@@libertyforamericanow yea, it’s been great watching his recovery, and excellent attitude about the whole thing, very transparent, and open about his experience and just wanting people to learn and be safer from his accident. I don’t know him personally, have chatted with him online once or twice, but he’s definitely got my respect, and I think the respect of just about the entire community. I’m a free flight pilot, so I always enjoyed watching him do soaring videos.
i noticed your name, do you fly in kentucky? if so, can i ask where? because im a truck driver and i go to elizabethtown, ky almost every day and i see guys fly there sometimes and i have a portable paramotor on the way, so if that's you i might be able to bring it with me and fly with you soon lol.
Hell yeah you need a reserve.Anything can happen up there like a prop blade or broken prop hub that could take out many lines in one shot or a big bird you never know man cheap insurance.
Great analysis! And excellent safety recommendations, I fully agree. However, I don't think the root cause was a compression tangle. I think it was a riser "fallthrough" (riser going between cascades before clipping in), causing the inner D lines on the right to be effectively shortened. Look carefully at the risers in flight and compare them. You can see the C/D lower risers are twisted on the right side and they don't form a straight gradient line. The takeaway for me, regardless of the root cause, on top of your recommendations, is to employ a "riser keeper" in your glider bag to prevent them twisting or falling between cascades and always kite before flight. Bringing your wing up while facing it allows you to see any compression knots or riser twists so you can fix them before launch.
I'm generally of the opinion that PPG pilots should choose a wing with as low an aspect ratio as practical. Predecessors to PPG are PPC's, which utilized wings with aspect ratios in the 2.5 range (lay-flat dimension); these wings are commonly called 'squares', which they are not but we've all seen them. Point is that these low aspect PPC wings are extremely collapse resistant, no doubt attributable to low aspect ratio (and hi drag). A PPG school glider such as the Apco Prima, has an aspect ratio in the 3's.
Great video Trevor!!, I have two Paramotors and each has a reserve. Will not fly without one!!!! Your video did a great job explaining what happened and some precautions you should take as a pilot to keep it from happening to you
Thank you Trev for this Video. I have had people coming to me saying 'aren't you afraid you going to die? "I saw this guy on TH-cam where the wing just randomly collapsed! " to the point I wish Anthony never shared it because .. viral things will take over the norm.
Anthony is a classic cloutchaser like tucker gott. Both do more harm to the PPG community than good. Like landing at fast food places and causing drivers to take their eyes off the road. Tucker is a clown.
Great summary, best one so far compared to other ones. Good mix of pics, text, voice and video 👍 Get the attention of the viewer. Helps understanding PPG is as safe as yourself makes it to be. Agree in pretty much all of your analysis. Some things need more explanation if you don't know the aerodynamics around a wing and can therefore be misinterpreted. But for this short video, GREAT job explaining what happened and why 🙏🎖
Great job, @TrevorSteele1 ! Anthony's crash taught me valuable lessons that have made me a safer pilot by increasing my safety margins. The combination of flying without a reserve, using a new wing, and being fully accelerated at low altitude left Anthony with little margin for error. I'm super thankful for @AnthonyVella to share his mistakes. My takeaway is to always fly fully accelerated only at high altitudes (above 1500ft AGL) and with a reserve, ensuring I've thoroughly checked my wing beforehand. I'd also like to encourage all PPG pilots to become very familiar with any new wing. Gradually increase trim and speed-bar settings over time, always at a safe altitude. Take the time to understand the amount of tip steering needed at different speed settings.
This was a horrible accident where a lot of bad circumstances/decisions fell into place at the wrong time, & I hope videos like this help pilots to understand their wings more & make better decisions. Love the analogy, “the oh CRAP button” 🤣. This crash happened 2days after I bought my Luna3, 23m, & in nil wind it does over 40mph (ground speed) just on trims, & I think that’s fast enough for any piece of fabric. Very educational video 👍
I remember my late father telling me when I was a kid that "it's not a matter of *IF* you'll crash on a motorcycle, it's just a matter of *WHEN*" and I feel like PPG is virtually the same. It's a miracle Anthony survived, it could've been so much worse. His kids could be growing up without a dad. His lady could be all alone. He got almost as lucky as you possibly could going from a hundred feet in the air to on the ground in seconds.
