Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | Page 55

Heinrichs on pages 173 to 176 in my book Secrets of Champions. In order to do this turn, however, these pilots are altering their glider somewhat by flattening the tip battens to make the stall/ spin easier to achieve. I don’t recommend this approach, but I do recommend every pilot learn the trick. An important factor helping you achieve the maximum-efficiency turn we are describing is having the glider set up so some high siding is needed in a normal turn. Every top pilot I ever interviewed had his or her glider set up this way (you can adjust most modern gliders for roll balance by turning the tip attachment system or more importantly, the inboard leading-edge eccentrics on gliders so equipped). There are several reasons for this setup, including being able to assure the glider tends to wind into the turn when you push out. If it doesn’t require high siding, then the whole process is less efficient. Part of the benefit comes from having the wing itself making a smaller diameter circle since the circle described by the main mass (your body) is what creates the centrifugal force to offset the force of the lift pointed inward to the center of the circle (see page 175 of the forementioned book). So this technique really has three advantages: It gets the wing making a smaller diameter circle, it slows the glider down more than in a normal coordinated turn at the same bank angle and often allows you to make a quick bank or positioning adjustment with your wing. The disadvantage, as mentioned, is the extra strength required. But using it for a thermal or two or even just part of a thermal can bring big benefits, especially if it means the difference between clinging to weak lift to barely stay up or succumbing to miserable gravity. We advise all pilots to learn this technique away from traffic with plenty of ground clearance. Also, start out in rather smooth thermals, and then graduate to more vigorous and rowdy characters. What can go wrong? If your technique is ham-handed you can high side too much and flatten out of the turn or you can stall and wind down in the sink. In the worse case, if you’re overzealous, you may make your glider spin (pushing out and high siding is the normal method of spinning a flex wing, although most are resistant to the maneuver). CAUTION: This maximumefficiency technique is not safe in very strong or turbulent thermals. Such thermals can stall you no matter what type of control you are making. It is dangerous to be close to a stall when the thermal strength is high. In fact, I do not like the term “spinning up,” because it implies stalling the inside wing, which is not safe in turbulent thermals, especially close to the ground. Although it is beyond the scope of this article, every pilot should know that steeper banks and faster flying speed are the safety procedures when flying in strong, rough or sharp-edged thermals. But you don’t have to be horsing the glider around in rough thermals to learn maximum turns. Simply enter into a mild thermal and go into your normal thermal turn, then slowly start applying a little more pitch up (push out) while counteracting any tendency to drop a wing with a control