Ozone Alpina 4 Owner's manual

Type
Owner's manual
Pilots Manual - EN
Thank You01
Warning02
Team Ozone 03
Your Alpina 4 04
Preparation07
Basic Flight Techniques 09
Advanced Flying Techniques 13
Incidents 15
Caring For Your wing 18
Ozone Quality 25
Technical Specications 26
Drawing/Riser lengths 27
Line diagram 28
Materials 29
Link Lites 30
EN v1.0 Sept 2020
CONTENTS
01
T
hankyouforchoosingtoyOzone.Asateamoffreeyingenthusiasts,competitorsandadventurers,
Ozone’s mission is to build agile paragliders of the highest quality with cutting edge designs,
performanceandmaximumsecurity.
Condenceandbeliefinyourparagliderisafargreaterassetthananysmallgainsinperformance-ask
any of the Ozone pilots on your local hills, or those who have taken our gliders on ground-breaking
adventuresorstoodonpodiumsaroundtheworld.Allourresearchanddevelopmentisconcentratedon
creatingthebesthandling/performancecharacteristicspossiblewithoptimumsecurity.Ourdevelopment
teamisbasedinthesouthofFrance.Thisarea,whichincludesthesitesofGourdon,MonacoandColde
Bleyneguaranteesusmorethan300yabledaysperyearwhichisagreatassetinthedevelopmentof
theOzonerange.
Aspilotswefullyunderstandjusthowbiganinvestmentanewparaglideris.Weknowthatqualityand
valueformoneyareessentialconsiderationswhenchoosinganewwing,sotokeepcostslowandquality
high we manufacture all of our products in our own production facility. During production our wings
undergonumerousrigorousqualitycontrolchecksthatarefullytraceable,thiswaywecanguaranteethat
allofourparaglidersmeetthesamehighstandards.
Itisessentialthatyoureadthismanualbeforeyingyourwingforthersttime.Themanualwillhelpyou
getthemostoutofyournewwing,itdetailsinformationaboutthedesign,tipsandadviceonhowbest
touseitandhowtocareforyourwingtoensureithasalonglifeandretainsahighresalevalue.Forthe
latestupdates,includingalltechnicaldataspleaserefertotheonlineversionfoundontheproduct’spage
onatwww.yozone.com.
Ifyouneedanyfurtherinformationaboutanyofourproductspleasecheckyozone.comorcontactyour
localdealer,schooloranyofushereatOzone.
SafeFlying!
TeamOzone
THANK YOU
WARNING
02
•Paraglidingisapotentiallydangeroussportthatcancauseseriousinjuryincludingbodilyharm,paralysis
anddeath.FlyinganOzoneparagliderisundertakenwiththefullknowledgethatparaglidinginvolves
suchrisks.
•AstheownerofanOzoneparaglideryoutakeexclusiveresponsibilityforallrisksassociatedwithitsuse.
Inappropriateuseandorabuseofyourequipmentwillincreasetheserisks.
•Anyliabilityclaimsresultingfromuseofthisproducttowardsthemanufacturer,distributorordealers
areexcluded.
•Bepreparedtopracticeasmuchasyoucan-especiallygroundhandling,asthisisacriticalaspectof
paragliding.Poorcontrolwhileonthegroundisoneofthemostcommoncausesofaccidents.
•Bereadytocontinueyourlearningbyattendingadvancedcoursestofollowtheevolutionofoursport,
astechniquesandmaterialskeepimproving.
•Use only certied paragliders, harnesses with protector and reserve parachutes that are free from
modication,andusethemonlywithintheircertiedweightranges.Pleaserememberthatyingaglider
outsideitscertiedcongurationmayjeopardiseanyinsurance(e.g.liability,lifeetc)youhave.Itisyour
responsibilityasthepilottoverifyyourinsurancecover.
•Make sure you completea thorough daily and pre-ight inspection of all of your equipment. Never
attemptyingwithunsuitableordamagedequipment.
•Alwayswearahelmet,glovesandboots.
•All pilots should have the appropriate level of license for their respective country and third party
insurance.
•Makesurethatyouarephysicallyandmentallyhealthybeforeying.
•Choosethecorrectwing,harnessandconditionsforyourlevelofexperience.
•Payspecialattentiontotheterrainyouwillbeyingandtheweatherconditionsbeforeyoulaunch.Ifyou
areunsuredonoty,andalwaysaddalargesafetymargintoallyourdecisions.
•NEVERyyourgliderinrain,snow,strongwind,turbulentweatherconditionsorclouds.
•Ifyouusegood,safejudgmentyouwillenjoymanyyearsofparagliding.
Remember, PLEASURE is the reason for our sport
TEAM OZONE
03
EveryoneatOzonecontinuestobedrivenbyourpassionforying,ourloveofadventureandourquestto
seeOzone’sparagliderdevelopmentcreatebetter,saferandmoreversatileparagliders.
