Spyder: when to use tip steering?

[mollyfox]

hi! beginner pilot here, fresh out of training. i'm buying my gear (along with my partner, who's at the same skill level as i am) and have settled on the spyder. it hasn't arrived yet, but we've been reading the manual to try and figure out when we want to use tip steering over brakes.

the manual says that letting the trims out fully has the same effect as the speedbar. it also says when using the speedbar, you should use tip steering. but it doesn't say, specifically (as far as i can tell), whether that means you should use tip steering when the trims are fully out.

any spyder or reflex wing owners here with wisdom?

[alan_k]

Hi Molly, it must be a wonderful position to be in with your partner also trained, you can look forward to lots of PPG fun and adventures together.

I have just read the manual for the Spyder and will draw your attention to this:

IMPORTANT: When fully accelerated directional control should be maintained with the Tip Steering System. Do not use the brakes.

'Fully accelerated' to me means using the speedbar or the trimmers fully out, as Ozone say this is equivalent.

From what I read you have made a good choice with the Spyder, would like to try one myself.

Have fun and fly safe.

_____________________________

Just read some more of the manual, very well written

Edited October 31, 2017 by alan_k
Good manual

[coolhand]

I am also a happy owner of a Spyder and as far as I can tell the tipsteer must be used when fully accelarated (either speedbar or trims full out) and can be used during all other fases of flight. I stow the brakes when above 300 ft and start using the tipsteering as this requires much less effort

[alan_k]

Having not flown one does the tipsteer give a more dynamic turn, like the red ball tipsteer on the old Nucleon?

Looking at the line diagram it looks as if it is roughly equivalent, though pulling fewer of the outer cells 

[AndyB]

Spyder is very similar to Roadster, that I have. With trims out or speedbar, the brakes are very heavy and not very effective....tip steer is used. A tight turn can be done with just your little finger!

With trims in and no speedbar, the tip steer can be used.....but not quite as effective as before. The thing to remember is that if you are flying low in this mode your hands are not on the brakes if something goes wrong and you need to land quickly.

[mollyfox]

thank you all so much! this is incredibly helpful — and good to hear about how effective tip steering is! i'm extraordinarily excited to try it out when my wing arrives. (one long month...going to be dreaming relentlessly of kiting until then.)

what does everyone else fly now, and what wings did you start out with as beginners?

[coolhand]

On 31-10-2017 at 10:29, alan_k said:

Having not flown one does the tipsteer give a more dynamic turn, like the red ball tipsteer on the old Nucleon?

Looking at the line diagram it looks as if it is roughly equivalent, though pulling fewer of the outer cells 

It's definitely more dynamic using tipsteer  

[Pedwarpimp]

I had the same question Molly, I'm new to motoring and reflex wings, but been paragliding for quite some time.

I have the Ozone speedster 2, and how I read the manual was not to use the brakes if you were fully trimmed out and speed bar, but wasn't sure, so I would go with what the others said above.  To be fair, I try not to use the brakes anyway if trimmed out and just use weight shift to maintain direction if trying to get somewhere, otherwise I'm trimmed in practicing wing overs or thermalling.  

 

As as it happened I had an hour GH on the weekend where I was experimenting kiting the wing trimmed in and out, and the brakes worked fine both ways,  the reflex was great and could see it working well when I was purposefully trying to get the wing to overfly me and frontal.  

Hope the both of you enjoy the sport. 

[adamjedgar]

I am suprised to read guys new to paramotoring flying enc wings...these wings should be only used by more experienced/intermediate to advanced ppg pilots not ppg beginners.

 

I know an experienced paragliding instuctor with around 1000 hours free flying who broke his leg motoring on a siroco (lightwieight version of speedster) because he really didnt have the ppg experience for this wing. He had barely any motor time before choosing this wing and paid the price for it.

 

I have flown the sirocco...its a nice wing, however from my own experience flying a dudek universal i can openly say that when rough air is encountered...even my low end ppg wing can be hellishly nasty with the motor on my back (even though its a complete pussy cat free flying). I have had times where i have hit thermals or turbulence landing and really struggled to keep the thing above me. Those flying En C ppg wings with little air time motoring are going to shit themselves if the wing gets out of shape...with the high wing loading recovery becomes extrmely dynamic and much more difficult...not good for inexperienced motor pilots and a very bad job on the part of the salesperson who sold said pilots these wings....very poor form.

 

To give some real perspective on my flying...my main free flying wing is a Niviuk Icepeak En D  2 liner  comp wing (i have 500 hours total pg time...about 100 on Icepeak). And here i am 100 hours paramotoring and still on a en a/b Dudek Universal.

Edited November 10, 2017 by adamjedgar