Nova MENTOR 6 LIGHT User manual

_41 _EN_40
NOVA oers
comprehensive
guarantees and
services. To claim
or use these
services, you must
register your wing
at our myNOVA
web site within 14
days o purchase
(invoice date).
Thank you or your trust
Many thanks or choosing a NOVA wing. NOVA stands or innovative,
technically sophisticated, high quality products. Your paraglider was
developed using modern design and simulation sotware, it was inten-
sively tested and during and ater production it underwent stringent
quality control procedures.
This manual contains important inormation on using your para glider.
We recommend reading it careully in advance o your rst fight with
the wing. Please contact us or your NOVA partner with any queries or
suggestions.
Further inormation on this wing and other products can be ound at
www.nova.eu.
We wish you great fights and sae landings.
Your NOVA development team
Philipp Medicus
Chie designer
MY
MENTOR 6 Light –
Less weight, zero limits

_43 _EN_42
The starting point
o our mission is to
build paragliders
which are sae and
simultaneously
high perormance.
Perormance and
saety, or rather the
correct ratio bet-
ween the two, make
or lots o fying un
– and that is what it
is all about!
Thank you or your trust 41
About NOVA 43
Quality 44
Flying and nature 45
The MENTOR 6 Light 46
Introduction 46
Technical summary 47
MENTOR 6 Light technologies 48
MENTOR 6 Light target group 50
General inormation 50
Recommendations 50
Operating limits 51
On receiving your paraglider 52
Initial fight 52
Registration 52
Accessories included 52
Glider modication 52
Suitable harnesses 53
Weight range 53
Speed-system additional line set
assembly 54
Flying the MENTOR 6 Light 54
Take o 54
Normal fight 57
Accelerated fight 58
Turning 59
Landing 60
Rapid descent techniques 60
Collapses 63
Stalls 65
Cravats 66
Care and maintenance 68
Packing the glider 68
Storage 70
Cleaning 70
Repair 70
Disposal 70
Service and guarantee 71
myNOVA 71
Our services 71
Particulars and exceptions 75
Technical data 76
Overview risers 77
Overview glider 78
Line plan 79
Contents
_ GERMAN MANUAL 3
Version 1.0 | May 2019
The respective current and valid manual can be ound
on our website: www.nova.eu
About NOVA
Driven by the idea o creating better wings, we ounded NOVA in
1989. The company quickly grew into a signicant manuacturer.
We rapidly consolidated and expanded our market position.
Our headquarters are in Terens, near Innsbruck. Thanks to this loca-
tion we are 20 minutes rom our local fying site, the Roan. Due to its
proximity to lake Achensee, it is ideal or glider testing. Alternatively,
the Zillertal, the Stubaital or the southern Alps are close by.
As a paragliding manuacturer, being close to mountains is essential.
Firstly we need appropriate terrain or good development work.
Secondly, we need to have our nger on the pulse and need to be
closely connected to our customers. In Tyrol and the surrounding areas
paragliding is more than a sport. This positive attitude translates into
our products, which assists us to keep making better paragliders.
NOVA has a highly qualied sta team, nearly all o whom share the
same passion or fight as the pilots who choose to fy NOVA wings.
This passion and our know-how are the drivers o our innovation. For
example, it lead us to being pioneers in the area o fow simulation,
where we can reasonably accurately predict many o the characteri-
stics o a new wing design on a computer.

_45 _EN_44
Acceptance o our
sport depends on
the good behaviour
o every pilot. Please
make your contribu-
tion to the positive
image o the para-
gliding community.
!
Flying and nature
On the one hand, fying means experiencing a particular orm o reedom.
On the other, there is a requirement to ollow laws and ethical ground-
rules. Please show respect to your ellow pilots, but also consider the
interests o landowners (both take-o and landing), air law and your
impact on the environment.
For the sake o our sport and our environment, we ask you to under take
paragliding in an environmentally-riendly way. Please do not litter and
please avoid scaring animals by fying too close to them. Especially in
winter, this stress can be lie-threatening or wild animals.
Being considerate to the needs o animals is your contribution to the
preservation o their habitat. At the same time, respectul behaviour
also avoids confict with other interest groups like landowners, whose
income is reliant on healthy numbers o wild and domesticated ani-
mals.
Quality
When discussing quality in paragliding, oten the ocus is on externally
visible issues: seams, abric or symmetry. These are all important indi-
cators or us too, but at NOVA we eel the term quality encompasses
more.
Quality means a cycle o processes which begins with the right idea and
ends in comprehensive customer service. In between lies responsible
development and testing; serial production with routine inspection
and a network o responsible dealers and approved service centres.
We don‘t just want to oer you a good wing – we want to give you the
right one. Our highest priority is earning and maintaining the long-term
trust o our customers. We equate quality with the satisaction o our
customers. I we matched your expectations, then we have provided a
quality service.

