Patrick's Progression

[Steve]

My old Volution had the snagged webbing issue twice, it didn't happen for a year then twice in a week and then never again. It made quite a dramatic affect to flying straight (or trying to).

As for landing, everyone I know takes a wrap or two, although I don't since fitting these.

[Hann__]

So the video is there, warts and all, so you can all wince at my landing or even give some constructive advice if you like

I just feel I can't bleed enough speed off and slow the whole thing down enough to "step off the bus".

Hi Patrick, this is just what i felt with my Synth - hitting the deck too hard/fast to make a decent landing, but just recently something has `clicked` and i`ve made a handful of good, consecutive landings that has finally given me the confidence for future landings and that i`ve `got the hang of it`.

As a newbie myself with similar flight time to you (and on the same wing) these are my personal observations.

Since `going solo`my landings started out 50/50 whether i`d be on my feet or knees, then got a bit worse - 30/70, probably!

I always used to fall forwards opposed to your landing on yer arse, but i think that may be due to your Parajet?

I trained on a Volution and the swinging forward/pivoting effect when brake/flaring was very apparent, the fact that we were on docile, slow Gin Bolero wings probably enabled me to `save` a landing or two even though i was aware i was leaning back what seemed like an awful lot on occasion. I remember `heaving myself up` on the brake toggles to stand up from an almost prone landing position..

Add the extra speed of the Synth onto this scenario and i suspect it would have been a different matter..

This leaning back with legs outstretched (+ speed) would tend to make for the landings you experience? Do you feel the leaning back thing? I do not notice this with my Bulldogs` high hangpoints.

Like this?;

The other thing i`ve learnt with the Synth is flaring technique - one big f-off flare or flaring too late is no good for me.

At about 3-4 metres i start to dial in some brake (have you adjusted your brake toggles to remove any excessive freeplay, mine could be moved up about 4" and still have a nice `bow` in the lines) - enough to feel the `weight` of the wing and scrub off some speed, be aware that you don`t use up too much energy too soon, though.

Hopefully, you`ll then feel your speed to decrease and at that point - ideally 1M off the deck - you`ll start to drop as the wing starts to stall, it`s then that i give it the rest of my braking effort, no wrap needed if i get the timing right. It`s not a two-part brake/flare, they sort of merge into one longer action, but with different stages if you know what i mean.

It`s a good feeling when you get it right and you just pop onto your feet gently..

This is probably stuff you already know/been taught anyway, so apologies for that, but i went through several poor landings myself and couldn`t understand why i wasn`t getting any better until i was given one good bit of advice - when coming in, `try not to land`!

To be fair though, my School did say that additional instruction on reflex wings would be a good idea, my Synth does feel a lot different to the wings i trained on where easy landings were the norm.

So, now i`ve got my landings sorted, my take-offs seem to have gone to pot, yesterdays efforts being bloody awful. I did finally get into the air for a very nice two-hour flight..

It`s all a learning process, this PPG, isn`t it?

Keep the excellent blog going, i hope to see tales of tippy-toe landings in the very near future!

[Guest]

Patrick...

**The above is all good advice :-) **

Please though be advised that **I** can not suggest that you shorten your break lines for certification issues.

SW

[PatPux]

Wow, here's the forum working as it should, tell the story , ask for advice and get loads of it.

Thanks ,Pete,Stevie, Hann, and Simon,

I will read it, think about it and see where it makes sense to me and where I need a bit more explaining

Thanks, guys, I will respond.

............and......Simon , I never heard a word!

[PatPux]

Pete, I understand exactly what you are saying and how you have addressed the problem and I could, I suppose use the same sort of measures, especially the asymmetric trims. The big but , though is that I had a rig that was trimmed perfectly for straight flight at my normal throttle setting, but something has changed for the last two flights.

And I think I need to identify what has caused it rather than address the symptom .

Stevie

Did you notice the webbing thing when it was happening, I mean not just the symptom, but could you see it and realise that was causing the problem. I want it to be that because it will be the explanation but I sort of feel I would have seen it twisted over, but I didn't.

And another Vote for taking a wrap.

Hann,

Lots to think about here.

I can identify with the leaning back thing, and although I can't see myself I feel exactly like the position in your photo. I can also identify with that wanting to pull myself upright. Col is always saying "stick you chest out", I just don't know what to pull on or push against to get myself upright.

I do feel that I run out of brake travel when trying to flare, so I have took the decision myself to shorten the brakes and I raised them 4" yesterday.

I have done quite a few upright landings and I do know that feeling of getting right, but I suspect they have been into enough head wind to help me out.

At the moment I just run out of travel before I have levelled off and get the final stall,hence I just drive into the ground.

My take offs have been OK recently but I'm under no illusions that it could all go pear shaped , but I do feel more confident now , particularly on the reverses.

Thanks for the encouragement on the blog, although I reckon I spend at least twice as much time writing the blog as I do in the air!!!!

So perhaps tomorrow evening to give it another.[sMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH][sMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

[Steve]

Stevie

Did you notice the webbing thing when it was happening, I mean not just the symptom, but could you see it and realise that was causing the problem. I want it to be that because it will be the explanation but I sort of feel I would have seen it twisted over, but I didn't.

And another Vote for taking a wrap.

I did notice it as I was trying to see why I wasn't flying straight. I once managed to wriggle and yank it clear although the almighty bang that followed it was a bit unexpected and I'd leave it alone if it happened again.

I can identify with the leaning back thing, and although I can't see myself I feel exactly like the position in your photo. I can also identify with that wanting to pull myself upright. Col is always saying "stick you chest out", I just don't know what to pull on or push against to get myself upright.

