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Self landing?

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Dave_5280
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Re: Self landing?

Postby Dave_5280 » Wed Aug 24, 2022 1:03 pm


PullStrings
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Re: Self landing?

Postby PullStrings » Wed Aug 24, 2022 1:39 pm

vela99 wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 11:05 am
I want to improve my self landing in moderate winds. Too often the kite does not completely settle down and starts drifting downwind.

What exactly do you achieve with this sideway upwind walk? (I understand we are talking about the moment when you let go off the bar and pull on the upper center line)

Thanks for clarifying.
The sideways upwind walk will completely settle the kite down and it will not drift downwind.
I call that to pin the kite.
The kite stays stable and luffing into the wind.
Approach the kite at a 45 degrees upwind angle grasping both front lines firmly which totally disables the steering lines.
The kite will not take off.
You can choose to remain hooked in or unhook before the climb up the strings.
Quite easy in moderate wind to do.
You need to be the judge at deciding when you will tug hard on the top front line to get the LE down securely
The lesser the wind the sooner you can do that of course.
In instances when the wind is strong at landing like 20 % above the kite size upper wind range you should walk yourself all the way to the LE and grab it.
No pulling on upper center line in those winds is recommended.

Hope this clears it up a bit.

Thanks.

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Re: Self landing?

Postby andylc » Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:50 pm

That video explains it pretty well I think. The final option does have risks especially in stronger winds. In lighter winds it’s not necessary anyway because it’s easy to overfly the kite and flip the leading edge around. As such I don’t personally think it’s a very sensible technique to teach or recommend, which is pretty much what the video says. Although it does fail to mention the controlled flag to safety as per the Cabrinha video, which in fact works on any single line safety kite (provided you make sure you flag to the upper centre line).

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Re: Self landing?

Postby edt » Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:34 pm

that video doesn't show lower center line. otherwise an excellent video. Lower center line is a relatively new technique as it relies on there being a "V" instead of "high Y" and it's only in the last 10 years that kites have gone away from mini-5th to center line flagging, so that's why lower center line isn't taught as much, it's a newer technique.

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Re: Self landing?

Postby Slappysan » Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:15 pm

CaptainKook wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:18 am
When landing to to right side as in this video, rig your flag out line to the right side of kite when rigging using the downwind rigging method.
If landing to the left side when coming in, connect flag out line to the left side of kite.
This is incorrect, and using "right" and "left" are bad names to use for this because your perspective might change when rigging your kite.
Just do it like he says in the video, flag line must be on top when you perform this to have it land LE down.

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Re: Self landing?

Postby CaptainKook » Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:53 am

Slappysan wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:15 pm
CaptainKook wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:18 am
When landing to to right side as in this video, rig your flag out line to the right side of kite when rigging using the downwind rigging method.
If landing to the left side when coming in, connect flag out line to the left side of kite.
This is incorrect, and using "right" and "left" are bad names to use for this because your perspective might change when rigging your kite.
Just do it like he says in the video, flag line must be on top when you perform this to have it land LE down.
Have edited post

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Re: Self landing?

Postby purdyd » Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:07 am

edt wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:34 pm
that video doesn't show lower center line. otherwise an excellent video. Lower center line is a relatively new technique as it relies on there being a "V" instead of "high Y" and it's only in the last 10 years that kites have gone away from mini-5th to center line flagging, so that's why lower center line isn't taught as much, it's a newer technique.
Single center line has been around for 15 years and every nearly every kite has had single line front releases for a decade.

I don’t see why it has to have a low vee.

I’ve had kites fly when released to back and if it doesn’t, I think it is harder on the canopy.

Manufacturers put the skid reinforcements on the leading edge so it can be landed leading edge down.

I use the two front line technique all the time. I know it works in all conditions.

There are times that even if you can get the kite down on the leading edge, it won’t stay. It will just slide along the beach.

I think there are a lot of ways to self land a kite and you should be conversant in the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Dave_5280
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Re: Self landing?

Postby Dave_5280 » Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:35 pm

There’s something satisfying about self landing, and self launching.

One method I found interesting after trying was to fly the kite overhead and pull the center lines until the leading edge came down. All the power was gone and it floated down or was pushed down by the wind. It was hard to time the turn at the bottom into the wind, but maybe not needed. Haven’t tried it in a long time but I will give a try next time I’m out. I think came out of watching the old video of Jon Modica self landing taken by RickI.

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Re: Self landing?

Postby PullStrings » Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:51 pm

Comments about the lame line walk self-landing Core video at 6:38

It is not the most difficult.
It is not very risky.
Keeping the kite in position is not difficult.

I strongly recommend this technique as the number one way to self-land but not as he does it.

So many things he does wrong !!
1st he is not pinning the kite down by walking sideways upwind first several meters before climbing the lines.
2nd he is not gradually and swiftly walking himself upwind of the kite to at least 45 degrees angle.

(In some high wind landings that angle will go to 60 degrees).

3rd he is moving up the center lines slow and timid like a scared turtle to make it look dangerous....that's lame right there.

4th he says you will hurt your hands and you could have a runaway kite and hurt people.

The hands get stronger with practice and if you are concerned about the kite flying away downwind do not detach yourself from chicken loop.
Stay hooked in for the whole climb and if something was to happen you are still attached to kite and can push the QR and prevent a runaway

Walking line method is in fact the quickest safest form of landing and should be practice by everyone
Stop listening to fear from the naysayers

Also as EDT says the lower center line method is not shown so is it incomplete

When it comes to self-landing rely on 2 methods only because you never know where you will be when you get off the water
Zero help....zero teather ....just you and the wind

#1 line walking
#2 QR activation because the wind speed is beyond the kite's ability to handle on a wing tip or it is beyond your ability to line walk

A man's got to know it's limitations

Once you get good at line walking there is no turning back
Super fun and satisfying

Practice it every time to self land even in light winds

Muscle memory will set-in and eventually it will become automatic and swift to land

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Re: Self landing?

Postby edt » Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:03 pm

I find it impossible to be critical of that kite college video because I don't view it in isolation but have to compare it to all the other self land videos out there, in that regard I give it a 4/5 if only for properly putting the QR first.
Last edited by edt on Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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