How land Sonic FR smooth, slow and with precision?

[fun2kite]

Hi All,

I have a 15M Sonic FR. I am new to foil kites. This is my first foil and I have been flying it since August. I now comfortably self launch and self land it, but my problem is landing with control.
I typically fly the sonic in winds between 8-14 knots. Main range would be closer to 8-11 knots.
My beach is just enough to land the kite before hitting the trees on high tide and much more space on a low tide. The landing area is grass with some weeds. Weeds do have some thorns, so I really want to learn how to land on a patch of grass without weeds or without hitting the trees accidentally. There is NEVER anybody to launch or land me, so I need to do it myself.

I hope there is something more to learn and I will be able to land the kite in full control and precision. Precision is the key word here. How to do it?

At the moment I follow the following routine:
I bring the kite to 45 and then pull the back lines to stall the kite.
At the moment of me pulling on those balls attached to back lines, the kite starts to quickly back-stall gain speed and fly backwards and downwards and hit the ground trailing edge first.
It all works, but...

I feel that at the moment of the stalling backwards, things are going way too fast and I am just hanging on to those lines till the kite hits the ground. I am not controlling where exactly it will hit or the speed or decent.

So the question is: Can the speed of the final decent and the location on where the kite finally sits, be controlled with precision? Is it a skill I need to acquire? if so, what is the technique to use?

Thank you all in advance.

-D.

[KristianE86]

You can just pull less on the steering lines, so that the kite reverses slower?

I like 5th lines on my flysurfer, but it is more of an issue in higher winds where it is nice to put the kite on the safety once landed.

[plummet]

To get more precision i recommend installing a landing strap. Look at ozone foils, chrono, frenzy, summit etc.

It allows for easier landing. It also means you can teather the strap to something upwind to easily walk to the kite once landing.

For the most precise landing, pulling the strap with the kite at the zenith will give you a very precise landing spot. But that method isn't desirable when well powered. You can get lofted/dragged. The 45 deg land is safer but is more difficult to land the kite without it on the ground to the down wind position.

I have done a teathered land at the edge of the window before when there is limited down wind room. Teather the chicken loop to something. Get the kite to about 11. Then let go of the bar and run to the kite and catch the wing tip as it drops to the ground. You then flag it out and job done.

[Jzh_perth]

I agree with KristianE86 - you need to reverse it down more slowly. This way it generates less power. A landing strap seems to be popular although I've not used one myself.

I always stall mine from 12 o clock, but if you have enough room you can stall them from 3 or 9 o'clock as well. In stronger winds this can work well.

[fun2kite]

Stalling from 12 o'clock generates a LOT of power when kite comes down even in 8 knots.
How do you control that power?

Also, can you describe in detail how do you bring it down? You pull with equal force all the way, or adjust it as the kite goes down? (i.e.: you start pulling hard in the begging and pull less at the end? etc?

Also, how do you control where it lands? you need to have enough wind directly downwind from you right? can you actually shift the kite to land at a particular spot while brining it down from 12? or it just lands directly downwind?

I agree with KristianE86 - you need to reverse it down more slowly. This way it generates less power. A landing strap seems to be popular although I've not used one myself.

I always stall mine from 12 o clock, but if you have enough room you can stall them from 3 or 9 o'clock as well. In stronger winds this can work well.

[fun2kite]

Thank you Plummet,

I know what you mean, I wonder why Flysurfer did not use landing strap. I saw it on Ozone.
Can you tell me how that strap makes it easier to land and how it affects precision?
(I am new to foil kites, so sorry if this is something very obvious)

So there is NO technique to start landing from 45 and somehow bring the kite to a position which would be equivalent to the one that landing from 12 gives you?

Would bringing the kite lower than 45 (say 25 degrees) before start stalling make things worse or better?

To get more precision i recommend installing a landing strap. Look at ozone foils, chrono, frenzy, summit etc.

It allows for easier landing. It also means you can teather the strap to something upwind to easily walk to the kite once landing.

For the most precise landing, pulling the strap with the kite at the zenith will give you a very precise landing spot. But that method isn't desirable when well powered. You can get lofted/dragged. The 45 deg land is safer but is more difficult to land the kite without it on the ground to the down wind position.

I have done a teathered land at the edge of the window before when there is limited down wind room. Teather the chicken loop to something. Get the kite to about 11. Then let go of the bar and run to the kite and catch the wing tip as it drops to the ground. You then flag it out and job done.

[fun2kite]

Thank you Kristian!

Would pulling less aggressively not just exaggerate the horisontal distance the kite will travel downwind (potentially towards obstacles like trees). ?

I will definitely try it next time on low tide to see how that makes a difference.

You can just pull less on the steering lines, so that the kite reverses slower?

I like 5th lines on my flysurfer, but it is more of an issue in higher winds where it is nice to put the kite on the safety once landed.

[Jzh_perth]

My technique is pretty simple. Make sure you are at full power on the trimmer - ie full open. If I am flying my 15 thru 21m then I sit down and gently increase tension on the rear lines until the kite starts to reverse down. You need to modulate the pressure to keep the kite moving but not too fast. If you pull more left or right you can adjust where it will land. Once landed, you can wrap the tensioned lined around the bar a few times then walk hand over hand up to the canopy.

On my smaller sizes I do as above but remain standing. With a bit of practice you can be quite accurate with the speed of decent and hence power.

The 21 is a little scary if windy, the initial stall at the top of the window is enough to lift me off the ground a little ( and I'm 90kg), but after that it's fine.

[joriws]

Fun2kite, Flysurfer released just full Sonic-FR user's guide which covers your questions..

http://www.flysurfer.com/en/news/18229- ... fr-manual/

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Flysurfer web has also howto -section.. Here is about launching and how to resolve tip over bridle-situation
http://www.flysurfer.com/en/news/18215- ... race-kite/