ThedesignteamconsistsofDavidDagault,LucArmant,FredPieri,RussellOgden,HonorinHamardand
SamJobard.Davstartedyingwhenhewas12yearsoldandhasaccumulatedawealthofexperience
in competition ying, XC and paraglider design. Luc, a dedicated XC and competition addict has
a background in naval architecture. Fred, our resident geek is a mathematician, mechanical engineer
andvolBivspecialist.Russisacompetitionpilotandtestpilotwith1000sofhourstestingexperience.
WorldandEuropeanchampionHonorinisanaturallytalentedpilotwhohasbeenyingsincehewas13
yearsold. Sam designsand develops ourrange of harnesses,he has agreat deal ofexperience both
yingparaglidersanddesigningharnesses.Betweenthem,theybringawealthofknowledge,ideasand
experienceandworkcloselytogetherinthedesign,developmentandtestingprocess.
MikeCavanaghisthebossandmultiplewinnerofthe UKXCleague,whennotoutyinghegenerally
keepscontrolofthemayhem.HeishelpedbyJeanChristopheSkiera(JC)whomanagesourdistribution
networkandtheproductrange.Promotionandmarketingareco-ordinatedbyBASEjumpinglegendMatt
Gerdes.
BackintheofceKarineMarconi,ChloeVilaandIsabelleMartinezruntheshow.Thesewonderfulladies
lookaftertheorderingsystem,thedealers,thedesignteamandthegeneraldaytodayrunningofthe
company-withoutthemitwouldbechaos.
Our own manufacturing facility inVietnamisheadedupbyDrDavePilkingtonwhoworksrelentlessly
manufacturing gliders and producing prototypes as well as researching materials and manufacturing
processesforourfutureproducts.HeisbackedupbyasuperbteammanagedbyKhanhandPhongwith
over1000productionstaff.
YOUR ALPINA 4
04
TheAlpina4isthelightweightversionoftheDelta4.
Withclassleadingperformanceandeasy,comfortablehandlingtheAlpinaserieshaslongbeenconsideredthereferenceinthe
lightweightENCcategory.TheAlpina4continuesthelegacy,exhibitingthebiggestgaininperformancewehaveyetseen,whilst
retainingtheperformance,safety,comfortandeaseofusetheAlpinaisfamedfor.
TheAlpina4featuresanewline-layoutwithaclassic3-linedesignsupportingthemiddlesectionbutwithtwo-linesinthewing
tips,thisnotonlysignicantlyreducesdragbutalsoimprovesthespanwiseliftdistribution,especiallyinacceleratedight.The
newprole,developedfromtheM7withsmalleropeningsandOzoneG-stringsalsocontributestotheperformanceincrease.The
Alpina4isanefcientcrosscountryweaponwithclass-leadingperformancewithoutcompromisingsafety.
Thesolidityinacceleratedighthasbeengreatlyimprovedthankstothenewproleandoptimisedinternalstructure.TheAlpina
4’sstructureisthestrongestwehaveyetmade,eveninaggressiveturbulencetheproleremainsundisturbed,retainingitsshape
andefciencyanddoesnotsufferfromthelossofperformanceassociatedwithchordwisedeformations.Despitethiswehave
managedtoshaveasignicantamountofweightfromthewing.Sizeforsize,theAlpina4is500glighterthatit’spredecessorand
morethan1kglighterthantheDelta4.
Thepilot is connectedintuitively to thewing thanks tothe Active ControlRisers, inherited directlyfrom the MantraM7. These
innovative risers give the pilot full control over the angle ofattack of the wing throughout thespeed range without deforming
thecamberoftheprole.TheyactonboththeBandClinesandoffer2-line-esquelevelsofcontrolwiththecomfortofa3line
package.IntuitiveandefcientAoAcontrol,animprovedairfoildesign,andahighlybalancedstructure,makestheAlpina4an
impressiveglidemachineinturbulentair.
AlotofworkhasgoneintonetuningthehandlingandimprovingtheprecisionofthebrakestomaketheAlpina4andabsolute
pleasuretoy.Thebrakesarelinear-preciseintherstpartoftheirrangeandeffectiveinthesecond-makingiteasytoadjustthe
angleofbankandplacethewingexactlywhereyouwantit,inthemiddleofthecore.Theclimbingefciencyisaidedbythestrong
chordstructureandexcellentsailcohesion,eveninturbulentthermalsthewingretainsexcellentlevelsofrollandyawresponse
foranagile,pleasurablefeel.
CertiedENCandavailablein5sizes.TheAlpina4isidealforintermediatetoadvancedpilotswhoybetween70-100hrsperyear
andwhohaveSIVexperience.SuitableforhikeandyandXCadventures,theAlpina4’seaseofusemakesitaccessibleforthose
movingupfromahighendENBwhilsttheperformanceandpureyingpleasuremakesitsuitableformoreexperiencedpilotswho
wanttoywithhighermarginsofsafety.
0505
Rucksack
Asstandard,yourwingissuppliedwithaspeciallydesignedbagthatislightandcomfortable.Itfeatures
apaddedhipbelt,ergonomicadjustableshoulderstrapsandextra pocketstostorekeys,accessories
andallthoseextrabits.Itslargevolumeallowsyoutostoreallofyourequipmentwhilstdistributingthe
weightforcomfortablehiking.Wehavealargerangeofbagsandyoucanchoosefromanyofthemat
thetimeoforder.