Ppg isnt the same. You can stay safe in the sport your whole career. Complanceny is the #1 thing that gets people. 99% of the paramotor accidents ive seen are pilot error. If you can keep yourself from becoming complacent then youll be fine. Anthony has enough experience he should have known better than to fly a brand new wing fully accelerated that low to the ground. Esp with a phone in your hand. It's all about making smart choices.
@@matthewholmes8638 Fair, and I also realize now that on the road you're subject to the attentiveness and sobriety of other drivers, whereas in the sky it's just you, your machine, your wing, and the ground waiting to catch you far below if you slip up. On a motorcycle you can be the best, safest rider in the world, and someone can still come out of nowhere and turn you into a smear on the asphalt, or a bag of broken bones!
@@CharlesVanNoland Yes! This man gets it. You can mitigate more risk factors in this sport than most by careful thought and due diligence. Choosing where, when and how to fly, preflight, launch and post-launch checklists that you never shortcut, good practices in packing, storing, maintaining and unpacking gear, etc.
Definitely agree with pretty much everything that you said on this subject. As a free flight pilot i use speed bar pretty regularly, but only very high and on glide to another thermal trigger, or into a strong head wind, escaping sink or a cloud etc. but one thing i don’t agree with or didn’t understand completely, is your statement that while accelerated the aspect ratio of the glider changes, i do not see as to how the aspect ratio would change, yes there’s more loading on the A’s while accelerating, but the ratio of span to chord obviously does not change.
@@SkidzFPV well I failed to include in that video that the aspect ratio portion was my opinion and really should have fixed it before uploading. And to be honest, I don’t have a solid answer on that. I’ve reached out to paragliding designers and manufactures asking for clarification but never did get any. My question around it - is aspect ratio about fabric / wing above head or loading on the wing? Because if it’s up there but playing no effect (no loading) then is it really contributing to aspect ratio? Or is just the fact the fabric is there influence aspect ratio. In my opinion the loading is the influence on aspect ratio as the gliders going to respond to situations based on what’s loaded, not what’s there. Thoughts?
@@TrevorSteele1 i get what you’re saying, but regardless of where the glider is loaded, and this maybe just my opinion but I believe it is an educated opinion, but regardless of loading the glider is still there and it’s still full of air, therefore still has the same airfoil (however altered due to reflex, as a free flight pilot I don’t have experience with reflex but understand it) so in my opinion the aspect ratio would not change, except for maybe in a very minute amount if you think of it as projected area as opposed to flat area, maybe when accelerating the angle of attack being lower the “projected aspect ratio” could be altered just slightly, but that would be such a small amount I don’t think it could even be calculated. But, yes in my opinion the aspect ratio remains the same regardless of how much the glider is loaded between the rear to front cascades. I do think you have a good point, and i understand the importance of how the glider is loading more to the front lines while accelerated, and I’ve done accelerated collapses, autorotation, stalls, etc. in my opinion the aspect ratio only changes when doing big ears (obviously getting lower) or when you have a stuck collapse, cravat, etc. but when in the process of recovery that’s all changing and the glider like you said is wanting to fly, to get back the regular A/R. So, i guess this could be an opinion, or maybe just a way of understanding the same thing in a different way. However, love your videos, I’m hoping to get a motor myself to do some flying around my house after work, and on weekends i can’t go soaring, or during winter when it’s not really soarable. Thanks, safe landings brother, hope to see you in the air sometime.
@@TrevorSteele1 i think it’s an excellent question. To me, the A/R wouldn’t change, however the loading change makes a very large difference on how the wing reacts and recovers from a collapse, that combined with the extra speed makes accelerated collapses much more dynamic.
@@TrevorSteele1 Aspect ratio is about the wingspan and wing area. Unless the loading changes one or both of these two parameters (maybe by a partial or full collapse or a flattening of the wing), it has nothing to do with how the wing is loaded.
