How not to fly a kite!!
Discussion
"No Wilbur, if you're going to go Kite Boarding you need to try it on the water!"
www.kite-boarding.de/start.htm
Watched a load of poor sods learning to handle the kites when I was sitting at the bar in the Maldives a few months back. They would be taught to play with the kites by standing in the water and before they were supplied with the board. The kites would drag them two kilometres downwind and they'd have to slog their way back on the sand. Much more preferable was sitting down sipping the cold beer
www.kite-boarding.de/start.htm
Watched a load of poor sods learning to handle the kites when I was sitting at the bar in the Maldives a few months back. They would be taught to play with the kites by standing in the water and before they were supplied with the board. The kites would drag them two kilometres downwind and they'd have to slog their way back on the sand. Much more preferable was sitting down sipping the cold beer
Having flown a few kites in the past all I can say is that this guy was just asking for trouble. I think the kite he is flying is called a Peel kite. It is basically a mini parachute and he is trying to get some "air"
Or is a huge flexifoil which is like flying a huge inflated lilo with the areodynaimcs of an airplane wing and they can move at speeds of over 100mph - the biggest has a 12ft span I think. and you can "stack" them - ie link 3 ,4 or 5 together to generate extra lift.
Flying by the pylons is just plain stupid.
With these kind of kites it is better to use leather wrist grips rather than those silly handles and when its windy you usually knock a post into the ground and tie yourself to it so you dont fly away and break your bones.
Or is a huge flexifoil which is like flying a huge inflated lilo with the areodynaimcs of an airplane wing and they can move at speeds of over 100mph - the biggest has a 12ft span I think. and you can "stack" them - ie link 3 ,4 or 5 together to generate extra lift.
Flying by the pylons is just plain stupid.
With these kind of kites it is better to use leather wrist grips rather than those silly handles and when its windy you usually knock a post into the ground and tie yourself to it so you dont fly away and break your bones.
My sister is into her silly sized kites (she has the 12 foot monster) and uses a climbing harness linked to the lines so her arms don't get pulled off. These kites are hugely powerful and she flies them at our farm with some spectacular results. It is called ‘kite jumping’ and the Mecca is to stay airborne for as long as possible.
Personally whenever I try it I just get dragged down the field on my face and swear a lot when I get stuck in a tree / fence / wall / house.
You definitely need some skill and intelligence to fly these things and this fat gimp has neither (a bit like me but I would not fly it near power lines - tosser).
Personally whenever I try it I just get dragged down the field on my face and swear a lot when I get stuck in a tree / fence / wall / house.
You definitely need some skill and intelligence to fly these things and this fat gimp has neither (a bit like me but I would not fly it near power lines - tosser).
I must admit he has my sympathy. I'm the proud owner of a 2 square metre Jackfoil traction kite, my first flying experience was along similar lines, as described in the email I sent a mate at the time;
"I managed to get to Epsom Downs for about 14:30, it had stopped raining but the sun was already starting to get low in the sky. I spent the first 45 minutes trying to sort all the lines and bridles out, they kept tangling up in the wind. My mate Paul arrived to help out and we finally got everything sorted.
Got the thing into the air and it kept spinning round, it then took off into the sky and starting pulling me along the grass. I couldn't run fast enough to keep up with it, panicked and fell over - I ended up being dragged along head first through varying amounts of dog excrement until the kite finally crashed. Wonderful. I sorted myself out and not to be beaten, thought I would try again. On the next launch the thing still spun around and again caught the wind, pulling me up the grass. Not wanting to be dragged through the mud/whatever again, I thought I'd just let go of the lines - the kite would just sink to a gentle landing. Like f**k. It flew out of the field, across the road outside and onto the horse race track a little further on. Fortunately all the cars stopped and I managed to retrieve the kite without it/the lines being run over. The drivers in the stopped cars were most amused as I wandered across the road, kite in hand, covered in shit.
We gathered our thoughts and got the kite back onto the Downs, then just as we considering a relaunch Paul found a set of car keys - co-incidentally these turned out to be mine. Mmmmm, wonder when they fell out? A quick check revealed that 1) Yes they were indeed my keys and 2) my house keys were now also missing. They must have both fell out during the first aborted flight attempt. So I spent the next 30 minutes wandering around the grass looking for these while it got darker and darker. Paul eventually did come across them but by then it was too dark to consider relaunching the kite - we couldn't even sort the lines out so we wrapped them all up on one handle and folded the kite with the lines in the bag.
When we got home I decided there and then to sort all the lines out and untangle them. The bridles on the kite didn't take too long but the lines themselves ended up as one big knot on the lounge carpet. Two and a half hours later I finally put the last line onto the handles and packed the kite away. What a splendid day out."
"I managed to get to Epsom Downs for about 14:30, it had stopped raining but the sun was already starting to get low in the sky. I spent the first 45 minutes trying to sort all the lines and bridles out, they kept tangling up in the wind. My mate Paul arrived to help out and we finally got everything sorted.
