Ozone Spark 2 Manual
Pilots Manual
CONTENTS
Thank You01
Warning02
Team Ozone 03
Your Spark 2 04
Risers 05
Preparation07
Basic Flight Techniques 09
Rapid Descent Techniques 13
Incidents in Flight 15
Caring For Your wing 17
Limitations 24
Ozone Quality 25
Technical Specications 26
Drawing/Riser lengths 27
Line diagram 28
Materials 29
EN v1.0 April 2019
THANK YOU
EN
01
ThankyouforchoosingtoyOzone.Asateamoffreeyingenthusiasts,competitorsandadventurers,Ozone’s
missionistobuildagileparaglidersofthehighestqualitywithcuttingedgedesigns,performanceandmaximum
security.
Condenceandbeliefinyourparagliderisafargreaterassetthananysmallgainsinperformance-askanyoftheOzone
pilotsonyourlocalhills,orthosewhohavetakenourglidersonground-breakingadventuresorstoodonpodiumsaround
theworld.Allourresearchanddevelopmentisconcentratedoncreatingthebesthandling/performancecharacteristics
possiblewithoptimumsecurity.OurdevelopmentteamisbasedinthesouthofFrance.Thisarea-whichincludesthe
sitesofGourdon,MonacoandColdeBleyne-guaranteesusmorethan300yabledaysperyear,thisisagreatasset
inthedevelopmentoftheOzonerange.
Aspilotswefullyunderstandjusthowbiganinvestmentanewparaglideris.Weknowthatqualityandvalueformoney
areessentialconsiderationswhenchoosinganewwing,sotokeepcostslowandqualityhighwemanufactureallofour
productsinourownproductionfacility.Duringproductionourwingsundergonumerousrigorousqualitycontrolchecks
thatarefullytraceable,thiswaywecanguaranteethatallofourparaglidersmeetthesamehighstandards.
Thismanualwillhelpyougetthemostoutofyourglider,itisessentialthatyoureaditbeforeyingyournewwingfor
thersttime.Itsdetailstheprocedureforpreparingthewingbeforeight,basicyingtechniquesandalsoincludestips
andadviceonhowbesttocareandmaintainyourwingtoensurealonglifeandhighresalevalue.Forthelatestupdates,
includingalltechnicaldatapleaserefertotheonlineversion.Thiscanbefoundontheproduct’spageatwww.yozone.
com
Ifyouneedanyfurtherinformationaboutanyofourproductspleasecheckyozone.comorcontactyourlocaldealer,
schooloranyofushereatOzone.
SafeFlying!
TeamOzone
WARNING
02
•Paragliding/Paramotoringisapotentiallydangeroussportthatcancauseseriousinjuryincludingbodily
harm, paralysis and death. Flying an Ozone paraglider is undertaken with the full knowledge of the
involvedrisks.
•AstheownerofanOzoneparaglideryoutakeexclusiveresponsibilityforallrisksassociatedwithitsuse.
Inappropriateuseandorabuseofyourequipmentwillincreasetheserisks.
•Anyliabilityclaimsresultingfromuseofthisproducttowardsthemanufacturer,distributorordealers
areexcluded.
•Bepreparedtopracticeasmuchasyoucan-especiallygroundhandling,asthisisacriticalaspectof
paragliding.Poorcontrolwhileonthegroundisoneofthemostcommoncausesofaccidents.
•Bereadytocontinueyourlearningbyattendingadvancedcoursestofollowtheevolutionofoursport,
astechniquesandmaterialskeepimproving.
•Use only certied paragliders, harnesses with protector and reserve parachutes that are free from
modication,andusethemonlywithintheircertiedweightranges.Pleaserememberthatyingaglider
outsideitscertiedcongurationmayjeopardiseanyinsurance(e.g.liability,lifeetc)youhave.Itisyour
responsibilityasthepilottoverifyyourinsurancecover.
•Make sure you complete a thorough daily and preight inspection of all of your equipment. Never
attemptyingwithunsuitableordamagedequipment.
•Alwayswearahelmet,glovesandboots.
•All pilots should have the appropriate level of license for their respective country and third party
insurance.
•Makesurethatyouarephysicallyandmentallyhealthybeforeying.
•Choosethecorrectwing,harnessandconditionsforyourlevelofexperience.
•Payspecialattentiontotheterrainyouwillbeyingandtheweatherconditionsbeforeyoulaunch.Ifyou
areunsuredonoty,andalwaysaddalargesafetymargintoallyourdecisions.
• NEVER y your glider in rain, snow, strong wind, clouds or turbulent weather conditions.
•Ifyouusegood,safejudgmentyouwillenjoymanyyearsofparagliding/paramotoring.
TEAM OZONE
EN
03
EveryoneatOzonecontinuestobedrivenbyourpassionforying,ourloveofadventureandourquestto
seeOzone’sparagliderdevelopmentcreatebetter,saferandmoreversatileparagliders.
