence as the thermal reaches an inversion. See Image: Why an inversion create more thermal turbulence.

L3 - 2001/2/24. Do Not Change Turn Direction. This is especially true when low. There are 3 reasons :

1. Changing direction disturbes your Coordinated Turn and the time you spend flying straight usually takes you away from the lift.
2. You loose your "mental map" of where your best circle was.
3. The direction change causes your vario to beep in many interesting but non-helpful ways.

L3 - 2001/2/24. Safe Inside the Thermal. The smoothest air is usually at the core of a strong thermal, and your wing will be more pressurized and stable when flying at a high bank angle. With a fast climb rate, you should expect turbulence at the edge of the thermal. Don't fly away from a very strong thermal as you are sure to hit turbulence. It is best to lock into the core and take it to cloudbase (or top of lift).

L3 - 2002/2/3. Best Approach to an Obvious Thermal. Approach from either directly upwind or downwind, as you may stumble onto a stronger climb rate than the established gaggle of circling pilots.

L4-1991/7/1 Bulut tabanındayken aşağıya doğru olan akımlardan kaçının.

L4-1999/1/15 Cheap Thermal Simulator. Ucuz bir termik simülatörü. Boş bir park yerine bir arkadaşınızla gidin. Park yerinin ortasına gidin ve gözlerinizi bağlayın. Arkadaşınız sizin etrafınıza 12 m çapında bir daire çizip merkezini işaretlesin ve sizi dairenin dışına cıkarsın. Daha sonra sizi cizdiği daireye doğru çevirsin ve yüremeye başlayın. Siz dairenin içine girdiğinizde arkadaşınız ıslık çalmaya başlasın ve merkezine yaklaştıkça ıslığın sesini arttırsın (tıpkı bir varyo gibi) Ellerinizle kanadın fren komutlarını taklit etmeye çalışın. Merkezin etrafında daireler çizmeye çalışın. Yavaş ve sakin adımlarla başlayın, daha sonra hızınızı değiştirerek bunu tekrarlayın.

L4 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Rotation Myth. If a thermal were to rotate about its column axis, it would make sense to turn against the rotation to reduce our angular velocity, reducing our bank angle and increasing our efficiency. But there is insufficient evidence based upon pilot experience to confirm that there is a noticable rotation to take advantage of. The Coriolis effect which makes large air masses rotate, as air expands/converges from a high/low pressure can only influence the base of a thermal (rotating Dust Devil (On approach) with a 70% probablity of rotating according to the Coriolis effect), but the rotation speed dissapears rapidly with altitude.

L4 - 2001/2/24. Thermal Quality. When catching a thermal close to the ground, it will be narrower and more violent. They tend to smooth out and expand as they rise. High-pressure days produce narrow and sharp-edged thermals. Days with a high lapse rate will produce thermals with a stronger ascent rate.

L4 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Sink Myth. The myth : A thermal is a column of rising warm air surrounded by descending cold air. Most pilots learned this during their schooling. This error in representation does not allow you to understand thermal breezes, and penalizes you while learning to perform thermal flights. Why people may believe in the myth :

1. They confirm it as they experience a drop at the entry and exit of many thermals.
2. It is easier to imagine that at the border of a thermal, your increased sink rate is due to a descending air mass, instead of a turbulent vertical shear.
3. They have felt weightless or got a Frontal Collapse (Recovery) when exiting a thermal, and think there had to be descending air to explain this.
4. They justify it by an equilibrium of air displacement, not realizing that it can be achieved on a larger scale.
5. They justify sinking air at the Thermal Launch Point as a means for replacement of the warm air going up. But replacement air can be provided horizontally from a base wind. There is a well know model for valley winds that are increased due to the thermal activity on the valley hillsides, with the replacement air coming from the opening of the valley.

L4 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Trigger Myth. There is no surface tension (not applicable between 2 gases) for a volume of heated air, holding it down to the ground. The analogy to bubbles forming at the bottom of a heated pan, or beer/champagne glass, is invalid. So forget ideas of spherical bubbles clinging to the ground by a trigger, waiting for a moving animal or vehicule (or any assorted object) to cut it loose. Human soarable thermals range from several thousands to several million tons. Selective memory of pilots, based on coincidences, are keeping this myth alive. See also : Thermal Model, Thermal Guide Myth.

L4 - 2002/2/3. Thermal Guide Myth. Also know as the Gutter Effect. Some believe that after warm air starts to rise from a Thermal Launch Point, it can be guided along a path such as a mountain's spine. In a similar way to water following an incline instead of detaching from an object. This is nonsense because surface tension does does apply gases (like our thermals). See also : Thermal Path, Thermal Trigger Myth, Thermal Model.

L2-2000/4/3 Accelerator (Usage).. Hızlandırıcınızı kullanıyorsunuz. Fakat gerçekten ihtiyacınız var mı? Kanadınız hızlandırıcıya daha az stabildir. Hızlandırıcıyı kullanırken meydana gelen bir kapatmada kanadınız normalden çok daha aşırı tepkiler verecektir. Daha ayrıntılı bilgi için kanadınızın DHV test raporuna bakın. Hızlandırıcıyı kullanmak kapatmaların daha kolay olmasına da neden olur. Bunun olduğunu bir kaç defa gördüm. Hızlandırıcınızı aşamalı bir şekilde kullanın.Kapatmalara karşı daha çabuk tepki verebilmek için frenleri biraz gergin tutun. Kapanmaları görmek için hücum kenarına bakın ve kanadın stabil kalmasını sağlayın.

L2 - 2001/1/26.  You are using your accelerator (speed bar). Do you really need to ? Your wing is less stable under these conditions. Use of the accelerator near the ground, should be for emergencies only. See also : Accelerator (Turbulence). A Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) with the accelerator fully extended will induce more violent reactions than at normal flight speed. Look at your wing's DHV test report (see Wing Certification) to find out more. Stomping on the accelerator will make your wing more likely to Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). I have seen this happen. Activate your accelerator in a gradual manner. Keep a very light tension in the brake lines to better anticipate Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). Look at your leading edge as you can see the Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) coming and stabilize it (adding brake for a moment) to avoid a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). If you want to have Big Ears (Execution) simultaneously with using the accelerator, perform Big Ears (Execution) before using your accelerator. Otherwise you risk a Frontal Collapse (Recovery) as you perform Big Ears (Execution).

L2-1990/5/1 Rügarın yana kaçışları en az olacağından yamacın rüzgarı en dik karşılayan kısmının önünde uçun.

L2 - 1990/4/15. Venturi Effect. Venturi etkisi. Venturi etkisi dağların rüzgarı karşılayan taraflarındaki bir boşlukta oluşur. Bunun en tipik örneği iki zirve arasındaki oluşumdur. Bu bölgede rüzgarın yatay hızı artar ve kaldırıcı ortadan kalkar. Bu bölgeyi geçerken yamaçtan ileriye açılmalı ve bölgeyi geçtikten sonra tekrar yamaca yaklaşılmallıdır. Bu bölgeyi bir çekim bölgesi gibi düşünebilirsiniz.

L2-2000/2/17 Blown Back.Geriye sürüklenme. Rüzgar şiddetini arttırdı ve geriye doğru sürüklenmeye başladınız. Rüzgarı karşılayıp mümkün olan en aerodinamik şekli alın. Eğer türbülans yoksa hızlandırıcınızı Accelerator (Usage).kullanın. Eğer hızlandırıcınız yoksa A kolonlarına bastırarak biraz hız kazanabilirsiniz.Rüzgarın azalmasını umun ve arkanızda acil iniş bölgeleri arayın (rüzgar alamayan bölgelerden kaçının.). Geriye sürüklenmeye başladığınız zaman iniş yapın Eğer yamacın kenarına yakınsanız açık ve güvenli bir alana doğru ilerleyin. Yamacın arkasına gidiyorsanız unutmayın ki hava canınızı yakmaz  ama kayalar acıtır. Olabildiğince yükselmeye çalışın

L2 - 2000/2/17.  The wind has risen and you are now going backwards. Face the wind. Try to get into a more aerodynamic position. If there is no turbulence, use your  If you don't have an Accelerator (Usage), spreading the top of your A risers may give you more speed. Hope that the wind will reduce again, but look for potential landing zones behind you (beware of areas hidden from the wind). If you are close to the shoulder of the mountain and you can avoid it altogether by letting yourself slip to the side to a safer area, do it. If you have managed to get back in front of the mountain, don't give the wind a second chance, go land. If you are sure you are going "over the back" of the ridge, remember that "air is harmless, rocks hurt". Get as much height as you can by positioning yourself for max ridge lift from the ridge. As you are getting close to ridge line, perform Crabbing to aim for a "dent" in the ridge where the Venturi Effect will exit (windier but more laminar). When at the ridge line, turn and "run" with the wind. After the ridge, maximize ground height to try to remain on top of the rotor. In the case you can't avoid the rotor, see Dealing with Turbulence.

