General Advice & Information
Safety, Flying and Terminology Information
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A Guide To Flying Your Sports or Stunt Kite
Introduction
If you can ride a bicycle, you can fly a stunt or sports kite. Everyone knows how to steer a bike, don’t they? You turn the handle bar to the right, and the bike goes right. Keep steering right, and the bike completes a circle. Straighten out the handle bar and the bike goes straight in whatever direction you are pointing. It’s easy. So keep that image in your mind and lets go kite flying.
Kite Setup and Flying Line
For beginners, launching a stunt kite and getting it under control is almost as hard as mounting a bicycle and getting it rolling. After you do it right the first time, it gets much easier. Roll out your flying lines and make sure they are exactly equal in length. (If one line is a few inches shorter, the kite will think you are pulling on that line and start to turn.) The lines should be about 30 - 50M (75-100 feet) long. Shorter lines reduce response time and make the kite move too fast for most inexperienced fliers. Longer lines make maneuvers harder to complete.
Launching the Kite and First Flight
For the first time flyer it is great to have a helper pick up the kite from behind, and hold it by the base and center strut. Keep a little tension between the two of you so that the fly lines are off the ground. If the winds are strong enough, all your helper needs to do is let go, and the kite will soar off into the air. And if the winds are lighter, give the kite a slight boost by stepping backward as the kite is released. After a little practice it only takes one person to get the kite into the air.
Now remember it’s like riding a bike. You want to get rolling in a straight line, so don’t start steering right away. Don’t jerk your hands around or make any sudden move. Don’t get over excited and let go or start to run. And please, don’t lift your hands up over your head, thinking it will make the kite go up. It does absolutely nothing to help. I mean, you wouldn’t try and steer your bicycle with handlebars that are up over your head, would you?
Steering and Controlling the Kite
Now we’re ready to go somewhere. So pick up your kite from wherever it crashed after that first launch, untangle the lines, and let’s learn how to steer. If you want to turn your bike to the right, what do you do with your hands? Pull back on your right handle. Visualize that motion. Now, gently, do the same thing with your stunt kite handles.
As a beginner flier, your goal should be to move the kite in a big, lazy figure-eight across the sky. Turn to the right as we told you a moment ago, straighten out to fly by bringing your hands even, turn a bit more to loop under, and then straighten out again. When you have gone all the way over to the left, just repeat the process, turning in the other direction.
It’s like riding your bike in a figure eight, except that you don’t need to pedal. If you get excited and pull too hard, the kite will jerk around fast and probably crash - almost like a bike when you turn too hard. But if you eased into it, the kite will gracefully curve to the right. When you bring your hands back even, the kite will straighten out. If you keep turning, the kite will fly all the way around into a circle.
If you decided to fly a complete circle, or maybe did one by accident, you’ll notice that your flying lines have now twisted around each other. This is nothing to panic about. You can easily put as many as a dozen twists in a good set of lines before your control of the kite is affected. Just remember which way you turned, catch your breath, and then turn back the other way until all of the twists have come out.
If your kite crashed with twists in the line, simply wind the handles around each other until the twists disappear. This is much easier than having your helper pick up the kite and try to un-rotate it.
Once you have practiced enough to perform a good figure eight, you’re ready to experiment with a few more advanced maneuvers. Instead of pulling with your right hand to turn right, try pushing with your left hand. The result will be roughly the same although the turn will be a bit sharper. Study the differences between these push-turns and pull turns. Advanced pilots use the difference to improve and perfect various types of maneuvers.
Fly all the way to the left and right. Experiment with how far out your kite will go. And notice that it slows down, and then stops when it reaches the edge of the wind.
Try a landing. Just fly out to the edge and steer gently toward the ground. The idea is to reach the ground about the same time the kite reaches the edge of the wind. Try flying big smooth circles, and then flying squares.
Problems Encountered During First Flight
Lousy Wind
There may not be enough wind, or too much. The amount of wind you need to fly easily depends on the design of your kite. You aren’t trying to fly behind a big tree or building, are you? The wind there is going to be turbulent and really bad. Move downwind or find an open area.
Wrong Handitis
Is the line in your right hand attached to the right side of the kite? If not, you’ll get some really surprising results when you try to steer.
Unbalanced Lines
If one line is shorter, the kite thinks you are pulling on that line and start to turn. If someone’s personality seems a little off, we say that they may not be flying with lines of equal length.
Twisted
Look at your kite. Has it been put together right? Pay special attention to the bridle lines. Is one wrapped over the spar, and the other one under it? I thought so...
Tune In
If your bridle isn’t twisted, then look at the connection points where you attach the fly lines. Are they equal distance from the nose of the kite? Usually, kite makers put a mark on each bridle to show the factory setting. You can change the setting to adjust your kite’s performance, but make sure both sides of the kite are set the same.
Performing Basic Tricks
You have a stunt kite and can keep it flying. You’ve learned to launch without help and make it do loops. What do you do now? How do you get the kite to do all those other tricks you’ve seen sport kites do?
Besides the light touch on the lines, advanced flyers move their feet as much as their hands. Moving downwind a couple of steps and swinging your hands forward at the same time can slow the kite significantly, allowing dramatic downwind stalls and axels.
Stall
A stall is when the sport or stunt kite hovers pointed nose-up but not moving. The axel is a spinning kite move beginning from a stall position. Most impressive when the kite is a few feet above the ground.
