GIN Vantage User Manual

Vantage Owner’s Manual

Rev.1.0, 05/06/2012

Please read this manual prior to your first flight with the Vantage.

Gin Gliders Inc.

285-1 Galdam-Ri, Mohyun-Myun, Yongin-City, Kyunggi-Do, Korea

www.gingliders.com, [e-mail]

Thank you…
Thank you for choosing the Vantage. We are confident that this paramotor glider will provide

you with countless happy experiences as you progress in your flying career. This manual
contains all the information you need to fly and maintain your paramotor glider. A thorough
knowledge of your equipment will keep you safe and enable you to maximize your full potential.

Please pass on this manual to the new owner if you ever resell your paramotor glider.

Happy Flights and Safe Landings,

The GIN Team

Safety Notice

By the purchase of our equipment, you are responsible for being a certified
paramotor glider pilot and you accept all risks inherent with motor paragliding
activities including injury and death. Improper use or misuse of GIN equipment
greatly increases these risks. Neither Gin Gliders Inc nor the seller of GIN
equipment shall be held liable for personal or third party injuries or damages
under any circumstances. If any aspect of the use of our equipment remains
unclear, please contact your local paramotor instructor, GIN reseller or the
importer in your country.

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Contents

Thank You… .............................................................................................................................................. 2

Safety Notice ........................................................................................................................................... 2

1. Gin Gliders ........................................................................................................................ 4

2. Introducing the Vantage.................................................................................................... 5

For Pilots Who… ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Manufacturing .......................................................................................................................................... 5

3. Before you Fly ................................................................................................................... 7

Pre-delivery Inspection ........................................................................................................................... 7

Speed System ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Brake line adjustment .............................................................................................................................. 8

Rucksack .................................................................................................................................................. 9

Certified Weight Range .......................................................................................................................... 10

Pre-flight safety .................................................................................................................................... 10

4. Flying the Vantage .......................................................................................................... 11

Preparation for launch ........................................................................................................................... 11

Flying with and without a motor .............................................................................................................. 9

Flying under power ................................................................................................................................ 11

Advanced manoeuvres ............................................................................................................................ 16

Aerobatics .............................................................................................................................................. 19

Tow launch ............................................................................................................................................. 21

Golden rules ........................................................................................................................................... 20

5. Care, Maintenance and Repairs ........................................................................................ 23

Ground handling ..................................................................................................................................... 23

UV damage ............................................................................................................................................. 23

Packing instructions .............................................................................................................................. 23

Transport and Storage ........................................................................................................................... 24

Cleaning ................................................................................................................................................. 24

Inspections ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Repairs ................................................................................................................................................... 24

6. Reference ........................................................................................................................ 25

Testing and Certification ........................................................................................................................ 25

Technical Specifications data ................................................................................................................. 26

Line Plan ................................................................................................................................................ 27

Material list ..................... ................................... ................................. ................................................28

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1. Gin Gliders

Gin Gliders was formed in 1998 by paraglider designer and competition pilot Gin Seok Song and
his team of engineers and test pilots.

Gin’s philosophy is simple: to design gliders that he, and any other pilot, loves to fly. This
philosophy applies equally for an entry-level wing such as the Bolero, as for the world-beating
competition glider, the Boomerang. No glider is released to the market without Gin’s complete
satisfaction.

Gin has been designing and manufacturing paragliders since 1986, and is backed by an equally
experienced team, both within the company in Korea and throughout a worldwide network of
distributors and dealers. The “GIN Team” has had countless competition successes in World
Cups, World and National Championships. This high level of expertise provided by dedicated
professionals ensures that you get the best possible product support and after sales service.

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2. Introducing the Vantage

The Vantage is an intermediate-level powered paraglider. The Vantage is derived from our
intermediate paraglider designs and is thus is easy to inflate, si mple to handle on the ground,
is stable under power and offers a secure and reassuring feeling in thermals and turbulent
conditions. Inflation is equally as smooth and progressive in no wind as in stronger wind,
allowing you to enjoy your flight without the stress on launch. In the air, the handling of the
Vantage is progressive yet precise. This allows the pilot to accurately feel the sensations of
flight, and thus develop an active flying style. The Vantage will allow you to experience the full
pleasure of paramotoring and free flight, without ever compromising your safety.