L2 - 1991/6/1. To reduce your altitude without sacrificing too much of your horizontal speed, use the Big Ears (Execution) technique or do some Wing-Over (Execution). Note that Big Ears (Execution) offers more stability.

L2-1991/6/1 Eğer yamaca çok yakın uçuyorsasnız (15 metre veya daha az) yerdeki çıkıntıların yaratacağı türbülanstan kaçının. Her an yamaçtan açılmak için kullanacağınız freni biraz gergin tutun ve manevra yapabileceğiniz bir hızda uçun (Minimum çöküş hızından fazla.)

L3 - 2001/1/26. How to Gauge Wind Speed from Visual Clues. Rüzgarın hızını şunlara göre tahmin edebilirsiniz: See also : Water Surface - Gusts.

L3-1990/8/1 Kaldırıcı bandın derinliği rüzgarın hızıyla doğru orantılıdır. Sakin bir rüzgarda sadece yamaca çok yakınken yeterli kaldırıcı yakalayabilirsiniz. Rüzgar güçlendikçe yamaçtan açılsanız da kaldırıcı bandın içinde yeterli kaldırıcı yakalayabilirsiniz

L3-1991/5/15Yamacın kenarlarında rüzgar yamacın üstünden geçerek kaldırıcı oluşturacağına yanlardan kaçacaktır. Bu az kaldıran bölgelerden kaçının.

L3-1990/6/1 Dynamic şartlarda uçuyorsunuz ve bir tarafa giderken ki yer hızınız diğer tarafa giderkenkinden farklı. Bu rüzgarın biraz yan geldiğini gösterir. İniş noktasına en fazla irtifayla gidebilmek için: Kaldırıcıdan en düşük yer hızıyla gittiğiniz yöne gittikten sonra çıkın. Bu şekilde Rüzgarın yandan gelen rüzgar vektörü yamaçtan ayrılmanıza yardım edecek ve rüzgarı arkanıza almanızı sağlayacaktır.

L3-1991/6/1 Bir süreden beri yelken uçuşu yapıyorsunuz ve artık daha az dönüş yaptığınızı ve dönüşlerde daha az döndüğünüzü fark ettiniz. Bu rüzgarın hızının arttığını gösterir. Yere inmek için kendiniz karar verin, diğerlerinin hala uçmasına bakmayın.

L3-1990/8/1 Rüzgar bütün gün 20 km/s den fazla esti ve güneş bütün öğleden sonra gökyüzündeydi. Genelde rüzgar gün batımından 2 saat önce hızını azaltır, ve bu sırada yerin ısısı yamacın önünde yeterli kaldırıcı yaratacaktır. Magic lift’e hoş geldiniz.

L3 - 1991/7/15. Unless the winds are strong all day, the following conditions will be typical during the day. In the morning you will have an offshore flow (from the land into the sea/ocean), about 3 hours after sunrise the wind will shift to on-shore (because the warmed-up land calls for the cool sea air), and return to offshore before sunset.

L3 - 1998/6/1. When the forecasted wind for the area is contrary to the on-shore or offshore flow, beware of wind shear a low altitude (When you are going to land). This typically happen if you go land in a valley at sea level.

L3 - 1991/7/15. You are going to land on the beach in a valley next to the mountain you launched from. It is early morning or close to sunset. Beware of an offshore flow as you loose altitude to go land. You may end up in the water. See also : Water Landing, Salt Water (Damage).

L3 - 2001/1/26. Water Surface - Gusts. While flying, look at the water surface to identify gusts of wind over its surface that may come in our direction. It will either look like a darker zone on the water or "white caps" if the wind gust is over 29 km/h (18 mph). You can see these zones coming in from quite a distance, allowing you fly more forward from the cliff and/or fly away from the path of the gust. But don't think that all gusts will be visible on the water, as some gusts can come from above. Visualize signs of increased wind on the water, as just the bottom of a three dimensional gust. See also : How to Gauge Wind Speed from Visual Clues.

L3 - 1998/6/1. At high tide, ocean water may cover most of the landing area on the beach. To avoid getting your glider wet or worst, getting dragged into the ocean, land facing the wind and as far away from the water as possible. While the glider drops, pull on one riser to let the glider stacks up on itself in a neat pile. You should have a hook knife to cut lines in case you get dragged into the ocean and tangled up. See also : Water Landing.

L2 - 1991/6/15. When flying over a large forest, identify emergency landing zones within your glide ratio.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Never Leave Lift. When you leave thermal lift before it has expired, you will encounter more sinking air around it. Just staying in mild lift may still lead you in the desired direction. There are exceptions. Leave lift if it brings you somewhere you don't want to go, like too far back into the mountains or into a cloud. Leave lift if you are certain of accomplishing you goal and you are racing. The lower you are (and risking to land) the less you should search for better lift. See also : Lost Thermal, Flying Height Band.

L2 - 2001/1/1. Don't Fly into Clouds. If the lift is very strong, take a bearing on your compass as an potention exit direction in case you loose visibility. When you loose visibility you may be flying back into a mountain, or another pilot. Without a compass it is impossible to know where you are heading as turning is hard to judge. Always maintain visual contact with the ground. If you are still in lift, take an evasive direction before you actually get to the base of the cloud, ending up ideally at the edge of the base with a safety margin. Before I knew better, I went into a white cloud for fun, but it then took me 20 minutes to find the exit and I had gained 2000 m (6500 ft) after many Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) to then find myself in between huge cloud columns. Another time, the sky "closed up" over me and I lifted in a dark cloud through rain, then snow, did a "B" Line Stall (Execution) and went back down to exit next to a mountain. Now, when I get close to cloudbase I watch out for an increasing climb rate, and consider a transition. See also : Escaping Cloud Suck.

L2 - 2001/10/4. Cloud Shape. A cloud having a flat base and a pointed upper shape means that it is still in formation and that you will find lift under it. A decaying cloud will usually have sinking air under it. If you see "whispies" start to appear within gliding distance, you have a good chance of finding usefull lift under them. Clouds that are taller than wide, indicate strong thermals, and may lead to overdevelopment later in the day. If they are much taller than wide, go land or use a better portion of the sky. With large-based clouds, the best lift is found under the highest part of the base. Air circulation within clouds are influenced by wind shear, thus increasing winds with altitude will make you find best lift on the upwind side of the cloud, and reversely. There is lift under a closing cloud gap.

L3 - 2001/1/17. Cloud Snapshots while Climbing. With every circle as you climb in a thermal, look downwind to take a mental picture of all Cloud Shape in your predicted flight path. This will help you to determine which ones will still be forming as you reach them.

L3 - 1992/6/1. Consider going back and over the mountain you launched from only if you have at least twice its elevation (from the base). Ensure that you can clear it by as much distance as it takes you to do it (double your needed ground glide ratio) on the backside and avoid potential turbulence areas. Typical values : 1800 m (5900 ft) ASL at Marshall (California) to glide to Crestline, 600m (2000 ft) above launch at St-Hilaire du Touvet (France) to glide to "Dent de Crolles", 1000 m (3280 ft) ASL at Mount Yamaska (near Montreal/Canada) to fully clear the mountain.

