Reopening A Cravat; Rapid Decent Manoeuvres; Spiral - Air Design Ride Betriebshandbuch

To assist in the reopening of a frontal collapse the pilot should pull both brakes equally at the
same time. This also reduces the dive after the glider reopens.
Should a collapse happen with trims open then the reopening is slower.
NOTE: Pulling too much brake during a frontal collapse recovery can stall the glider or cause
the glider to revert from the frontal collapse directly into a deep-stall.
j.
In extreme conditions it is possible that the wing tip(s) can become trapped between the lines.
In general, this would happen only after a big uncontrolled collapse or during extreme
manoeuvres.
If this cravat occurs, in the first instance use the techniques described for releasing asymmetric
collapses.
If it fails to release, take hold of the stabilo line and pull hard towards yourself until the
trapped section of the wing is released.
At low altitude it is important to stabilise the rotation, if any, and if necessary use the reserve
(rescue) if this is not possible.
k.
The spiral dive is an effective way of making a fast descent. During the spiral dive the pilot and
glider will experience strong centrifugal forces which strain the glider. As such it should be
considered an extreme manoeuvre. Due to the rapid height loss during a spiral, pilots must
always take care that they have sufficient altitude before initiating the manoeuvre and that the
airspace is free around the pilot.
Initiation: Weight shift and smoothly pull on one brake (the same side you are weight shifting
into) so the glider goes from a normal 360-degree turn into a steep turn and from there into a
spiral dive. Once established in the spiral the descent rate and bank angle can be controlled
with weight shift and the releasing or pulling of inner brake. As the glider banks in front of the
pilot maintain the spiral by keeping the brake pressure constant, at this point weight-shift can
be neutralised. Descent is controlled by pulling more on the inner brake. A slight pull on the
outside brake helps to keep the glider stable.
Recovery: The RIDE recovers from a spiral spontaneously as soon as the brakes are released
and weight shift returns to neutral. To exit, allow the spiral to slow down for a turn or two by
slowly releasing the inner brake. Once the glider starts to exit the spiral, control your descent
rate and bank angle with weight shift and the outer and/or inner brake to prevent any strong
climbs out of spiral. Always finish a spiral dive at a safe altitude.
The RIDE does not show any tendency for a stable spiral. That means the glider does not
remain in spiral after releasing the brakes. If the glider should, in rare cases, remain in a stable
spiral the pilot should first weight-shift to the outside and then brake slightly more on the
outside.
ATTENTION: In a stable spiral the G-forces are very high. Be aware that it may therefore
require considerable more input and effort to recover from this state.
ATTENTION: The RIDE is an agile high performance glider. When exiting a spiral too fast the
conversion of energy may result in the glider climbing quickly and entering its own turbulence.
This may cause the glider to collapse. We advise that you allow the RIDE to exit from the spiral
dive in a controlled manner.

Reopening a cravat

Rapid decent manoeuvres

i. Spiral
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