_47 _EN_46
The MENTOR 6 Light
was developed in
co-operation with the
cross-country pilots in
the NOVA Pilots Team.
themselves. Instead o »Spaghetti-straps« we use new aerodynamically
slim risers, whose design was based on the Speedbrake Riser. These
ensure optimal C-steering and even at the launch lie comortably in
the hand. This means the MENTOR 6 Light is easy to infate and the
weight-optimised canopy climbs even more easily than the normal
version.
Simply honest
The MENTOR 6 Light’s perormance is easily accessible and is there-
ore suitable or local soaring as well as being perect or ambitious
FAI triangles, hike & fy and vol biv. In strong thermals it convinces with
its relaxed and comortable fying characteristics and, or its class, a
very high level o passive saety (fat aspect ratio: 5.43). Especially or
pilots who like to climb mountains on oot, the combined low weight
and small packing size makes the MENTOR 6 Light an all-rounder:
light on the back and as enthusiastic about going XC as you are.
Technical summary
The MENTOR 6 Light is an EN B wing with 59 cells and a fat aspect
ratio o 5,43. The MENTOR 6 Light is a wing made rom very light sail
cloth. Care should be taken when handling the wing. The shel lie is
less than that o conventional paragliders abric.
All technical data can be ound on page 76.
The MENTOR 6 Light
Introduction
At home in the B class and travelling the world – the MENTOR 6 Light
in size S is a hety 850 grams lighter than its big brother, but oers
the same ingenious new developments like Zig-Zag 3D-Shaping,
the innovative Mini-Rib Vector Tape, Double-B Splits and new risers.
Sometimes during hike & fy you might encounter turbulent conditions,
so the MENTOR 6 Light is trimmed or extra comort, as well as high
perormance. This makes it the perect companion or anyone who
would like to cover big distances – both on the ground and in the air –
with as little baggage as possible.
Little weight & packing volume
The MENTOR 6 Light mainly dierentiates itsel rom the MENTOR 6
in terms o weight. We chose weight-optimised Skytex 27 cloth on the
upper and lower surace. Nice to know: We oer the same guarantee or
this cloth as we do or our regular sail cloths. Why? It is very important
to us that you can enjoy your NOVA wing or a long time. Despite its
lightweight design, we use the most durable materials possible and on
the wing nose we have additionally used robust 30D cloth.
No compromises in comort
Apart rom the gallery lines, all lines are sheathed and nearly sort

_49 _EN_48
MENTOR 6 Light
technologies
Under pressure
NOVA Air Scoop is an optimised air intake, which increases the
internal wing pressure. NOVA’s Air Scoop principle is similar to
the ram-air inlet duct on a sports car: increased airfow produces
higher pressure. Higher internal pressure in a paraglider means
improved perormance through increased structural stability and
collapse resistance.
Mini-Rib Vector Tape
A vector tape near the trailing edge has various advantages.
Firstly, this tape reduces the crease in the upper surace that is
created when braking. Secondly, the wing is more compact, i.e.
the wing deorms less during glides in moving air. To maximise both
these advantages, it was necessary to locate this vector tape very
ar back in the area o the mini-ribs.
Zig-Zag 3D-Shaping
Zig-Zag 3D-Shaping is the next step to an even smoother wing
nose. As well as Double 3D-Shaping, two parallel seams which
stretch the entire length o the upper surace span, each cell
located at the nose has a urther diagonal 3D-Shaping seam. This
orms a striking zig-zag pattern. This means the seam runs more
cleanly and is more aerodynamically advantageous.
Comort on the ground
All NOVA paragliders are made to be easy to use. For packing you
can use a concertina bag, but it is not essential. Our extensive
experience with rods has taught us that the packing method has
little infuence on the durability o the wing. Bent rods quickly
spring back into their original shape.
More compact
The aspect ratio o a glider is not the only actor in passive
saety, but still a very important one. A high aspect ratio
avours cravats ater asymmetric collapses, generally shortens
brake travel and normally makes wings more dicult to fy.
Nova‘s analytical tools permit us to build perormance wings
even with a low or moderate aspect ratio.
Light as a eather and robust
Very light but still durable: light weight NOVA wings weigh
little but are still robust enough to withstand the hard conditions o
the mountains. The proles are made out o durable cloth,
so that this highly-stressed component does not deorm – like
it can with ultra-light material. This means we are able to guarantee
consistent fying characteristics.

