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kitepilot

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Posts posted by kitepilot

  2. Stunt Kite Tails?

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Glad you asked; this question is a crowning touch to the tail discussion. I have experience with tails on my Beetle. They’re fun, like scribbling across the sky with a Crayola!

    Two weeks ago a yellow schoolbus parked near my wind window and let off a passel of kids that were on a park fieldtrip. They all gathered in a group as the chaperone counted noses and watched me fly my kite in giant loops, lazy eights, and corkscrews. Enjoyed listening to the children ooh and ahh over my flight demonstration. I even began to show off a little. OK, show off a lot!

    The 100 foot tail makes me look more skilled than I really am. Plus, a tail shows your flight characteristics well. You can tell whether a large circle is aligned to where it began, or how much the kite drops while doing tight spins.

    Started doing my stunt tails with crepe paper, the party decoration stuff usually twisted and taped across a room. A two hundred foot roll costs two buck at the department store, and gave me two short tails and a long one. After two or three flights with each tail, they’re trashed. But the fun is worth twice as much as they cost.

    My favorite kite shop staff liked my tale (snicker) of the schoolbus and suggested I try a five dollar hundred foot plastic tube tail. The tube fills with air and is more demonstrative than a streamer. They were right, but didn’t mention what a pain in the butt plastic tails are. The plastic doesn’t always allow an airfill the full length of the tube, so it becomes half tube and half streamer. Plastic tube tails also twist in several places and create sausage balloons that are difficult to pack away. Then there’s my Trlby stack with three long problematic plastic tube tails. Hence my question you referred to on the forum. And several imaginative and workable solutions (tried all but one suggestion, and they all do work very well. Where DOES Codykiteguy find that extension cord winder??? :) )

    Last week a kite flyer invited me to try his Prism E2 on 100 foot lines, with seventy-five feet of ripstop tube tail. Now THAT’S a tube tail I gotta have! Wider in diameter that the plastic tubes, follows along behind the kite like a rollercoaster on tracks. Beautiful to watch and great fun to fly! Easy to pack up too because the ripstop doesn’t hold the air when it’s not flying. Like Penny says, the tail does slow down the kite. But you’d be doing slow and exaggerated ballet movements anyway and it’s not a problem.

    I fly with just one tail that is tied to the spine. Tying to the bottom of the spine inhibits maneuvering to some degree because it adds extra drag and weight to the bottom of the kite. I tie to the spine at the center T which puts the tail nearest the pivot point of the kite, like the setup of Trlby. I think that works best.

    Sheesh! How Do I get sooooo long winded? :( kitepilot

  3. Cody Kites

    in Beginner Questions

    Posted

    Found an interesting link about Cody Kites and biography of the designer at

    http://www.drachen.org/about_archive_cody.html

    Have seen a lot of reference to the Cody Kite among these forum pages. Raises a couple of questions...

    1) How large a Cody Kite is necessary to lift a digital camera, mounting system, and servo actuators; about the size of a cigar box and weighing four pounds or so?

    2) Does a Cody Kite break down into a neat and easily transportable package?

    Thanks, kitepilot :o

  4. Trlby Kite Tails

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Thanks, gang, for the suggestions to neatly pack away long kite tails. Tried several of the ideas, and they work great for me. Well, except for the extension cord winder. Couldn't find a store that sold the winder that was described. Guess a guy that flies a special kite would only shop at a special store! :o

    kitepilot

  5. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Enjoyed your story, spenuki. A feelgood story that didn't get tears all over my keyboard!! :blink: Kite flying in Hawaii!!!! I'll trade ya my Trlby Stack for a week long stayover at YOUR house!

    Thanks for the definitions of stack and train, codykiteguy. That sets my mind straight.

    BTW, Cody kite does sound a lot better than Cowdery kite, doesn't it. :o

    kitepilot

  6. Cody Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Uh Oh. Cody single line kites don't belong in the Sport Kites section. :o Copied and submitted my questions on the Single Line Topic section. But I can't figure how to delete this particular erroneous post. Mirecat, will you help?