Brake Lines
Thebrakelinelengthshavebeensetcarefullyduringtesting.Wefeelitisbettertohaveslightlylongbrake
linesandtoywithawrap(oneturnofthehandlearoundthehand).However,ifyoudochoosetoadjust
theirlengthpleasekeepinmindthefollowing:
•Ensurebothmainbrakelinesareofequallength.
•Ifabrakehandlehasbeenremoved,checkthatitslineisroutedthroughthepulleywhenitisreplaced.
•Whenthebrakesarefullyreleasedinight,thebrakelinesshouldbeslack.Theremustbeasubstantial
bowinthemtoguaranteenodeformationofthetrailingedgewhenaccelerated.
•Theremustbeaminimumof5-10cmoffreeplaybeforethebrakesbegintodeformthetrailingedge.
Thispreventsthetrailingedgefrombeingdeformedwhenusingthespeedsystem.
Risers
TheAlpina4hasbeendesignedwith3risersperside.TheArisersarecoveredwithcolouredwebbing
foreasyidentication-thesmallerriser,holdingonlytheoutermostAline,isforaneasierapplicationof
bigears.
Therisersfeatureattachmentsforafootoperatedacceleratorsystem,theydonotfeaturetrimmersorany
otheradjustabledevices.
TheAlpina4featuresnewActiveControlRisers(ACR)forfullcontrolwhilstaccelerated.Actingonboth
theBandC risers, this new innovative system offers direct, efcientangleofattackcontrol - without
deformingtheprole.Theintuitivefeelandfeedbackfromtherisersallowsthepilottoincreasethesolidity
ofthewingwhilstacceleratedinturbulentair.
IMPORTANT
In the unlikely
event of a brake line
snapping in ight, or
a handle becoming
detached, the glider
can be own by
gently pulling the rear
risers (C-risers) for
directional control.
06
Total Weight in flight
EachOzonegliderhasbeendesignedandcertiedforadenedweightrange.Westronglyrecommend
thatyourespecttheseweightranges.Ifyouarebetweensizesthefollowinginformationmayhelpyou
makeadecisionastowhichsizetobuy:
•Forthemostpreciseanddynamichandlingorifyougenerallyyinmountainsand/orinstrong
conditions,youshouldchosetoyinthetoppartoftheweightrange.
•Ifyouwantabettersinkrate,orifyougenerallyyinatlandsand/orinweakconditions,youmay
choosetoynearerthemiddlepartoftheweightrange.Remember,youcanalwaysaddballastwhen
conditionsarestronger.
•Itisnotrecommendedtoyattheverybottomoftheweightrange.
Towing
TheAlpina4maybetow-launched.Itisthepilot’sresponsibilitytousesuitableharnessattachmentsand
releasemechanismsandtoensurethattheyarecorrectlytrainedontheequipmentandsystememployed.
Alltowpilotsshouldbequaliedtotow,useaqualiedtowoperatorwithproper,certiedequipment,
andmakesurealltowingregulationsareobserved.Whentowingyoumustbecertainthattheparaglider
iscompletelyoveryourheadbeforeyoustart.Ineachcasethemaximumtowforceneedstocorrespond
tothebodyweightofthepilot.
Limitations
TheAlpina4hasbeendesignedasasolosportsperformanceXCwingandisnotintendedforbeginner
pilots,tandemightsoraerobaticmanoeuvres.TheAlpina4showsnounusualyingcharacteristics,turns
aresmoothandco-ordinatedanditremainssolidandwellpressuredthroughouttheacceleratedspeed
range.Ithasaveryhighresistancetobothcollapsesandstalls.However,itisahighperformanceXC
wingandisthereforeonlysuitableforexperiencedpilotswhoyapproximately70-100hrsperyearand
whohaveSIVexperience.
TheAlpina4wascertiedwithouttheuseofcollapselines.
PREPARATION
07
IMPORTANT
Using the accelerator
decreases the angle
of attack and makes
the wing more prone
to collapse, therefore
using the accelerator
near the ground or in
turbulent conditions
should be avoided.
Accelerator System
Tosetuptheacceleratorsystem,rstroutethelinessuppliedwiththespeedsystemthroughtheharness.
Makesurethis isdonecorrectly andthatthelinespassthroughallofthepulleys(checkyourharness
manualforinstructions).Attachthespeedsystemlinestotheacceleratorsystemontheriserswiththe
Brummelhooks.
Abasicset-upcanbeperformedontheground:askafriendtopulltheriserstightintotheirin-ight
positionwhilstyousitintheharnessontheground.Nowadjustthelengthsofthelinessothatthemain
barsitsjustbeneathyourseat.Youshouldbeabletohookyourheelintothelowerloopoftheaccelerator.