For Pilots Who…

The Vantage is a paramotor glider, a lightweight motorized aircraft for recreational use with an
empty weight of a maximum of 135kg. The Vantage is an ideal intermediate glider, and is also
suitable for beginners and the more experienced club pilot who flies les s frequently and wants
a good performing glider with the highest safety margin. The Vantage is designed for all kin ds
of flying, from the first steps at the powered paragliding school to ground skimming, adventure
and long cross country flights.

Manufacturing

All GIN gliders are produced in the company’s own facilities using the most modern techniques.
The highly skilled staff take extreme care during the entire manufacturing process. Stringent
quality control is made after each step, and all materials that go into each wing can be traced .
These measures guarantee that pilots fly with the assurance that their wing m eets the most
exacting manufacturing and safety standards.

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py

Part list of Vantage:

Longitudinal
Band

Cano

Dirt exit

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Suspension Lines

Riser

3. Before you fly

Pre-delivery Inspection

The Vantage is delivered with speed system, rucksack (reversible with fast packing bag), inner
bag, compression strap, repair tape and USB Memory stick for this manual. Your instructor or
dealer should have made a test inflation followed by a test flight before delivery.

Speed System

The speed system increases the maximum speed by lowering the angle of attack with a pulley­guided, foot-operated system. Approx. 30% gain in speed can be realized with the accelerator
at full travel.

It is important to have your accelerator system correctly routed through your harness and
attached to the risers with the supplied Brummel hooks. The length of the speed bar system
should be initially adjusted while on the ground, sitting in the har ness so that the legs are fully
extended at the point of full accelerator travel. It is helpful to have an assist ant hold the risers
taut while making this adjustment. Subsequent fine-tuning can be done on the ground foll owing
the first flight with the speed system. If in doubt about th is procedure, consult your instructor
or dealer.

length at trim

speed

length with

speed bar

length with

speed bar and

trimmer

(lower hanging point) 52cm 52cm 52cm 52cm

(higher hanging point) 44cm 44cm 44cm 44cm

(higher hanging point 31cm 33cm 38.5 44

(higher hanging point 31cm 33cm 41 49

Riser A B C D

(lower hanging point) 39cm 41cm 46.5cm 52cm

(lower hanging point) 39cm 41cm 49cm 57cm

IMPORTANT: Using the accelerator and trimmer should be avoided near the ground or in
turbulence. The use of the accelerator and trimmer decreases the angle of attack, which can
cause a more aggressive recovery after a collapse.

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Brake lines

The main brake line lengths of the Vantage correspond to the tested re sults of LTF. These line
lengths have been fine-tuned by GIN test pilots, and it should not be necessary to adjust them.
During flight, it is common to fly with half a wrap on the brakes (half a turn of brake line around
the hand). However, care should be taken to release the wraps in any extreme situation as
maintaining the wrap can prevent normal recovery behaviour.

To check the brake line lengths, with an ordinary harness and your motor unit on your back,
ground-handle the wing above your head. When the wing is nicely level, check that when the
brakes are up against the brake pulleys, the trailing edge of the wing is not being pulled down-­the brake lines should have a “bow” in them. Then, as you gently pull the brake you should have
only a few centimetres of movement before the brakes start to pull down on the trailing edge of
the wing. Make sure it is the same length on both sides. It is safer to have this ad justment too
long than too short as the slack (free travel) is ne cessary to ensur e that the trai ling edge is n ot
braked when the wing is fully accelerated.
If you do choose to adjust your brake lines, we recommend a double sheepshank or a bowline
knot for the brake handle attachment as shown in the diagram.

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The length of main brake line is as below, measured from the connection point at the mid brake
lines to the connection point at the brake handle.

Size 22 24 27

Length / cm 239 255 270

IMPORTANT: In the unlikely event of a brake line snapping in flight, or a handle becoming
detached, the glider can be flown by gently pulling the rear risers (D-risers).

Rucksack

All GIN gliders are delivered with a durable ripstop KODURA rucksack, designed for ergonomic
carrying comfort and ease of use.

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