Great video Trevor, as a relatively new ppg pilot but 20 year paragliding pilot, and school CFI, a couple of things.. 1. Aspect ratio doesn't change when you push the speed bar. 2. Line loading isn't equal at trim speed, nor is it 100% on the As at full speed. 3. A simple overhead check of the lines after takeoff could have prevented this ever happening, and I'd recommend all pilots check their lines during take off if they can, if not as soon as possible as a after take off check, and definitely before accelerating their wings. Thanks again.
How familiar are you with reflex wings? On reflex wings where the speedbar is linked to the trims, so they effectively do the same thing, pushing speedbar will not only change the angle of attack of the wing like in a non-reflex paraglider, but will actually put the rear into reflex, unloading it aerodynamically. This changes the effective aspect ratio and moves the centre of lift forward. I highly recommend kiting the wing before clipping in, setting up the "wall" ready for takeoff and being able to check the entire wing and all lines while facing the glider. Easy to spot issues, especially on a familiar wing.
@@brandonthomas1887 Aspect ratio of a wing. It's a fixed value, seems like a pretty serious blunder to put in a video it somehow changes when on bar. One can argue *effective* AR a *could* slightly change when on bar, but I don't see how that's relevant in this accident at all. Not to mention the drawing he's showing in the video doesn't really make sense even when trying to apply some good will to it. Maybe he's coming from a (faulty) claim that 100% of weight is on A lines when on bar. But that doesn't make rest of the wing somehow disappear.
@@stangwara The effective aspect ratio does change. Putting the aft section of the wing into reflex unloads it aerodynamically. It does affect drag to some degree still, but is mostly "passive" in lift. It moves the centre of lift forward and since the rear of the wing is no longer participating in lift, effectively makes the wing "shorter", changing the effective AR and increasing effective wing loading. Therefore higher speed (and increased sink rate), but slightly higher efficiency. One interesting effect of shifting the centre of lift forward is self-stabilising behaviour, so the wing seems to "cut" through turbulence better.
@@stephenkeen6044 Colour me sceptical. Seems like guesstimating a value that is pretty hard to find even the precise definition of (I kinda get the intuitive definition, but if somebody claims something increases or decreases it's good to have specific definition and numbers. The best I can find is aeronautic design literature that is above my basic knowledge). Furthermore: Does the increased drag of reflex is offset by less drag of "passive" aft part not generating lift? Doesn't the wing before pushing the bar already has a reflex profile? Does pushing the bar makes it "more reflex" / "less reflex"? Is it wing dependent? How does higher line/pilot drag at higher speed comes into all of this? If the effective AR increases the glide ratio should increase too, as the wing is slightly more effective, right? So the best way to go XC would be full bar, constantly? Finally, does the change in effective AR matters? Because if it's order of magnitude of 0.1 or so, I'd say it doesn't matter at all. Regardless, Trevor's explanation in the video is lacking at best, and it seems to me like we're getting into Brandolini's law territory.
@@stangwara Being sceptical is excellent, because it means you ask questions and can learn the truth of the matter through investigation. I never mentioned a value, because it differs from glider to glider and is dependent on many variables and I'm not sure even the manufacturers could put specific values on it. It can be inferred from the effects experienced, though. Let me put it this way: The effective lifting surface of the wing is reduced to the front portion. So the effective wing size is reduced and that reduction comes from the rear being turned "passive". This is experienced as an increase in speed and sink rate, a subtle improvement in efficiency and increased self-stabilisation in turbulence. These are all noticable by the pilot. Sounds a lot like an effective increase in AR to me. Of course, it's very design-dependent. Some manufacturers put all the reflex into the trimmers, with the speedbar only changing angle of attack. Some put more into the speedbar and less in the trimmers, so it's not true for all reflex gliders that going on speedbar will increase effective AR, but it is true that increasing reflex will have the effect (whether through use of trimmers, speedbar, or both, depending on design). There is quite a lot of info out there on reflex wing design for aircraft, the same principles apply to a reflex paramotor wing, with the exception that due to the high drag design, some factors present a little differently. It's also oversimplifying to say that "all" the tension is on the A's, though. There is tension on the B's also (and perhaps C's depending on wing), it's usually only very rear lines that end up with practically no tension (the reflex shape being kept by internal wing pressure and rib design).