ThedesignteamconsistsofDavidDagault,LucArmant,FredPieri,RussellOgden,HonorinHamard,Emilia
PlakandAlexMateos.Davhasawealthofexperienceincompetitionying,XC,XAlpsandparaglider
design.Luc,adedicatedXCandcompetitionaddicthasabackgroundinnavalarchitecture.Fred,our
residentgeekisamathematician,mechanicalengineerandvolBivspecialist.Russisacompetitionpilot
andtestpilotwith1000sofhourstestingexperience.Honorinhasbeenyingsincehewas13,naturally
talented,hehasalreadybecomeworldchampion.Betweenthem,theybringawealthofknowledge,ideas
andexperienceandworkcloselytogetherinthedesignandtestingprocess.
Former female World champion, Emilia Plak manages the paramotor department, she is helped by
AlexMateos.AstwoofthenestpilotsintheworldholdingWorld,EuropeanandFrenchParamotoring
champion titles between them, they offer valuable advice and feedback throughout the development
process,helpingtoproducetheperfectblendofsafety,speedandperformance.
MikeCavanaghistheboss andmultiplewinneroftheUKXCleague,whennotoutyinghegenerally
keepscontrolofthemayhem.HeishelpedbyJeanChristopheSkiera(JC)whomanagesourdistribution
networkandtheproductrange.PromotionandmarketingarecoordinatedbyBASEjumpinglegendMatt
Gerdes.BackintheofceKarineMarconi,ChloeVilaandIsabelleMartinezruntheshow.Thesewonderful
ladieslookaftertheorderingsystem,thedealers,thedesignteamandthegeneraldaytodayrunningof
thecompany-withoutthemitwouldbechaos.
Our own manufacturing facility in Vietnam is headed up by Dr Dave Pilkington who works relentlessly
manufacturing gliders and producing prototypes as well as researching materials and manufacturing
processesforourfutureproducts.HeisbackedupbyasuperbteammanagedbyKhanhandPhongwith
over1000productionstaff.
YOUR SPARK 2
04
The Spark 2 is a PPG wing designed specically for schools and beginner pilots. Based on the Element
3,theSpark2isanincrediblyeasyandforgivingwingidealfor all levels of student training. TheSpark2
featurestechnologiestakenfromourhigherperformancemodelsbutimplementedintoaconceptfocused
very much towards, safety, forgiveness and excellent ination behaviour. The new prole, line layout and
internalstructureimprovestheefciencyandpassivesafetywhilstretainingtheforgivingnaturerequiredfor
aschoolwing.Theplanformretainsamoderatedaspectratiowhichhasproventobeagoodcompromisefor
comfort,easeofuseandfunwhilstmaintainingexceptionalsafetycharacteristics.
Particularattentionhasbeenmadetotheinationbehaviourandground-handlingcharacteristicstomake
poweredlaunchesaseasyastheycanbe.Innil-windconditions,theinationisincrediblyeasy,theSpark
2inateswiththe lightest of forwardpressure,yetthe leading edgeremainsstrongand open evenwhen
forcedbyheavyinputs.Inthelightestofwinds,theSpark2restsoverheadandforgivesmisguidedinputs,
thisqualitymakesgroundhandlingbothfunandsafe.
Intheair,theSpark2issimpletoy.Itisdampedinbothrollandpitch,withaprogressivefeelinthebrakes
forcontrolledandcoordinatedturns.Theoverallbrakerangeislong,withaveryslowstallspeed,makingit
verydifcultforstudentstoinadvertentlystallorspinthewing.Whilsttheitisincrediblyforgiving,theSpark
2isalsoenjoyabletoy,tightandcompactintheair,beginnerswillnditintuitivetoywhilstinstructorswill
appreciatehandlingthatisagileandprecise.Theexcellentsinkrateperformanceallowsforquicktakeoffs
andefcientfuelconsumption.
Therisersaresimpleandunclutteredwithaneffectivetrimmersystemandshort-rangespeedsystemoffering
sufcientspeedandsoliditytogiveinstructorspeaceofmindwhilstguidingpilotsthroughtheseexercises.
CertiedENA*,theSpark2isavailablein3sizes,coveringawideweightrangeofpilotweights.Theoverall
easeofuseanduncompromisingsafetycombinetomaketheSpark2thefavouredworkhorseforinstructors
andschools.
*Certiedwiththeuseofthefootoperatedspeedsystemwiththetrimmerssetintheslowposition.
ReleasingthetrimsinvalidatesENightcertication.
RISERS
EN
05
TheSpark2hasbeendesignedwith3risersperside.TheAriseriscoveredwithcolouredwebbing,to
allowforeasyidentication.TheArisersaresplitintotwo,thesmallerriser-holdingonlytheoutermostA
line-hasbeendesignedthiswaytomakeapplyingbigearssimple.