    Thanks, :blink: kitepilot

  8. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    STOP! You're making me cry!! Kids can be so darned cute. I think it's a defense mechanism so that they'll live long enough to become teenagers. After that, they're hopeless, aren't they? :blink:

    When does a stack become a train? IMO three Trlbys make a stack, four and more become a train. Am I close?

    My biggest problem with flying the Trlby Trio (besides the lack of 14mph winds) was the bridle. Once I moved the towline up 1/4" the launch was much easier. (There's that bridle adjustment thing again, John!) Had another good flying session yesterday, even My Lady had fun with them. She loves the sound of the Duraply sails in the wind! :o kitepilot

  9. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    I got it up! I got it up! Drove by the big American flag at the community park and saw it was sticking about straight out! Just happened to have my Trlby Triple Stack in the trunk (since I’ve been assured it shouldn’t melt in there), pulled it out, and GOT IT UP!!! Without any assistance, not even from Viagra, I might add!

    A Cute Story. A four and five year old brother and sister were watching the stack fly, laughing and running off with a holler whenever I looped the kites in their direction. Their Mom eventually came by and told them it was time to leave, to wave ‘bye’ to the triple stack. “Bye Mr. Kite!” the little boy yelled as he waved. I wiggle-waggled the Trlbys with a push/pull on the lines. The tyke ran off to his Mommy exclaiming, “The kite waved to me, Mommy!” It’s such a satisfying feeling to put a big smile on the face of a little kid! It was almost as big as my own!!! Just had to share this good news. kitepilot

    • Like 1

  10. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Thanks for sharing the pics, Trilbymoussie! Found them all quite entertaining (even saved the "What part of shut up didn't you understand?" to e-mail to my little sister!) Where's the beach? How did Doug have a kite accident? Is Doug's handle CLTKiter? I like the Codys, have checked out Rick's site and have been saving my quarters for one of my own. Will you post pictures of your ripstop Trlby's on your photo site?

    I’m about to send my hard earned money to John for membership to KiteLife. Think he’ll put a Mirage Stack up for raffle?

    The running slipknot. How clever. I learned that knot in the Navy. Forgot it as soon as I became a civilian. It’ll work great to manage my three tails until I get the stack home. You Are full of good information!

    This thread is the only thing I've seen online about how to fly Trlbys. Yet they're advertised online as the most popular dual line kites around. Never saw them at the flying field before! Know of any Trlby websites? Found an impressive video clip of a world record stack of 104 Trlbys at http://jaysworks.com/kites/index.html.

    Still trying to get my stack into the air. Once got them off the ground, but the 8-10mph winds just weren't enough. They stalled out at five feet up and wouldn't go up again. Even tried without the three tails. Going to try the beach again later today.

    OK, I've talked enough. Any more and my lady will think I'm flirting :unsure: ! Thanks for all the info! kitepilot

  11. best way to launch?

    in Beginners

    Posted

    You can make those hold-down weights with sandwich-sized Ziploc baggies filled with sand or dirt, too. That way, your feet don’t get so sandy when you put your socks back on at the end of the flying session! :unsure: If you’d like to learn a lot about kite flying, spend time in the http://www.kitelife.com/archives/index.htm. I can get lost in there for hours on end (that’s why a lot of my posts are at one and two o’clock in the morning!). The archives of KiteLines and SKQ show the growth and development of stuntkiting since the seventies. If I’m not flying a kite, I’m reading about kites! Those previous posts with advice are right on. These guys were all beginners long ago, and haven’t lost touch with us newbies. Have a ball, keep it high! kitepilot :(

  14. Trlby Kite Tails

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Thanks for the idea, Dorsal. Still makes a bulky pack, though. Here’s something I’ll try…cut the ends of the cardboard rectangles with a curve instead of an ‘H’ shape. Then, when the tail is fully packed, slide it off the cardboard, fold the tail in half, and rubber band it. I’ll let you know if that works. Found some heavy cardboard at the warehouse outlet, they use it for produce boxes, several cards can be cut from each box, and it’s free! kitepilot

  15. Bridle Adjustments

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Thanks, John, for the reply. If you adjust your bridles 1/8” at a time, what’s the furthest from the factory reference marker that you set the towline?