L3 - 1999/4/12. If our flight axis follows that of the wind direction, ground speed is added and greatly increases the distance traveled. In this case, exit thermals on the downwind side and fly fast across the sink.

L3 - 2000/6/21. Speed to Fly. To get the best glide (most ground distance traveled) in no-wind condition, use your wing's best L/D (Lift/Drag) speed. If you must face the wind (or in sinking air), best glide ratio is achieved by flying faster than best L/D speed. If a tail wind pushes us into our flight direction (or in lifting air), slow up your wing, but not more than "best sink". With no wind, you need to be sinking at more than 3 m/s (600 fpm) before using your Accelerator (Usage) will give you a ground glide ratio advantage, but otherwise it just makes you feel good about doing something. Depending on how easy it is to find the next thermal and its expected strength, one could fly faster than the speed for maximum ground glide ratio, to minimize the time to reach a goal.

L3 - 1994/5/1. If you are following a ridge that gives of sufficient lift all along your way, there is no point in following up a thermal, because there is no transition to accomplish.

L3 - 2001/1/1. Patience for Clouds. With cumulus clouds spread out throughout the sky, avoid flying in an area without any clouds because there is most likely fewer thermals there. This will typically happen over a lake (which does not produce thermals). If there are no clouds along the next 15 km (9+ miles) of your intended flight plan, get under a cloud and wait for the sky to improve.

L3 - 2001/1/17. Thermal Column Inclination. After identifying a Thermal Launch Point, you must take into account the inclination of the thermal column with the wind. If you are flying with the wind in your back, you will typically encounter the thermal after having passed the Thermal Launch Point.

L3 - 2002/4/16. Transition.

1. Commitment. When you make a decision to go to the next mountain, you don't want to start to go, then lose confidence and turn back half way (or go land). You need to commit to your belief that there should be lift at the other place. You will most likely encounter sink before you get to the other place, but this should be accounted for, when planning the transition.
2. Deviation. As you follow someone into a transition, you notice the other pilot ahead of you going into huge sink. Try to go around that area where the sink is occurring. I was amazed once to see another pilot loose rapidly about 500 m (1600 ft) while I maintained a normal glide by deviating my course to a parallel path 100 m (330 ft) next to his. He landed in that valley while I pursued my course.
3. Straight line. Make a straight line when searching for lift. In the absence of obvious Thermal Launch Point, just fly straight along your intended path, don't bother flying a fancy pattern to look for thermals. You're just as likely to run into another thermal by flying straight, but if you don't meet one, you'll be further downrange.
4. Optimizing a long transition. From Patrick Bérod (2001 World Cup winner) :

   	Best body position. As soon as the terrain turbulence dissapears : Let go of the brakes, put elbows to the side of your body and hands on your thighs. Fold your legs such that your feet are level with your butt. This is better than having your legs stretched out in front. An integral harness is merely a fashion statement.
   	Let the wing "float". Leave it free to follow the air mass. It will find the ideal path on its own. Control your bearing with hip movements.

L3 - 2002/2/3. Testing the Air. Before starting you X-C journey, test a few thermals near launch for about an hour. This will avoid the frustration of a short flight if you sink out quickly. It will also help you determine the time between the cycles, the duration of the usable lift, max altitude, wind speed at higher altitude, Thermal Column Inclination, and the strength of the sink. See also : Flying Height Band.

L3 - 2002/2/3. Rake the Sky. When flying in groups, to get a better sampling of the lift as you are searching for it, fly along parallel paths, separated sideways by about 330 ft (100 m). Keep in contact visually or by radio.

L3 - 2000/6/21. Lost Thermal. Once you've lost the thermal that you've been climbing in, make only one more circle to try to find it, then start the next transition. Any more effort spent looking for the thermal is only altitude lost without going further.

L3 - 2002/2/3. High or Low. Considering an altitude halfway between the ground and cloudbase (or the top of usable lift), anything above this altitude is "high", and under it is "low". If you are "low" you need to head for a Thermal Path. Stop for any solid lift when "low". See also : Flying Height Band.

L3 - 2001/1/1. Fly the Sky or the Ground. An often heard saying : When you are high, fly the sky, when you are low, fly the ground. See also : High or Low. "Fly the sky" means flying from one cloud (or cloud street) to another, based on Cloud Shape. If you are "low" focus on Thermal Launch Point and Thermal Path.

L3 - 2001/1/1. Recovery. Tell someone where you intend to go, in case you don't show up later. In many states (USA), a fishing licence will cover rescue costs. Because your radio signal goes further while still at altitude, report your potential landing zone before being too low. If both you and your recovey team have a GPS, you can report your position by coordinates.

L3 - 2001/1/17. Cloud Spacing. Generally, the more distance between clouds, the longer they will last, because they are fed by a larger volume of air. Also, the higher cloudbase will be. Typically, the distance between clouds is 2.5 times their distance above ground.

L3 - 2001/10/4. Cloud Shadow. The following applies to flat terrain. The advancing (outward-moving) edge of a cloud shadow often acts as a Thermal Launch Point. In dry climates, one can observe Dust Devil (On approach) at this advancing shadow edge. The theory is that it acts as a mini cold front lifting the warmer air. Be well ahead of the advancing shadow edge to maximize your chances of finding a Thermal Path. Avoid being over a recently shaded area, as it will require a full thermal cycle period to become a fully "charged" Thermal Collector.

L3 - 2002/2/3. Flying Height Band. Is is defined as the altitude range that you should fly in, starting at a safe low level, up to cloudbase or top of lift. At the beginning of the day, we should be patient and leave the thermal at the top. In the middle of the day when lift is strongest, we make our decision to leave the thermal when the rate of climb drops to 80% of the maximum, for a turn or two. This percentage would be modified up if :

1. Cloud pattern ahead does not look good.
2. Overcast ahead.
3. Thunderstorm or Cu-Nim shadow ahead.
4. Rough or higher terrain ahead.
5. Wet terrain ahead.
6. Turnpoint ahead.
7. Time to start final glide.

L4 - 2001/1/1. Fight Until the End. It is still possible to return back up to high altitude from 100 m ( 300 ft) from the ground. Never give up, but accept your faith early enough so you can still make a safe landing. There is only one thing better than getting high, and that is getting low first.

L4 - 1992/6/1. You are ending you flight in a field with power lines ahead of you. You are wondering if you will pass those lines to make a little more distance. Just land before the lines, it won't really change your accomplishment.

L4 - 2002/2/3. Follow a Better Pilot. If you fly with someone who is typically slower than you, you will end up waiting for him. See also : Map the Thermal Using Others.

L1 - 1998/11/1. Do you really need to let go of your brakes ? If you let go, and have a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery), the time it takes you to find them again is too long, and your wing may already have done half a turn, potentially leading into a Spiral Dive (Recovery). I know, it's happened to me. Never let go if there is a risk of turbulence and you are less than 200 m (650 ft) of the ground below you.

L1 - 2001/3/12. Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). Steer, then clear. Your wing has collapsed on the right side. See Image: Asymmetric Collapse - 60%, Image: Asymmetric Collapse - 75%, Video: Asymmetric collapse with counter, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Video: Asymmetric collapse with no input, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Video: Asymmetric collapse after launch followed by impact. Brake the left side enough to keep your direction if possible (unless you are flying into an obstacle) but not too much to Stall (Full, Recovery) the remaining open side, which would make things much worse, possibly putting you into a Spin (Recovery). Over-countersteering has been called the paraglider pilots's plague, keep the open side flying at the cost of letting the wing turn for a while. The fact that the inflated side is more highly loaded (and flying faster), contributes to a higher air pressure than normal inside the wing on that side that will the communicate internally to the closed side and help re-inflate it. Try to keep your weight in the harness on the wing's open side. If 50% or more of your wing is collapsed, weight shifting (to keep the risers more level) will not increase the load on the open side, but will still promote re-inflation (by reducing the shear deformation at the center or your wing) as well as reduce the amount of braking required to maintain a straight flight path (because of a reduced amount of leading edge being tucked). On the collapsed right side, give very ample braking movements (small pumping is useless) until the wing fully re-inflates. Note that if more than half your wing is collapsed, you may not be able to maintain your direction, but still brake the open side without making it Stall (Full, Recovery), this will prevent you from entering a Spiral Dive (Recovery). See also : Collapse (Asymmetric, Execution).

