Spin?

From: GeneJock
Activity_Date:      
Remote Name: 64.169.108.201

Comments

Benson, glad you are still with us!!

Were you turning to the right when this happened? Did you feel like you were turning on the seat of a swivel stool? Your experience seemed very similar to mine when I tossed silk over Chief ("Chief Silk" /  http://southcoastparagliding.net/discussion/flight/_disc1/0000020d.htm ) and has all the earmarks of a spin. If so, you stalled the right wing (which is why it was flailing)and brakes up is the right thing to do ONLY if you catch it in time (1/4 turn? - you didn't if it was flailing).

Options at this point are 1) keeping the right brake deep until the wing front has gyrated into a down toward the ground facing position then immediately releasing the brakes (the wing can't surge forward if it is already there) or b) stall it (which you did).

The stall should have worked, so you might want to check in your wing's manual to see what they say about stall recovery. It may be normally necessary to "restart" forward flight with A's or speedbar.

As an aside, I ALWAYS fly with at least one foot on the bar figuring that, when times get tough, my hands might be too busy to tweak the A's (in maneuvers clinic, even looped the lower stirup over both feet so I wouldn't lose the bar when all hell broke loose). As one instructor said, "You wouldn't fly without brakes, nor should you without the speed. It's half the pitch control on your glider."

Any way, good to see you down safely.