Collapses - Nova ION 5 Light Manual

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without pitching forward, the outer brake must be released more as
soon as the wing starts to level, i.e. as soon as the wing is no longer
horizontal.
The actual spiral dive – as outlined above – only occurs after the above
described transition phase, i.e. the diving of the wing. At this moment
the pilot is pushed outwards in his harness. The pilot should release
the pressure to avoid the wing locking into the spiral.
Then the sink rate can be varied using the inner and outer brake.
If the pilot's weight remains on the outside, releasing the inner brake is
sufficient to continuously slow the rotational movement of the glider.
Exiting the spiral is then performed as described above.
If the pilot strongly weight-shifts to the centre, the glider may lock into
the spiral, regardless whether the brakes have been released. In this
case symmetrical braking or braking on the outside may help, as well
as weight-shifting to the outside.
In conclusion: it is essential to practise this manoeuvre gently and in
stages. The exit must be controlled. Important safety information:
• if the pilot wishes to reduce the spiral or rotational movement, it is
recommended that the first action is to pull the outside brake, rather
than to release the inside brake;
• the pilot must be aware of the physical demands of rotation (vertigo)
and acceleration (g-forces).
• if the pilot weight-shifts to the inside of the rotation, the wing may
lock into the spiral;
• because of the fast descent rate, the pilot must constantly monitor
the height above ground and exit the spiral in good time.
C-line stall
We do not recommend a C-line stall with the ION 5 Light.

Collapses

Asymmetric collapses
When flying into strong turbulence, one side of the paraglider may
collapse. This happens because the turbulence causes the angle
of attack on that side to decrease to the extent that lift is no longer
generated, the lines de-pressure and the wing collapses.
Such a collapse normally only affects a small part of the whole span
and the wing will not react significantly. During larger collapses which
affect 50 percent or more of the span, the wing will clearly react: due
to the increased drag of the collapsed side, the glider will begin to turn
towards that side. Simultaneously the wing will pitch forward because
of the reduced area carrying the wing loading, i.e. because this causes
that side of the wing to accelerate.
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!
If the open side is
braked too much the
glider may spin – see
the section on spins.