Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

self land when powered.

For all foil kite riders
foilholio
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:20 am
Local Beach: Ventura Beach
Favorite Beaches: Tarifa
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Foils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 227 times
Been thanked: 148 times

Re: self land when powered.

Postby foilholio » Sun May 01, 2016 12:18 am

I have done that may times. 40-50knot squalls onshore I set a safety margin of 50-100 meters. If I get drag into it out of control I instantly release. While others try to land their kites on land and end up getting death looped over roads, I have only had a wet and sandy kite. Watching the vid at viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2392420 I wonder if not some people want the death loop? Maybe part of the thrill. :roll:

User avatar
Kamikuza
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7057
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:49 am
Local Beach: Sabae Beach
Favorite Beaches: Ol' Stinky
Gear: This, that, the other
Has thanked: 220 times
Been thanked: 193 times

Re: self land when powered.

Postby Kamikuza » Sun May 01, 2016 4:36 am

foilholio wrote:Big is probably relative to your weight, I would say over 12m is where it starts, my 22 deserves some respect lol. I like to land in lulls if I can. If I can't ride it is good incentive to pack up.

Have you tried flagging on the front and rear line instead of just the one ? I find it works well and grabbing at both is quite easy as they split into a v from the hand still hold all the lines. 2 times the lines 2 times the grip. Same as using all 4 is easier than the rears, though I guess there is more chance for something to go wrong.
Yes, when the lines slipped during hand-over-hand and it threatened to relaunch. Seem to recall that it wasn't well-behaved and wanted to flip the kite, but would a single line have done the same? Moot point as it was on the ground, safe and dry--tangles are a very minor issue.
Peert wrote:Why not pull the safety release on the water?
If well designed equipment this should keep rider and equipment in one piece.
Added benefit is the practise of safety procedures that could later be essential skills.

Only disadvantage is that you need to have a garage to dry your kite...
Cos the shore is usually littered with washed up bamboo and tree branches, and at an angle that the waves just pound in it. Could release in the water...but there's no need :)

No garage here, so I string a rope across the yard and hang kites up like laundry. A bit of sun and they dry rapidly.

User avatar
Robsw6
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2327
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2002 1:00 am
Kiting since: 1999
Local Beach: Hayling Island
Favorite Beaches: One eye, Sidi Kaouki, Big Bay, Gwithian & Hayling
Style: Powered
Gear: Reedins, Orbit2s & Surfboards (Cabrinha's & Naish), Nomad/TAD Mutants, Flash 4'10 & Naish Pro 4'10, Moses Hydrofoil & North Atmos
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 44 times
Been thanked: 101 times

Re: self land when powered.

Postby Robsw6 » Thu May 12, 2016 2:29 pm

oh dear... reading this thread has not reduced my feeling of impending dread !

Having watched the Ozone "how to" video http://ozonekites.com/products/water-kites/chrono-v2/ , it seemed that a landing was achievable by putting the kite to one side of the window, pulling hard on the brake handle, whilst sheeted in & then hold the handle in & unhook, plase the brake handle in tether or ground anchor - run to the kite & open the zipper, then bring the kite upwind

or do the same but as the kite lands flag out on the safety - then use the harness spreader hook to run a front line through ?

Seems, as ever, get someone to help is the preferred option

foilholio
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:20 am
Local Beach: Ventura Beach
Favorite Beaches: Tarifa
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Foils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 227 times
Been thanked: 148 times

Re: self land when powered.

Postby foilholio » Fri May 13, 2016 1:23 am

This video?

https://vimeo.com/111577653

seems he lands straight downwind no? Like all brand demonstration videos it's done in wind far too light to be realistic. In that wind the kite would almost stay on the ground without holding the lines. Landing in the side is only possible in really light wind or into wind shadows. It is almost always preferable to land straight down wind as you have more control. Landing like an LEI is not really possible, but why would you? I can land in places no LEI can and never have any of the issues they do of the kite rolling back through the window. I can even land where I stand by fishing the kite out of the air by it's front lines. Works in a surprising amount of wind and especially well on short lines. Also you can bury your harness instead of a stake if you need so.