Great video man. I know you've been doing the sport since a young kid so I take valard in has made a lot of sense. The girlfriend is scared of me flying because she thinks that it's a random occurrence and I've told her this was just compiled bad decisions. Not putting Anthony down. Seems like a great dude but Just made a bad mistake!
First off, every aviation incident is learned from by investigating it. It improves safety for everyone. Nice job. Second, all of aviation follows certain guidelines for better safety. Learn and heed as much as possible, such as gain altitude before performing maneuvers.
Looks like he was still partially on speed bar after the collapse. I never knew it was possible to asymmetrically put on speed bar --- that cannot be good for a recovery.
There’s a reason why most of these reflex wings aren’t certified while accelerated…this is exactly why, there’s no margin for error and they have killed a lot of people… completely insane to fly a reflex wing fully accelerated regardless of the trailing edge malfunction…. The chances of taking an unrecoverable collapse increase substantially with these wings, especially when flying low level…
Right, just get a standard wing and fly and don't spoil the sport for the rest of us. I got in the sport for the views and peace and relaxation. Anthony seems to be more of a tucker gott wannabe clout/fame chaser. I would have never used a speedbar and also would have never done it so low to the ground.
My opinion Anthony was doing his job (being a creator) and not his hobby (being a PPG pilot). I m glad he is ok, and this probably was a reality check for some others whose lives cross these lines. You just didn't go big enough last summer with your tip drag in a corn field to be this example. I need to swing by the airport and get some seat time in again, It's been too long.
@@Therealpicodogg More air holes means it is easier for all of the holes to line up leading to the accident. Personally, I always thought the "swiss cheese" accident theory was a stupid analysis, as is the saying "an accident is a long chain of unbroken events..." but in this case the decisions to fly fully accelerated, low with out at least first having tried it high, while vlogging, basically acting as a test pilot without a test pilot approach, mindset or mission plan, mean most of the cheese was just air holes.
man I'm so glad I did an SIV the week after this happened. We practiced this exact scenario, albeit at 4000ft above water with 2 reserves. It is recoverable, but it's VERY altitude hungry even with active braking. I lost my brakes during it and had to spin it with the lines above the twist due to friction locking. Starting at 4000ft it ate nearly 2200ft, and I had to fly direct to the beach just to make it to dirt rather than in the water.
Your illustration showed reflex and not angle of attack, which is only half of the equation. Reflex is only a method of stabilization for low angle of attack, aoa is the reason for the collapse. No offence meant.
To add to that, I knew that diagram was inaccurate and should have redone it prior to uploading. I believe I put it in as a place holder until I created a more accurate one.
His attitude since the crash is amazing. What a guy. Being blessed with a wonderful family probably gives him the strength
@@libertyforamericanow yea, it’s been great watching his recovery, and excellent attitude about the whole thing, very transparent, and open about his experience and just wanting people to learn and be safer from his accident. I don’t know him personally, have chatted with him online once or twice, but he’s definitely got my respect, and I think the respect of just about the entire community. I’m a free flight pilot, so I always enjoyed watching him do soaring videos.
Couldn’t agree more
I’ve been flying for a bit over a year without a reserve and you have convinced me to get one. Thank you. Great video.
i noticed your name, do you fly in kentucky? if so, can i ask where? because im a truck driver and i go to elizabethtown, ky almost every day and i see guys fly there sometimes and i have a portable paramotor on the way, so if that's you i might be able to bring it with me and fly with you soon lol.
Hell yeah you need a reserve.Anything can happen up there like a prop blade or broken prop hub that could take out many lines in one shot or a big bird you never know man cheap insurance.
You should get two reserves!
@@GabrielManzanero True,cause Ive seen alot of pilots throw the first and only into the wing lol :)
2:41 2:43 ❤😢😊 2:56 😂 3:02 3:02 😢 3:04 ❤😊❤❤😊😢😂😂😮🎉😂😢 3:34 ❤😢 3:41 🎉😂❤😢😊 3:49 😢😢🎉❤😢❤🎉😢😂 4:14 😂 5:09 5:46 😢
Great analysis! And excellent safety recommendations, I fully agree.