TheremustbeenoughslackinthespeedsystemtoensuretheArisersarenotinadvertentlypulledduring
normaltrimspeedight,butnotsolongthatitisimpossibletousethefullspeedrangeoftheglider.Fully
extendingthelowerloopofthespeedbarwillacceleratethewingtoapproximatelyhalfitsaccelerated
speedrange.Forfullspeed,hookyourheelsontotheupperbarandsmoothlyextendyourlegs,maximum
speed is when the pulleys on the risers overlap. Once setup, test the full range ofthe accelerator in
calmyingconditionsandensurethatbothrisersarepulledevenlyduringoperation.Fine-tuningcanbe
completedwhenyouarebackontheground.
Harness
Itisimportanttosetupyourharnesscorrectlybeforeyingthewing.Makesuretospendtimeadjusting
your harness’s different settings until you are completely comfortable. We recommend a chest strap
settingbetween44cmand48cm(measuredbetweenthecentreofthehangpoints).
Thewinghasbeencertiedwithastandardseatedharness,XS/Ssizesarecertiedwithacheststrap
setto42cm,theMS/MLbetween44-46cm,andtheL/XLbetween46-48cm.Donotywithacheststrap
settingtootight(below42cm)ortoowide(above48cm)asthiswillaffectthebehaviourandfeedbackof
thewing.
Usingapodharnessinalaidbacksupinepositiondoesnotinvalidatethecerticationbutitmayhavean
inuenceonthebehaviourofthewing.Podharnessesincreasetheriskoftwistsoccurringduringalarge
asymmetriccollapse.
08
Wing
Topreparethewing,layitoutonthetopsurfaceandperformathoroughdailycheck.Youshouldinspect
thetopandbottomsurfacesforanyripsandtearsoranyotherobvioussignsofdamage.Layoutthelines
onesideatatime,holduptherisersandstartingwiththebrakelines,pullalllinesclear.Repeatwiththe
stabilo,D(uppers),C,BandAlines,layingthecheckedlinesontopofthepreviousset,andmakingsure
nolinesaretangled,knottedorsnagged.Mirrortheprocessontheothersideandtheninspectthelines
foranyvisualdamage.Theninspecttherisersforanysignsofobviousdamage.Thegeneralruleisifit
looksOKthenitisOK,howeverifyouhaveanydoubtspleasegetadvicefromanexperiencedpilotor
yourlocaldealerorinstructor.
Tofamiliariseyourselfwiththeglideritisagoodideatoperformpracticeinationsandsmallightsona
traininghill.Thiswillenableyoutosetupyourequipmentcorrectly.
Take-off checklist:
1.Checkreserveparachute-pinisinandhandlesecure
2.Helmetonandfastened
3.Allharnessbucklesclosed-checkleg-loopsagain
4.Risersconnectedtotheharnesscorrectlywithcarabinersandmaillonstight
5.Acceleratorsystemconnected
6.HoldingtheArisersandyourbrakehandlescorrectly
7.Leadingedgeopen
8.Alignedinthemiddleofthewinganddirectlyintowind
9.Airspaceandvisibilityclear
BASIC FLIGHT TECHNIQUES
09
IMPORTANT
Never take off with
a glider that is not
fully inated or if you
are not in control of
the pitch/roll of your
wing.
Launching
YourAlpina4willlaunchwitheithertheforwardorreversetechnique.Thewingshouldbelaidoutina
pronouncedarc,withthecentreofthewinghigherthanthetips.
Forward Launch - Nil to Light winds
Whenthewindisfavourable,whilstgentlyholdingtheArisersmoveforwardpositively,yourlinesshould
becometightwithinoneortwostepsandtheAlpina4willimmediatelystarttoinate.Youshouldmaintain
aconstantpressureontherisersuntilthewingisoverhead.Donotpulldownorpushtherisersforward
excessively,ortheleadingedgewilldeformandpossiblycollapsemakingtaking-offmoredifcultand
potentiallydangerous.
Movesmoothlythroughouttheentirelaunch,thereisnoneedtorushorsnatchatit.Youshouldhave
plentyoftimetolookupandcheckyourcanopybeforecommittingyourself.Onceyouarehappythatthe
Alpina4isinatedcorrectly,acceleratesmoothlyoffthelaunch.
Reverse Launch - Light to Strong Winds
Layoutyourwingasyouwouldfortheforwardlaunch.However,thistimeturntofaceit,passingone
entiresetofrisersoveryourheadasyouturn.Nowyoucaninatethegliderwithyourbodyweightand
theA-risers.Oncethewingisoverhead,releasetherisers,brakegentlyifnecessary,turnandlaunch.
Instrongerwinds,bepreparedtotakeafewstepstowardsthegliderasitinates.Thiswilltakesomeof
theenergyoutoftheglideranditwillbelesslikelytooveryyou.Thisreverse-launchtechniquecanbe
usedinsurprisinglylightwindstoo.