_51 _EN_50
Ater buying a new wing we
recommend undertaking an
SIV/pilotage course. On this
course we recommend prac-
tising the manoeuvres which
simulate the incidents which
most commonly occur during
everyday fying – in particular
asymmetric and rontal col-
lapses.
Furthermore we recommend regular fying, ground handling, as well
as urther theoretical training. We advise that you continuously study
fight theory and practice and that you also study the particulars o
your chosen fying equipment. As the owner o your equipment it is your
responsibility to comply with checking and maintenance requirements.
More inormation on this in the »Care and maintenance« section.
Operating limits
The ollowing fying conditions and situations are outside the permit-
ted operating limits o the wing:
• Flying with precipitation (rain, snow, hail) must be avoided at all costs.
Precipitation has a negative impact on the fying characteristics o
the wing. Amongst other things, the stall point and parachutal stall
behaviour changes.
• Low temperatures combined with high humidity can lead to icing,
which also has a negative impact on the wing’s fying characteristics
(parachutal/deep stall, shortening o the brake travel).
• Operating the paraglider is only permissible within the recommended
weight range. The weight range can be ound in the technical data.
• Sand, dirt and snow (especially in large quantities) have a very nega-
tive eect on the fying behaviour o the wing. Beore each launch,
check your glider or oreign matter and execute a proper pre-fight
checking sequence.
• This paraglider was not designed or aerobatics.
MENTOR 6 Light target group
The MENTOR 6 Light is a paraglider with impressive perormance
which has, in the hands o an experienced pilot, very uncomplicated
handling and manageable extreme fight behaviour.
General inormation
As an aircrat, paragliders must conorm to applicable air law.
Depending on your country o origin, instruction may be compulsory.
Additionally, there are statutory requirements (or example air law)
which must be adhered to.
The MENTOR 6 Light is designed and certied to carry one pilot. It
may not be used as a tandem wing.
Paraglider pilots must be able to prove that they have the valid licen-
ces and must have insurance as is required by their country o origin.
Pilots must be capable o judging meteorological conditions correctly.
Depending on a country‘s applicable regulations, the use o a helmet
and back protector, as well as carrying a parachute, is mandatory and
highly advisable.
Pilots must accept responsibility or the risk inherent in participating
in the sport. Paragliding is an adventure sport and can lead to severe
injuries and death.
We recommend that inexperienced pilots and those with a heightened
desire or saety should undertake paragliding under the auspices an
accredited school or instructor. Many o our NOVA Partners can oer
this service.
Recommendations
We advise pilots to choose their wings conservatively: it is preerable
to fy a lower class wing than to overstretch yoursel. One can only get
the ull potential rom a wing i it eels comortable. I the wing is too
demanding, this does not lead to increased perormance and it can
increase the risks.
Flying the
MENTOR 6 Light
does require a level o
skill. The MENTOR 6
Light is not suitable
or beginners or
occasional fyers.
For queries about the
suitability o the wing
or you, your NOVA
dealer will be happy
to assist!
!

