Ozone Alpina 4 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

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

•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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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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