Launching the R10.2 in strong winds

After more than a few hundred hours flying the R10.2, and after watching so much launch carnage in Mungyeong over the past week, and at the Turkey PWC Superfinal last fall, I feel motivated to offer some feedback which might help the newer R10.2 pilots, and perhaps some of the more experienced ones as well. If more pilots could safely launch the glider in stronger winds, then perhaps this could lead to a successful task on some marginal days, instead of a forced cancellation by organizers trying to protect those who are struggling and creating tension and anxiety on launch.

I'm hesitant to include the Boom 8 and other 2 liners as I haven't flown them and wouldn't feel comfortable including all 2 liners in a generalized manner. I'm hoping that other 2 liner pilots will jump in and comment with additional content. I'll start from the beginning so that I can offer my full perspective on the R10.2. I'll describe some characteristics of the glider as this is applicable to the high wind launch technique discussed later.

The unique wing loading qualities of the first R10.2 in my country became immediately evident with the first sessions on the glider at the training hill with my original instructor who's been flying and competing from early on. Trying to stall the glider while hovering in strong wind close to the ground was an instant eye opener. Neither of us had ever seen so much “stall authority” and a glider that kept flying with far more brake input and travel than one could ever imagine before it slowly let go. It was instantly clear that this glider was pressurized and loaded surprisingly well, and that the production 2 line innovation was made possible by some very brilliant internal design and construction.

When launching the R10.2 in high winds, the glider demands mastery of control. If you relinquish control in strong wind, even for a moment, the R10.2 will have it's way with you. The airfoil has become far too efficient in generating lift for a pilot to be tentative, and in my opinion, only one launch technique is consistently safe. I'm disappointed that it took me so long to master this technique. I'm afraid I was just muddling along like many R10 pilots just hoping that I would keep getting away with it. That all changed in Turkey last fall at the Superfinal when I was popped high off the ground and dropped hard on two separate occasions having the wind knocked out of me and shaken up...... not the way to start a task, and very likely a contributing factor to my poor performance there. Talk about frustration! You know it's coming but don't know how to prevent it. That forced me to seek out guidance and figure it out!

It's very easy to build up false confidence with this glider launching or practicing inflations in strong wind at the training hill. Turns out with a light kiting harness and quick feet, a fast (and motivated) pilot can successfully sprint up under the glider, turn and be flying all in one aggressive motion. This can't be duplicated, however, with a fully loaded pod harness – not even close to it. In fact, the heavier, slower moving pilot anchor just accelerates the glider and generates more lift quicker causing the well known R10.2 classic “pilot plucked off the ground and redeposited” syndrome.

After observing literally 100s of high wind 2 liner launches now, I can suggest with confidence how to proceed. Firstly, starting from a strong wall, then loading and forming up the glider early, and keeping the glider symmetrically loaded is crucial. Any technique which results in the glider pressurizing asymmetrically while overhead or near overhead is dangerous, and is the single greatest cause of loss of control in strong wind. This also holds true for gliders which are brought up symmetrically, but partially unloaded with the Bs, and then let go to load overhead. Although effective with a 3 liner, with a 2 liner this latter technique usually results in success only after masterful input from a very strong pilot, and more often than not the glider experiences several sketchy asymmetrical gyrations in the loading process. Cheers and applause also typically follow this launch effort – not the recognition we should strive for..... I don't want anyone to notice my launch – just the fact that my spot is vacant.

In the past I'd been impressed by excellent pilots who were able to bring up their conventional 3 line comp glider by either B or C line input – much like you'd launch any serial glider..... It's relatively easy to grab a handful of Bs or Cs and bring the glider up on your terms in the strongest wind. None of this applies to the R10.2 Don't kid yourself into thinking you can bring the glider up with As and the B toggles. You might get lucky here and there in a laminar coastal soaring wind but there's no future in it in thermal wind..... Here's why: Even if you manage to B toggle the wing up and overhead in some form of a glider without it snaking all over the place, the chances of an asymmetrical high speed inflation/pressurization are very likely, with the resulting dangerous consequences.