However, I don't think the root cause was a compression tangle. I think it was a riser "fallthrough" (riser going between cascades before clipping in), causing the inner D lines on the right to be effectively shortened. Look carefully at the risers in flight and compare them. You can see the C/D lower risers are twisted on the right side and they don't form a straight gradient line.
The takeaway for me, regardless of the root cause, on top of your recommendations, is to employ a "riser keeper" in your glider bag to prevent them twisting or falling between cascades and always kite before flight. Bringing your wing up while facing it allows you to see any compression knots or riser twists so you can fix them before launch.
Very well done! Thanks for putting this out there.
Great explanation of what happened!! Very informative
Experience - Complacency = Ouch
wow trevor, thanks for bringing so much clarity to this incident. Really learning a lot from this. Thanks🙏
As a new pilot, I found this very interesting and reassuring. Thank you 👍🏻
Thank you for agreat video.
As a absolutel novice, that crash scare the crap out of me, you answered all my questions.
Well said man, great video for the new Paramotor pilots out there to see!! Hope Anthony is recovering well😍😎
Great video. Superb work helping the paramotor community
I'm generally of the opinion that PPG pilots should choose a wing with as low an aspect ratio as practical. Predecessors to PPG are PPC's, which utilized wings with aspect ratios in the 2.5 range (lay-flat dimension); these wings are commonly called 'squares', which they are not but we've all seen them. Point is that these low aspect PPC wings are extremely collapse resistant, no doubt attributable to low aspect ratio (and hi drag). A PPG school glider such as the Apco Prima, has an aspect ratio in the 3's.
Great video Trevor!!, I have two Paramotors and each has a reserve. Will not fly without one!!!! Your video did a great job explaining what happened and some precautions you should take as a pilot to keep it from happening to you
Thank you Trev for this Video. I have had people coming to me saying 'aren't you afraid you going to die? "I saw this guy on TH-cam where the wing just randomly collapsed! " to the point I wish Anthony never shared it because .. viral things will take over the norm.
Anthony is a classic cloutchaser like tucker gott. Both do more harm to the PPG community than good. Like landing at fast food places and causing drivers to take their eyes off the road. Tucker is a clown.
Great summary, best one so far compared to other ones. Good mix of pics, text, voice and video 👍 Get the attention of the viewer. Helps understanding PPG is as safe as yourself makes it to be.
Agree in pretty much all of your analysis. Some things need more explanation if you don't know the aerodynamics around a wing and can therefore be misinterpreted. But for this short video, GREAT job explaining what happened and why 🙏🎖
Good explanation, but what causes a compression tangle?
Great job, @TrevorSteele1 ! Anthony's crash taught me valuable lessons that have made me a safer pilot by increasing my safety margins. The combination of flying without a reserve, using a new wing, and being fully accelerated at low altitude left Anthony with little margin for error. I'm super thankful for @AnthonyVella to share his mistakes. My takeaway is to always fly fully accelerated only at high altitudes (above 1500ft AGL) and with a reserve, ensuring I've thoroughly checked my wing beforehand. I'd also like to encourage all PPG pilots to become very familiar with any new wing. Gradually increase trim and speed-bar settings over time, always at a safe altitude. Take the time to understand the amount of tip steering needed at different speed settings.
This was a horrible accident where a lot of bad circumstances/decisions fell into place at the wrong time, & I hope videos like this help pilots to understand their wings more & make better decisions.
Love the analogy, “the oh CRAP button” 🤣. This crash happened 2days after I bought my Luna3, 23m, & in nil wind it does over 40mph (ground speed) just on trims, & I think that’s fast enough for any piece of fabric.
Very educational video 👍
I remember my late father telling me when I was a kid that "it's not a matter of *IF* you'll crash on a motorcycle, it's just a matter of *WHEN*" and I feel like PPG is virtually the same. It's a miracle Anthony survived, it could've been so much worse. His kids could be growing up without a dad. His lady could be all alone. He got almost as lucky as you possibly could going from a hundred feet in the air to on the ground in seconds.
