UP Meru SM — A First Two-Liner After a Three-Line D

For a pilot moving up from a three-line D, the first thing to weigh with the Meru is how they will get down. Ears are hard to use, so height has to come off with 360s; if you are used to descending on big ears, that habit has to change first. And because the SM is the smallest size, a lighter pilot who wants to fly it near the top of the range will need ballast, which is extra weight to carry every day in a hot climate.