Perhaps the strongest quality of the R10.2, and now the R11, is it's brilliant ability to hold it's form and resist stall. This quality is also strongly present when the glider is being launched, so it makes excellent sense to take advantage of it.

If you have help to hold your glider down, prepare for your high wind launch as you would any other, with the As and brakes as normal. Any riser/brake handling technique is fine..... If you don't have help add in a bite of the B toggles until you are ready to pull up. The Bs along with lite As does wonders to stabilize the glider nicely on the ground and avoid the dragon in strong winds.

Launch the glider as you normally would, looking for a 100% normally formed and loaded wing. When the glider approaches a mid point of about 45 degrees or so, or at a point where it is clearly both solidly pressurized and accelerating, drop the As and go to both brakes symmetrically or as required to maintain a symmetrical rise. Brake down the glider to a point where the rest of the rise to the overhead position is on your terms – not the gliders. I can't speak for other 2 liners, but the R10.2, because of it's huge stall authority, gives you all kinds of room to work with here without breaking form. With a bit of practice, you'll find that you can easily “walk” the glider up the rest of the way, keeping it loaded and safely symmetrical.

Because of experience with other competition gliders in the past, or perhaps due to my lack of confidence in high wind launching, I wasn't sure that this was an option for me as the stalling characteristics of others gliders I've flown were nothing like the R10.2. If you brake it too early, it will simply unload most likely in a very controlled manner. If you brake it too late..... well we all know what that outcome will likely be!! You probably won't brake it again late the next time! All kidding aside, if you do brake it late, the glider will still remain symmetrical, shoot overhead and frontal while jerking you cleanly and efficiently off the ground and then dropping you straight down onto your fully loaded pod which shouldn't be too painful..... This is far preferable to a glider which is pressurizing and accelerating asymmetrically, causing the pilot to lose balance... and then control, often becoming airborne in a dangerous and scary manner....

I write this with a mindful of very strong fresh images from Mungyeong, as well as many firmly imprinted images from Turkey last fall. I saw every conceivable method of getting the 2 liner loaded and going in the strong wind with many very strong pilots in attendance. Many times I watched the same pilot make multiple attempts. Things were really amplified because their was some terrain out in front of launch that was sometimes messing with the airflow. Every once and awhile a stronger pilot would walk out on launch and you could just see the focus and confidence. No waiting forever for the lower wind speeds that weren't gonna come while tying up the launch. Just timing the cycle and pulling up with confidence, braking the R10 down cleanly and smoothly until overhead... turning and flying away from launch without jacking up everyone's anxiety level in the process – especially the organizer and meet director....

If you fly the R10.2, the strong wind launch doesn't have to be intimidating. Of course you must exercise extra caution, but you must believe that you might be able to increase your strong wind comfort range much further than you think. The R10.2 has brought levels of confidence and safety to the competition glider world that have never been realized in the past.... The ability to cleanly launch this glider in strong wind is just one of the many qualities of a brilliant paraglider. Anyone competing on one should take full advantage of these qualities to both increase their own safety, and to help all pilots get safely and efficiently into the sky and into the start cylinder..... so the windy day task can be pulled off and enjoyed by most everyone, instead of being canceled......

I'll never forget the first day on the hill in Brazil at the Pocos PWC last year when the R10.2 first came out in numbers..... It was like a perfect production line of clean pluck and drop maneuvers... one right after another.....highly experienced pilot or not.... and it wasn't even that windy! Many pilots have adjusted... some have mastered it, still others are really hoping that it's not windy on launch!! I write this understanding that with the delivery of I don't know how many R11.2s this year, the number of new pilots getting the used R10s is gonna go through the roof! I'm hoping that these new pilots will take it upon themselves to spend the time to get properly dialed in so they can enjoy the full benefit of one great flying machine!! (Oh, and keep the launch que moving!!!!)

Jack