Online school · Small wings · Module 5

Terrain and the descent line

Module five of the “Small wings” course. How the wing descent line runs compared with the slope, why a flattening slope and a convex edge are dangerous, where rotor hides, why you need a distance margin, how to build a descent plan with abort points and backup landings, how to keep away from wires and pistes, and what landing field you need.

⏱ 20 min📖 9 sections✓ 20 questions2 animated diagrams

Descent line: the wing and the slope

In shortOn a small wing you fly along the slope. Safety depends on how the wing descent line runs compared with the shape of the slope. The slope flattens out: the ground comes up to meet you. Convex edge: you cannot see what is behind it. A ridge with wind: rotor. So you walk every new descent on foot first, and you fly to a plan with abort points and backup landings.

The descent lineithe path of the wing through the air, seen from the side. Its angle is set by the glide ratio of the wing: on a speed wing about 4, which means 4 m forward for every 1 m of height. of a speed wing in calm air is almost straight: about 4 metres forward for every metre of height (module 1). A slope can be steeper than this line, gentler, or have convex edges.

The main question of every descent: where will my line meet the ground? If the slope is steeper than the line, your margin grows. If it is gentler, your margin runs out.

Real-life example. A sled on a hill goes far while the hill is steep. Where the hill flattens out, the sled stops. A wing “meets” a gentle slope in the same way.

What follows is for our students

The full module text, the practice sessions and the exams are open to those who train with us. Access to the theory is included in the course fee: it runs for the whole course and for three months after it ends.

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Terrain and the descent line

Descent line: the wing and the slope

What follows is for our students

Module practice