Line break while snowkite gliding?

[CaptainArgh]

There are many threads talking about the risks of gliding with a 4 line kite, the number of single points of failure, and the ways some experienced kiters minimize these risks. This is great info. That said, with all the obvious risks highlighted it occurred to me that I have not heard of a single line break while gliding.

Does it happen?

I wasn't sure if everyone who does it is just very careful with their gear or if the accidents are kept quiet to avoid attention. OR, if the stress on the gear is minimal which greatly reduces the risk of failure on well maintained gear.

Initially, I made the assumption that only the most experienced kiters (mostly paragliders), who closely checked their gear and kept count of how many long soars/glides were had on a set of lines would attempt it, but I doubt that is the case any more. I suspect there are hundreds of folks who get the bug and go for a long soar on older kites and lines. These folks are at greater risks than the paragliders who have hundreds of flight hours under their belts.

I realize to experienced snowkiters, this may be a stupid question, but I'm curious. There are some great snowkite videos out there and the best ones always include some long soars!

[matth]

Seems to me if you use something for something it was not designed to do you are asking for trouble.

[Bille]

I thought the same about the danger, when they first started gliding with
these water kites , but there doesn't seam to be many people dieing from
the risks you described. Actually, i don't think Anyone has died yet ?

Most ALL PG pilots use a reserve for back-up in an emergency . The reserve
doesn't work with a good degree of certainty, if your lower than 300' or 90M ; and
most people gliding on water kits , are lower than that, so it wouldn't hardly do
much good anyway.

Is a PG build Better than a water kite (?) --- yes, but like i said above ...

Never thought i'd say that : Bille

[CaptainArgh]

I thought the same about the danger, when they first started gliding with
these water kites , but there doesn't seam to be many people dieing from
the risks you described. Actually, i don't think Anyone has died yet ?

...

Never thought i'd say that : Bille

I thought sort of the same thing... naturally the LAST thing you want to hear about is a severe accident, but I haven't heard of any accidents at all due to line breaks, pig tail breaks, canopy failures, etc. Thus the question.

The risks are very well debated in other threads,
and I'm glad to see that those debates may have kept most of us safely grounded!
Maybe that's the reason for not hearing about any accidents, but the gliding is certainly highlighted in pictures and videos so people are going to want to try it...

[matth]

Does anyone remember the guy in Cali about twenty years ago that put four weather balloons on a lawn chair and went to about 30000 feet. I think he even hit power lines on the way down and still lived....

my numbers were a little off, but still crazy......lawn chair larry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters

[Djoubs]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2383354

When gliding it's just your weight in the lines not much force compare to going upwind on water.

[bullet]

^^^^ except when you loop^^^^

[CaptainArgh]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2383354

When gliding it's just your weight in the lines not much force compare to going upwind on water.

Thanks for sharing that link. Looks like a similar discussion I missed.
And nobody came up with any accidents in that thread either. (which is good!)

I had wondered that the stresses are probably a lot more on gear when folks are throwing down big tricks close to the water. Big mega loops are a lot of force and most glides seem very gentle. It is more skill of the pilot than stress on the gear.

[waynepjh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfenWbpkKOg

Here is one of me gliding off a small hill and breaking a leader line. My kite was in poor shape and I should not of been riding it. I glide close to the hill now.

[CaptainArgh]

Thanks for sharing that. Looks like a hard landing...but in nice soft powder (based on the puff of "smoke" where you hit). That would have sucked over trees or rocks! We should use gear we know is solid... got it!