airwave Gecko Manuel D'utilisation page 30

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quickly. This is in order to prevent the forward surge of the canopy when it recovers from the stall. If you
do release the brakes quickly you should brake the canopy strongly during the surge forward, to stop the
dive. All pilots who fly the Gecko are advised never to attempt this manoeuver unless under SIV training.
This manual is not provided to give instruction in this or any other area.
Deep Stall (or Parachutal)
The Gecko has been designed so that it will not easily remain in a deep stall.
However if the Gecko is incorrectly rigged or ist flying characteristics have been adversely affected by
some other cause, it is possible that the paraglider could enter this situation. Therefore in the interests of
safety all pilots should be aware of this problem, and know how to recover from it. The most common way
to enter deep stall is from a flying too slowly, from a B line stall or even from big ears.
When in deep stall the pilot will notice the following:-
*) Very low airspeed
**) Descent is almost vertical (like a round canopy) and is typically at around 5m/sec.
***) The paraglider appears quite well inflated but does not have the full internal pressure. It therefore
appears and feels a bit ´limp´.
Recovery from deep stall is quite simple.
The normal method is to simply initiate a mild turn.
automatically change to normal flight, but it is very important not to turn too fast as this could
induce a spin.
The second method to exit from deep stall is to pull gently on the A risers. This helps the airflow to
re-attach to the leading edge, but care should be taken not to pull down too hard as this will
induce a front collapse.
If the deep stall is particularly stubborn and the previous methods do not work then a full stall will
solve the problem. To do this apply both brakes again fairly quickly, as if to do a strong stall, then
immediately release both brakes and damp out the surge forward in the normal way. The canopy
will collapse behind you then automatically reinflate and surge forward in front of the pilot before
returning to normal flight. It is the surge forward that exits the canopy from deep stall.
Spin
This manoeuvre is dangerous and should not be practised in the course of normal flying.
Spins occur when the pilot tries to turn too fast. In a spin the pilot, lines and canopy basically stay vertical
and rotate around a vertical axis. The Gecko will resist spinning, but if a spin is inadvertently induced the
pilot should release the brake pressure but always be ready to damp out any dive as the glider exits the
spin. If the pilot does not damp the dive on exiting the spin the glider may have an asymmetric deflation.
Asymetric Front Deflation
The Gecko is very resistant to deflations, however if the canopy collapses on one side due to turbulence,
then first of all control the direction of flight by countering on the opposite brake, then pump the brake on
the collapsed wing. The pumps on the brake should be long, strong, smooth and firm. Normally one or two
pumps of around 80 cm will be sufficient. Each pump should be applied in about one second and
smoothly released. In severe cases it can be more effective to pump both brakes together to get the
canopy to reinflte. Be careful not to stall the wing completely if this technique is used.
Releasing a trapped tip
On the Gecko it should be very difficult to trap so that it will not come out quickly. However in extreme
conditions all canopies can become tied up in their own lines following a very severe deflation. If this
occurs then first of all use the standard method of recovery from a tip deflation as described in
'Asymmetric Front Deflation' above. If the canopy will still not recover then pull the rear risers to help the
canopy to reinflate or even the B risers. Strong brake application will also help to release a trapped tip. A
full stall can also release a trapped tip but should only be tried as a last resort if a part of the wing
becomes really knotted in the lines, and only if you have practiced the full stall during SIV training.
Recovery should only be attempted with sufficient height. If you are very low then it is much more
important to steer the canopy into a safe landing place or even throw your reserve.
Handbuch / Manuel d'utilisation / Owners Manuel - Airwave Gecko Alpine – rev 1.0 – 20.08.08 Page 30 / 30
As the canopy starts to turn it will