Axel
To axel the kite, the flyer tugs one line while giving slack to the other. A short sharp tug. The kite flops face down (while still in the air) and rotates around in a full circle before popping nose- up and flying away. Be careful not to wrap the lines on a wingtip.
Turtle
A turtle is started the same way, but the kite flops backwards and doesn’t spin around.
We hope this helps, good luck and happy kite flying
General Questions & Answers
1) How Old Should You Be To Start Flying Kites?
While even a toddler enjoys kite flying with an adult, normaly a 6 year old can pilot a kite solo. For dual line stunt kites and large kites, they should be a minimum of 10 years. Remember "Stunt kites" require a certain level of understanding, so adult supervision is always recommended for children under the age of 16 years.
2) Does my kite need a tail?
Generally kites that require a tail come with one included. Many people add a tail merely for decorative purposes. However some tails are not only for decoration, when flying kites in strong winds the you will normaly find any kite will benefit from the stability that a tail provides.
3) Do I need to run to launch my kite?
You should never need to run to launch a kite. Nerely all modern kites are so light weight the smallest breeze is enough to get your kite aloft, just wait for the wind to inflate the sail.
4) What Kite Would You Recommend For A Beginner?
There are a lot of kites for beginners, but the key points to remember are :- What do you want to do with your kite. Tricks & Stunts?, Details of each kite with and recommended age can be found for all kites featured here. As a general rule, `soft` stunt kites fly slower so are easier to learn. For a beginner's stunt kite, look for either a flexible fibreglass frame that will be less likely to break, or a frame-less, spar less and thus `soft` power kite. They are easier to control and less likely to break upon crash landings.
5) My stunt kite won't fly... what's wrong?
The number one reason a stunt kite won't get off the ground is that you have not let out all of your flying line prior to launching.
6) My stunt kite is diving to the left (or right) and crashing. What's wrong?
The line is not even from each handle to the bridle or the swivel clip has slipped off of the tow point.
Launching & Flying
Preparing to Launch
1. Unroll your lines directly upwind and make sure that both lines are of equal length.
2. Attach lines to clips on the kite
3. With the kite lying on it's back and with your back to the wind, take up the slack on both lines and pull the kite gently into an almost upright position. At the same time as taking a couple of quick steps back, pull evenly on both lines and the kite will fly to its maximum height. Using gentle movements steer the kite around by pulling left and right.
Landing your Kite
1. You will have noticed by now that when you reach the side of the wind the kite slows down considerably. This slowing down will help you to land.
2. Fly to the end of the wind, either left or right a couple of meters above the ground. As the kite reaches the end of the wind turn it upwards and at the same time take a few steps towards it. This action will take all the speed off the kite and it will land gently in an upright position.
3. Now place the lines on the ground and unclip from the kite to prepare for winding up. On no account walk around with your lines after landing unless you want to spend the next few hours undoing the birds nest which you will now have!
Terminology Used
Below is some information on the termanology used in the kiting world and tips on how to achieve these manouvers, This is by no means all but a small taster
A Spin:
When doing a spin, pull one control line or the other (depending on whether you want the kite to turn left or right) and keep pulling until the kite has completed the spin.
Immediately after the spin, bring your hand back to its original position and the kite will again fly in a straight line. Although you will now have a twist in your lines the controls are exactly the same. Pull left, turn left, pull right, turn right. To remove the twist, simply spin the other way.
Jump stall:
Start with the kite just off center of the wind, in a wingtip stand. Next, spin the kite into the wind like you were going to land it onto it's opposite tip. When the kite is flat on it's belly during the rotation (nose away), you quickly pop both hands towards you, causing the kite to pop open facing down. Now lightly let one line out so the kite can rotate around pointing the nose up. Now hold the kite in a stall, and slide it out to one side. This trick is ideal for light wind flying, and requires a kite with a deep sail.
Helicopter:
Fly the kite to the top of the wind window (overhead). Pull both hands to bring it past that point. This will stall the kite. Extend your left hand (immediately) to initiate a left rotation float. You will have to move forward so that the lines stay under the kite as it floats. To end this trick, point the nose down and pull the kite back into the wind window.
What is Radical?
Radical maneuvers are the turns, dives or straight line passes that are normal sport kite maneuvers. Until fliers discovered the radical side of kites, kite designers considered "radical" kite behaviour to be a defect and tuned it out of their kites. Now it can be the basis for winning in competition.
Some radical tricks:
Snap Stall: The Kite stops downward in midair.
Axle: The Kite drops forewards and pivots horizontally around it's center.
Feather: The Kite floats on its back parallel to the ground.
Advice & Safety Information
Flying Kites Can Be Great Fun - However to some who have never flown a kite it can be a nuisance.
Remember this basic advice and you should have many happy hours flying kites.
1) Never fly kites over other peoples heads or in an area where someone else may become injured from an out of control kite.
2) Keep away from overhead power & telephone lines.
3) Don't fly close to roads, landing a kite in a road could cause a serious accident.
4) Don't fly near airports.
5) Don't fly your kite in winds stronger than recommended.
6) Animals like dogs may attack your kite when you land it
REMEMBER SAFETY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FLYER, NOT THE SPECTATOR!
Wind Conversion
The converter below is only to be used as a guide and we have added this to our site to help people convert from different forms of wind measurement.
Enter the unit you wish to convert click the convert button - You will need to click the reset button before before entering another value
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