L2 - 1994/7/1. So you had an accident or a close call. Ask yourself if you could have done something to anticipate or resolve the situation. If there is nothing you could have done, you better stop paragliding. Was your ego the main factor for pushing yourself into bad flying conditions ?

L2 - 1996/6/1. The more turbulent the conditions are, the further away from the hillside you should be flying, to increase you altitude above the ground, in case a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) occurs.

L2 - 2000/2/17. Accelerator (Turbulence). See also : Dealing with Turbulence, Accelerator (Usage). You have entered a zone of turbulence (the flight is bumpy). Get off the Accelerator (Usage) (unless speed is critical). Robbie Whittall (1999/11) : With most wings, it is better not to apply brakes while using the Accelerator (Usage) through turbulence, as it shifts the center of pressure and increases the risks of Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) / Frontal Collapse (Recovery). It also reduces the efficiency of the wing due to profile deformation, just use less Accelerator (Usage) instead, but not both at the same time.

L2 - 2000/2/17. Dealing with Turbulence. See also : Accelerator (Turbulence). You have entered a zone of turbulence (the flight is bumpy). Avoid flying at maximum speed, dialing in some brake to reduce the air speed. You should be flying a little faster than minimum sink. Flying slower will give the wing more time to adapt to each shift in the air mass. Flying a little faster than minimum sink will give a sufficient margin from the Stall (Full, Recovery) speed. To improve stability, spread your legs apart, it increases your body's moment of inertia and give more leverage over the harness base. I don't recommend using the Big Ears (Execution) technique, but to perform Active Flying instead.

L2 - 2000/4/3. Active Flying. Always keeping some tension in the brake lines in rough air will give you feedback from the wing. Don't keep your brakes/hands locked at a given position (like thumbs in the riser quick-links) as you want to maintain constant tension in the brake lines, not constant position. This will prevent many Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) from happening. Pitch stability can be increased by the good use of brakes : Add braking when the wing is starting to swing forward with respect to you, release as it starts swinging back. I don't recommend attempting to perform Active Flying by varying amounts of Accelerator (Turbulence) as it provides little asymmetrical control.

L2 - 1991/6/1. You have either exited a high-speed turn abruptly or entered a strong thermal (or dynamic lift). You are swinging forward under your wing and its angle of attack has increased. The overall pilot/wing assembly will surge up and at this movement's crest, you will feel yourself go light in the harness. The wing is sensitive to a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) at this time. Expect your wing to follow with a dive (ahead of you). This is where you can add the proper input : Add progressive braking as the wing starts to dive and stop braking as soon as the wing has stopped going more forward. Do not keep braking when the wing is swinging back up over you as you will amplify the movement. In other words : Brake while the wing is moving forward, give speed while it moves backward to dampen the pendulum motion.

L2 - 2001/5/31. Big Ears (Execution). If you need to come down faster than your normal sink rate without reducing your forward speed too much (2-3 km/h), use this technique. For related problems, see Big Ears (Problems). Don't do this in anticipation of a rotor, instead gain as much height as possible (see Blown Back) and then Dealing with Turbulence. Now for the method. Looking at you're "A" risers, identify the line leading closest to the wing tip. Without letting go of the brakes, pull on both of these lines such that the wing tips will fold under. Don't pull too abruptly as this may induce a Frontal Collapse (Recovery). Hold these line otherwise the wing tips may re-inflate. See Image: Big Ears. Control your direction by weight shifting in your harness. One can also improve steering control by making the "Ear" bigger (pulling more on the "A" lines) on the side to turn into (keep brakes in hand). To resume normal flight, let go of the lines and if the wing does not return to its normal shape, clear one ear at a time as a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). This technique will produce a sink rate of about 4 m/s (800 fpm) depending on your wing and how big the ears are. See also : Accelerator (Usage), Escaping Cloud Suck.

L2 - 2001/5/31. Spiral Dive (Execution). The fastest descent rate can be achieved by performing this technique. See Video: Spiral dive from the movie "Fly Hard" and Video: Sébastien Bourquin makes a spiral dive, a wing-over, and a spin. Just start turning more and more until you feel your body centrifuged (you feel your feet swelling from the blood pressure) and your wing starts facing downward. I don't recommend pushing this until your wing is fully facing downward, leave a 30 degree angle to it. Read up on your wing's DHV test report (see Wing Certification) for this maneuver. You should notice that your variometer is indicating -12 m/s (2600 fpm) when executed properly. This is a very fast descent. Keep your eyes on your glider, the inside wingtip, otherwise looking at the ground or looking at the upper wingtip will result in nausea. If you see your field of vision narrowing and fear blackout (less blood pressure in your head), clench your stomach muscles (or bring your thighs up to your chest) to force blood back up to your head. To resume normal flight, reduce the amount of inside braking gradually to avoid a monster surge. Do not do Big Ears (Execution) at the same time, it would load the lines too much. See also : Spiral Dive (Recovery), Escaping Cloud Suck.

L2 - 1999/11/23. Reserve (When). This indicates when you should use your reserve. If you have broken lines and your wing is no longer controllable, throw it. As general advice, if you are higher than 150 m (500 ft) from the ground below you and there is no broken lines, try to remedy the situation. If you have not fixed the problem when you reach that altitude, throw it. Even if you are on approach at 30 m (100 ft) from the ground, and you have an uncontrolled Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery), throw it. See also : Reserve (How)

L2 - 2000/11/16. Reserve (How). See also : Reserve (When), Video: Classic reserve thrown, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Video: Rogallo reserve thrown, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Video: Wing Tangles with Reserve, Villeneuve, 2000. How to throw your reserve :

L2 - 1991/6/1. Fixed point method. Will you make over that crest , river, power line or to the landing zone ? Look at the scenery ahead of you as if it was a painting. As you are flying into it (look at it for at least 15 seconds) pick a point ahead of you like a house or a tree on the crest you hope to pass. If that point is moving down (in you imaginary painting) then you will fly over it. Repeat this process until you identify a point that is neither going up or down. That "fixed point" is where your glide you bring you. Try to average out any temporary sink of lift along the way.

L2 - 2001/4/17. Spin (Recovery). Do not confuse a Spin (Execution) with a Spiral Dive (Execution). See Video: Spin leading to twisted risers, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Video: Spin - Forward Surge - Pilot Falls Beyond Wing, Villeneuve, 2000, Video: Spin - Forward Surge - Pilot Falls Short of Wing, Villeneuve, 2000, Video: Stall - Asymmetric Surge - Spiral, Villeneuve, 2000. To get out of a Spin (Execution) you must completely release both brakes. It is best to release the brakes when the wing is in front, to minimize the subsequent forward dive. When the glider recovers, it will dive forward and may need braking to stop it diving too much. Upon exit there is a risk of Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery). See also : Spin (Execution).

L2 - 1999/11/23. Parachute Landing Fall. PLF="Parachute Landing Fall". Anticipating a crash landing, this is the name of the position you adopt before you even get close to the ground. Legs together and pointing down, knees slightly bent, legs turned 45 degrees off the direction of motion. Present your calf to the ground first, then your thigh, then the hip, then tuck your torso in and roll, straightening your legs as you roll over on your back. Practice it by jumping off a chair.

L2 - 2002/7/12. Frontal Collapse (Recovery). This can happen when flying straight into a strong sink from a strong lift. See also : Frontal Collapse (Execution). You will be facing one of these situations :

Small collapse. The center of your wing's leading edge has folded back under your wing. The fold is typically 30% of the cord length. See Image: Frontal Collapse - Leading edge is folded, Video: Small Frontal Collapse, SIV clinic 1999, Salève. Give an ample symmetric braking motion until some brake line tension is felt, and release. Note that this will often return to normal by itself after dropping about 5 m (16 ft), putting a "step" into your flight path.

