airwave SPORT 5 S Manuel D'utilisation page 28

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Turning
The SPORT 5 does not require a strong handed approach to manoeuvering. For a fast turn smoothly apply the
brake on the side to which the turn is intended. The speed with which the brake is applied is very important. If a
brake is applied fairly quickly the canopy will do a faster banking turn, but care must be taken not to bank too
severely. To attain a more efficient turn at minimum sink, apply some brake to the accelerating wing to slow the
turn and prevent the wing from banking. The SPORT 5 flies very well like this, but care must be taken not to
over-apply the brakes as a spin could result even though the SPORT 5 has a very low spin tendancy. The
SPORT 5 will turn far more efficiently if the pilot weight-shifts into the turn in the harness. Remember that violent
brake application is dangerous and should always be avoided.
Straight Flight
The SPORT 5 will fly smoothly in a straight line without any input from the pilot. With a pilot weight of 70 kg on
the medium without the accelerator the flying speed will be approximately 37 km/h.
Thermaling
To attain the best climb rate the SPORT 5 should be thermalled using a mild turn, as described above, keeping
the wing´s banking to a minimum. In strong thermals a tighter banking turn can be used to stay closer to the
thermal´s core. Remember that weight shifting in the harness will aid the efficiency of the turn and reduce the
amount of brake required.
Care must be taken not to apply so much brake as to stall, this is however very easy to avoid as the brake
pressure increases greatly as you approach the stall point. Only fly near the stall point if you have enough height
to recover (100 m).
Wing Tip Area Reduction (Big Ears)
The 'baby A riser' allows the SPORT 5 to be 'big eared' simply and easily. The big ear facility does not allow you
to fly in stronger winds, but is a facility which allows the pilot to descend quickly without substantially reducing
the forward speed of the canopy (as is the case with B lining). To engage big ears the pilot will need to lean
forward in the harness and grasp the Big ears risers (one in each hand) at the maillon, keeping hold of both
brake handles if possible. Pull the riser out and down at least 30 cm so as to collapse the tips of the glider. It is
very important that the other A lines are not affected when you do this as it could cause the leading edge to
collapse. Steering is possible by weight shifting with big ears in. If the big ears does not come out quickly on its
own a pump on the brake will speed things up.
Before using the big ears facility in earnest it is essential to practice beforehand with plenty of ground clearance
in case a leading edge collapse occurs. Always keep hold of both brakes in order to retain control. Putting your
hands through the brake handles so they remain on your wrists is a good method of doing this.
B-Line Stall
This is a fast descent method and is a useful emergency procedure. With both hands through the brake handles,
the pilot takes hold of the top of the B risers, one in each hand, and pulls them down by around 50 cm. This will
stall the canopy and forward speed will drop tp zero. Make sure you have plenty of ground clearance because
the decent rate can be over 10 m/sec. To increase the descent rate pull harder on the B riser. When you release
the B riser the canopy will automatically start flying again, normally within two seconds. Sometimes the canopy
will turn gently when it exits from the B line stall. It is normally better to release the B riser fairly quickly rather
than slowly as this may result in the canopy entering deep stall. Always release the riser symmetrically as an
asymmetric release from a B line stall may result in the glider entering a spin. This manoeuvre is useful when
losing a lot of height quickly is necessary, perhaps when escaping from a thunderstorm. It should not be
performed with less than 100 m of ground clearance. (see also Chapter V, part 1)
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Handbuch / Manuel d'utilisation / Owners Manuel - Airwave SPORT 5 – Issue rev 1.2 – 11/2011 Page 28 / 36