FreeX X-one Mode D'emploi page 84

The spiral dive is the most effective form of fast descent: With a
little bit of practice you will achieve a sink rate of 15 m/s and more
with your X-ONE. It is absolutely necessary that you gradually
approach these values the first few times!
Constant pulling on one brake narrows the radius of the turn and
forms a spiral rotation in which high sink rates may be reached.
As soon as the X-ONE is in a spiral dive (clear increase of sink
rate and turn bank), the outside wing should always be stabilised
with the outside brake and the desired sink rate should be
controlled with great delicacy. In an average spiral dive both
brakes are equally applied with about 35 cm. This way, the X-
ONE will not become nose-heavy, is more stable in the spiral
dive and eases out more harmonically.
Caution: When this is initiated too fast, there is a great risk of
spinning! In this case, release the control and try again.
Caution: The X-ONE speeds up very quickly when in a spiral
dive and reaches values over 15 m/s as well as high g-loads.
Values above 10 m/s may only be flown in immediate
emergencies and with the appropriate pilot qualifications since
the pressure on material and pilot could surpass the safe range!
You recover from a spiral dive by gently releasing the brakes and
by controlled counter-braking in order to avoid excessive
swinging but also because the X-ONE may show, as all modern,
drag-reduced paragliders, the tendency for retarded turning out
of high speed (sink rates of more than 12 m/s).
So you must clearly discriminate between initial phase (only the
brake on the inside wing is being applied plus weight shift
control) and the spiral phase (inside brake is being released, the
outside brake is being applied and the weight is in neutral
position) and the recovering phase (gradual release of both
brakes, the inside brake may be released a bit faster, weight shift
towards outside wing according to tendency)! The pilot must
always be aware of the high energies, which are essential for
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