Big+fast collapse. The wing dives down as a whole, with the leading edge passing close to your head, then bunches up behind you, pulling you back, then reinflates. Be ready to control the forward surge of the wing. Your wing may remain in a Shrimp Stall (Recovery) configuration. See Image: Frontal Collapse - Center of wing flips under, Video: Frontal Collapse while under Big Ears, Video: Frontal Collapse with Shrimp, SIV clinic 1999, Salève, Image: Frontal Collapse - All the wing flips under.

L2 - 2001/5/31. Escaping Cloud Suck. You are at cloud base and still going up at 2+ m/s (400+ fpm). Before you loose visibility, do Big Ears (Execution). Higher rates can be achieved by doing a "B" Line Stall (Execution) or a Spiral Dive (Execution). If the air is rising at more than 8 m/s it is better to keep a constant heading to exit the lift, possibly combined with Big Ears (Execution) and using the Accelerator (Usage). See also : Don't Fly into Clouds.

L2 - 2002/2/3. Locked Spiral Dive (Recovery). This is an extreme case of Spiral Dive (Recovery), not something that one normally wants. It is typically induced by an uncontrolled Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). It happened to me because I had let go of the brakes (mistake) while I was putting my Accelerator (Usage) bar back into its holder, and turbulence induced a half wing Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). By the time I found the brakes again, the still-open right side of the wing had induced a sharp left dive placing the wing horizontal with me, heading perfectly towards the ground, and fully re-opened. One may panic from the fact that this situation is self-maintaining and brake inputs seem ineffective. Because of the wing's high loading and speed, the amount of brake tension required, and response time, is much greater. Summary on how to recover :

1. If you are less than 300 m (1000 ft) from the ground, use your Reserve (How).
2. Otherwise, slow down the wing by applying both brakes, with more braking to the exterior (side your body is moving towards, or non-initiating side). Exterior weight shifting can help.
3. Be patient as it may take several seconds for the wing to un-lock from this situation and back into a regular Spiral Dive (Recovery).

L3 - 1999/11/20. Big Ears (Problems). This is in fact a much more serious maneuver than people in general tend to think. For the technique, see Big Ears (Execution).

1. A paraglider can have a hidden Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) problem, either because of design, line distortion, cloth degradation, trim tabs set on slow setting. On exiting Big Ears (Execution), and especially if you "pump out", the glider may not regain normal flight and instead slows down even more and then goes into a Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) with a descent rate of about 5 m/s (1000 ft/m), enough to cause injury. But the problem isn't the Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) itself, but that you may not be aware of it, as your quick descent rate with Big Ears (Execution) will disguise the Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery).
2. Another problem is the reduced immediate efficiency of your brakes if you need to correct a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) or Frontal Collapse (Recovery). See Video: Frontal Collapse while under Big Ears.
3. This technique puts additional tension in some lines and anchor points, and this is amplified when combining it with a Spiral Dive (Execution), due to the added centrifugal force.
4. The stall speed is raised, so be cautious if you are braking at the same time.

L3 - 2001/12/19. "B" Line Stall (Execution). A very fast descent rate can be achieved by pulling on the "B" risers. You may prefer this technique over a Spiral Dive (Execution) if you have to descend fast for a long period of time and spiraling makes you nauseous. I used it once to get out of a cloud that pulled me up about 200 m into drizzle and snow. You should first ask your Wing Manufacturer to know if your wing can be used in this manner. Also, behavior of the wing is specific to the brand and model, so consult your wing's manual. In any case you should know that it is detrimental to the wing as it highly stresses the anchor points of the B lines to the wing. Having said this, keeping your brakes in your hands, grab hold of both B risers under their link to the lines and pull symmetrically (with force) until they start coming down and tension is greatly reduced. You will feel dropping and stabilizing at about 8 m/s (1600 fpm). The wing can be steered by pulling more on one of the B risers, making a turn to that side. If you pull too much, it may produce a Shrimp Stall (Recovery). See Image: "B" line stall. To resume normal flight, most Wing Manufacturers recommend slow release of the B risers, but with a rapid release during the last 5-10 cm to ensure a rapid surge so that the wing gains flying speed on both sides and avoids a Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) or Spin (Recovery). In general the surge from exiting a "B" Line Stall (Execution) is very minor and the greater problem is that some wings might hesitate or not exit into flight at all (see Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) and Video: Bad "B" Line Stall exit, Hanglider Hill, Bakersfield, CA, 2000/2/18). Do not push on the A risers systematically after exit, as most pilots can tell if they are in a Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) or not (worse would be to push the A risers during the wing's surge). Do not apply brakes until the wing has regained normal airspeed (normally after a few seconds) otherwise it is more prone to malfunctions. I used this technique maybe a dozen times (before I knew it wasn't good for the wing) and experienced a stable descent. Remember that this method also reduces forward air speed. See also : Escaping Cloud Suck.

L3 - 2001/2/9. Tree Landing. So you could not make it to you normal landing zone and you are over a forest. Don't aim for that narrow road in the forest with tall trees because your wing tips will catch the branches, Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) your wing and make you fall to the road. Also beware of power lines next to mountain roads. Instead, pick the biggest, softest looking tree, face the wind, cross you legs (to avoid cutting a vein) and close your arms, then flare to land right in the center of it, reducing your forward speed to zero. Keep braking until you can hold on to something. If this goes well you will end up suspended in the tree by your wing resting on the forest canopy, but you will not have a big fall to the ground. It will take time to untangle and maybe some repairs (at least an inspection), but you will have saved your bones from a fall. You can use your reserve as a "rope" to help you down. Look into your Emergency Kit. To get you wing out of the tree, detaching the lines from the risers can make it easier. Consider leaving the wing in the tree to return with climbing equipment and free the wing using boths hands while being secured to the tree. If the wing is caught in 2 trees, have a friend simultaneously free it from the other tree, just cutting down one tree could rip the wing. If your weight was partially or totally supended from your wing while in the tree, have the wing and lines inspected.

L3 - 2002/2/3. Spiral Dive (Recovery). Also called "Tight 360's". Do not confuse a Spiral Dive (Execution) with a Spin (Execution). If you induced the maneuver, and the Spiral Dive (Execution) is maintained by yourself still pulling the inner brake, progressively release that brake. See also : Locked Spiral Dive (Recovery).

L3 - 1990/6/1. Another pilot just passed close to you in the direction from which the wind is coming. If he is at the exact same altitude or above, there is no problem. If he is a little lower, you will feel the wake of his wing. The amplitude to the turbulence (wake) in the back of an aircraft increases with the load and how slow he is flying. The worst scenario is a tandem flying with lots of brake. This is one turbulence you can anticipate for.

L3 - 1990/6/1. Knot (Stable, Recovery). You have a knot in some of your lines (usually just after launch) but your wing remains stable. Maintain your direction by adding some brake to one side if necessary. Pull on the lines (if you can reach them) that lead to the knot, one at a time. If you can't undo the knot, go land. See also : Knot (Unstable, Recovery).

L3 - 1991/8/1. After a tight turn or Spiral Dive (Execution), if you raise abruptly the brake that was inducing the turn, there will be a big surge. While turning at a high bank angle you can exceed your wing's rated maximum speed due to the additional centrifugal force component that acts as an increased wing load. When returning abruptly to a straight flight path, your wing will try to slow you back down to the normal speed, sending you forward under it, and send the whole wing/pilot up because of the higher angle of attack and stored kinetic energy. Beware of a potential Stall (Full, Recovery) condition at the top of the surge.

L3 - 2002/7/12. Stall (Full, Recovery). You have achieved a stabilized stalled decent (brakes full on) by performing a Stall (Full, Execution). During the stabilized descent, the wing will repeatedly pitch forward as it attempts to fly again. Release the brakes when the wing has pitched to its most forward position, typically on the third time is surges. Rob McKenzie said (April 1999) : "Out of the dozen times I recovered from a full stall, every exit required different and immediate input, this is not something we can teach, especially over a radio". Enleau O'Connor (July 2002) : "Recoveries are cahotic". See also : Stall (Full, Appreciation), Active Flying.