Speed to Fly
Flyingattrimspeed(hands-up),theAlpina4willachieveits‘bestglide’speedforstillair.Youshouldy
atthisspeedwhenglidingdownwindorwhentheairisnotexcessivelysinking.Forbetterpenetrationin
headwindsandimprovedglideperformanceinsinkingair,crosswindsorheadwinds,youshouldyfaster
thantrimspeedusingtheacceleratorsystem.Usinguptohalfbardoesnotdegradetheglideangleor
stabilitysignicantlyandwillimproveyouryingperformance.Youwillreachthenextthermalfasterand
higher.AtfullspeedtheAlpina4isstable,howeverwerecommendthatyoudonotyatfullspeedclose
tothegroundorinturbulentair.
10
Byapplyingapproximately 20cm of brakes theAlpina4 will achieve its Minimum-Sinkrate;thisis the
speedforbestclimbandisthespeedtouseforthermallingandridgesoaring.
Turning
To familiarize yourself with the Alpina 4 your rst turns should be gradual and progressive. To make
efcientandcoordinatedturns,rstchecktheairspaceisclearandthenleaninthedirectionyouwantto
go.Therstinputfordirectionalchangeshouldbeweight-shift,followedbyasmoothapplicationofthe
brakeuntilthedesiredbankangleisachieved.Toregulatethespeedandradiusoftheturn,coordinate
yourweightshiftandusetheouterbrake.
Active Flying
Tominimizethelikelihoodofsufferingcollapsesinturbulentconditions,itisessentialtouseactiveying.
Theseareskillsthatarebestlearntbyplayingwiththegliderontheground.Flyingwithasmallamount
ofbrakeapplied(approx.20cm)willallowyoutofeelthefeedbackfromthewing.Inturbulentconditions
theinternalpressureofthewingisconstantlychangingandbyusingasmallamountofbrakewillyoufeel
thesechanges.Theaimofactiveyingistomaintainaconstantpressurethroughthebrakes,Ifyoufeel
areductionorlossofpressurequicklyapplythebrakesuntilyoufeelnormalpressureagain.Onceyou
havenormalpressure,raisethehandsbacktotheoriginalposition.Avoidyingwithcontinuousamounts
ofdeepbrakeinroughairasyoucouldinadvertentlystallthewing-alwaysconsideryourairspeed.The
brakeinputs can besymmetricor asymmetric;youmay havetoapply both brakesor just one.These
subtleadjustmentswillkeeptheglideryingsmoothlyanddirectlyaboveyouanddramaticallyreducethe
likelihoodofacollapse.Ifthegliderpitchesinfrontofyou,usethebrakestoslowitdown.Equally,ifthe
gliderdropsbehindyou,releasethebrakestoallowittospeedup,butbereadytoanticipatethefollowing
pitchforward.Thegoalistomaintainthewingdirectlyoverheadwithaconstantlevelofinternalpressure.
No pilot and no glider are immune to collapses however correct active ying willreduce the chances
signicantly.When theconditionsare turbulent,be moreactiveand anticipatethemovements ofyour
wing,alwaysbeawareofyouraltitudeanddonotover-react.
Westronglyadviseyoutokeepholdofyourbrakesatalltimesandtonotyinturbulentconditions.
IMPORTANT
Always keep hold of
your brakes. Do not y
in turbulent conditions
IMPORTANT
Never initiate a turn at
minimum speed (i.e.
with full brakes on) as
you could risk entering
a spin.
11
Active Control Risers
TheAlpina4featuresActiveControlRisers,anewinnovativecontrolsystemthatactsonboththeBand
Crisersforanimprovedfeelandintuitiveangleofattackcontroloverthewing.Thisenablesyoutoy
activelywithoutusingthebrakes.Usingbrakeswhilstacceleratedcausesdrag,notonlyisthisinefcient
but it also reduces theinherent stability of the prolewhilst using the ACR risersincreases the angle
ofattackmoreevenlyacrossthechordanddoesnotweakentheprole.Thedirectfeelallowsyouto
stopcollapses beforetheyhappen andmaintain higherspeedsand higherlevelsof efciencythrough
turbulence.
To y with the risers, keep hold ofyourbrake handles (remove any wraps) and take hold ofthe ACR
handles.Ifyouseeorfeeltheleadingedgelosepressure,atthesametimeasreleasingsomeorallofthe
acceleratoryoucanalsoapplypressuretohelpkeepthenoseopen.Theamountofpressureandsizeof
theinputisdependentontheamountofturbulence/lossofpressure,butalwaysbegentleatrstoryou
riskstallingpartorallofthewingifyouareoverenthusiastic.Learnthefeelofthewing-howmuchspeed
bartoreleaseandtheforcerequiredontheriserstokeepthenoseopenwithoutinducingunnecessarily
largepitchmovements.
ACRcontrolisveryeffectivethroughoutthespeedrange,instrongturbulencewerecommendtocontrol
thepitchofthewingactivelyusingacombinationofthespeedbarandACRinput.Ifyoufeelthenose
ofthewingstarttocollapseorpitchforwardwhilstacceleratedtherstactionshouldbetoreleasethe
speedbarimpulsivelyandthenmakeanynecessaryriserinput.Usingthecombinedactivespeedbar/
ACR control technique you will be able to maximise your speed and efciency whilst minimising the
likelihoodofcollapses.