Risk and complacency is everything..
Ppg isnt the same. You can stay safe in the sport your whole career. Complanceny is the #1 thing that gets people. 99% of the paramotor accidents ive seen are pilot error. If you can keep yourself from becoming complacent then youll be fine. Anthony has enough experience he should have known better than to fly a brand new wing fully accelerated that low to the ground. Esp with a phone in your hand. It's all about making smart choices.
@@matthewholmes8638 Fair, and I also realize now that on the road you're subject to the attentiveness and sobriety of other drivers, whereas in the sky it's just you, your machine, your wing, and the ground waiting to catch you far below if you slip up. On a motorcycle you can be the best, safest rider in the world, and someone can still come out of nowhere and turn you into a smear on the asphalt, or a bag of broken bones!
@@CharlesVanNoland Yes! This man gets it. You can mitigate more risk factors in this sport than most by careful thought and due diligence. Choosing where, when and how to fly, preflight, launch and post-launch checklists that you never shortcut, good practices in packing, storing, maintaining and unpacking gear, etc.
Well done Trevor keep up the good work
Definitely agree with pretty much everything that you said on this subject. As a free flight pilot i use speed bar pretty regularly, but only very high and on glide to another thermal trigger, or into a strong head wind, escaping sink or a cloud etc. but one thing i don’t agree with or didn’t understand completely, is your statement that while accelerated the aspect ratio of the glider changes, i do not see as to how the aspect ratio would change, yes there’s more loading on the A’s while accelerating, but the ratio of span to chord obviously does not change.
@@SkidzFPV well I failed to include in that video that the aspect ratio portion was my opinion and really should have fixed it before uploading.
And to be honest, I don’t have a solid answer on that.
I’ve reached out to paragliding designers and manufactures asking for clarification but never did get any.
My question around it - is aspect ratio about fabric / wing above head or loading on the wing?
Because if it’s up there but playing no effect (no loading) then is it really contributing to aspect ratio?
Or is just the fact the fabric is there influence aspect ratio.
In my opinion the loading is the influence on aspect ratio as the gliders going to respond to situations based on what’s loaded, not what’s there.
Thoughts?
@@TrevorSteele1 i get what you’re saying, but regardless of where the glider is loaded, and this maybe just my opinion but I believe it is an educated opinion, but regardless of loading the glider is still there and it’s still full of air, therefore still has the same airfoil (however altered due to reflex, as a free flight pilot I don’t have experience with reflex but understand it) so in my opinion the aspect ratio would not change, except for maybe in a very minute amount if you think of it as projected area as opposed to flat area, maybe when accelerating the angle of attack being lower the “projected aspect ratio” could be altered just slightly, but that would be such a small amount I don’t think it could even be calculated. But, yes in my opinion the aspect ratio remains the same regardless of how much the glider is loaded between the rear to front cascades. I do think you have a good point, and i understand the importance of how the glider is loading more to the front lines while accelerated, and I’ve done accelerated collapses, autorotation, stalls, etc. in my opinion the aspect ratio only changes when doing big ears (obviously getting lower) or when you have a stuck collapse, cravat, etc. but when in the process of recovery that’s all changing and the glider like you said is wanting to fly, to get back the regular A/R. So, i guess this could be an opinion, or maybe just a way of understanding the same thing in a different way. However, love your videos, I’m hoping to get a motor myself to do some flying around my house after work, and on weekends i can’t go soaring, or during winter when it’s not really soarable. Thanks, safe landings brother, hope to see you in the air sometime.
I super appreciate your opinion and that definitely could be true. It’s a question I’d love to get a solid answer on!
@@TrevorSteele1 i think it’s an excellent question. To me, the A/R wouldn’t change, however the loading change makes a very large difference on how the wing reacts and recovers from a collapse, that combined with the extra speed makes accelerated collapses much more dynamic.
@@TrevorSteele1 Aspect ratio is about the wingspan and wing area. Unless the loading changes one or both of these two parameters (maybe by a partial or full collapse or a flattening of the wing), it has nothing to do with how the wing is loaded.
Excellent video... thanks Trevor from a subscriber 🇬🇧
Very well explained!
