Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

Well, I was hoping that my first incident write up would have scrolled off the first page by the time I got an opportunity to write another. Doesn't look it worked out that way.

On Saturday I made my first flight on a Saturn 167. After a decent 45 minute flight I came in to land. By all accounts I was flying the approach too slow (1st mistake). Secondly, when it was time to roll out of the turn onto final, I made only a feeble turn input. Thirdly I was slow in reacting to all of this. I was also popped by a thermal as I was turning past the runway, but I think that would have been a minor event if I had not made the preceding errors.

The result of this was that I found myself going downwind again toward power lines, telephone poles and hill sides. I finally managed to shift my weight like I meant it and initiate a right turn to get turned around. I got pointed downwind again over the alluvial fan near the corner house with little altitude to spare. I didn't think that I could make it all the way back to the H-2 LZ, and I didn't want anything to do with the rocks in the river channel. I opted to follow the fan down along the hill, and I prepared myself to get to know a bush, up close and personal. In the end I landed in the weeds in a small clearing with no harm to me or the glider. The ego is somewhat bruised, but it will eventually recover.

I would like to thank Steve, Orian and BJ for coming to my aid and carrying the glider back to the LZ. I would also like to thank all those that shared their insight and experience with me to help me understand how I got there and how I can avoid it in the future.

For those of you who didn't get to see it live here's the view from my keel.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcELYROOto0[/youtube]

Let the education begin.

Good report. I had a Saturn for a while and while they are famously immune to PIOs, they're not so easy to turn. Takes some getting used to-- and now you are.

Hey Tom, all's well that ends well. You walked away unharmed. From the ground it looked more sickeningly dramatic than it did from the keel of your glider.

It appears from the perspective of your cam that you are leaning slightly forward. If I'm wrong, ignore this. I might suggest a more up right position on your downwind, base and final. A more up right position will lower the CG of your body, giving you more weight shift authority, and of course hands as low as possible.

I'm just going from the video, and you probably got better input from those experienced pilots who were present, but it does appear that you were going slow.

A note: One of the earlier posters mentioned the Saturn not PIOing, but being hard to turn. Speed will help that a lot. Even an old-style topless turns quickly if you are going fast enough.

Glad you are ok. Glad you didn't panic.

I have a Saturn, and they do run on rails. You need to pull that J-shaped base tube maneuver to get them to turn hard. (a slight pull in at the start). Once you get used to it, they are very predictable.

It looks to me like you just didn't weight shift very hard after turning to final to straighten it back out. A minor adjustment to technique next time. A Saturn is just like a stubborn horse - you need to tell it to turn with some authority or it will ignore you. The good thing is that it's less likely to turn without your input. You'll do fine next time.

I agree with Glenn about having enough authority over the Saturn to command a turn. I believe that is why the control frame is so large on a Saturn (for more authority).

Just don't get too used to it because if you are going to fly a Sport 2 it will PIO big time if you hold that much speed and authority through the turn.

I had a serious PIO problem on approach in the Sport 2. I had to practice making crisp, flat, 90 degree turns while high. Then on approach I would make a coordinated turn and finish it before pulling in for speed. Slipping my turns was the source of the PIO because the glider retains more energy than a Falcon or Saturn. Use a large pattern at first so you can make corrections. You will be fine.

I like Steve's comment about having a lower CG when you are upright. I learned something from that. Thanks Steve.

Hey Malury,

You mention making coordinated turns on your turn from downwind to base and then base to final, but if you do a coordinated turn you will be pushing out the bar and slowing down to coordinate the turn thus making you vulnerable to a gust low to the ground. Having only flown a falcon I don't really have much experience, but the thoughts of Joe telling me to keep speed up and not let the bar out on approach makes me think this could come back to bite you one day. However as I said I only have falcon experience and maybe the fact that the sport 2 can cary speed more may not make it as vulnerable as the falcon with the bar out a bit.

Any thoughts on this?

It looks like at the 20 second mark you made your first attempt at a course correction. It wasn't until the 24 second mark that you moved your right hand to the down tube from the base tube which enabled you the leverage to actually successfully shift your weight and execute the turn. Conditions and altitude were such that a 4 second delay was no harm. In my falcon I sometimes practice, without finesse, an emergency maximum weight shift turn, usually trying to get back into a thermal I've just been dumped out of. I go upright in my harness and pull my knees to the control frame corner and sometimes put my elbow around the down tube. Great landing though, it must be all that Garlock experience.

Doug