Strong Wind Trike Launching

by Brent C.

This is a little info for the trike flyers, it is a description of the Reverse launch method I use, and a few Answers to a few Questions from a guy called John from the USA.

Hi John as to your questions with regards launching a trike in winds above 5 mph+ You asked (Q) "When launching your trike in winds above 5 mph: (Q) Do you face your wing as in a reverse launch? Answer "Yes"

As for myself, I now just about always use the "reverse launch method with my trike, to first control the wing, I thus first do a full canopy hookup and full flight inspection in an area that is away from the wind, I then gather the lines and rosette the wing, then move into the launch area and with the wing still in a rosette, with the centre of the nose facing upwards.

(this rosette helps to control the wing from being blown about into a mess) I then stretch out the centre A lines to full line stretch and angle the trike at about a 45 deg angle towards the wing with the motor facing about 45 degs to the oncoming breeze, with the nose wheel turned in the direction I want to rotate, get ready in the trike, hit the starter and warm the motor while getting the toggles and risers sorted, both feet are firm on the ground, when ready to launch with both brakes in the correct hands (I have a left handed throttle) and with the top crossed A riser (one only) in the right hand I then twitch that A riser to thus help air get into the nose and start to inflate the wing from the centre cells outwards to build a nice wall.

Still with both feet firm on the ground I bring the wing up to over head and just when it is almost stabilized over head I hit the gas, feet now placed onto the trikes steering pegs and spin the trike around to face the wind and thus complete my reverse launch with the ground roll to lift-off into wind.

This is all done in one motion, I have found that if you do a start stop kind of movement or action during the raising of the wing from the ground to over head, then the wing has a greater tendency to want to fall off to one side and thus you have to start all over again. Once you have the feel of this method to reverse launch a trike you will find it a lot easier than the forward launch method while there is a breeze blowing.

Remember it takes plenty of ground handling practice and at first it can be frustrating getting the feel and the timing correct but now I find the reverse launch like a piece of sliced cake ( nice )

John you also asked : (Q) Do you face 90 degrees to the wing? Answer "NO" my reason for not facing 90 degs to the wing is that it is harder to get your risers and brakes sorted and thus control the launch of the wing from the ground to over head.

(Q) Do you still face forward? In stronger winds Answer "No" as the reverse launch is far easier

(Q) Do you plant your feet on the ground to try and prevent the trike from being pulled by the wing or do you use a helper to hold the trike and prevent it from rolling as the wing comes up? John I take this question is to do with a forward launch with a breeze greater than 5mph+ Answer to this is the use of a helper is Okay for a forward launch with a breeze, but what happens if you have to land out and re-launch and you don't have a helper, I try to launch every time completely by myself thus learning a method that is successful on every attempt (doesn't always happen but at least I can launch by myself)

(Q) Do you face forward and try and use throttle to prevent the trike from being pulled backward? Answer again this is Okay but it can depend on the wing and how it reacts with the prop blast and then when coming over head one has to be careful not to let the wing over shoot as it will have a lot of power when it comes up and one needs to then apply deep brakes, then apply power and thus let the wing fly again which can be a problem for a new pilot getting it all in sink all at the correct time and into a successful launch with so much happening at a critical time. These are some of the reasons why trike pilots prefer to fly in nil to light conditions.

For myself I have found that with the reverse launch I can now fly in stronger winds and thus have increased my flying time greatly to more daily conditions, I believe that one should have as many tricks as possible, in this way you can enjoy a lot more time in the air.

Please understand that this information is given freely and if anyone tries my methods and hurts themselves, it's on there own heads and at there own risk.

Blue skies, fly far, land safe, stay out of trees and keep ya knees in the breeze.
Cheers Brent C.