L3 - 1999/10/3. Stall (Full, Appreciation). Many maneuvers clinics still promote a maneuver that involves for you to slow down the wing until you can recognize the onset of a Stall (Full, Execution) but not induce it, just recognize the warning signs. The problem with this, is that the Stall (Full, Execution) can happen abruptly, without warning signs, and then the pilot would release his braking to produce a forward surge, with the pilot possibly falling into his wing or passing next to it. See Video: Releasing brakes at stall onset. Exiting a Stall (Full, Recovery) at its initiation is more violent than after its stabilization.

L3 - 2000/7/7. Twisted Risers (Recovery). Your wing has spun around and left your risers twisted. See Video: Spin leading to twisted risers, SIV clinic 1999, Salève. This will also happen to pilots who reverse the wrong way during launch (only one twist turn). Your brakes are probably of no use at this time because they are caught up in the twist. If you need directional control, you can steer by reaching the brake lines (or D/C risers) above the twist. If the twist is not already coming undone by itself, grab the risers above the twist and un-twist yourself. See also : Spin (Recovery).

L3 - 2002/7/12. Wing-Over (Execution). Why do you need to do this ? Initiate turns by weight-shifting and pulling brake to one side. 2 important things :

Keep the wing pointed in the airflow. As your angle of attack is increasing (you are swinging forward under your wing) from a normal flight angle, start your next turn, adding yaw (about vertical axis of the wing) to the pitch/roll/yaw recipe. This will avoid the airflow from going from the lower wing tip to the other (as the result of a pure roll which could result in an Unbalanced Roll Motion Collapse (Recovery)) instead of from the leading edge to the trailing edge (good). As your wing starts pointing toward the ground again, reduce your inner braking, you will gain lots of speed for a transfer into the next wing over.

Keep brake tension in the upper wing side.

Proceed progressively, by increasing the amplitude in later maneuvers. At first, remember to keep the amplitudes low (don't swing more than 45 degrees). The danger of this maneuver is under-rated. See Image: Wing-Over. See Video: Wing-Overs from the movie "Fly Hard" and Video: Sébastien Bourquin makes a spiral dive, a wing-over, and a spin.

L3 - 1999/7/25. Dragged by your wing. If you get dragged on the ground by your wing in strong wind, grab only one riser (ideally a "B") and reel it in towards you until the wing becomes like a flag. To prevent being dragged in the first place, see Wing Kill (B Line), Wing Kill (Slip Collapse).

L3 - 1999/12/5. Acrobatics at low altitude. It is a bad idea. See Image: Low altitude acrobatics is a bad idea.

L3 - 2000/2/18. Acrobatics over Another Pilot. It is a bad idea. See Video: Collision, 1999/1, Monte Carlo.

L3 - 2000/11/16. Unbalanced Roll Motion Collapse (Recovery). From Rob McKenzie. This dynamic situation in roll has one wing half lowering with one climbing. It can also be caused by exiting an updraft with one winghalf entering the downdraft at the edge or an unbalanced Wing-Over (Execution). The climbing wing (or the wing entering the downdraft) has as a result, a lower angle of attack. Often this can make the wing look as if it is hinged along it's chord. If it's very large in nature it can have the wing that is folding, make the wingtip move to a point almost in front of the pilot's face. As it gets to the low point it then blows rearward and if the lines are still arced outward the wing can blow back under the lines. A typical result is to get the C lines or D lines to become positioned up an over the top of the wing, going across the top toward the leading edge then down from the leading edge to the risers. A Cravate (Recovery) is the name of the result in most cases. See Video: Asymmetric Surge leading to an Asymmetric Collapse, Villeneuve, 2000.

L4 - 1990/6/1. Instead of looking at the place we are afraid to crash into (this is called fixation), look where you want to go to. Some pilots end up in a field's lonely tree for this reason.

L4 - 1991/7/1. You have made an emergency landing and you think you are hurt. Leave your wing unfolded as much as possible so people can find you easier and understand you are hurt. If you are well, fold up your wing.

L4 - 2000/11/01. Flying in Rain. You are caught flying in the rain. The following is dependent of the intensity of the rain and your exposure time. The fabric may stick together during recovery from a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) or Frontal Collapse (Recovery). When flying in the rain your sink rate may increase because of disturbances to the laminar air flow over the wing. The soaking of the fabric (throught microcuts in the coating) increases the weight of the wing which causes the trailing edge to "drop", adding unwanted braking and increasing the angle of attack. This may lead to an irreversible Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery). Note that a wet wing will Stall (Full, Recovery) at a higher speed. So, do not make maneuvers that require strong braking like Wing-Over (Execution) or Spiral Dive (Execution), only do a "B" Line Stall (Execution) or Big Ears (Execution) if absolutly necessary, and be light on the brakes during your landing approach. Make sure you maintain visibility for the rest of your flight. You may get cold. See also : Landing near/in Rain, Line Length Change, Wing Degradation due to Humidity.

L4 - 1998/12/1. Snow in the wing. If you have scooped up snow into your wing (due to ground handling), it is likely to build up in the trailing edge during flight. This in turn, will weigh down the trailing edge, acting as additional braking input (your brakes will feel soft). With enough snow (over 5 kg in a side of the wing) this can induce a Stall (Full, Recovery).

L4 - 1999/12/5. Shrimp Stall (Execution). Also called "horseshoe" or "rosette". I haven't found a usefulness for this technique yet, that other techniques ("B" Line Stall (Execution), Spiral Dive (Execution)) do not fulfill. It consists of pulling and holding the center A line and have the wing tips go forward. See Image: Shrimp stall. There was a period (roughly until 1992) when many wings only had two risers, making a "B" Line Stall (Execution) impossible, so this technique was taught as a fast decent method. One small advantage over a "B" Line Stall (Execution), is that it requires less arm strength. The disadvantages are associated to the Shrimp Stall (Recovery) and the risk of inducing a Cravate (Recovery).

L4 - 1999/4/24. Loss of altitude causing pain in ears. This result from a higher pressure outside the ear in comparison to inner ear pressure (inside your head). Use the Valsalva maneuver to equalize pressure : Close your mouth, pinch your nose and blow gently. Avoid blowing too hard and over-inflating the middle ear space. Note that differential ear pressure automatically equalizes during altitude gain.

L4 - 1999/12/2. Looping (Execution). Why do you need to do this ? Only attempt over a body of water (See also : Water Landing), with a recovery crew. Make a tight Spiral Dive (Execution) and exit it by a strong weight shift to send you into a full loop (very disorienting, strong acceleration load). See Image: Looping. A common mistake is to exit the Spiral Dive (Execution) by using a brake, this will reduce your kinetic energy, and potentially make you fall back into your wing from an incomplete loop.

L4 - 1999/5/26. Collapse (Asymmetric, Execution). Some reasons to perform this : Attempt to clear a Cravate (Recovery), increase the sink rate, practice recovery from a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery). To induce : Keep your brakes in hand, and pull down one or a few "A" lines leading to the wing tip. For a 50% collapse, you can pull down one "A" riser. To recover see Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery).

L4 - 2002/3/28. Frontal Collapse (Execution). Some reasons to perform this : Attempt to clear a Knot (Unstable, Recovery) in central "A" lines, practice recovery from a Frontal Collapse (Recovery). To induce a small collapse, keep your brakes in hand, pull slowly and symmetrically on A risers until the leading edge folds under. For a bigger collapse, increase speed and amplitude of pull. This can also happen if you try to make Big Ears (Execution) too quickly. To recover see Frontal Collapse (Recovery).

L4 - 2000/3/10. Stall (Theory). Stall happens when you have enough reverse flow from the trailing edge over the top surface. Stalling depends on how much brake is pulled and for how long. You can be pulling less brake and still achieve stall if you wait long enough than a brake pull that produces a quick onset of stall. See also : Stall (Full, Execution), Flapping.