This sounds like your harness isn't right. If you can't get forward I would say that your shoulder straps are too tight maybe? Keep them loose. If your harness is the newer Parajet/Apco type with the rucksack straps (with the blue pullers on the ends) then I find that they have to be released a long way for landing otherwise I can't 'get my chest out'. Definitely worth trying looser shoulder straps.

If you feel you are leaning back too much it's possible that you need to change the offsets on the arms by one position. Sorry to be stating the obvious.

[PatPux]

My straps are fully loose, even removed the buckle thing to give me extra length on the shoulder straps. It's not that I can't move because I'm done up too tight, just that my attitude is too laid back.........Physically, that is....not mentally!

[Steve]

too laid back ...

Have you done a hang test or had some pictures taken of you flying? If you are hanging too far back it makes it hard to get out of the harness properly for landing sometimes.

Or leg straps too tight?

It must be something to do with the harness, or its position, if you can't get out of it properly.

[Guest]

"I did notice it as I was trying to see why I wasn't flying straight. I once managed to wriggle and yank it clear although the almighty bang that followed it was a bit unexpected and I'd leave it alone if it happened again."

Almost word for word how I explained it a couple of days ago LOL

Your 'angle of dangle' is close to perfect during flight mate.

SW

[PatPux]

So, not really any closer to saying what the turning problem is. Let's hope if was me being un-observant a just not noticing the webbing being snagged.

The landings just need another try with my ......Erhem.....modified brakes.

[ptwizz]

Is the fast landing (or perhaps lack of brake authority) a feature of full reflex wings?

I am 125kg total on a 29.5m² wing. In nil wind, a smooth progressive flair results in a near stationary landing every time. My brake lines are well bowed in flight (see pic) and require a lot of input to generate any kind of turn rate.

[s1buell_wl]

Pat how are you.

This really simple but on no wind days I simply grab the top of the breaks. I'm to lazy to buy and install the Acro handles. I don't like to wrap the brakes with paramotors so I just grab the top of the brakes. I also grab the tops when trowing the wing around (makes the wind more responsive with less imput)

But I also have a digit throttle that makes it really easy to do this. It might be a little harder with the standard throttle.

[PatPux]

Is the fast landing (or perhaps lack of brake authority) a feature of full reflex wings?

Don't know the answer to that, all I can say is that when I have seen someone flying a paragliding wing at Membury they have always been much more "floaty"

[PatPux]

Pat how are you.

Fine, thanks, better if I could stop landing on my arse. But with all the advice here, I hope that might come soon.

[PatPux]

Here is a picture of me .......Not Flying last night!

[ptwizz]

Pat,

I feel we could usefully teach each other launch techniques.

I have still yet to make a single reverse launch with the motor. I always fly in light to nil wind and have barely had any problems getting the wing up and under control and getting moving.

That limp windsock says "fly now" to me.

I should probably be pushing my operating envelope to include a bit more wind speed, but first I need to get some reverse launches under my belt.

I note that all Simons 'smilie' animations show failed forward launches, none show a failed reverse launch

[PatPux]

Pete, I think you're right! Just looked at my stats and they are split almost exactly 50/50 reverse/forward. But I definitely feel happier reversing.

With reverse you are looking at the wing, you see it come up, you can bin it easily if not straight, it only comes up in a breeze so when it's up it will, usually, stay up and you know before you turn it's there and application of power will have you gone.

With forward, the whole process is much more instinctive and tactile, relying on feel as to wether the wing is in the right place to go for it.

So although my stats are even I feel more confident in reverse. I think you have mastered the more difficult of the two.

[PatPux]

Paramotor rack 29/6/14

Stripping the Parajet down every time to and from the field was really getting on my nerves , so today, I decided to do something about it.

Plus we're off to Cornwall in a couple of weeks and couldn't get the dogs and the paramotor in, so something had to be done

Based around this

http://www.bak-rak.com/uni-rak.htm

[Guest]

Mate, if it were me, I would tie a big red ribbon around the reserve handle (just in case!!!!) it deploys while on the move at 70mph +

The reason red ribbon, (so you don't forget to take it off)

Other than that.... nice job dude!

SW

[PatPux]

Good idea!

[asquaddie]

Pat

When I changed cars I brought the Thule rack version, because it came with all the light fittings and it had a two vertical bars which you lean & strap your motor against. A bit heavy, but solid.

I guess the dog won and she get's inside the car...

Tony

[PatPux]

Pat

When I changed cars I brought the Thule rack version, because it came with all the light fittings and it had a two vertical bars which you lean & strap your motor against. A bit heavy, but solid.

I guess the dog won and she get's inside the car...

Tony

Tony

Apart from being a tight git, I quite enjoy making stuff. The post thing is pretty much what I've done. £20 of off cuts and £39 for the Uni-Rak and a Sunday of tinkering. Got a couple of Thule 757 feet off eBay which will take some ally tube stays in place of the straps. Tying off the top of the post makes the whole thing really solid.

I did look at Thule.......and it's, dogs, there's two of the muts!

Patrick

[PatPux]

Pat

When I changed cars I brought the Thule rack version, because it came with all the light fittings and it had a two vertical bars which you lean & strap your motor against. A bit heavy, but solid.

I guess the dog won and she get's inside the car...

Tony

Tony

Apart from being a tight git, I quite enjoy making stuff. The post thing is pretty much what I've done. £20 of off cuts and £39 for the Uni-Rak and a Sunday of tinkering. Got a couple of Thule 757 feet off eBay which will take some ally tube stays in place of the straps. Tying off the top of the post makes the whole thing really solid.

I did look at Thule.......and it's, dogs, there's two of the muts!

Patrick

[richfromwilts]

I like it Pat....and sweet if you run out of fuel in the car

[PatPux]

I've just road tested it properly with a drive down to Cornwall.........well it was still there when I arrived , having survived up to 90, so I guess it's worked