My own notes from two SIV courses

I wrote these down for me so that I don't lose them but maybe they are useful for others, too.

Big (big) ears

• First pull one, then the other
• Release both at the same time
• Pump out first one, then the other
• Start with the bigger tuck

360 constant cadence turn

• Outside brake arranges the angle
• In a tight 360 you can exit whenever you want

Reserve packing

• Smooth side up (unless the bag dictates otherwise)
• One should not be able to lift the reserve container up by the lines

Reserve deployment

• Look, locate, grasp, punch

Safe exercises to try at home over dirt

• Pitch pendulum (dolphining)
• Weight-shift-only wing-overs
• Turn reversal (360 one way, 360 the other way, as fast and safe as possible)
• Constant cadence 360 banked one wingtip over the other

Turn reversal

• Try reversing with weight-shift only
• Wait until the glider is in front

Back-fly

• If you see wingtips inflating, let it go (hands up)
• Release not too slowly, otherwise helicopter
• Release symmetrically and rapidly
• If you get into a heli -> re-stall

Stall

• Binary stall: down -> wait -> up
• 2-stage stall: stall, quickly open wingtips (raise hands to ca. shoulder height), quickly re-stall
• Stall stages: full stall -> back-fly -> parachutal/heli-phase -> out
• "If the body is alright, the glider is alright": Body position and hand symmetry is extremely important
• If the tips are out, release
• If it is already in front, release
• Slow down the glider and sit up to make the swing back nicer
• Control dive by releasing brakes and by providing friction
• If you get a turning exit, take it - do not re-stall it then

Surge/dive

• Nice!
• Pendulum does all the work for you
• "Get out of jail free card"
• Keep going the same way -> "No threat whatsoever!"
• Speed is maneuvrability

Spin/ search for spin

• Keep going the same way

Wing-overs

• Weight-shift downhill
• Turn when diving
• Better earlier than later (brake in the dive, not later)
• Optimal brake input is 5 o'clock (just before 6 o'clock which is under the glider)
• Add outside brake
• On the way up squeeze inside break a bit longer to yaw the glider around to face the ground
• Hands up when starting to dive
• Throw the glider around: you want to achieve a "slingshot"/throw effect

Wing-over outside collapse recovery

• Do not let it turn you, do not outside brake
• Continue same way
• Keep inside brake and it will come out
• Keep turn and go into 360

SAT

• Strong weight-shift
• One arm is the "rod": "rod" holds risers, no need to push
• "Rod" to one side, weigh-shift to the other side
• One cannot go to SAT from a spiral
• Squeeze brake and pull through once it is dropping
• One or two wraps are needed
• With a normal glider, once in SAT, you cannot slow it down too much
• Possible outcomes:
  • Too slow/ bad timing: spiral
  • Good timing: SAT
  • Too fast/ too hard: spin/coconut -> stall it
• Exit: relax rod -> spiral -> spiral exit

Spiral exit

• Do not weigh-shift out
• Keep weight-shift
• Slowly release inside brake
• If no effect, add outside brake
• If no effect, jab both brakes
• If no effect, weight-shift to neutral
• Jab both brakes
• If no effect, reserve
• Once wing comes out of deep spiral, add inside brake and weight-shift again to bleed energy

360 spin "amp max"

• One arm up, one arm buried
• Release when in front
• Don't interfere with it
• When you see the ground, you can let go

Trim speed

• Typically around 37 km/h

Flying under a half-collapsed wing

• More wing-loading
• But also more drag

Cliff flying

• Weight-shift away from cliff
• As much weight-shift as possible
• As little brake as you can get away with

U-turn vision (observations)

• Back-fly position: hand through the brake-loop pinching about brake-loop - position is that I could put thumbs through carabiners
• Accelerated full frontal can stall into back-fly/deep stall, if the hands are not completely up after collapse
• Asymmetric 360 collapse leaning into the collapse goes rapidly into a SAT-like rotation