_53 _EN_52
• The ree play o the brake has an eect on extreme fight incidents.
I the brake line length is modied, this can infuence the reaction o
the glider.
Suitable harnesses
Your paraglider is certied or use with a harness classied as
GH (without cross-bracing). This group contains nearly all currently
available harnesses. The certication sticker on your harness
provides inormation on its classication.
Some harnesses allow particularly eective weight-shit, but at the
same time turbulence is directly ed back to the pilot. Other harnesses
are more damped and thereore more comortable – but the disadvantage
is that they are less agile. Every pilot must decide or themselves
which set-up is suitable or him/hersel.
NOVA wings are designed and tested using NOVA harnesses. There-
ore we recommend fying our wings in combination with our harness-
es.
Weight range
Your paraglider is certied or a stipulated weight range. I you fy
the glider outside this range, you are outside the operating limits o
the equipment. Thereore the paraglider does not conorm to the fy-
ing characteristics determined during the certication process – this
means your certication is no longer valid.
It is a question o personal preerence whether you wish to fy at
the upper, lower or middle o the stipulated weight range. Low wing
loading brings the advantages o, or example, high damping, a less
dynamic eel and a great climb rate. The disadvantage is less speed,
less agility and reduced internal wing pressure. On the other hand,
high wing loading means more speed, a more taut canopy and more
agility, which has increased dynamics as a consequence.
The choice o
harness has a
major infuence
on the fying
characteristics o
your paraglider.
We do not wish to
make a statement
like: »A wing must
be fown at the
upper weight limit«.
Which size is most
appropriate is
more a question o
individual taste and
the wing’s intended
purpose. While
fatland fiers preer
less loaded wings,
in the Alps highly
loaded wings can be
an advantage.
On receiving your paraglider
Initial ight
Beore sale, every NOVA wing is checked and fown by a NOVA dealer.
The name o the pilot and date o this rst fight must written on the
paraglider’s inormation label. Generally this will be situated in the
centre cell (at the prole rib).
Registration
In order to take advantage o the ull guarantee and services, or
example NOVA Protect, you must register the paraglider at our web
site: my.nova.eu ↗
Accessories included
Your MENTOR 6 Light will be delivered with a glider bag (rucksack),
inner bag, riser bag, windsock, manual, sel-adhesive repair tape,
additional speed system cords (Size XS, S, and M) and stickers.
Glider modifcation
At delivery, the specications o a new paraglider conorm to those
used during the certication process. Any user modication (or
example, change o the line length, modication o the riser) means
the glider no longer conorms to its certication. We recommend
consulting NOVA beore any modication.
Care should be taken when modiying the brake line length: in the
actory, the brake line is set so there is 10 to 15 centimetres ree play.
This is essential or two reasons:
• I the speed system is engaged, the brake line travel is reduced. A brake
line modied to achieve shorter travel would mean that the wing would
be automatically braked when accelerated. Firstly, this would reduce
the eectiveness o the speed system and secondly this could
induce a stall.
This registration
must be completed
within 14 days o
purchase (invoice
date).
?
MY

_55 _DE_54
Speed-system additional line set assembly
(Size XS, S and M):
The MENTOR 6 Light has comparatively long speed-system travel. To
reach ull speed, the speed-bar must thereore be pushed a long way.
This is not possible with some harnesses.
The additional speed-system cords supplied with the glider will allow
you to reduce/adapt the length o travel. This means ull speed can be
reached without having to push the bar to the maximum.
1 The additional speed-bar set comprises two additional cords, two
beads and a red cord to acilitate assembly.
2 First, push back the neoprene covers rom the pulleys.
3 Undo the Brummel hooks. Now pull the line through both pulleys.
4 Unthread the the line rom the upper pulley.
5 Using the red cord to assist, thread the new line into the upper
pulley. Make sure you thread in the loop which is closest to the knot.
Push the line loop over the pulley- in the opposite way to step 4 above.
6 Push the bead (using the red cord to assist) over the line until it
is located at the knot. Thread the line rst through the lower, then the
upper pulley.
7 Attach the Brummel hook - in the opposite way to step 3 above.
Check that the line is running as shown in in the illustration.
The location o the knot and bead can be set as required:
i the knot in the picture is moved to the right, then the bead will block
the lower pulley only when close to ull speed. The speed-bar travel is
only marginally reduced.
I the knot is moved let, the bead will block the pulley sooner.
The speed-bar travel is reduced more, but the orce needed to engage
the system is increased.
1
6
3 4 5
2
7

_57 _EN_56
Tow launch
When towing, the MENTOR 6 Light displays no peculiarities. Please
note that it is important to climb away rom the ground at a shallow
angle.
We recommend the use o a tow adapter. This adapter is connected to
the main carabiners and links them with the tow release.
Normal ight
The MENTOR 6 Light has its best glide perormance at trim speed, i.e.
when the brakes are ully released. In calm air, the wing will travel the
greatest distance over a given height.
With headwind or a sinking airmass, maximum glide can be achieved
by using the speed system. During accelerated fight in turbulent air,
attention should be paid to the dynamic reaction o the wing in case o
a collapse. Lots o height above the ground is advisable.
In strong turbulence it is advisable to gently pull both brakes to increa-
se stability. The brakes provide eedback about the surrounding air,
which is needed or active fying.
By active fying we mean the constant control and correction o the
angle o attack in turbulent air. For example, i a pilot fies rom an area
o lit to an area o sink, i there is no pilot input, the angle o attack will
be reduced and the wing will pitch orward. Reduced brake pressure
will indicate the start o this pitch movement to the pilot.
The correct reaction is to increase the brake input to prevent the
orward pitch.
Overall, the launch
behaviour is very
simple. The wing
orgives errors. No
special skills are
needed to launch
the wing.
Cases o an
escalation o a
collapse can be
prevented by
active fying.
Flying the MENTOR 6 Light
We recommend completing your rst fights with your new wing in
calm conditions. This will give you the opportunity to get to know your
glider. Launches and ground handling on a training hill will also help to
amiliarise yoursel with the paraglider.
Take o
General
The pilot has the responsibility to check that their entire equipment is
in ull working order. In particular, the wing, harness and the parachute.
Immediately beore launch we recommend the ollowing pre-fight
check, which should be conscientiously perormed beore every take
o. Sadly, many launch accidents result rom an omitted pre-fight
check.
1. Buckled-up: leg and chest straps are connected, chin strap on the
helmet is closed
2. Clipped-in: risers are not twisted, speed system is correctly connected,
carabiners are locked
3. Lines: A-lines are on top, all lines are sorted and ree o knots, brake
lines run cleanly through the pulleys
4. Canopy: wing is laid out on launch in an arc with leading edge open
5. Wind and air space: wind is suitable or take o, air space is clear
The MENTOR 6 Light distinguishes itsel by its easy infation behavi-
our (both during orward and reverse launch) and without wanting to
hang back. The wing climbs cleanly and directly without a tendency to
overshoot.
Condent launches can only be learnt by practise – there is only a
limited knowledge to be gained rom books and descriptions. So here
is a tip: Use every opportunity on a training hill to perect your launch
technique. Ideally, have an experienced colleague or instructor with
you to provide eedback.
!
For an optimal ination during
launch, we re commend holding
both A-risers at the maillons,
rather than holding the webbing
below the maillons.
TIP

