What would you do if?

[Captain_East]

Hello beautiful people,

Last weekend while launching my kite the wind was 16 - 18 kts. And for some reason the chicken loop slipped away from the harness and I found my self flying with the kite, luckily I managed to leave the bar and hanged on the chicken loop till kite got to 12 and got everything under control. (For sure the leash was on).

I was wondering what if same situation happened to you for any reason while you’re 10m high what is the right thing to do??

Friends on the beach said it happened because I have the small duotone chicken loop and it’s said it’s dick is kinda small too so it slips. But I kinda don’t agree with that theory.

Kite duotone Rebel 10m 2020 with the new clickbar 2021.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to tell your story of free-fallin )

[Matteo V]

Learn to pay more attention. Critical operations should be given the utmost attention. Check twice and dont do anything at the same time, such as talking to someone.

That said, it still happens to me to.

The giveaway is that you aren't 100% sure that the CL was hooked into the bar.

[grigorib]

I always tell people to glance at a chicken loop before launch. It easily can half-scoot off leading to you situation.
10m up I’d probably hang on it till the kite is down. Grabbing chickenloop is a proper recovery but not as safe as letting the kite go onto QR

As of small dick...I’ll pass on this pitch. Maybe Duotone should comment on the setup

[Slappysan]

if same situation happened to you for any reason while you’re 10m high what is the right thing to do??

You don't have much choice when you are 10m high.
If you had a firm grip on the bar with both hands you can hold on unhooked and try and feather the kite back and forth for a soft landing.
If you didn't have a firm grip with both hands the bar and CL are gone before you can react and you are freeeeeee fallin'.

[Toby]

Never let go when you are lifted...fly it until you come down.
Then on touch down let go immediately.

Or if you come down and everything under control, grab the CL as you did and hook back in.

But yes, do check before launching if everything is ok...guess it was half way on your hook and then when powered up slipped off.

[Herman]

Your question suggests you don’t know how to launch properly. It sounds like you are a newbie who thinks launching a kite is flying it up into the air towards the zenith probably with both hands on the bar. Once you have learnt to launch properly you will have either one hand on the bar or no hands on the bar. You can have one hand on the qr, favoured by many, so if it comes unhooked you are already holding the chicken loop. The launch should mean you have the kite just off the ground so you should never be lofted. If you get dragged just release to flag. If in control land kite on it’s tip and hook back in, REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN SHEET OUT BY EASING THE BAR AWAY FROM THE HELD CHICKEN LOOP.

This is just a quick comment, you might want to research how to handle teabagging!!

Don’t launch in wind that could loft you until you know what you are doing, you will then realise your question should be moot once you know what you are doing.

[PullStrings]

I once told someone about to launch STOP !!

He had plenty long donkey stick in position

But his loop in the hook was not all the way in

It was at a 45 degree angle near the end of hook

Personally all my self launches are like this

One hand on the upper end of bar

In 18 knots the kite gets depowered 2/3

The other lower hand is always cupping the loop against the hook for 100% certainty of never coming off

Donkey stick in place of course

Taking zero chances

Besides the lower hand just has to move up quickly a few inches to trigger the QR in case of a botched self launch or assisted one if that is what you prefer

@Herman
Not newbie
He joined KF in 2012
Just sayin

[Havre]

Your question suggests you don’t know how to launch properly. It sounds like you are a newbie who thinks launching a kite is flying it up into the air towards the zenith probably with both hands on the bar. Once you have learnt to launch properly you will have either one hand on the bar or no hands on the bar. You can have one hand on the qr, favoured by many, so if it comes unhooked you are already holding the chicken loop. The launch should mean you have the kite just off the ground so you should never be lofted. If you get dragged just release to flag. If in control land kite on it’s tip and hook back in, REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN SHEET OUT BY EASING THE BAR AWAY FROM THE HELD CHICKEN LOOP.

This is just a quick comment, you might want to research how to handle teabagging!!

Don’t launch in wind that could loft you until you know what you are doing, you will then realise your question should be moot once you know what you are doing.

Tough love? Not sure why the insults are necessary. He/she might very well know what they are doing, but that he/she made a lazy mistake or something. Happens to the best of us.

Not that I disagree much with your description on how to launch - when possible at least.

[knotwindy]

Maybe lose the hook, so many other ways to prevent this problem.

[jakemoore]

If over the water and by some stroke of luck you accidentally come unhooked but don’t drop the bar:

Pass it behind your back, and spot your landing.