First spiral dive!
We went up the chair lift again as soon as everyone had packed up after the first flight. The conditions were similar at the top, although the temperature had risen so the cloud base had risen to a higher level above the launch site. This time when we got off the chair lift there were 3 horses running about our launching site! I dunno if they were wild as one had a bit of a rope around him, but they seemed to be just wandering free.
We went up the slope and laid out our stuff. Zabdi then told us that this exercise was to be spiral dives! I was a bit shocked and I think I crapped myself a bit. A spiral dive is when you start to turn 360 degrees but you gradually increase the brake until you go into a spiral, the wing stays in the centre and points down and you swing round the outside. It's a very important thing to learn as it is the quickest way to safely descend, in case you get caught under a thunder cloud for example.
The sky was fairly busy but most of the pilots in the air were concentrated on a single thermal. I managed to take off cleanly and headed out on a south east direction to avoid the traffic, I tried to catch a bit of a thermal and did one 360 to gain a bit of height, but I don't think I gained much. Then when I was over the landing field and in smooth air I started my spiral. At first it was just like doing a 360, but I had to shift my weight a bit further over and I gradually increased my right brake. The noise of the wind suddenly changes as you swing out and hit about 2-3 G's. I did 2 spirals then let up on the brakes to gently come out of it. The wing then shoots forward and you have to use the pitch control (pulling both brakes) to stop the wing from over shooting. Then I applied a little more brake on the direction I was spirally to keep turning that way as there is still a lot of energy going in that direction and it will mean you come out of it more smoothly. I managed to do it fairly well and it was exhilarating to say the least!!
After finishing the 2 spirals I approached the landing field, used figure of eight turns up wind and managed to land with no assistance from the ground. The only bad point was that I flared slightly too early when landing and I was leaning too far forward with my hands behind me. I had to quickly ease the brakes a bit and let the glider come back up slightly before flaring again. There was very little head wind on the landing site so I had to run off the landing, but I managed ok and remained on my feet. Total flight time was about 15 - 20 mins.
We went up the slope and laid out our stuff. Zabdi then told us that this exercise was to be spiral dives! I was a bit shocked and I think I crapped myself a bit. A spiral dive is when you start to turn 360 degrees but you gradually increase the brake until you go into a spiral, the wing stays in the centre and points down and you swing round the outside. It's a very important thing to learn as it is the quickest way to safely descend, in case you get caught under a thunder cloud for example.
The sky was fairly busy but most of the pilots in the air were concentrated on a single thermal. I managed to take off cleanly and headed out on a south east direction to avoid the traffic, I tried to catch a bit of a thermal and did one 360 to gain a bit of height, but I don't think I gained much. Then when I was over the landing field and in smooth air I started my spiral. At first it was just like doing a 360, but I had to shift my weight a bit further over and I gradually increased my right brake. The noise of the wind suddenly changes as you swing out and hit about 2-3 G's. I did 2 spirals then let up on the brakes to gently come out of it. The wing then shoots forward and you have to use the pitch control (pulling both brakes) to stop the wing from over shooting. Then I applied a little more brake on the direction I was spirally to keep turning that way as there is still a lot of energy going in that direction and it will mean you come out of it more smoothly. I managed to do it fairly well and it was exhilarating to say the least!!
After finishing the 2 spirals I approached the landing field, used figure of eight turns up wind and managed to land with no assistance from the ground. The only bad point was that I flared slightly too early when landing and I was leaning too far forward with my hands behind me. I had to quickly ease the brakes a bit and let the glider come back up slightly before flaring again. There was very little head wind on the landing site so I had to run off the landing, but I managed ok and remained on my feet. Total flight time was about 15 - 20 mins.
This is me coming into land in the large landing field after doing my spiral dives!
posted by Neil @ 5:03 PM
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