    My Beetle oscillates after a corner turn, wobbles on a sideslide, and falls out of a snapstall. I was hoping there was a magic bridle adjustment. :( Or that I’d be advised to go out and buy a new particular kite. Guess I’ll admit that my flying skills are still at the beginner level, then go out and practice some more! Precision, precision, precision are the three p’s, right? :unsure: Thanks again, kitepilot

  16. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Thanks for your advice, trilbymoussie. I launch my Stack by setting them up to drive the nose down into the ground. That will get it up. Have been trying, but San Diego just hasn’t had much over 8mph winds for the last two weeks. Even the ocean was quiet by the time I got there with the Trlbys. Glad you told me. Wouldn’t EVER have thought of that on my own! How can you get that picture to me?

    The kite store owner warned me not to leave the tails in direct sunlight inside the compartment of the car, several customers had come back to return melted tails. That explains the melting issue with me.

    I’ll follow your advice on the rest of the stuff, too. Can’t argue with twenty-five years experience! Is the ripstop lighter than duraply? Flown that new set yet? I’ll tell you about mine if you’ll tell me about yours! Thanks, you’ve been a lot of help! kitepilot

  17. Trlby Kite Tails

    in Beginners

    Posted

    The conversation on rolling up tube tails started at Reader’s Reviews forum site. Because a Trlby just isn’t dressed without tails, the subject obviously belongs here. The topic question was, “how the heck do you neatly repack the tube tails?”

    CodyKiteGuy suggested buying an extension cord winder, with a couple of handles sticking out.

    CLTKiter found an elongated ‘H’ winder at Home Depot, but it didn’t seem to solve the problem. I tried that, too, but the winder is too long and it’s difficult to get the air out of the tail for a neat repack. Did use the winders for a couple of long extension cords, so they weren’t wasted. ;)

    My favorite kite shop staff cut a rectangle out of a box, about nine by three inches. She taped the end of the tube tail to the cardboard, then gently pressed the air out of the tube nine inches at a time as she rolled up the tail. It was a neat repack in a short time.

    My own current method is to stretch the tail out full length. Starting at the end, I begin rolling up the tail. Untwist the tail by twisting the roll. I end up with a roll of plastic that can be held together with a rubber band. This takes a while for a 100ft tail, and often aggravates the people tromping the ground around my stretched out tail.

    So tell us, trilbymousie, how do You pack up a tube tail? Especially when you’re flying a train of twentyfive colorful Trlbys? kitepilot

  18. Bridle Adjustments

    in Beginners

    Posted

    What are the maximum bridle adjustments made to the towpoints of your stunt kites? How far from the manufacturer's reference mark do you most often set up? 1/4"; 1/2"; 2"; 4"? Written instructions I've read say to move the towpoint in 1/4" increments. Does it upset the handling characteristics if the two bridle legs are offset by 1/4"? Do you always have tape measures in your pockets to ensure correct tuning adjustments? ;)

    My Beetle has two reference marks. The red indicates a location for light winds, the black indicates a location for strong winds. Both marks are only 3/4" apart.

    The reference points match the company's recommended wind range; 3mph at the red marker, 15mph at the black marker flew as the best adjustments. I then flew the Beetle in 4-6mph winds with the towpoint two inches above and below the reference marks. Towards the nose and I had a feather; no pull, little control. Towards the tail and I had a brick; slid back to the ground, little control.

    John - your award winning videos are AWESOME ;) ! You must fly in several different wind conditions during the course of just one competition. How do you set your bridles? Do you set them for optimum, then lock them into place just a bit beyond the optimum to do your slack line tricks? Over just one weekend here in San Diego I've flown in moderate beach winds, mild mountain meadow breezes, and strong hot desert winds. How many times do You adjust your bridles?

    Didn't mean for this to get sooo longwinded. Appreciate your replies! :) kitepilot

  19. Premier

    in Beginners

    Posted

    I'll take your word about the value of the "Cherry Bomb'. Does this forum have a search function that would accumulate data of all the kites mentioned? Ikky68 has made posts favoring the 'Addiction' for beginners. I still think I'll walk before I run, learn to do snapstalls and sideslides on my beetle before graduating to a trick kite.

