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 "Motorneuvers" over Lake Thonotosassa
Nov. 16-18, 2001,
by Bill Hocker
About three years ago, when my friend Terry Alford and I were done enjoying another great day of PPG'ing, We started discussing the need to have more
flying skills that may save us in the event of a flying emergency. Terry being a former Air Force pilot and current private pilot saw the need for this because as he put it, "If you fly long enough, you'll be put into a situation that will require skills beyond ordinary flying just to stay in control".
Last weekend we and 15 other pilots had the chance to fulfill this quest for gaining more knowledge about PPG flying by taking a "Motorneuvers" clinic here in Florida. Pilots from as far away as Canada and Pennsylvania attended.
The course was instructed by Chris Santacroce of Super Fly. Chris has taught hundreds of paragliding students how to be prepared and fly safer, but this was his first time to teach the course with motors. Even though he is a world-class aerobatic pilot, he knew we were all breaking new ground. The course consists of three days, from 7:30 a.m. until sunset each day. Preflight and postflight briefing take place after each flight session. The days went like this:
Friday Nov. 16th We get to the field early to get an introduction from Chris. He listens to our goals of what we want to get from the class. He also lets us know what he expects from all of us, such as safe flying, preflight checks using a "buddy system", a discussion of water landing procedure, and a perspective of what we can do with the knowledge we are about to obtain.
There's a thorough review of equipment including communications, flotation, and a discussion of reserve deployment along with several practice throws from two simulated reserves made by Terry. Now the first flights begin. Winds were clocked at 13-18 mph, so only the most heavily wing loaded wings or the Reflex pilots could fly. We went to
approximately 1200 ft. and waited over the lake. Chris gave his first instructions to one pilot at a time. For an asymmetric collapse it went something like, "OK pardner, let's grab the right A riser using the standard grip and give it a firm pull down....good, now hold it......hold it......hold it....release at the 180 degree point". We did the same for
maneuvers such as b-line stalls, full frontal collapses, asymmetric collapses, "tweaking" the A's( a term used when describing a restart of the glider from a deep
stall), pitch oscillations using the motor and brakes, use of the speed system during maneuvers, stabilo pull, full stall and spins. We also learned a maneuver known as the asymmetric
spiral, that became my personal favorite, but I have to admit it wasn't love at first sight. It took a couple tries at it to become comfortable. It involves a start using a 270 degree tight turn, then hard brake pump, then hands up, then successive pumps and hands up until you run out of altitude. The rush of air in your face and the feeling of 3-4 G's is awesome at first, and it gave me a sensory overload.
Things are progressing nicely, then the unexpected happens. Richard Goode begins his "wild ride". It begins with Richard doing a full stall under Chris' direction, he holds it for a few seconds while the wing thrashes above and a right wing cravat occurs, along with a triple riser twist. He fights to clear the riser twist and pump out the cravat if he can. The twist makes the brakes tighten and ineffective to inputs. Another full stall occurs, this time from 500 ft.. He finally gets the wing under control and restarted with 100-150 ft. to go before getting wet. Chris' calm directions over the radio probably saved him a soggy rig at the end of his 1,100 ft. fall.
Saturday Nov. 17th An early start again at 7:30. We learn a new maneuver, and the first guys start to perform the SAT. It is a fairly new maneuver that involves a spiral and a spin while the pilot is rotating backwards. It's became very popular at the Seattle Aero Battle, a contest of acro maneuvers in PG's. Chris claimed it was invented by the Rodriguez brothers of the Safety Acro Team of Spain, hence the acronym...S.A.T.. He also said they may have been under a chemical-induced state when they attempted it the first time, and that makes sense when you first see it being done. I'm still not sure if there was sarcasm when he said that.
After the morning session is over, Chris does two demo flights with the Reflex and Silex wings after some encouragement from the students. He wrings them both out, and goes into such a high-G spiral in one that he returns to land with a neatly broken seat plate to show for it.
 Neal Stubbs has another interesting flight. While doing an asymmetric spiral, he cranks it just a "tad" too much and enters a spin. It results in a triple riser twist. He has no control, but lots of air beneath him, and he passes some other pilots with the wing going one way, and him facing the other. He kicks and gets out the riser twist as instructed by Chris. Another bundle of laundry stays in the reserve
container.
The Photo above was taken by Ian Panton and gives a good idea
of the pilot's perspective during a very steep wingover or spiral.
Sunday Nov. 18th The guys polish up their skills, doing the maneuvers they've learned over the last two days. Several more pilots join the "SAT club". They sort of let me in the back door because my SAT probably wasn't deep enough to get a strong backwards rotation, but I was satisfied they allowed me in their company. I guess it was like a spiral SAT. I then realized I'd broken my promise I'd made to my wife about "only flying maneuvers that are safe, and that are needed for getting out of dangerous flying situations...no acrobatics!". Sorry about that one, dear, but I only did it once! It was worth the price of admission, and I confessed my sin later.
We concluded with a briefing and at sunset we congratulated ourselves for a clinic well-executed. The Parastars hope to make it a yearly event, as long as Chris can ft it into his busy schedule. Oh, by the way....don't try to look up "motorneuvers" in the dictionary. It isn't there, but if the success of what took place last weekend has reverberations across the PPG world, it just may become a standard word that is understood by anyone that flies into the skies with a motor strapped to their back. |