Trimmers
Therisers feature trimmers for comfortable fast cruising whilst under power. The ‘neutral’ or standard
settingiswiththetrimmerspulledallthewaydowntotheslowestposition.ENightcerticationisvalid
whenownwithintheENweightrangeandwhenusingthefootoperatedspeedsystemsolongasthe
trimmersaresetintheslowposition.Flyingoutsideofthecertiedweightrangeorreleasingthetrimmers
invalidatestheENightcertication.
Thestandard(ENcertied)trimsettingisrecommendedfortakeoff,landing,climbingunderpower,whilst
thermallingorfreeyingandwhentheairisturbulent.Brakepressureislighterandthehandlingatitsbest
atthestandardtrimsetting.
Toincreasecruisespeedyoucanusetheacceleratorsystem,releasethetrimmers,ordoboth-ifthe
conditionsaresuitable.
Inturbulentairtheproleisstable,itwillresistreasonablelevelsofturbulencewithahighresistanceto
collapsewithoutpilotinput.Howeverin turbulentairOzonerecommendstoreturnthetrimmerstothe
standardposition(pulleddown)andtoytheglideractively.Thisway,youwillbeinthebestpositionto
reactcorrectlyshouldanincidentoccur.
NOTE: The standard position is when the trimmers are pulled down to the slowest position. In this
position the maillons on the risers are level.
IMPORTANT
Using the accelerator or
releasing the trimmers
decreases the angle of
attack and makes the wing
more prone to collapse,
therefore accelerating the
wing near to the ground
or in turbulent conditions
should be avoided.
IMPORTANT
The Spark 2 is EN certied
in accelerated ight
with the speed bar only
and the trimmers set in
the standard or slowest
position. Releasing the
trimmers invalidates any
ight certication. For un-
powered ight and valid
certication the trimmers
must be pulled to the slow
position.
06
Accelerator System
Therisers feature a foot operated accelerator systemfor high speed cruising. Thespeed system acts
differentlythanreleasingthetrimmers,buteithercanbeusedinanycombinationtoacceleratethewing.
Becareful,fullyacceleratedwiththetrimmersreleasedisfastandshouldonlybeusedincalmconditions
andwithsufcientaltitude.
Brake Lines
Thebrakelinelengthshavebeensetcarefullyduringtesting.Wefeelitisbettertohaveslightlylongbrake
linesandtoywithawrap(oneturnoflinearoundthehand).However,ifyoudochoosetoadjusttheir
lengthpleasekeepinmindthefollowing:
•Ensurebothmainbrakelinesareofequallength.
•Ifabrakehandlehasbeenremoved,checkthatitslineisroutedthroughthepulleywhenitisreplaced.
•Whenthebrakesarefullyreleasedinight,thebrakelinesshouldbeslack.Theremustbeasubstantial
bowinthemtoguaranteenodeformationofthetrailingedgewhenaccelerated.
•Theremustbeaminimumof10cmoffreeplaybeforethebrakesbegintodeformthetrailingedge.This
preventsthetrailingedgefrombeingdeformedwhenusingthespeedsystem.
Adjustable Brake Position
Theheightofthebrakehandlescanbeadjustedaccordingtopilotpreferencetosuitethepowerunit’s
hangpointsheightbyusingtheappropriatepulley.Thereare2pulleysettings:upperandlower.The
uppersetting(assetbythefactory)isforlowhangpointmotorswhilstthelowersettingisforunitswith
higherhangpoints.
Ifyoulowerthebrakehandle,youmustalsolengthenthebrakelinesaccordingly.Movingthebrake
handlestothelowerpulleyrequiresadding17cmtotheoverallbrakelinelength-usetheappropriate
markonthebrakelines.
• Firstundothebrakehandle’sknotandremovethebrakelinefromtheupperpulley.
• Re-routethebrakelinethroughthelowerpulley
• Re-attachthebrakehandlewithanappropriateknotatthecorrectlengthusingthesecondmark.
IMPORTANT
In the unlikely event of
a brake line snapping
in ight, or a handle
becoming detached, the
glider can be own by
gently pulling the rear
risers for directional
control.
IMPORTANT
If you adjust the brake
handle height, you MUST
re-lengthen the brake lines
accordingly.
PREPARATION
EN
07
Accelerator System
Tosetuptheacceleratorsystem,rstroutethelinessuppliedwiththespeedsystemthroughtheharness.
Makesurethisisdonecorrectlyandthat thelinespassthroughallofthepulleys(checkyourharness
manualforinstructions).Attachthespeedsystemlinestotheacceleratorsystemontheriserswiththe
Brummelhooks.
Abasic set-up can be performed on theground: ask a friend to pull the risers tight into their in-ight
positionwhilstyousitintheharnessontheground.Nowadjustthelengthsofthelinessothatthemain
barsitsjustbeneathyourseat.Youshouldbeabletohookyourheelintothelowerloopoftheaccelerator.
