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Translation glossary: Paragliding & Free Flight Glossary

Creator:
Kartik Isaac
Kartik Isaac
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Showing entries 251-298 of 298
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ThermalA mass of rising air. That\'s where we go to fuel and gain altitude. The best place is to be right in the center. Pilots obey rules of the road when flying in a thermal together. 
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ThunderstormA large convective cell that features violent weather in the form of high winds, turbulence, lightning and hail. 
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TogglesThe hand recepticals or loops at the end of a steering line. 
English
Top landingLanding on a flat top surface of the mountain. 
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Top-BottomFlight in stable air. 
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tossing the laundryThrowing the reserve parachute. 
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Total weight (All Up Weight)The weight of the pilot and all equipment, including the paraglider. 
English
Tow lineThe line used to tow gliders with a vehicle. 
English
Trailing edgeThe rearward part of a wing. 
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trashyTurbulent, inconsistent air, producing little lift. Not much fun, either. 
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tree landingYou guessed it. Popular with paraglider pilots in the heavily-wooded Northeast and Northwest, feared by hang glider pilots in general. Also known as “making friends with your local hook-and-ladder operators.” 
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TriangleCompetition race with at least 2 turn points. 
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Triangle - FAISimilar to above, but the turn points must obey rules determined by the FAI (see www.fai.org). 
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trim speedthe natural forward speed of the paraglider in flight with no brake input (around 35 kph for most DHV1-2 gliders). 
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TrimmersConfiguration on the risers for altering the angle of attack 
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TuckWing collapse. 
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TurbulenceGusts or swirls of air encountered in flight. 
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turn onPilots wait in calm air for the wind to turn on, creating soarable conditions, which is, of course, a “turn-on.” 
English
TurtleTo fall over backwards onto your paramotor while it\'s strapped to your back. 
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UpwindA flight direction heading into the wind. 
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V maxMaximum speed via speed bar and trimmers. 
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V minMinimum speed before the wing loses its capacity to stay airworthy. Achieved via brakes without the use of the speed bar or trimmers. 
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V trimFlying speed without the use of brakes, speed bar or trimmers. 
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Valley windUsed to describe the existence of a wind in a valley, which differs from the general prevailing wind. 
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VarioAn electronic instument that displays the altitude + the rate of climb/sink. A vario produes variable audio sounds to indicate whether the pilot is going up or down. [top] 
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Variometeran instrument that displays your rate of descent or ascent. 
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VelocityA measurement of the speed and direction of motion. 
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Venturi effectWind increases velocity due to constricted flow and is named after the italian scientist that discovered it back in the 17th century. 
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VortexThe swirling of air at the wing. 
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WallA preliminary step before every inflation where the pilot inflate the wing\'s leading edge and builds tension on the lines. A wall allows the pilot to determine that none of the lines are tangled and that the wing tips are not tucked in (cravatted). 
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washing machineSee rotor. Also, spanked, pucker factor. 
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WashoutA progressively different angle of attack from the center of the wing to the wing tips. 
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Weight (Pilot)Body weight. 
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Weight (Total)The weight of the pilot carrying all his flying equipment including the wing. 
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whackAn inelegant landing in a hang glider, where the nose of the glider impacts the ground with an audible “whack!” sound. 
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WhackSomething hang glider pilots shout when they see a friend digging in the glider\'s nose on landing. Or... what happens to a paraglider flying the lee side in rotor as in \"I just got whacked hard...\" 
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white roomThe interior of a cloud. Venturing up into a cloud is “entering the white room,” and is as dangerous as you’re imagining, as well as being illegal. 
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Wind DummyThe pilot making the first flight of the day to test the prevailing conditions 
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wind dummyan affectionate term used in paragliding circles to identify the first pilot in the air at any given launch site. Essentially, cautious pilots testing the water by letting someone else do it first! 
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Wind-gradientIs the gradual reduction in wind speed as we approach the surface due to the friction of the ground. 
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WindsockA device used to show the direction of the wind and to some extent the wind speed. 
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Wing loadingThe weight-to-area ratio on an aircraft found by dividing the flying weight of the pilot plus the glider by the total wing area. 
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Wing OverA seemingly simple maneuver that takes lots of practive to master on a paraglider and is very good for developing rythem and coordination in fight 
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WingoverA maneuver which is in reality a climbing steep turn ending in a dive. 
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Wonder windIs the mild lift produced by convergence of catabatic wind and the last thermals of the day. 
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wonder wind, wonderingIf you want to see a dozen pilots scramble to get into the air, fly over launch and shout, “It’s wondering!” 
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XCAcronym for Cross Country flying 
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YawThe motion of a wing whereby one side moves forward and the other moves backwards We call such rotation a change of heading. 
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