Thiscontrolmethodissuitableforglidingingood‘normal’air,itdoesnotreplaceproperactiveyingwith
thebrakesinstrongturbulentconditions.Ifyouareunsureabouttheairreturntheglidertotrimspeed,
releasetherisersandytheglideractivelywiththebrakes.
12
Landing
TheAlpina4showsnounusuallandingcharacteristicsbutasareminder,herearesometips:
•Alwayssetupforyourlandingearly,giveyourselfplentyofoptionsandasafemarginforerror.
•Oncebelow30metresavoidturningtightlyasthegliderwillhavetodivetoacceleratebacktonormal
ight. If you are at low altitude, or if you hit sink, this could mean you hit the ground harder than
necessary.
•Leanforwardoutofyourharnessbeforetheactuallanding(especiallyifit’sturbulent),withyourweight
leaningforwardagainstthecheststrap,andmakesureyourlegsarereadyforthelandingandapossible
PLF(parachutelandingfall).
•Allowtheglidertoyathandsup(trim)speedforyournaldescentuntilyouarearound1metreabove
theground(inwindyorturbulentconditionsyoumustytheglideractivelyalltheway).Applythebrakes
slowlyandprogressivelytoslowthegliderdownuntilgroundspeedhasbeenreducedtoaminimumand
youareabletostepontotheground.
•Inlightwinds/zerowindyouneedastrong,longandprogressivearetobleedoffallyourexcessground
speed.Instrongwindsyourforwardspeedisalreadylowsoyouarearingonlytosoftenthelanding.A
strongaremayresultinthegliderclimbingupwardsandbackwardsquickly,leavingyouinavulnerable
position.
•Ifthegliderdoesbegintoclimb,easeoffthebrakes(10-20cm)-donotputyourhandsupalltheway-
thenareagain,butmoregentlythistime.Keepthebrakesatmidspeed,standup,bereadytorunand
makesureyoubrakefullyasyouarriveontheground.
•Choosetheappropriateapproachstyleinfunctionofthelandingareaandtheconditions.
•Instrongwindsyouneedtoturntowardsthegliderthesecondyourfeettouchtheground.Oncefacing
thewingpullsmoothlyandsymmetricallydownonthebrakestostallthewing.Ifthegliderpullsyou,
runtowardit.
•Ifthewindisverystrong,andyoufeelyoumightbedragged,orliftedagain,stallthegliderwiththeC
risers.Thisstallsthewinginaveryquickandcontrollablewayandwilldragyoulessthanifyouusethe
brakes.
•Alwayslandheadingintowind!
ADVANCED FLIGHT TECHNIQUES
13
DO NOT perform spiral
dives with the big ears
engaged.
Ozonewouldliketoremindyouthatthefollowingmanoeuvresshouldbelearntunderthesupervisionof
aqualiedinstructorandalwaysusedwithcaution.Neverforgetthatproperlyanalysingtheconditions
beforelaunchwillhelpavoidtheneedtousethesetechniques.
Big Ears
Foldinginthewingtipsincreasesthesinkratewithoutradicallychangingtheairspeed.Thisisusefulfor
stayingoutofcloudordescendingquicklythroughtheliftbandofthehill,forexamplewhentoplanding.
Topullbigears,keepholdofyourbrakehandlesandtaketheoutermostA-lineoneachside,thenpullout
anddown(preferablyoneatatime)untilthewingtipsfoldunder.TheOuterAlineisattachedtotheBaby
Ariser,makingidenticationanduseofthebigearsystemeasier.Thesizeofthebigearscanbeadjusted
bypullingmoreline,orreachinghigheruptheline.FordirectionalcontrolwhileusingtheBigEars,you
shoulduseweight shift.Toreopen theears,releasebothAlinesatthesametime.Tohelpreination,
brakegentlyonesideatatimeuntiltipsregainpressure.Avoiddeepsymmetricapplicationsofthebrake
asthiscouldaccidentlyinduceparachutalorfullstalls.
YoumayuseBigearsforthenallandingapproachbuttheyshouldbereleasedbeforemakingthenal
are.Ozoneadvisetonotusethistechniqueinturbulentorwindyconditionsduetothereducedabilityto
yactivelyandtheriskofaninadvertentstallwhilstdescendingthroughthewindgradient.
Oncethebigearsareengagedyoucanfurtherincreasethesinkratebypushingontheacceleratorbar,
howeverNEVERtrytopulltheBigEarsiniftheacceleratorisalreadypushed.Thelowerangleofattack
andtheactofdeatingthetipscanleadtoamajordeation.AlwaysmaketheBigEarsrstandthen
applythespeedbar.
Ozone strongly recommend to NOT perform Spiral Dives with Big Ears engaged.
B-Line Stall
B-stallisforfastdescentsinemergencysituationsonly.Itisfasterandsafertolosealtitudewithaspiral
divethanaB-stall.
14
ToinitiatetheB-stall,keepthebrakesinyourhandandtakeholdofboththeBrisers,orplaceyourngers
between the lines above the maillons. Pull down smoothly and symmetrically to enter the B-stall. To
exitreleasetheB-riserssymmetricallyinonesmooth,progressivemotion.Thegliderwillresumenormal
forwardightwithoutfurtherinput.Checkyouhaveforwardightagainbeforeusingthebrakes.