Theremustbeenoughslackinthespeedbartoensurethefrontrisersarenotpulleddowninnormaltrim
speedight,butnotsolongthatitisimpossibletousethefullspeedrangeoftheglider.Fullyextending
thelowerloopwillacceleratethewingtoapproximatelyhalfitsacceleratedspeedrange.Forfullspeed,
hookyourheelsontotheupperbarandsmoothlyextendyourlegs,maximumspeediswhenthepulleys
ontheriserstouch.Oncesetup,testthefullrangeoftheacceleratorincalmyingconditionsandensure
thatbothrisersarepulledevenlyduringoperation.Fine-tuningcanbecompletedwhenyouarebackon
theground.
Harness and Motor
Itwillbeinyourharnessthatyouwillenjoyying.Therefore,werecommendyouspendthetimeonthe
groundtoadjustyourharness’differentsettings.Hangfromasolidbeamanddoublecheckthatyouare
comfortableandthatyoucanreachthebrakehandles,tipsteeringhandlesandthatyoucanachievethe
fullrangeofspeedbartravelbeforeying.Donotywithyourcheststrapsettootight.
The Spark 2 is suitable for all types of motor. There are many different motor units available and it is
vitallyimportantthatyouchooseonethatissuitableforyourneeds,weightandskilllevel.Duetothehigh
performanceprole,aunitwithalesspowerfulmotorandlowmovablehangpointsmaybeadvisable.
Alwaysseekassistanceandadvicefromyourinstructororexperiencedpilotsbeforechoosingequipment
foryourself.
IMPORTANT
The wing has been
certied with dened
harness dimensions. The
30 was certied with the
hangpoint width at 48cm,
the 27 at 46cm and the 25
at 44cm.
08
Wing
Tofamiliariseyourselfwiththeglideritisagoodideatoperformpracticeinationsandgroundhandling
bothwithandwithoutthemotor.Aswithallnewequipment,onlyyinconditionsthatyouwouldnormally
yinandonafamiliarsite.Flythewinginaprogressivemannerandbeawarethatwingloadinghasa
directeffectonthewing’syingcharacteristics.
Preflight Checks
Layoutthewingdownwindofyourmotoronitstopsurfaceinapronouncedarc,withthecentreofthe
winghigherthanthetips.Asyouunfoldthewingchecktheupperandlowerpanelsforanyripsortears,
payparticularattentiontotheseamsandlineattachmentpointsastheseareloadbearing.Neverywith
adamagedwing.
Layoutthelinesonesideatatimeandcheckforanyobvioussignsofdamage.Holdtherisersclearof
thegroundatshoulderheightandstartingwiththebrakelines,pullalllinesclear.Repeattheprocesswith
theD,C,BandthentheAlines,layingthecheckedlinesontopofthepreviousset.Makesurenolines
aretangled,knottedorsnaggedthenmirrortheprocessontheotherside.
Take-off checklist:
1.Checkreserveparachute-pininandhandlesecure
2.Helmetonandfastened
3.Allharnessbucklesclosed-checkleg-loopsagain
4.Carabinersandmaillonstight
5.HoldingtheA’s,yourbrakehandlesandthrottle
6.Leadingedgeopen
7.Aligneddirectlyintowind
8.Enginewarmandabletodeliverfullpower
9.Trimsetcorrectly
10.Propclearoflines
11.Airspaceandvisibilityclear
BASIC FLIGHT TECHNIQUES
EN
09
IMPORTANT
Never take off with a glider
that is not fully inated or
if you are not in control of
the pitch/roll of your wing.
Launching
YourSpark2willlaunchwitheithertheforwardorreversetechnique.Thewingshouldbelaidoutina
pronouncedarc,withthecentreofthewinghigherthanthetips.
Forward Launch - Nil to Light winds
Whenthewindisfavourable,whilstgentlyholdingtheArisersmoveforwardpositively,yourlinesshould
becometightwithinoneortwostepsandtheSpark2willimmediatelystarttoinate.Youshouldmaintain
aconstantpressureontherisersuntilthewingisoverhead.Donotpulldownorpushtherisersforward
excessively,ortheleadingedgewilldeformandpossiblycollapsemakingtaking-offmoredifcultand
potentiallydangerous.
Movesmoothlythroughouttheentirelaunch,thereisnoneedtorushorsnatchatit.Youshouldhave
plentyoftimetolookupandcheckyourcanopybeforecommittingyourself.Onceyouarehappythatthe
Spark2isinatedcorrectly,acceleratesmoothlyoffthelaunch.
Reverse Launch - Light to Strong Winds
Layoutyourwingasyouwouldfortheforwardlaunch.However,thistimeturntofaceit,passingone
entiresetofrisersoveryourheadasyouturn.Nowyoucaninatethegliderwithyourbodyweightand
theA-risers.Oncethewingisoverhead,releasetherisers,brakegentlyifnecessary,turnandlaunch.
Instrongerwinds,bepreparedtotakeafewstepstowardsthegliderasitinates.Thiswilltakesomeof
theenergyoutoftheglideranditwillbelesslikelytooveryyou.Thisreverse-launchtechniquecanbe
usedinsurprisinglylightwindstoo.
