IdahoFlyer

Yeah, scary might have been overstating it. Excited is a better word. Looking forward to the whole experience.

I will be there for the weekend. My first kite festival, and the first time I'll see other Rev fliers in person. Scary. Hope to see you all there!

I thought I would have to go to 150#, but am overwhelmingly convinced otherwise. And a 50# lineset will go on the "Would Like to Acquire" list.

I could not have wished for a better answer. Thanks! This weekend should be special.

I find myself walking further down the dark path. After repeatedly getting my EXP chased out of the sky by higher winds, I decided I needed to extend my range. So, on it's way is a Rev 1.5 Mid vent. The kite does not come with lineset or handles, and I was planning on using the set from the EXP. Now, I'm having second thoughts. Is it OK to use 90# line on a 1.5 Mid vent?

I went to my standard flying spot today, a sports park about 20 minutes away. The complex has 3 baseball fields, 2 soccer fields, a playground,and some other stuff I haven't explored because, well, I'm there to fly. As we pulled in, I realized there was not another car in the lot. No one else here! I hurriedly parked, grabbed the kite bag, and tried not to run. I didn't want to break the spell. Set up on the upwind end of the (freshly mown!) soccer field. Wind is steady 8 mph, EXP launches straight up, and doesn't touch the ground for the next twenty minutes. This is my sixth time flying the Rev, and everything clicked. The kite did everything I asked it to, when I asked it, and I thought "THIS is why I fly kites!" We were there for two hours by ourselves - no baseball players, no soccer players, no kids, no dogs... One visitor, a sheriff's deputy who pulled in, got out, and leaned on his truck, watching the kite for ten minutes, then left. Never said a word. So, no newbie questions, no problems. Just wanted to share a great day.

I have added longer leaders to my handles, and found a comfort zone 4 knots out. The kite isn't so unruly now.

Yes! Annoying little boogers. So, now, once the kite is set up and leaning back against staked lines, I run my fingers down the bridle lines before walking out to the handles. Maybe overkill, but I have enough to do just keeping the kite under control to worry about "gremlin knots".

Two hours of excellent wind today! And an entire soccer field to myself. I found the tuning problem - two (little) overhand knots in the bridle that were not supposed to be there. Flew like a dream after undoing that side of bridle and removing them. Thanks for the help folks! Knowing where to look makes a big difference. On a side note, trying to do a dive/stop and then mistakingly applying a whole lot more power just above the ground is, um, impressive to say the least. Good thing Revs bounce.

Thanks for quick replies! I am adding "Check leading edge alignment" to my preflight list. The kite is brand new and the spars don't slide easily together, so might be off center there. AND I will pay more attention to posture and body position. Was so focussed on "when my hands do THAT, the kite does THAT?" I could have been bent sideways with a foot in the air and not noticed. Wind willing, I will find the culprit tomorrow.

Hello, all. Greetings from North Idaho, the land of elusive winds. I have been flying duals casually for a number of years (20 is a number, right?). I say casually because I generally wait for a trip to the coast for a flying frenzy, then casually forget about kites til next time. The winds here are generally gusty and undependable, or storm force and unflyable. During beach trips I have eyed the occasional quad in the sky with a bit of awe and envy, but could not justify the expense for 4 or 5 hours a year. Recently, I discovered a park 20 minutes away, that sits on the edge of a swath of prairie and, happily, has periods of excellent wind. I am no longer casual about flying. I received my (first) Rev last week - a beautiful red, orange, yellow EXP - and launched it the next day. OK, I am hooked. Yes, I thrashed it and crashed it, but also FLEW it. Had a grin the whole time. Now, the inevitable newbie questions. The kite has a slight tendency to (slightly) go left. I have checked the line length, the bridle, wingtips for caught lines, held both handles in one hand to watch it slowy lean to the left. Like a car with an alignment problem, I can compensate, but don't want to. Where else do I look to try and fix this? Hm, sorry, a bit wordy, but I'm excited. Will be off to the park tomorrow with kite bag in hand.