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Maneuvers serve various
purpose in flight. Losing altitude, changing flight path, skill
enhancement, demonstration and others. The more extreme variations are
risky beyond appearances and should be learned only through a special
Maneuvers Course taught from an instructor experienced in them. The only
practical way to do so safely is doing them over water with appropriate
flotation and other precautions.
It turns out that our gliders
can mis-behave wildly if sufficiently provoked.They handle what nature
doles out pretty well but, with enough pilot-induced tomfoolery, you can
get wrapped up in your wing. That can happen even with coaching but is
less likely. Doing it over the water at least has some decent chance of
being survivable.
Techniques change with
technology. What you read here or in the PPG bible or even in a
maneuvers clinic may become dated as knowledge and gear improves. The
techniques recommended by experienced maneuvers coaches differ slightly,
too. It's not a hard, cold science despite what some would lead you to
believe.
Doing steep turns,
intentional wing deformations or other steep maneuvering should never be
just tried without first attending a maneuvers clinic. Doing so means
you willingly take an enormous risk.
See also
Handling Wing Collapses
and
Reserve Parachutes |