Practicegroundhandlingasmuchaspossible!Notonlyisitgreatfun,butitwillgiveyouamuchbetter
feelforyourwing’sightcharacteristics.Itwillalsoimproveyouroverallenjoymentofyingbygivingyou
thefeelingofcontrolandmakingyourlauncheseasierandlessstressful.
The Climb Out
Onceintheairyou shouldcontinueyingintowindwhilstgainingheight.Donotattempttoclimbtoo
steeplyortooquicklybyusingthebrakesorslowtrim. The wing already has ahighangleofattitude,
coupledwith a higher AoA (if you use the brakes) plus the engine’sfull thrust acting on thepilot, this
couldcontributetomaketheglidermorepronetostall.Furthermore,intheeventofanenginefailurethe
resultingbackwardpendulummotionofthepilotandtheforwarddiveofthewingmaybringyoubackto
IMPORTANT
Always keep hold of
your brakes. Do not y in
turbulent conditions
10
thegroundveryhard.Donotinitiateturnsuntilyouhavesufcientheightandairspeed.Avoidlowturns
downwindwithinsufcientairspeed.
TheSpark2iswelldampedinrollbutundercertaincircumstancesitispossibleforthepilottoinduce
oscillations.Thisiscausedbyacombinationoftheengine/propellertorqueandpilotweightshiftand/or
brakeinputs.Tostoposcillationsitisbesttoreducethepowerslightlyandensurethatyouremainstatic
withweightshiftandbrakeinputs.Oncesettledyoucanonceagainapplyfullpower.Underfullpowerthe
torqueeffectwillattempttogentlyturnthewing,usingweightshiftoradjustingthetrimsasymmetrically
isthebestmethodtocorrectthis.
Normal Flight
Onceatasafeheightyoucanreleasethetrimmersforafastercruisespeed.Ifyourmotorhasenough
power,theSpark2willachieveverygood straight linespeedswhilstmaintaininglevelightwithtrims
fullyreleasedandfullspeedbarapplied.Becautiouswhen releasing the trimmers,onlydosoincalm
conditions.
Flyingattrimspeed(hands-up,trimmerspulledtotheslowposition),theSpark2willachieveits‘best
glide’speedforstillair.Youshouldyatthisspeedwhenglidingdownwindorwhentheairisnot
excessivelysinking.Forbetterpenetrationinheadwindsandimprovedglideperformanceinsinking
air,crosswindsorheadwinds,youshouldyfasterthantrimspeedbyusingtheacceleratorsystemor
trimmers.Usinguptohalfbardoesnotdegradetheglideangleorstabilitysignicantlyandwillimprove
youryingperformance.AtfullspeedtheSpark2isstable;howeverwerecommendthatyoudonoty
atfullspeedclosetothegroundorinturbulentair.
Bypullingthetrimmerstotheslowpositionandapplyingasmallamountofbrake,theSpark2willachieve
itsbestminimum-sinkrate;thisisthespeedtouseforthermallingandridgesoaringwhilstfreeying.For
maximumefciencywhilstyingdownwind,releasethespeedbarandreturnthetrimmerstotheslow
position.
IMPORTANT
In turbulent air return
the glider to trim speed -
release the speed bar and
return the trims to the slow
position
IMPORTANT
Never apply the brakes
whilst ying at full speed
- it makes the wing more
prone to collapse.
EN
11
Turning
To familiarize yourself with the Spark 2 your rst turns should be gradual and progressive. To make
efcientandcoordinatedturnswiththeSpark2rstlookinthedirectionyouwanttogo,thenleanintoit.
Yourrstinputfordirectionalchangeshouldbeweight-shift,followedbythesmoothapplicationofthe
brakeuntilthedesiredbankangleisachieved.Toregulatethespeedandradiusoftheturn,coordinate
yourweightshiftandusetheouterbrake.
Active Flying
Tominimizethelikelihoodofsufferingcollapsesinturbulentconditions,itisessentialtouseactiveying.
Theseareskillsthatarebestlearntbyplayingwiththegliderontheground.Flyingwithasmallamountof
brakeapplied(approx.20cm)willallowyoutofeelthefeedbackfromthewing.Inturbulentconditionsthe
internalpressureofthewingisconstantlychangingandonlybyusingasmallamountofbrakewillyoufeel
thesechanges.Theaimofactiveyingistomaintainaconstantpressurethroughthebrakes,Ifyoufeela
reductionorlossofpressureapplythebrakesuntilyoufeelnormalpressureagain.Onceyouhavenormal
pressure,raisethehandsquicklybacktotheoriginalposition.Avoidyingwithcontinuousamountsof
deepbrakeinroughairasyoucouldinadvertentlystallthewing.Alwaysconsideryourairspeed.