L4 - 2001/8/2. Stall (Full, Execution). Some reasons to perform this : Your wing is uncontrollable because of a Knot (Unstable, Recovery) and you don't have a Reserve (When) but have enough altitude, practice recovery from a Stall (Full, Recovery). To induce : Brake too much for too long. Do NOT release the brakes as the wing drops and pulls you backward, you would get a huge surge, possibly sending the wing below you. See Image: Forward surge followed by pilot getting wrapped in wing, Video: Forward surge followed by pilot getting wrapped in wing. Establish a stabilized descent (brakes full on). See Stall (Theory), Image: Maintained Full Stall, Video: Planned full stall, but released brakes to early, Zsofi 1999/1, Monte Carlo, Video: Stall - Asymmetric Surge - Spiral, Villeneuve, 2000, Video: Stall - Pilot Falls Into Wing, Villeneuve, 2000. To recover see Stall (Full, Recovery). If you had a beginner wing and now changed to a performance wing, review your normal braking position. I had a friend with a Trekking Corniche (1990 ?), which required lots of braking to get its best sink rate, change to an Advance Omega 2 (1991 ?). He stalled twice in flight, and injured his spine each time. See also : Stall (Full, Appreciation). Rob Whittall said (1995) for ALOFT magazine in response to "Do you advise that pilots learn full stall ?" : It's a mixed feeling. You could go both ways on that. It's good to know as much about your glider as possible, but also full stalls are dangerous, there are no two ways about it. I would probably say no. It's not worth doing full stalls because they can definitely get you in more trouble than they can get you out of. They're not going to get you out of any trouble because they're pretty useless forms of descent. And they're pretty messy. I think it is basically something best left to the test pilots, really. (End of quote).

L4 - 2001/2/3. Spin (Execution). Spins are pilot induced. A glider will only spin if the pilot pulls one brake so hard that he stalls that half of the wing. To induce a spin : Fly a low speed, then suddenly raise one brake and lower the other. This may result in Twisted Risers (Recovery). See Video: Sébastien Bourquin makes a spiral dive, a wing-over, and a spin, Video: Releasing brakes at spin onset, André Gallant 1999/9/4. The spin will continue as long as the pilot holds down the brake, and will recover when he completely releases the brake. See Video: Toni Bender doing a spin over Achensee (Nova test area) 2000/9/28. To recover, see Spin (Recovery).

L4 - 1999/8/28. Heart Attack when Alone or Flying. When your heart stops beating properly and you begin to feel faint, you have about 10 seconds before losing consciousness. You can help yourself by coughing repeatetly and very vigorously. Take a deep breath before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. Repeat the breath/cough about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until you feel your heart beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart, helping it regain a normal rhythm, and keep the blood circulating. Between breaths, you can call for help or use a phone.

L4 - 1999/9/2. Airplane on Collision Course. If an airplane is heading in your direction, do a high bank turn to show him you're there and head in the direction that gives the greatest chance of a miss. If you are close to a ridge, stay there.

L4 - 2000/7/25. Airsickness. Remedies, by order of effectiveness :

L4 - 2000/10/6. The Helicopter. It is only an acrobatic figure, without any real utility. A Spin (Execution) is induced such that the wing turns about its center and descends vertically. See Video: The Helicopter, Switzerland, Villeneuve, 2000/8/25-27.

L2 - 2000/9/7. Wing Degradation due to Humidity. If there is still moisture in your wing when you store it, mildew will set in and greatly accelerate the deterioration process of the material. This is one of the worst things you can do to your wing. Wings can get wet, but just make sure it is very dry when you store it away. Never do a flight to dry your wet wing (See also : Flying in Rain), leave it in the shade. Another bad thing is to store it in a compressed state (under a load, or rolled very tight).

L2 - 1991/6/1. Darn ! You have made a small tear in your wing. But you think that it is so small that it is not worth repairing. My Engineering background reminds me that even a small hole (as long as material is cut) will locally diminish the strength by a factor of 3. And at the tip of a tear it can be reduced by a factor of 10. You better use that special sticky tape (made for paragliders) they gave you with your wing to redistribute the efforts over that tear. If the tear is bigger than 5 cm (2 in) think of having it professionally repaired. Beware of using common sticky tape like electrician tape or duct tape which adhesive material will harm the material.

L2 - 2002/6/25. Wing Selection. Decide on the DHV (see Wing Certification) rating you want (see Wing Rating for You) and make a list of each Wing Manufacturer's latest wing that corresponds, considering the wing's worst DHV rating (Accelerator (Usage) in use or not) for your weight. If you want to keep your harness, eliminate wings without a DHV rating for your harness type (GX, GH). Stick with major Wing Manufacturers. Reduce your list to models that came out within the last year and a half, to have state-of-the-art technology. Your list should now have 5-6 wings. Disregard price as they are usually similar. Eliminate wings that have not been reviewed in a reputable magazine (like "Vol Libre" or "Parapente Mag"). From reviews, pick one that seems to have the best performance (see Wing Test), handling and ease of inflation. Don't put too much emphasis on a demo flight because even a competition wing can be well behaved in gentle conditions, and having a Collapse (Asymmetric, Recovery) doesn't suddenly make the wing a bad one (trust the DHV rating instead). Consider also Wing Loading. Some colors have more UV Resistance than others. Buy/order it from a reputable reseller, be confident in your choice, have fun flying it, but don't email the world in an attempt to convince others you have bought the best paraglider.

L2 - 2000/12/16. Leading Edge Hits the Ground. This can occur during landing or bad ground handling. Did you hear someone yell "whack" ? When the leading edge of your wing hits flat on the ground, pressure inside your wing may exceed its design limit and cause rips in cell walls or diagonal ribs. Have your wing inspected.

L3 - 1996/6/1. There is a consensus amongst paragliding professional that a wing is good for 300 hours of direct sunlight exposure. So if you want to keep your wing for a long time, protect while not in use. You can use a small tarp if you don't want to fold it up. At least bunch it up, and hide the top surface close to the leading edge (most important part for a wing's performance), by exposing the bottom side instead.

L3 - 2000/10/31. Line Length Change. Line lengths can increased differently for each pair of risers if you are caught Flying in Rain, changing the angle of attack of your wing. Getting your lines wet may cause a subsequent shrinkage (during drying) in their shielding (not the actual core) and that could set your wing out of trim exposing you to Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery) as the lines with a lower loading (C, D) may not extend back to their original length right away.

L3 - 2001/5/31. Wing Cleaning.

	You have an ugly spot on your wing, and it doesn't come off with soft water alone. Keep the spot. Never try to clean your wing with chemicals that may affect your material's resistance in the long run. See also : Line Length Change.
	To get rid of trapped dirt, hang the trailing edge of your wing on a tight rope, using clothes pins, such that the leading edge is above ground. Starting from the center, clean the cells by shaking the trailing edge and remove the dirt gathered in the cup of the leading edge. At the tips, remove the dirt through the cross vents.

L3 - 2000/2/8. Keeping Lines in Place. If your lines are moving around on your riser's quick links, get some O-rings (I.D.=3/4", O.D.=1", width=1/8") from a hardware store for a few $. Open the link, add the O-ring as an extra line loop, and pass it through all the line loops so it ends on the other side (or remove all lines and replace them after), give it a half-twist and re-attach on the other side of the lines. If you did this right, the twisted O-ring is not left passing through the line loops. See this other method : Image: Using O-rings to hold lines in place.

L3 - 1999/3/23. Don't walk on your lines, especially on rocky ground. Fibers inside your lines may get broken while the line's protective layer hides the damage. In the same idea, don't pinch lines. Making a small tight knot reduces line strength.

L3 - 2001/10/4. Carry a spare Riser to Harness Connection, if/when you detach your harness at the end of the day, fasten the risers together with it. This stops the risers from going through themselves and tangling up.

L3 - 2002/3/28. Folding your Wing. Do not always fold the wing symmetrically to the center cell as this can cause constant stress on the center cell (center cell always to the outside). Protect the rigidification in the leading edge by superposing it during span-wise folding and making it part of the same fold during chord-wise folding. Do not press down too hard on you wing to evacuate the trapped air :

When you fly, the dynamic pressure (above that of surrounding air) in your wing is determined by q=1/2ρV2. Assuming a speed (V) of 50 km/h (13.9 m/s) and a density (ρ) of 1.225 kg/m3, this results in q=118 N/m2 or 0.00117 atm. When you press down on your wing with both hands (effective area of about 0.024 m2) and a force of 20 kg (44 lb), this results in a pressure of 8167 N/m2 or 0.0806 atm. This is 69 times the typical dynamic pressure in your wing !

