It was a great day. Winds were about 8-10mph.
The wife snagged a few pics for my new buddies here. Please go easy . I know there is no boards or buggies for your viewing pleasure, but I'm only 5 months into the 3M 4 line system, and one day with the 5M :wee: . I'm pretty sure a buggy is in the future, but I want to be 100% sure how to handle all wind speeds, and conditions before seeking buggy guidance from the Wind Vikings ;-) . I must crawl before I walk LOL. Just a few pics.
3M:





5M (thanks Caleb from here on the PKF) maiden voyage:




Wish I could get these pics bigger :puzzled:
Am I missing something?

Try [img=1024x768]

Nice pictures and kites!

Right click on the image and then select 'open in new tab' and the pic is much bigger. Or ask Mr. Wolf...something to do with re-sizing. He knows how to do it.

Keep Flying those kites..Static is great...It will only make you a better pilot and really hones in on your skills. This way when the buggy or board comes along you don't even have to think twice about "how to fly the kite" part...It's just easy keeping it up in the sky. I did that for almost a year before getting a buggy and harnessing in.

You should look into a helmet...Even though you are flying static you never know when a huge gust can come and really ruin your day. Most will work if you want to use one you have already....Skiing, biking, etc.... WEAR ONE!

Have fun and hope to see you at some future events. These are not only fun, but really help with skills too...Plus you get to meet a ton of people (same interest) and get to try out buggies & Demo kites.

WBB and JIBE are two events happening soon that you can attend...

Yes +1 on the helmet. Picking one up a new one this week! All I have now is a full face highway helmet . That thing weighs about 30 pounds and would weigh down the kite by itself almost LOL. Not Xgames approved :roll:

@3shot- Where you at in VA?
Scott

Quote:

Originally posted by flyguy0101 @3shot- Where you at in VA? Scott

In Gloucester Co.
I was just in Staunton last week on business/work LOL.

Judging from the pictures you have turning by " push pull " down pretty good.

Time to work on " brake turns " . With the kite sitting quiet overhead try adding just a bit of brake to one side and then the other . See + feel how you can make the kite turn with only the back lines input. Once you have it all connected in your mind + reflexes start addinng it to the push pull method to speed turns up to the point you are turning on the wing tip. See how you can speed up a kiteloop with brake input.

Adding equal brake input stalls the kite + it's power . See how you can lose power in the power zone by stalling the kite.

Thanks Bladerunner. I've got a good feel for the brake turns and stalling in the last few months with the 3m. I can pull off some serious corkscrews/flat spins. Getting a lot better at stopping the 3m for a motionless float in the wind window too. I was just running the kites in a slow-mo pass for wifey to snag a few pics.

Now supersized, but still with the same low calories...

[img=1024x768] on the opening tags (except for the first one which is a wee bit smaller).










ATB,
Sam

:singing::singing::singing:
Thanks Wolf!!!!!

And thanks again Kent fo the rest of the gear :wink2:

Picked me up a nice Pro-Tec melon protector this afternoon on the way home from work.

Keep you wife happy ..... so she can keep coming with you to those sessions and keep making photos and movies in future ..... Let her play with you 3m to help her understand you new addiction .... that will help with approvals on purchasing next kite ..... lol .... looking good .... Come to Buggy Bash to experience power kiting in full power ...

Thanks Kober!!
You have some epic Youtube vids!!!


My wife actually likes to take tons of pics. Trying to snag that new GoPro Hero3 (ouch$$)!! It's not much, but here is a lil vid she took. She's trying too
And yes, helmet from here on out. Live to play another day :wink2:

I don't know what line length you are using, but that's another variable you might try. It can make a big difference. With longer lines (say 30m) you get a bigger window and a longer power zone. An inexpensive way to do this would be to get some 5m or 10m extensions if you can find any. (Of course the connections may add a little drag, so add it on the pilot end of the lines). Have fun.

I have 20m on the 3m kite and 25m on the 5m kite. Those are what Kent suggested I start out with. I'll keep that extension in mind.
Thanks!

Great to here you are on to working the brakes.

Another thing to get into your routine is the down loop or down turn. Instead of turning the kite up toward zenith start up high and use gravity to turn the kite down and accross the window. This creates a huge power stroke and is real handy in low winds down the road.

Work on flying without looking at the kite at all now. Start just by relaxing ( I even would sit on a log ) and just keeping the kite steady while looking around at everything else.

It is fun to sit down and then use the power of the kite to lift you to your feet . Then run a little cross wind. This helps you get a feel for diving the kite, moving and keeping tension on the lines for that second pump.

Nice choice on the helmet !

Definately time to start saving for a board! :wee:

how do the Ozone Flows fly dude? Look like a pretty nice kite to have in the Quiver. Can anyone compare a HQ Beamer or HQ Toxic to the OZONE FLOW. ?

Quote:

Originally posted by SFKITER how do the Ozone Flows fly dude?

I love em! Gentle, stable, and forgiving with good grunt. I've not flown a Beamer, but suspect they are similar in flight. I would imagine the Beamers, Tensors, and Flows are all pretty close in feel. Sure someone will answer exactly.