_59 _EN_58
A
B
C
Speedbrake Riser Function
The MENTOR 6 Light is tted
with the Speedbrake Riser Func-
tion as standard. This is a tie strap
which allows the pilot to »decele-
rate« the wing. I the pilot pulls the
C-riser back and downwards in a
radius (with the maillon as the centre o
rotation), the B-riser is also reduced in
length. The result is that the wing fies
slower and without creases. More
specic inormation can be
ound here:
www.nova.eu/speedbrake
Important: I the Speed-
brake is pulled too much or
too suddenly when the wing
is already pitched back there
is the risk o stall. Please practise
using the Speedbrake Riser slowly, incrementally
and in calm conditions.
Speed system geometrical data
I the entire speed range is utilised, the
A-risers will be shortened by approximately
18 cm, the A2-risers will be shortened
by approximately 15 cm and the B-riser
by about 13 cm (sizes XS, S, M and L). XXS: the A-risers will be
shortened by 14 cm, the A2-risers by 12 cm and the B-riser by 10 cm.
Turning
Turning a wing is the combination o inner brake, outer brake and
weight-shit. The key is the correct dose o each element. One o the
eatures o the MENTOR 6 Light is its sensitive handling. Small brake
inputs are sucient to fy precise turns.
Some o the required techniques can be practised during ground hand-
ling, or example, by attempting to keep the wing fying above your
head without looking at it. This exercise is also useul or successul
orward launches.
Accelerated ight
Fitting the speed system
The majority o harnesses are tted with two pulleys per side. Some
(lightweight) harnesses instead have two simple rings or loops. The
two speed bar cords are pulled rom top to bottom through both
pulleys/rings and tted to the oot bar.
The correct length adjustment is important. I it is too short, there is
the danger that the wing is constantly accelerated, which should be
avoided at all costs. I the cords are too short there is the risk that the
speed bar is unreachable.
I the cords are set too long, it is not possible to accelerate the wing to
its maximum speed.
We recommend setting the cords a little too long when rst tting the
speed system, so that the ree play can be judged during fight. Then
the slack can be taken up i necessary. Brummel hooks with three
holes assist with the simple adjustment o the cord length.
Using the speed system
Beore take o or on connecting the risers to the harness, the Brummel
hooks on the speed system must to attached to those on the harness.
Please make it part o your pre-fight routine to connect the speed system
– it is important or your saety.
The MENTOR 6 Light is tted with a very eective and smooth-run-
ning speed system. Up to the maximum speed, the glide perormance
remains very high. Pitch correction, i.e. active fying, in accelerated
fight should not be perormed through the brakes, but using the speed
system. Thereore i the wing pitches orward, the pilot should not
brake, but reduce the acceleration.
In accelerated fight, steering should be perormed either by weight-shit
or through asymmetrical speed bar use (by increasing the acceleration
on the let side, the wing will turn right).
Please note: using
the brakes during
accelerated fight is
not only detrimental
to perormance,
but (in comparison
to non-accelerated
fight) it increased
to likelihood o
collapses!
!
The NOVA Speed-
brake Riser is the rst
three-liner riser which
permits the glider to
be accelerated as
well as decelerated. It
brings an end to pul-
ling the C-lines, which
killed perormance.