Thesemovementscanbesymmetricorasymmetric;youmayhavetoapplybothbrakesorjustone.These
subtleadjustmentswillkeeptheglideryingsmoothlyanddirectlyaboveyouanddramaticallyreducethe
chancesofacollapse.Ifthegliderpitchesinfrontofyou,usethebrakestoslowitdown.Equally,ifthe
gliderdropsbehindyou,releasethebrakestoallowittospeedup.Thegoalistoalwayskeepthewing
directlyoverhead.
Nopilotandnogliderareimmunetocollapseshoweveractiveyingwillvirtuallyeliminateanytendencyto
collapse.Whentheconditionsareturbulent,bemoreactiveandanticipatethemovementsofyourwing.
IMPORTANT
Never initiate a turn at
minimum speed (i.e. with
full brakes on) as you
could risk entering a spin.
IMPORTANT
Always keep hold of
your brakes. Do not y in
turbulent conditions
12
Landing
TheSpark2showsnounusuallandingcharacteristicsbutasareminder,herearesometips:
•Alwayssetupforyourlandingearly,giveyourselfplentyofoptionsandasafemarginforerror.
•Oncebelow30metresavoidturningtightlyasthegliderwillhavetodivetoacceleratebacktonormal
ight. If you are at low altitude, or if you hit sink, this could mean you hit the ground harder than
necessary.
•Leanforwardoutofyourharnessbeforetheactuallanding(especiallyifit’sturbulent),withyourweight
leaningforwardagainstthecheststrap,andmakesureyourlegsarereadyforthelandingandapossible
PLF(parachutelandingfall).
•Allowtheglidertoyathandsup(trim)speedforyournaldescentuntilyouarearound1metreabove
theground(inwindyorturbulentconditionsyoumustytheglideractivelyalltheway).Applythebrakes
slowlyandprogressivelytoslowthegliderdownuntilgroundspeedhasbeenreducedtoaminimumand
youareabletostepontotheground.
•Inlightwinds/zerowindyouneedastrong,longandprogressivearetobleedoffallyourexcessground
speed.Instrongwindsyourforwardspeedisalreadylowsoyouarearingonlytosoftenthelanding.A
strongaremayresultinthegliderclimbingupwardsandbackwardsquickly,leavingyouinavulnerable
position.
•Ifthegliderdoesbegintoclimb,easeoffthebrakes(10-20cm)-donotputyourhandsupalltheway-
thenareagain,butmoregentlythistime.Keepthebrakesatmidspeed,standup,bereadytorunand
makesureyoubrakefullyasyouarriveontheground.
•Choosetheappropriateapproachstyleinfunctionofthelandingareaandtheconditions.
•Instrongwindsyouneedtoturntowardsthegliderthesecondyourfeettouchtheground.Oncefacing
thewingpullsmoothlyandsymmetricallydownonthebrakestostallthewing.Ifthegliderpullsyou,
runtowardit.
•Ifthewindisverystrong,andyoufeelyoumightbedragged,orliftedagain,stallthegliderwiththeC
risers.Thisstallsthewinginaveryquickandcontrollablewayandwilldragyoulessthanifyouusethe
brakes.
•Alwayslandheadingintowind!
RAPID DESCENT TECHNIQUES
EN
13
Ozonewouldliketoremindyouthatthefollowingmanoeuvresshouldbelearntunderthesupervisionof
aqualiedinstructorandalwaysusedwithcaution.Neverforgetthatproperlyanalysingtheconditions
beforelaunchwillhelpavoidtheneedtousethesetechniques.
Big Ears
Foldinginthewingtipsincreasesthesinkratewithoutradicallychangingtheairspeed.Thisisusefulfor
stayingoutofcloudordescendingquicklythroughtheliftbandofthehill,forexamplewhentoplanding.
Topullbigears,keepholdofyourbrakehandlesandtaketheoutermostA-lineoneachside,thenpullout
anddown(preferablyoneatatime)untilthewingtipsfoldunder.TheOuterAlineisattachedtotheBaby
Ariser,makingidenticationanduseofthebigearsystemeasier.Thesizeofthebigearscanbeadjusted
bypullingmoreline,orreachinghigheruptheline.FordirectionalcontrolwhileusingtheBigEars,you
shoulduseweightshift.Toreopentheears, release bothAlinesatthesametime.Tohelpreination,
brakegentlyonesideatatimeuntiltipsregainpressure.Avoiddeepsymmetricapplicationsofthebrake
asthiscouldaccidentlyinduceparachutalorfullstalls.
YoumayuseBigearsforthenallandingapproachbuttheyshouldbereleasedbeforemakingthenal
are.Ozoneadvisetonotusethistechniqueinturbulentorwindyconditionsduetothereducedabilityto
yactivelyandtheriskofaninadvertentstallwhilstdescendingthroughthewindgradient.
Oncethebigearsareengagedyoucanfurtherincreasethesinkratebypushingontheacceleratorbar,
howeverNEVERtrytopulltheBigEarsiniftheacceleratorisalreadypushed.Thelowerangleofattack
andtheactofdeatingthetipscanleadtoamajordeation.AlwaysmaketheBigEarsrstandthen
applythespeedbar.