IfyoupulltoomuchB-linetheglidermayhorseshoeandmovearoundalot.Ifthisoccurs,slowlyrelease
theBlinesuntilthewingstabilisesorsimplyexittheBlinestallbyimmediatelyreleasetheBrisers.Donot
attempttomaintainaBlinestallthatisnotstable.
Spiral Dives
Thespiraldiveisthemosteffectiveformofrapiddescent.Ifyouturnyourgliderinaseriesoftightening
360’sitwillenteraspiraldive.Thiswillresultinrapidheightloss.Toinitiateaspiral,lookandleanintothe
directionyouwanttogo,thensmoothlyandprogressivelypulldownontheinsidebrake.TheAlpina4will
rstturnalmost360degreesbeforeitdropsintothespiral.Onceinthespiralyoushouldre-centreyour
weightshiftandapplyalittleoutsidebraketokeeptheouterwingtippressuredandinated.
Safedescentratesofmorethan8m/s(1600ft/minapprox.)arepossibleinaspiraldive,butattheserates
theassociatedhighspeedsandg-forcescanbedisorientating.Alwayspayparticularattentiontoyour
altitude.Toexitthespiraldive,smoothlyweightshiftintheoppositedirectionofthespiralandsmoothly
releasetheinsidebrakewhilstapplyingtheoutsidebrake.AstheAlpina4deceleratesallowittocontinue
toturnuntilenoughenergyislostforittoreturntolevelightwithoutanexcessiveclimbandsurge.
Itispossiblefor theAlpina4toremainneutralinaspiraldiveundercertaincircumstances:unsuitable
cheststrapsetting(tootight),totalweightinightoutsideofthecertiedweightrange,orbeinginavery
deepspiralataveryhighsinkrate>14m/s.
Youshouldalwaysbepreparedtopilotthewingoutofaspiraldive.Todoso,useoppositeweightshift
andsmoothlyapplyenoughoutsidebrakeuntilyoufeelthewingstarttodecelerate,thegliderwillthen
starttoresumenormalight.Recoveringfromaspiralwithhardorquickoppositeinputswillresultinan
aggressiveclimbandsurgeandisnotrecommended.Alwaysbepreparedtomanagetheenergy,bleed
offthespeedifnecessary.Neverperformspiraldivesclosetotheground.
IMPORTANT
Always be prepared
to pilot the wing out
of a spiral dive. Use
opposite weight shift
and apply enough
outside brake to
stop the wing from
spiralling.
INCIDENTS IN FLIGHT
15
Deflations
Duetotheexibleformofaparaglider,turbulencemaycauseaportionofthewingsuddenlytocollapse.
Thiscanbeanythingfromasmall30%(asymmetric)collapsetoacomplete(symmetric)collapse.
Ifyouhaveacollapse,therstthingtodoistocontrolyourdirection.Youshouldyawayfromtheground
orobstaclesandotherpilots.Asymmetriccollapsesshouldbecontrolledbyweightshiftingawayfromthe
collapseandapplyingenoughbraketocontrolyourdirection.Thisactionalonewillbeenoughforafull
recoveryofthewingmostofthetime.
Onceagliderisdeateditiseffectivelyasmallerwing,sothewingloadingandstallspeedarehigher.This
meansthegliderwillspinorstallwithlessbrakeinputthannormal.Inyoureffortstostopthegliderturning
towardsthecollapsedsideofthewingyoumustbeverycarefulnottostallthesideofthewingthatisstill
ying.Ifyouareunabletostopthegliderturningwithoutexceedingthestallpointthenallowthegliderto
turnwhilstyoureinatethecollapse.
Ifyouhaveadeationwhichdoesnotspontaneouslyreinate,makealongsmoothprogressivepump
onthedeatedside.Thispumpingactionshouldtakeabout1-2secondsperpump.Pumpingtooshort
andfastwillnotreinatethewingandpumpingtooslowmighttaketheglidercloseto,orbeyond,the
stallpoint.
Symmetricalcollapsesreinatewithoutpilotinput,however15to20cmofbrakeappliedsymmetricallywill
speedtheprocess.Afterasymmetriccollapsealwaysconsideryourairspeed.Makesurethegliderisnot
inparachutalstallbeforemakinganyfurtherinputs.
If your Alpina 4 collapses in accelerated ight, immediately release the accelerator and manage the
collapseusingthemethodsdescribedabove.
IMPORTANT
Never apply the brakes
whilst using the speed
system - it makes the
wing more prone to
collapse.
