Depends what type of downtubes you have.
there are some types of downtubes which will take out your collarbone before
they give, these are _bad_ tubes, talk with your instructor, if you have
this type of airofoil upright (solid) get you instructor to change them out
for you.

Use wheels.

pay attention to what the wing is telling you when you land.

When you come in to land you (should) be pulling on some speed to maintain
control authority as you come down through wind shear. (you'll be pulling
the downtubes towards you and as such will be flying faster than trim speed)

as you fly along level with the ground (with your feet 6" above the ground)
you'll be letting the tubes come forward, you will be reducing the amount of
pull you have on the downtubes. pay attention to this and feel for it.

at some point (depending on how fast you came in) the down tubes will be
neutral, you'll neither be pushing or pulling. You are at trim speed on the
glider.
You will know where the glider is trimmed, If you have it trimmed at or near
min sink;
carry on on your ground run till you _just_ have to push (gently) on the
downtubes to maintain 6" clearance on your feet; then _REACH FOR THE SKY_
(don't push "out" push "UP" _AND HOLD IT UP!_) you'll stop dead. assuming
you were not turning in any way shape or form before you started to push, if
you are turning, don't flare, run it out.

This all depends on where your glider is trimmed to fly, if you are trimmed
fast, then a fair amount of judgment is needed to guage how much below trim
you are before you flare.

My $0.02
(and I'm not an instructor)
(I guarantee this 100%, till I press the send button)
Have fun flying, remember, Aluminum is recyclable so you won't be harming
the environment when you bend down tubes.

"Not bending downtubes means you are not trying hard enough."
(Kevin Frost, 1999)

look here to see others who have bent aluminum before you
(including me)
http://www.footlaunched.com/crash_cam.htm


"Jeremy Bromham" <jeremyb@austarnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:aa3j8q$2h57$1@austar-news.austar.net.au...
> Hi, ive just started hang gliding (last week i finished my course) and i
am
> just worrying about breaking downtubes and basebars upon landing. If you
> could reply and tell me how likely it is for this to happen to me it would
> be appreciated.
>
>

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