WhilstitispossibletoenteraspiraldivewhilstholdinginBigEars,thehighforcesappliedtothelower
linescouldexceedthebreakingstrainofthelinesleadingtoequipmentfailure!
Ozone strongly recommend to NOT perform Spiral Dives with Big Ears engaged.
NEVER induce Big Ears in
accelerated ight, this can
lead to a major deation.
Always pull the Big Ears
rst and then apply the
speed bar.
DO NOT perform spiral
dives with Big Ears
engaged.
14
B-Line Stall
TheB-linestallisforfastdescentsinemergencysituationsonly,itisfasterandsafertolosealtitudewith
aspiraldivethanaB-stall.ToinitiatetheB-stall,keepthebrakesinyourhandandtakeholdofboththeB
risers,orplaceyourngersbetweenthelinesabovethemaillons.AsyoupulltheB-linesdowntheairow
overthewingisbrokenandthegliderlosesitsforwardspeedbutremainsopenwithareducedcord.You
candescendataround6m/s.ToexittheB-stalltheB-risersshouldbereleasedsymmetricallyandinone
smooth,progressivemotion.Thegliderwillresumenormalforwardightwithoutfurtherinput.Checkyou
haveforwardightagainbeforeusingthebrakes.IfyoupulltoomuchB-linetheglidermayhorseshoe
andmovearoundalot.Ifthisoccurs,slowlyreleasetheBlinesuntilthewingstabilisesorsimplyexitthe
BlinestallbyimmediatelyreleasetheBrisers.DonotattempttomaintainaBlinestallthatisnotstable.
Spiral Dives
Ifyouturnyourgliderinaseriesoftightening360’sitwillenteraspiraldive.Thiswillresultinrapidheight
loss.Toinitiateaspiral,lookandleanintothedirectionyouwanttogo,thensmoothlypulldownonthe
insidebrake.TheSpark2willrstturn almost 360degreesbeforeitdropsintothespiral.Onceinthe
spiralyoushouldre-centreyourweightshiftandapplyalittleoutsidebraketokeeptheouterwingtip
pressuredandinated.
Safedescentratesofmorethan8m/s(1600ft/minapprox.)arepossibleinaspiraldive,butattheserates
theassociatedhighspeedsandG-forcescanbedisorientating.Alwayspayparticularattentiontoyour
altitude.Toexitthespiraldive,ensureyourweightshiftisinacentredpositionandthensmoothlyrelease
theinsidebrake.AstheSpark2deceleratesallowittocontinuetoturnuntilenoughenergyislostforitto
returntolevelightwithoutanexcessiveclimbandsurge.
The Spark 2 shows little tendency to remain neutral in a spiral dive; however some parameters could
interferewithitsbehaviour.Thesemightinclude:wrongcheststrapsettings,totalweightinightoutside
ofthecertiedweightrange,orbeinginaverydeepspiralataveryhighsinkrate>14m/s.Youshould
alwaysbepreparedtopilotthewingoutofsuchaspiraldive.Todoso,smoothlyuseoppositeweight
shiftandapplyenoughoutsidebraketostopthewingfromspiralling,thegliderwillthenstarttoresume
normalight.Neverattempttorecoverfromaspiralwithhardorquickoppositeinputsasthiswillresult
inanaggressiveclimbandsurge.
IMPORTANT
Always be prepared to
pilot the wing out of a
spiral dive. Use opposite
weight shift and apply
enough outside brake
to stop the wing from
spiralling.
INCIDENTS IN FLIGHT
EN
15
Deflations
Duetotheexibleformofaparaglider,turbulencemaycauseaportionofthewingsuddenlytocollapse.
Thiscanbeanythingfromasmall30%(asymmetric)collapsetoacomplete(symmetric)collapse.
Ifyouhaveacollapse,therstthingtodoistocontrolyourdirection.Youshouldyawayfromtheground
orobstaclesandotherpilots.Asymmetriccollapsesshouldbecontrolledbyweightshiftingawayfromthe
collapseandapplyingenoughbraketocontrolyourdirection.Thisactionalonewillbeenoughforafull
recoveryofthewingmostofthetime.
Onceagliderisdeateditiseffectivelyasmallerwing,sothewingloadingandstallspeedarehigher.This
meansthegliderwillspinorstallwithlessbrakeinputthannormal.Inyoureffortstostopthegliderturning
towardsthecollapsedsideofthewingyoumustbeverycarefulnottostallthesideofthewingthatisstill
ying.Ifyouareunabletostopthegliderturningwithoutexceedingthestallpointthenallowthegliderto
turnwhilstyoureinatethecollapse.
Ifyouhaveadeationwhichdoesnotspontaneouslyreinate,makealongsmoothprogressivepump
onthedeatedside.Thispumpingactionshouldtakeabout1-2secondsperpump.Pumpingtooshort
andfastwillnotreinatethewingandpumpingtooslowmighttaketheglidercloseto,orbeyond,the
stallpoint.