    John - where did you adjust the bridle towpoint on the Cherry Bomb? Wait, that opens up a new bag of worms. I'm going to move my question into Beginner Questions ->Bridle Adjustments, what is eXtreme. kitepilot

  20. Premier

    in Beginners

    Posted

    The Company advertises this as a good beginners’ stunt kite. Premier Kites says, “New for this year, the Vision represents a breakthrough in entry-level delta wings. Months of testing and planning by master sport kite designer Jon Trennepohl has produced an easy-to-fly stunt kite with excellent handling and crisp contemporary graphics”. Premier is a reputable kite company, and Trennepohl has had good kite designs over the years.

    It looks like a kite that will help you learn to fly. If you stick to this kite until you’ve mastered turns, punchturns, stalls, and the sideslide, you have your money’s worth. Then you can graduate up to the Nighthawk for the fancy stuff like axels, flic flacs, and fades. You’ll become frustrated with the learning experience if you try to fly in less than the recommended wind range for the Vision. Learn to walk before you run, get those basic maneuvers down pat before moving on to bigger and better kites for those slack-line tricks.

    You said you’ve already ordered the Vision. Had you asked earlier, I’d personally recommend the Beetle by Flying Wings. The Beetle handles light wind and heavy wind, and it’s built to handle those nose-deep-into-the-ground crashes. But then, I’m biased. I’m learning on a Beetle! Welcome to the kiting world, Magpieflyinghigh! kitepilot

  22. Finding Flying Fields

    in Favorite Kite Fields

    Posted

    I find flying fields by websurfing to maps.google.com and viewing the satellite imagery. This site allows you to peruse your neighborhood on a local area map. Then, click the toggle marked ‘satellite’ and do some exploring. The resolution brings you to roof-top level. It’s easy to see if the viewed image may have turbulence from buildings or trees. I can easily see the roof of my house and the common greens I fly from at my front door in San Diego. Found many neat little spots this way. :blushing: Kitepilot

  23. Trlby Kites

    in Beginners

    Posted

    I have the desire to fly a train of kites but the unwillingness to purchase two more Beetles. So, I am now the proud owner of a Trlby Triple stack – red, black, and yellow.

    Tried to fly them last weekend in light winds and was totally unsuccessful. The flight lines included are stretchy Dacron, and 190’ lines seem excessive. Felt foolish while dragging them across the flying field trying a self-launch, hopping around trying to pop them off the short grass must have been quite a sight! :blushing: OK, my questions:

    1) What is the optimum wind to fly a Trlby Triple Train with 45’ tails?

    2) What do you recommend for line material, length, and weight?

    3) Is it possible to self-launch a triple? How?

    4) Will the Duraply sails melt in the trunk of my car on the way to the flying field?

    5) Should I give up on Stacks and fly a Cody? :lol:

    Thanks for your advice. Kitepilot

  24. New Forum Member

    in The Web Site (nuts and bolts)

    Posted

    codykiteguy - I'm so far over the edge that I stuck a one hundred foot tube tail on my dual line kite today and scribbled across the sky! People actually stopped to watch! So - after you've flown a cody with a tube tail...how the heck do you neatly repack the tail? It's like rolling up a sausage! kitepilot

  25. Beginner Help

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Jazz - You've probably bought your new beginner's kite by the time I found this post. I'll add some advice for other stark rookies. The replies following your post are all valuable information. Three months ago I started with the Flying Wings Beetle. A real beast of burden, cleverly designed, easy to assemble/disassemble, robust, and a wide wind range. It's truely a training kite for the beginner.

    Of the utmost importance, buy your kite from an established local kite shop. Customer support can be phenomenal! The sales personnel know their products and have good advice for improvements, techniques, repairs, and upgrades. Hanging around the kite shop is like sitting in with a group around the pot-bellied stove at the general store in the days of old. Those other customers have kiting experience and are often eager to share advice and the good flying locations.

    I bought my Beetle based on an article that sits in the Kitelife archives. If you live in San Diego, the kite club (www.sandiegokiteclub.com) has members that range from beginners to champions and all have been helpful to newbies. Seeking advice from the websites is also a smart move. Websurf some more.

    The fun of kiting is not just putting a sail into the air, it's the comraderie of the kiting community! Kitepilot

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