L3 - 2001/10/4. Riser to Harness Connection. You have a choice amongst these :

1. Quick-Link. See Image: Quick-Link (stainless steel). It doesn't look as cool as a thick aluminum anodized carabiners, but it resists better to fatigue crack propagation. This is because both sides are loaded under symmetric tension, instead of the carabiner's one-sided bending loads which occurs before the gate is under tension due to its mechanism tolerances.
2. Quick-Out Link. See Image: Quick-Out Link. Special connector for those who require a rapid disconnection (in flight).
3. Carabiner. See Image: Twist-Lock Carabiner (short), Image: Button-Lock Carabiner.

   	Mountain launch. Put the gate to the inside. A twist-lock mechanism can be opened by an speed bar line after a reverse launch, allowing the riser to slip out. A button-lock can be depressed by a part of your gear which protrudes, so you want the button to face outward (gate inward).
   	Tow launch. Put the gate to the outside (if tow bridle attached to carabiner). A number of people have had problems with carabiners coming undone when tow bridles are routed throught them. It is better to add a small triangular quick-link through the end of the riser to attach the tow bridle, then have the gate to the inside.

L3 - 2002/6/25. Wing Loading. For a higher wing loading :

	Speed. An increase of 20 kg (44 lb) typically increases the airspeed by 5 km/h (3 mph). See also Ballast. Launch and landing speeds will increase (not good for beginners).
	Brake effort increases for a given amount of brake travel (amplitude). But piloting can be achieved with less brake travel, partially compensating for the increased effort. The main difference is increased effort at slow speeds.
	Following a Frontal Collapse (Execution) at maximum speed, the reaction is more dampened. It is less vulnerable to the initial collapse, seems to react more at first but has a smaller forward surge (dampens more quickly), and offers a more progressive re-opening, reducing the risk of a cascade of events.
	Pitch stability. Understanding : The wing has less mass compared to the pilot's, reducing pitch amplitudes. It is more difficult to produce a collapse while provoking pitch motions.
	Avoidance maneuver (ample and rapid pull of one brake). The wing is less sensitive to a Spin (Execution).
	During a Spiral Dive (Execution), the pilot is much more physically strained and there is more kinetic energy, but rotation is easier to maintain and exit from the Spiral Dive (Recovery) is calmer (less pitch and roll motions).
	In turbulence and thermals. This is where the influence is greatest. The wing is more mobile for low angles of departure from overhead position, but is more solid. Less bouncing around in turbulence. Less lines-go-slack events. Less need to use the brakes, more relaxing, you can let it float more. Better penetration into thermals, instead of the hitting-a-wall-of-wind feeling. More precision in the turns.

L4 - 1999/11/16. UV Resistance.

L4 - 1992/5/1. If you keep a very large plastic trash bag with you, well packed, it won't take up much space and it will help you keep your wing dry in case it rains.

L4 - 1999/5/25. Salt Water (Damage). If you have fallen into salted water, you must rinse all your gear in soft water. Many components would otherwise keep deterioration after the salt water is apparently gone because the salt crystals remain and they are harder than the Kevlar fiber in your lines that will wear out by abrasion. Rinsing your lines in soft water may be unsuccessful in removing all salt crystals, you may need to replace all your lines. Electronic equipment that has been submerged should be turned off as soon as possible, then rinsed in distillated water, let dry completely before being reactivated. If you often fly over water bodies, put your electronic equipment in watertight bags.

L4 - 1991/6/1. You fly at a place with lots of mosquitoes and you cover yourself with repellant oil. Some of these products will eat away your wing's material. Be sure to wipe off your hands before handling your wing.

L4 - 1997/6/1. If you have a harness with a rigid Kevlar back protection, consider replacing it with a softer protection. Kevlar back plates were popular between 1992 and 1997, but medical tests revealed that they concentrate more load to the lower back upon a crash.

L4 - 1998/12/1. When the snap that holds your brake toggles to your risers won't unsnap easily you can put a little lip balm (chap stick) on the male end of the snap. Avoid Vaseline or any other petroleum-based product.

L4 - 1999/5/26. Costume. Make sure you can use the full travel of the brakes. If the costume has too much volume it can cause excessive drag and bring you close to Deep/Parachutal Stall (Recovery). If the wing must support the costume, use the "B" risers but keep the load light. Don't reduce visibility too much. Use a wing which is easy to inflate.

L4 - 1999/6/10. Skin protection from the Sun. UVA sunlight is absorbed by urocanic acid (natural molecule made by the outermost skin cells) chemically altering it, and causing it to create within the cells a type of oxygen free radical. This oxygen radical degrades collagen and elastin (major molecules that make up the skin), decreasing the elasticity (aging) of the skin. Also, malignant melanoma (deadliest form of skin cancer) is 90% caused by UVA, 10% from UVB. Melanoma risk depends a great deal on genetic factors such as hair, skin and eye color, and the number of moles you have. People with fair features were six times more likely to get melanoma. Most sunscreens protect against UVB while doing little to against UVA, giving a false sense of security. UVA can be blocked by a few sunscreens, including zinc oxide (white goo that lifeguards often smear on their noses). Check the label to make sure lotions contain ingredients (like Parsol) that also protect against UVA. Use a wide-brimmed hat, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

L4 - 2000/6/21. Reserve and Handle Position.

L4 - 2000/10/24. Harness Seat Board. Your harness has been designed for a given seat board width. If you reduce its width in order to fit tigher in your harness, the reserve parachute may be locked by the deformed harness shape when it is loaded. To achieve a tighter fit, use a foam padding inside the harness.

L4 - 2000/11/3. Sunglasses. Avoid polarized sunglasses. They are good to reduce dominant horizontal polarization from a broad, smooth horizontal surface directly ahead and slightly below the viewer's eye level (good for driving or fishing), but when flying, the terrain below is usually too irregular to produce orientation-specific polarization. Also, they may interfere with viewing liquid-crystal displays (LCD) such as your variometer's. Horizontal power lines will be more difficult to distinguish because their reflection is absorbed.
About sunglasses in general... If your eyes are good you can see better in all conditions without sunglasses. For people with eye problems which require a tint, yellow/orange lenses can help to spot the edges of clouds, inversions, but can cause problems with distance perception. Get the lightest tint you can stand. Prescription non-tinted glasses already filter out most UV rays.

L4 - 2000/12/16. Unsheathed Lines. Typically found on competition wings. If you were to substitute normal lines for unsheated lines of the same length, it would improve the sink rate and therefore Lift/Drag, but not speed (you need to re-trim the wing for that). The reactions from the wing in turbulence are much "drier", and the lines tangle easily and pick up more debri on launch. They degrade quicker because they have no UV protection, and absorbe moisture more quickly (snowy launch).

L4 - 2001/10/11. Knot - Brake Line. For tying your brake line to its toggle, see : Image: Non-slip loop knot.

L4 - 1998/1/1. There are no good pilots, only old pilots.

L4 - 1998/1/1. The only thing better than getting high, is being low first.

L4 - 1999/8/1. I am a talented, skillful and experienced pilot with excellent judgement. I use my experience and judgement to avoid getting into situations where I have to rely on my talent and skill.

L4 - 1999/12/22. A popular analogy for describing the learning process is to split it into four stages :
      1) Unconscious ignorance (Beginner)
      2) Conscious ignorance (Intermediate)
      3) Conscious knowledge (Advanced)
      4) Unconscious knowledge (Guru)

L4 - 2001/1/22. Leonardo Da Vinci : Why fly ? For once you have tested flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return.

L4 - 2001/1/22. Fr. Nietzsche : The higher we rise, the smaller we appear to those who do not know how to fly.

L4 - 2002/2/4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there, than to be up there wishing you were down here.

L4 - 2002/2/4. Everyone who lives, dies. Yet not everyone who dies, has lived. We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us.