GIN Atlas - Manual (Page 14)

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If you sense a loss of pressure on one side of the canopy, smoothly apply brake and/or weight
shift on the appropriate side until you feel pressure return. In all cases, maintain adequate
airspeed and avoid overreaction.
In turbulence
Deflations of the canopy can occur in strong turbulence. The Atlas will recover without pilot
input in almost all situations, so whenever in doubt, let up the brakes and let the glider fly.
Only if the wing surges very fast in front of you should you stop it with the brakes. However, it
is recommended that you follow the advice below in order to help the wing recover more rapidly.
Asymmetric deflation
In the event of encountering strong turbulence and suffering an asymmetric deflation (collapse
on one side), the
Atlas will promptly and easily re-inflate without interference from the pilot,
but the wing will turn slightly towards the collapsed side. This might be unwanted close to the
ground or other gliders. Maintain your course by weight shifting away from the collapsed side.
This action can be aided by applying a little force on the brake opposite to the deflation. This
will normally be sufficient for recovery. However, if the deflation fails to come out, pump the
deflated side with a firm and smooth pumping motion. Let the glider regain its flying speed
after it has re-inflated.
If you have a big collapse - especially when flying fully accelerated - you must observe the
following:
When a big collapse happens, due to the difference in weight and inertia of the canopy and pilot,
the pilot will continue to travel forward and the canopy will move behind the pilot at first. You
must wait until you pendulum back below the canopy before reacting and carefully counter
braking the open side of the canopy. If you react too early or you counter brake too much, you
might risk stalling the collapsed canopy.
Symmetric deflation
A symmetric (frontal) deflation will normally reopen promptly by itself without any pilot input.
The glider will regain airspeed with a small surge. If counter braking, be careful not to over-
correct or to brake too early, when the glider is still behind you - danger of a stall!
Cravat / glider wrapped around lines
A cravat occurs after a severe deflation when the wingtip becomes trapped in the glider lines. It
is extremely unlikely to occur on the
Atlas but can happen after big deflations or in cascading
situations. Nevertheless, the pilot should be familiar with the procedure for correcting it.
Counter brake and/or weight shift and pump the brake on the tangled side. On the Atlas, there is
a separate stabilizer/winglet main line that goes down to the C riser. This line usually becomes
slack in the event of a cravat. Pull it down completely until it becomes tight and the cravat
normally comes out.