Great video Trevor, as a relatively new ppg pilot but 20 year paragliding pilot, and school CFI, a couple of things.. 1. Aspect ratio doesn't change when you push the speed bar. 2. Line loading isn't equal at trim speed, nor is it 100% on the As at full speed. 3. A simple overhead check of the lines after takeoff could have prevented this ever happening, and I'd recommend all pilots check their lines during take off if they can, if not as soon as possible as a after take off check, and definitely before accelerating their wings. Thanks again.
He did check his lines a bunch of times. If you watch the full video you will see
He didn't see the knot. The line check is to identify for this!
How familiar are you with reflex wings? On reflex wings where the speedbar is linked to the trims, so they effectively do the same thing, pushing speedbar will not only change the angle of attack of the wing like in a non-reflex paraglider, but will actually put the rear into reflex, unloading it aerodynamically. This changes the effective aspect ratio and moves the centre of lift forward.
I highly recommend kiting the wing before clipping in, setting up the "wall" ready for takeoff and being able to check the entire wing and all lines while facing the glider. Easy to spot issues, especially on a familiar wing.
Care to explain some more how and why AR changes when pushing the bar?
Whats AR??
@@brandonthomas1887 Aspect ratio of a wing. It's a fixed value, seems like a pretty serious blunder to put in a video it somehow changes when on bar.
One can argue *effective* AR a *could* slightly change when on bar, but I don't see how that's relevant in this accident at all.
Not to mention the drawing he's showing in the video doesn't really make sense even when trying to apply some good will to it.
Maybe he's coming from a (faulty) claim that 100% of weight is on A lines when on bar. But that doesn't make rest of the wing somehow disappear.
@@stangwara The effective aspect ratio does change. Putting the aft section of the wing into reflex unloads it aerodynamically. It does affect drag to some degree still, but is mostly "passive" in lift. It moves the centre of lift forward and since the rear of the wing is no longer participating in lift, effectively makes the wing "shorter", changing the effective AR and increasing effective wing loading. Therefore higher speed (and increased sink rate), but slightly higher efficiency. One interesting effect of shifting the centre of lift forward is self-stabilising behaviour, so the wing seems to "cut" through turbulence better.
@@stephenkeen6044 Colour me sceptical. Seems like guesstimating a value that is pretty hard to find even the precise definition of (I kinda get the intuitive definition, but if somebody claims something increases or decreases it's good to have specific definition and numbers. The best I can find is aeronautic design literature that is above my basic knowledge).
Furthermore: Does the increased drag of reflex is offset by less drag of "passive" aft part not generating lift? Doesn't the wing before pushing the bar already has a reflex profile? Does pushing the bar makes it "more reflex" / "less reflex"? Is it wing dependent? How does higher line/pilot drag at higher speed comes into all of this? If the effective AR increases the glide ratio should increase too, as the wing is slightly more effective, right? So the best way to go XC would be full bar, constantly?
Finally, does the change in effective AR matters? Because if it's order of magnitude of 0.1 or so, I'd say it doesn't matter at all.
Regardless, Trevor's explanation in the video is lacking at best, and it seems to me like we're getting into Brandolini's law territory.
@@stangwara Being sceptical is excellent, because it means you ask questions and can learn the truth of the matter through investigation. I never mentioned a value, because it differs from glider to glider and is dependent on many variables and I'm not sure even the manufacturers could put specific values on it. It can be inferred from the effects experienced, though.
Let me put it this way: The effective lifting surface of the wing is reduced to the front portion. So the effective wing size is reduced and that reduction comes from the rear being turned "passive". This is experienced as an increase in speed and sink rate, a subtle improvement in efficiency and increased self-stabilisation in turbulence. These are all noticable by the pilot. Sounds a lot like an effective increase in AR to me.
Of course, it's very design-dependent. Some manufacturers put all the reflex into the trimmers, with the speedbar only changing angle of attack. Some put more into the speedbar and less in the trimmers, so it's not true for all reflex gliders that going on speedbar will increase effective AR, but it is true that increasing reflex will have the effect (whether through use of trimmers, speedbar, or both, depending on design).
