SAFA Skysailor Magazine

42 SKY SAILOR May | June 2023 AIRS Safety Wrap-up #1809 – PG reserve deployment PIC was competing in the 2023 Bright PG Open (Vic). They lost control of their wing in turbulent thermic conditions, leading to a cravat, followed by a line-twisting spin that locked the canopy into an unrecoverable ‘Sat’ type manoeuvre. At that stage, the reserve was deployed. PIC landed without sustaining injury or damage to equipment. Pilots flying high-performance wings in turbulent air should remain vigilant and prepared to respond swiftly and correctly to violent collapses. All pilots should practise finding their reserve deployment handles in flight and be mentally prepared for the possibility that they might need to deploy their reserve. If the decision is made to throw the reserve, do not hesitate! Ensure you have studied and rehearsed the Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) manoeuvre to reduce the risk of injury on landing. #1660 – PG stalled while trying to recover from trapped lines PIC was competing in the Bright Open and prepared to launch from Gundowring (Vic) for a free flight after the task was cancelled. During their pre-flight check, they could not see if all the lines were clear, but assumed that all was in order since the pilot had already checked them in preparation for the task. On inflation, they noticed the lines were not 100% clear, but judged they would clear once underway or that they could easily sort them out in flight, so they continued to launch and fly. However, the tangle on the right side of the rear riser lines also trapped the right main brake line. With the glider pulling to the right, PIC initially maintained straight flight through weight-shift and rear riser control on the left. As PIC flew into a small thermal, the glider rolled to the right wanting to turn back into the hill. PIC attempted to maintain straight flight with more counter-measure. This caused the glider to stall on both sides of the wing and go into a slow helicopter. PIC was able to regain controlled flight, but at this point, they approached the ground and landed on a slope, flat on their back, at around 2m/s. The glider settled in nearby bushes. Stable fractures of L1, L2 and T4 resulted. Pilots are reminded of the importance of a pre-flight check as well as being mentally prepared to abort launch if the wing is not properly deployed (e.g., with a line tangle). If an impact with terrain is unavoidable, prepare to execute a PLF (Parachute Landing Fall), whether or not the reserve has been deployed. #1638 – HG at Mt Elliot on 2 Jan 2020 PIC arrived with their hang glider at Mt Elliot (Vic). They had flown from this site twice, several years ago, and did not seek a site briefing to reacquaint themselves with the current launch and landing conditions. By their own admission, PIC had not prepared for flight and was rusty on their landing technique. On arrival over the LZ, PIC did not adequately determined the wind direction and decided to land in a tailwind, believing it to be a thermal. After flaring, their legs could not absorb the