16
Cravats
Ifthetipofyourwinggetsstuckinthelines,thisiscalleda‘cravat’.Thiscanmakeyourglidergointoa
spiral,whichisdifculttocontrol.Therstsolutiontogetoutofthissituationistostabilisethegliderinto
normalight,i.egetcontrolofyourdirectionandthenusestrongdeeppumpsofthebrakeonthecravated
side.Whendoingsoitisimportanttoleanawayfromthecravatotherwiseyouriskspinningordeepening
thespiral.Theaimistoemptytheairoutofthewingtip,butwithoutspinning.Correctlydone,thisaction
willclearthecravatquicklyandisthemostefcientandeffectivemethod.Youcanalsotrypullingonthe
stabilolinetofreesmallstubbornwingtipcravats.Whichevermethodyouuse,becarefulwithanybrake
inputsasyoumaystalltheoppositewing.
Ifitisaverylargecravatandtheaboveoptionshavenotworkedthenafullstallisthenextoption.Only
attemptthisifyouhaveenoughaltitudeandyouknowwhatyouaredoing.Rememberiftherotationis
acceleratingandyouareunabletocontrolit,throwyourreserveparachuteimmediatelywhilstyoustill
haveenoughaltitude.
Deep Stall / Parachutal Stall
It is possible for gliders to enter a state of parachutal stall. This can be caused by several situations
including;a veryslow releasefroma B-linestall; yingthe gliderwhenwet; orafter afront/symmetric
deation.Theglideroftenlooksasthoughithasrecoveredproperlybutcarriesondescendingvertically
withoutfullforwardmotion.Thissituationiscalled‘deepstall’or‘parachutalstall’.
ItisunlikelytohappenonanyOzoneglider,butshoulditdosoyourrstreactionshouldbetofullyraise
bothhands.ThisnormallyallowstheglidertoreturntonormalightbutIfnothinghappensafterafew
seconds,reachupandpushtheA-risersforwardsorapplythespeedbartoencouragethewingtoregain
normalight.Ensure the glider hasreturnedto normal ight (check yourairspeed)before you use the
brakesagain.
Donotyinrain,doingsosignicantlyincreasesthelikelihoodofparachutalstallsoccurring.Toreduce
thechanceofstallinginrainavoidusingdeepbrakemovementsorBigEars.Findasafeareatolandand
usingthespeedbar,maintainagoodairspeedatalltimes.
WARNING
Uncoordinated
wingovers can lead
to large asymmetric
collapses and cravats,
therefore they should
never be executed
near the ground.
IMPORTANT
A bad preparation
on launch, aerobatic
ying, ying a wing of
too high a level or in
conditions too strong
for your ability, are
the main causes of
cravats.
IMPORTANT
Only a few cms of
input from your
brakes can maintain
your wing in the stall.
Always release your
wraps if you have
taken them!
17
Flying in the Rain
Modernwingsaresusceptibletorainandmoisture,yingwithawetwingcanresultinthelossofnormal
ight.
Duetotheefcient,wrinkle-freedesignofthesail,watertendstobeadontheleadingedgecausingow
separation.Flowseparationwillmakethewingmorepronetoenteringinadvertentparachutalstalls,so
yingintherain,orwithawetwing(e.gearlymorningdew)shouldbeavoidedatallcosts.
Ifyouareaccidentlycaught-outinarainshower,itisbesttolandimmediately.Ifyourwingbecomeswet
intheairitisadvisedtomaintainacceleratedightusingthespeedbarand/orreleasingthetrimmers,
evenduringthenalapproach.DONOTusebigearsasadescenttechnique,bigearsincreasesdrag,and
withawetwingthiswillfurtherincreasethechancesofaparachutalstalloccurring.Instead,loseheight
withgentle360’sandmaintainyourairspeedatalltimes.Ifyourwingentersparachutalstallwhenwet,
immediatelyreleasethetrimmersandacceleratethewingtoregainairspeed.
IMPORTANT
Never y in the rain or
with a wet glider.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
18
Step 1.Laythemushroomed
wingonthegroundoronthe
Saucissepackifyouareusing
one.Itisbesttostartfromthe
mushroomedpositionasthis
reducesthedraggingofthe
leadingedgeacrosstheground.
Step 2.Groupleadingedge(LE)
plasticreinforcementswiththeA
tabsroughlyaligned.Makesure
theplasticreinforcementslay
sidebyside.Notetheglideris
NOTfoldedinhalf;itisfoldedas
acompleteconcertinafromwing
tiptowingtip.
Step 3.Grouptogether
themiddleandthe
trailingedge(TE)of
thewingbysortingthe
concertinafoldsnearthe
BandCtabs.
Packing
Toprolongthelifeofyourwingandtokeeptheplasticreinforcementsinthebestpossibleconditionitisveryimportanttopackthe
wingcarefully.Werecommendtousetheconcertinapackingmethodexactlyasshownsothatallofthecellsrestalongsideeach
otherandtheplasticreinforcementsarenotunnecessarilybent.Itisalsogoodpracticetousethesuppliedinatablefoldingpillow,
althoughnotabsolutelynecessaryitdoesreducetheangleoftheleadingedgefoldandhelpspreservetheplasticreinforcements.
Thefoldingpillowcanbedeatedandcarriedinyourharness.Also,usingtheOzoneSaucissepackwillhelppreservethelifeofthe
wingandaidwiththespeedandeaseofpacking.
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Ozone Alpina 4 Owner's manual

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Owner's manual

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