There is quite a lot of info out there on reflex wing design for aircraft, the same principles apply to a reflex paramotor wing, with the exception that due to the high drag design, some factors present a little differently.
It's also oversimplifying to say that "all" the tension is on the A's, though. There is tension on the B's also (and perhaps C's depending on wing), it's usually only very rear lines that end up with practically no tension (the reflex shape being kept by internal wing pressure and rib design).
Nice explanation buddy
Thanks Trever, You continue to provide a great service to the paramotor community. Thank you for all you do!! One day i hope to fly with you.
Great video man. I know you've been doing the sport since a young kid so I take valard in has made a lot of sense. The girlfriend is scared of me flying because she thinks that it's a random occurrence and I've told her this was just compiled bad decisions.
Not putting Anthony down. Seems like a great dude but Just made a bad mistake!
First off, every aviation incident is learned from by investigating it. It improves safety for everyone. Nice job.
Second, all of aviation follows certain guidelines for better safety. Learn and heed as much as possible, such as gain altitude before performing maneuvers.
Looks like he was still partially on speed bar after the collapse. I never knew it was possible to asymmetrically put on speed bar --- that cannot be good for a recovery.
There’s a reason why most of these reflex wings aren’t certified while accelerated…this is exactly why, there’s no margin for error and they have killed a lot of people… completely insane to fly a reflex wing fully accelerated regardless of the trailing edge malfunction…. The chances of taking an unrecoverable collapse increase substantially with these wings, especially when flying low level…
Right, just get a standard wing and fly and don't spoil the sport for the rest of us. I got in the sport for the views and peace and relaxation. Anthony seems to be more of a tucker gott wannabe clout/fame chaser. I would have never used a speedbar and also would have never done it so low to the ground.
My opinion Anthony was doing his job (being a creator) and not his hobby (being a PPG pilot). I m glad he is ok, and this probably was a reality check for some others whose lives cross these lines. You just didn't go big enough last summer with your tip drag in a corn field to be this example. I need to swing by the airport and get some seat time in again, It's been too long.
great... bravoo
Classic Swiss cheese model where all the holes lined up
...only his cheese had a lot more air holes in it due to decisions and choices
@@YankeeinSC1 you know what they call Swiss cheese with more “air holes”? Swiss cheese.
@@Therealpicodogg More air holes means it is easier for all of the holes to line up leading to the accident. Personally, I always thought the "swiss cheese" accident theory was a stupid analysis, as is the saying "an accident is a long chain of unbroken events..." but in this case the decisions to fly fully accelerated, low with out at least first having tried it high, while vlogging, basically acting as a test pilot without a test pilot approach, mindset or mission plan, mean most of the cheese was just air holes.
A piece of fabric isnt meant to go 45mph
tell that to a hang glider :D
@@keithdolezel And tell that to 90 mph skydivers on swoop landings. lol
Why are we trying to fly “fast” in a parachute? 🪂
Go fly a rigid wing if you feel the need for speed.
man I'm so glad I did an SIV the week after this happened. We practiced this exact scenario, albeit at 4000ft above water with 2 reserves.
It is recoverable, but it's VERY altitude hungry even with active braking. I lost my brakes during it and had to spin it with the lines above the twist due to friction locking. Starting at 4000ft it ate nearly 2200ft, and I had to fly direct to the beach just to make it to dirt rather than in the water.
Oh wow that's scary! But a cool experience
This topic has been beat to death already lol
@@blaketoms477 at yet most have no idea what happened.
@@TrevorSteele1 the craziest thing about this crash to me was he didn’t drop his phone
Your illustration showed reflex and not angle of attack, which is only half of the equation. Reflex is only a method of stabilization for low angle of attack, aoa is the reason for the collapse. No offence meant.
Yep I know
To add to that, I knew that diagram was inaccurate and should have redone it prior to uploading. I believe I put it in as a place holder until I created a more accurate one.
Yo TS, thanks for the breakdown. Very objective. Have a pleasant day cheers.
@@TrevorSteele1 "no offence but here's my insult :D "
To be fair though, that distinction is mostly irrelevant to the analysis of this crash.