Flight Characteristics; Weight Range - BGD Tala Manuel D'utilisation

Chapter IV

Flight Characteristics

This manual is not intended as an instruction book on how to fly the TALA, you should be a qualified pilot or
under suitable supervision, but the following comments describe how to get the best from your TALA.

Weight range

Each size of the TALA is certified for a certain weight range. The weight refers to the "overall takeoff weight". This
means the weight of the pilot, the glider, the harness and all other equipment carried with you in flight.
We recommend to fly the TALA in the middle of the weight range.
If you fly the TALA on the lower half of the weight range, the turning agility decreases and the glider will be more
damped. In strong turbulences the wing tends to deform and to collapse slightly more than with a higher wing
loading. If you mainly fly in weak conditions you should consider flying the TALA on the lower side of the weight
range.
If you fly the TALA on the upper half of the weight range, the agility and the stability in turbulences will increase.
Also the speed will increase slightly. The self damping will decrease in turns, as well as after collapses, so if you
fly in bumpy conditions and you want a dynamic flight characteristic you should go for the top of the weight
range.
Active Piloting
Even though the TALA is designed as an intermediate glider, 'active piloting' is a tool that will help you fly with
greater safety and enjoyment. Active piloting is flying in empathy with your paraglider. This means not only
guiding the glider through the air but also being aware of feedback from the wing, especially in thermals and
turbulence. If the air is smooth the feedback can be minimal but in turbulence feedback is continuous and needs
to be constantly assessed by the pilot through the brakes and the harness. Such reactions are instinctive in good
pilots. Maintaining contact with the glider through pressure on the brakes is essential and allows the pilot to feel
the loss of internal pressure, which often precedes a collapse. The TALA is highly resistant to collapse without
any pilot action at all, but learning how to fly actively will increase this safety margin even further.
Harness
The TALA is tested with a 'GH' (without diagonal bracing) type harness. The GH category includes weight shift
harnesses as well as ABS style (semi stable) harnesses.
Take-off
The TALA is easy to inflate in light or stronger winds and will quickly rise overhead to the flying position. The best
inflation technique is to hold one A riser in each hand. The 'big ear' risers could be also held for the best inflation.
Nil Wind – Inflation is best done by taking both of the A risers in each hand. This is the reason why the
a)
A risers are both marked with red cloth.
In nil or very light wind, stand with all the A lines taut behind you, then take one or two steps back (do not
walk all the way back to the canopy) and then begin your launch run pulling gently and smoothly on the A
risers. As soon as the canopy starts to rise off the ground stop pulling so hard on the A risers but pull all
the risers evenly through the harness. Maintaining gentle pressure on the A risers always helps in very
Rev_04_25.01.2013 Bruce Goldsmith Design GmbH, Hügelweg 12, 9400 Wolfsberg, Austria,
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