Advance acoustic IOTA 23 User Manual page 21

Remark: Big ears is also possible using two lines ( per side ) with
the I OTA . Here it is important that the glider must be accelerated
as well, and the trailing edge must not be braked .
Caution: Do not fly spirals or sharp changes of direction with big
ears applied; the increased loading carried by fewer lines can
damage the structure .
Caution: Be aware that flying with big ears brings the stall closer .
Be careful with the brake lines when big ears are applied, and do
not use this descent method if the wing is wet . See also section
« Flying with a wet paraglider» .
Tip: If you want to lose height as quickly as possible and fly away
from a danger zone at the same time we recommend the fol-
lowing: apply big ears and use as much speedbar as conditions
allow .
Spiral dive
For the most comfortable way of doing this we recommend a neutral
sitting position without active weight shift, and a shoulder-width cara-
biner distance ( approx 45 cm ) .
Enter the spiral by progressively pulling one brake . Your head and field
of view should be directed in the turn direction . As the angle of bank
increases so will the rate of turn and centrifugal force .
The behaviour of the spiralling paraglider can be separated into two
phases: in the beginning the glider begins with a normal turn which
progressively tightens, with increasing angle of bank . In the second
phase the paraglider engages its spiral mode . This means that the
wing dives forward with an increase of acceleration . During this phase
of the manoeuvre try to keep a neutral sitting position and give way to
the centrifugal force – your body will be pushed to the outside .
Recovery from the manoeuvre is achieved by progressively releas-
ing the inside brake . The body weight should be slightly displaced to
the outside of the turn . While coming out of a spiral dive with high ver-
tical and rotational speeds it is essential to release the brake careful-
ly, and/or reapply a little inside brake if necessary, so that you can pre-
vent the wing pitching back excessively, and then diving in front . Make
sure that you start the recovery with plenty of height remaining above
the ground . Generally speaking you should allow the same amount of
time to recover as it took to enter the manoeuvre, but remember that
the sink rate will be higher .
The IOTA is a very agile and precise wing; this means that it goes into a
spiral easily and quickly, and a very high descent speed ( more than 14
m/s ) can result - easily and quickly .
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