On a side note it would be possible to design a device to snag the tip bridles and flag the kite out. Could be a hook on a stake to hold it upright, with a loop and leash that you tether to your kitebag or other bag full of sand. Fly the tip into it, you'll know when it catches :-), and then quickly run at the kite to flag it. One of the brands could take the idea and make it really quite cool, like a tent stick style construction so it packs very compact. Maybe with a large detachable plastic hook so it doesn't damage the bridles. Oh and now the really cool idea, no stake, no sticks, a self flying mini pilot style kite with a hook that you fly directly off the sandbag/kitebag/sand anchor( flat bit of fabric buried). It could be really tiny and so cute lol. Call it a "parking kite" instead of pilot. I want to make it :-) ROFL

User avatar
jakemoore
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2004 3:59 am
Kiting since: 2003
Gear: More wing than kite
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Oleander
Has thanked: 146 times
Been thanked: 294 times
Contact:

Re: self land when powered.

Postby jakemoore » Fri May 13, 2016 3:34 am

I can even land where I stand by fishing the kite out of the air by it's front lines. Works in a surprising amount of wind and especially well on short lines.
How does that work?

corbett
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 720
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 1:00 am
Gear: Many
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Near Moscow
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: self land when powered.

Postby corbett » Fri May 13, 2016 3:36 am

jakemoore wrote:
I can even land where I stand by fishing the kite out of the air by it's front lines. Works in a surprising amount of wind and especially well on short lines.
How does that work?
Foilholio = SupaEZ.

User avatar
jakemoore
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2004 3:59 am
Kiting since: 2003
Gear: More wing than kite
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Oleander
Has thanked: 146 times
Been thanked: 294 times
Contact:

Re: self land when powered.

Postby jakemoore » Fri May 13, 2016 4:08 am

plummet wrote:The solo teathered land at the edge of the window.

Depower and teather the chicken loop like you would teather landing a lei.
Now get the kite to 10.30 -11ish. Let go of the bar. The kite will slowly fall down.
Run and catch the wing tip like an assisted land.
My second ever traction kite was a 12.5 Psycho circa 2003. Once it dragged my Nissan Maxima 50 yards before ripping the roof rack off it because I flew it tethered and lost control. I'll tether an LEI but too spooked to do with a foil, even though I know the depower has come a long way.

Going straight to safety or using a 5th line in high winds is going to damage the bridle with unequal stretching or damage the internals of the kite so really the safety is a last resort.

I will either:

Tether my front line leash and then backstall the kite from the side of the window, knowing I can hit the safety if needed. Ideally I backstall to a leading edge down position by pulling the lower steering line more.

Backstall it into the water if I'm concerned, riding straight downwind to reduce the power. I would rather a wet kite than a tangled bridle and especially not a broken internal strap. Once its in the water, keep the back lines tight so some water gets in it before going to one line.

Finally, modding your bar so you have a side Oh-Shit handle is a big help in my opinion. I have no idea why that went out of style.

foilholio
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:20 am
Local Beach: Ventura Beach
Favorite Beaches: Tarifa
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Foils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 227 times
Been thanked: 148 times

Re: self land when powered.

Postby foilholio » Fri May 13, 2016 12:10 pm

german kite japanese car thats your problem right there.


Fishing the kite out of the air works well, but I only do it for amusement "mostly;-)", the lines end up in a bit of a scattered mess. If you can hold the kite on the front lines with one hand you can do it. Start with the kite at 12 and just work your way up hand over hand. If it starts going to one side you pull a bit more of the opposite front line to correct it. Not over correcting it is a bit of an art. Eventually you'll get to the mixer and you can flag the kite by letting go of the other side. Be careful you don't reel it in too fast or it'll overfly especially as you get close to the kite, mind you if you must go ahead lol you'll see :-). Recommend trying it in very very light wind as there must be about 999 ways it can go terribly wrong, one is letting the lines slip with them burning or cutting your hands. Having said that I have let go completely halfway a couple times with no grave endings, I obviously wasn't trying to land it inside a phone booth on those occasions and had space downwind, but I have used it where there was zero downwind room :-).


Return to “Foil Kites”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 127 guests