Got the thing into the air and it kept spinning round, it then took off into the sky and starting pulling me along the grass. I couldn't run fast enough to keep up with it, panicked and fell over - I ended up being dragged along head first through varying amounts of dog excrement until the kite finally crashed. Wonderful. I sorted myself out and not to be beaten, thought I would try again. On the next launch the thing still spun around and again caught the wind, pulling me up the grass. Not wanting to be dragged through the mud/whatever again, I thought I'd just let go of the lines - the kite would just sink to a gentle landing. Like f**k. It flew out of the field, across the road outside and onto the horse race track a little further on. Fortunately all the cars stopped and I managed to retrieve the kite without it/the lines being run over. The drivers in the stopped cars were most amused as I wandered across the road, kite in hand, covered in shit.
We gathered our thoughts and got the kite back onto the Downs, then just as we considering a relaunch Paul found a set of car keys - co-incidentally these turned out to be mine. Mmmmm, wonder when they fell out? A quick check revealed that 1) Yes they were indeed my keys and 2) my house keys were now also missing. They must have both fell out during the first aborted flight attempt. So I spent the next 30 minutes wandering around the grass looking for these while it got darker and darker. Paul eventually did come across them but by then it was too dark to consider relaunching the kite - we couldn't even sort the lines out so we wrapped them all up on one handle and folded the kite with the lines in the bag.
When we got home I decided there and then to sort all the lines out and untangle them. The bridles on the kite didn't take too long but the lines themselves ended up as one big knot on the lounge carpet. Two and a half hours later I finally put the last line onto the handles and packed the kite away. What a splendid day out."
This really does look like f
g about of the highest order 
BillH has been trying to persuade me to try it and seeing that idiot makes me think I may just have the metal for it (plate in my head)
Anyone know where you can get lessons, or do you reccomend blowing loads of money, trying it twice, then putting all the kit in a cupboard
g about of the highest order BillH has been trying to persuade me to try it and seeing that idiot makes me think I may just have the metal for it (plate in my head)
Anyone know where you can get lessons, or do you reccomend blowing loads of money, trying it twice, then putting all the kit in a cupboard
I was watching some kite-boarders for the first time at Whitstable last weekend. Unbelievable. Really was absolutely amazing. There was a good breeze, nothing mental, but consistent and fairly strong. The boarders were hurtling to and from the beach, and the good ones would get airborne at least 4 metres clear of the water and cover 30 odd metres in distance before they landed each time they tacked. The kite's lines are attached to either end of a pole which is in turn attached from its centre to the boarder's harness (similar to rock climbing harness).
Errr - downwind of the pylons doesn't sound too stupid to me.... or have I missed something.
As someone not entirely unknown to pull stupid stunts with power kites, he has my sympathy. Whatever - sure beats working out at the Gym!
Come on own up - which of you moaning minnies has actually tried a power kite ?
As someone not entirely unknown to pull stupid stunts with power kites, he has my sympathy. Whatever - sure beats working out at the Gym!
Come on own up - which of you moaning minnies has actually tried a power kite ?
Aside from the obvious critisms about flying near powerlines and people (which are obvious - you should never do it!) if seems there are some kiters on here?
I have a 4.9 Blade, a 3 metre Firebee and a couple of stackers. They are the best laugh you can have outside a car and the 4.9 has pulled me the full length of a beach and I have had at least 8 - 10 FT of 'air' on it - complete adreline rush! If anyone who flys lives near Oxford head to Wittenham Clumps near Wallingford - fantastic hill with amazing views. I can normally be found there and I'll talk to anyone!!
Twit
I have a 4.9 Blade, a 3 metre Firebee and a couple of stackers. They are the best laugh you can have outside a car and the 4.9 has pulled me the full length of a beach and I have had at least 8 - 10 FT of 'air' on it - complete adreline rush! If anyone who flys lives near Oxford head to Wittenham Clumps near Wallingford - fantastic hill with amazing views. I can normally be found there and I'll talk to anyone!!
Twit
Skittle,
He does look like a jelly head but...
He is flying a four line kite and you need those handles rather than the wrist straps you are talking about. The straps will only work with two line kites, four line kites have both power lines and brake lines and there is a power line at one end of the handle and a brake at the other. This means you can do nice quickish (depending on the kite size) turns - you put the brakes on one side and power the other and kite effectively spins in the sky. Also if you crash it upside down you can lift it by powering the brakes to get it in the air and then spin it... You can fly four lines on a bar (which makes it look like atwo line (kind of) but that is different.
Have a go, it is a top laugh!
Twit
He does look like a jelly head but...
He is flying a four line kite and you need those handles rather than the wrist straps you are talking about. The straps will only work with two line kites, four line kites have both power lines and brake lines and there is a power line at one end of the handle and a brake at the other. This means you can do nice quickish (depending on the kite size) turns - you put the brakes on one side and power the other and kite effectively spins in the sky. Also if you crash it upside down you can lift it by powering the brakes to get it in the air and then spin it... You can fly four lines on a bar (which makes it look like atwo line (kind of) but that is different.
Have a go, it is a top laugh!
Twit
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