Symmetricalcollapsesreinatewithoutpilotinput,however15to20cmofbrakeappliedsymmetricallywill
speedtheprocess.Afterasymmetriccollapsealwaysconsideryourairspeed.Makesurethegliderisnot
inparachutalstallbeforemakinganyfurtherinputs.
If your Spark 2 collapses in accelerated ight, immediately release the accelerator and manage the
collapseusingthesamemethodsdescribedabove.
WARNING
Uncoordinated wingovers
can lead to large
asymmetric collapses and
cravats, therefore they
should never be executed
near the ground.
16
Cravats
Ifthetipofyourwinggetsstuckinthelines,thisiscalleda‘cravat’.Thiscanmakeyourglidergointo
aspiral,whichisdifculttocontrol.Therstsolutiontogetoutofthissituationistostabilisetheglider
intonormalight,i.egetcontrolofyourdirectionandthenpulldownthestabiloline(BR4-outsideline
ontheBriser)untilthewingtipclears.Youmustbecarefulwithanybrakeinputsoryoumaystallthe
oppositewing.Youcanalsousestrongdeeppumpsofthebrakeonthecravatedside,whendoingsoit
isimportanttoleanawayfromthecravatotherwiseyouriskspinningordeepeningthespiral.Theaimis
toemptytheairoutofthewingtip,butwithoutspinning.Correctlydone,thisactionwillclearthecravat.
Ifitisaverylargecravatandtheaboveoptionshavenotworkedthenafullstallisanotheroption.This
shouldnotbeattemptedunlessyouhavebeentaughthowtodoitandcanonlybedonewithalarge
amountofaltitude.Rememberiftherotationisacceleratingandyouareunabletocontrolit,youshould
throwyourreserveparachutewhilstyoustillhaveenoughaltitude.
Deep Stall / Parachutal Stall
It is possible for gliders to enter a state of parachutal stall. This can be caused by several situations
including;averyslow release from aB-linestall;ying the gliderwhenwet;or after afront/symmetric
deation.Theglideroftenlooksasthoughithasrecoveredproperlybutcarriesondescendingvertically
withoutfullforwardmotion.Thissituationiscalled‘deepstall’or‘parachutalstall’.
ItisunlikelytohappenonanyOzoneglider,butshoulditdosoyourrstreactionshouldbetofullyraise
bothhands.ThisnormallyallowstheglidertoreturntonormalightbutIfnothinghappensafterafew
seconds,reachupandpushtheA-risersforwardsorapplythespeedbartoencouragethewingtoregain
normalight. Ensurethe gliderhas returnedto normalight (checkyour airspeed)before youuse the
brakesagain.
Donotyinrain,doingsosignicantlyincreasesthelikelihoodofparachutalstallsoccurring.Toreduce
thechanceofstallinginrainavoidusingdeepbrakemovementsorBigEars.Findasafeareatolandand
usingthespeedbar,maintainagoodairspeedatalltimes.
IMPORTANT
A bad preparation on
launch, aerobatic ying,
ying a wing of too high
a level or in conditions
too strong for your ability,
are the main causes of
cravats.
IMPORTANT
Never y in the rain or with
a wet glider
IMPORTANT
Only a few cms of input
from your brakes can
maintain your wing in the
stall. Always release your
wraps if you have taken
them!
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
EN
17
Step 1.Laymushroomedwing
ontheground.Itisbesttostart
fromthemushroomedposition
asthisreducesthedragging
oftheleadingedgeacrossthe
ground. Step 2.GroupLEreinforcements
withtheAtabsaligned,make
suretheplasticreinforcements
laysidebyside.
Step 3.LaywingonitssideandStrap
LE...NotethegliderisNOTfolded
inhalf;itisfoldedwithacomplete
concertinafromtiptotip.Itisreally
importanttonotstressthemiddlecellor
bendtheplastictootightly.
Packing
Toprolongthelifeofyourwingandtokeeptheplasticreinforcementsinthebestpossibleconditionitisveryimportanttopackthewing
carefully.
Ozonerecommendstousetheconcertinapackingmethodexactlyasshownsothatallofthecellsrestalongsideeachotherandthe
plasticreinforcementsarenotunnecessarilybent.Youcanhoweverusethetraditionalhalfandhalfmethod.UsinganOzoneSaucisseor
Saucisselightpackwillhelppreservethelifeofthewingandaidwiththespeedandeaseofpacking.
18
If using a Saucisse pack go to Step 8.
Step 7.Nowplacethefoldedwingintothestuffsack.
Step 4.Grouptogetherthemiddle/trailing
edgeofthewingbysortingthefoldsnear
theB,CandDtabs.
Step 6.Foldthewingwith3or4foldswhilstbeing
carefultonotcrushtheLE.
Step 5.OncetheLEandrearofthewinghave
beensorted,turnthewholewingonitsside.
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