makatakam

This is one thing you can count on to be a constant for as long as you fly kites. It is what gives kite flyers' lives great stability. 😀

Your kite will fly faster on shorter lines because of reduced drag. The kite pulls less line along with itself. Any time you decrease drag you increase speed -- not always noticeably, depending on how long the lines were originally and by what percentage the length was shortened. If you want to give yourself more time to give the kite control inputs, lengthen the line to 1.5 times the original length. This will reduce its speed by 20 to 25 percent, depending on a few other factors that also influence performance.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

First, welcome to the forum. Good to have you on board. You're tipping the nose of the kite toward or away from you. This will make changes in the high/low wind range the kite can handle well, as well as the kite's stability and tracking which comes into play when doing tricks. An unstable kite is easier to stall, which is the foundation for the vast majority of tricks done with a dual. However, an unstable kite will not track as well, so it becomes a compromise and the final setting is what you prefer for what you want the kite to do. It becomes more obvious with time as your experience increases. At the beginning, tip the nose towards you for light wind and away from you for stronger wind. Try different settings in the same wind to get a feel for the difference.

Where do you live? I have driven 200 miles to various kite fests for a single day of flying. You're going to need better excuses, and no, a broken leg isn't good enough, just so you know. 🙂

Buy an EXP ready-to-fly (includes lines and handles) package online or from your local kite shop. About $220. You can add longer lines and vented kites later. Learn how to control the beast first, then worry about getting fancy.

Hi, stickerbush. Keep an eye out for festivals in Illinois and the surrounding states. There will be many of them this summer. There's usually someone flying a quad and more often there are several folks. There's at least a dozen quad flyers in northeast Illinois and a few more nearby.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I live in the Chicago area with 17 municipal, county and international airports in the area and have absolutely no problem finding fields that are much further than 5 miles from any of them. It's probably because you live there instead of here that you're having that problem. 🙂

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Congrats.

Hi, Brandon, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks, riff. @HiNator86 So, what have you found?

I saw this same question posted by you in another post -- see that one.

First make sure the leading edge spars are fully seated all the way down to the tips. Then check that the cross-member is fully seated in both sockets. If the kite still tends to go left let us know and we'll explore other reasons, but the basics should be checked first. And welcome to the forum.

Hi, 8th, and welcome aboard. Hope to share the flying field with you some day.

HBJBHFAS.

You should contact Peter Lynn kites. They're in New Zealand but a bridle line is light and should not cost much to mail.

I pre-stretch my limits so I don't have to worry about unstretched limits while flying. This way I don't have to make adjustments for them. 🙂

Welcome to the forum.

The Sky Burner Pro Dancer SUL will fly in 0mph. However, you need the skills to make that happen. If you have trouble keeping the Zephyr flying in 2mph, then the Pro Dancer won't be much help at 0mph, but you will be able to fly it at 2mph easily. It is, like the 4d, more fragile than other kites. There is no "perfect" kite, even though we are all always looking for it. Each is a compromise of weight, balance, speed, agility and other factors. The way to make things work as you want them to is to perfect your skills to the point where you and the wind move the kite together. There are three levels of flying a kite: 1. The kite flies you. 2. You fly the kite. 3. Both of you fly as one. You'll know when you have achieved that 3rd level when it happens. For all of us that level is achieved intermittently; it is more of a mindset that incorporates a combination of many factors described as Zen. Have fun, smile a lot, and don't forget to breathe. You'll get there. We all started from the same point.