makatakam

I like where this is headed and would like to hear more from newer flyers as they have related experiences. Well done, cjay!

Didn't mean to imply that. Just saying that most pilots are usually eager to let others try their stuff.

There is no end to things that can be done. We just don't know about them yet. If you want to see some of what you don't yet know is possible, watch videos of the advanced European pilots doing their "thing". When you put JB and a couple of the advanced guys from across the pond on the same field, the things they end up doing just for grins will fill you with awe, and when they get serious new moves and tricks happen frequently. And then there's the things that take more than one kite to do, like threading. I'm eight years into flying quad and can't do half of the known "tricks". It's a life-long journey.

No one should ever be afraid of flying a high-end kite when another flyer offers the handles to him. The other person has already observed you flying and is fairly confident that you won't wreck it. However, he is also aware that s__t happens, and is not concerned with it. Even an advanced flyer can make a bad move and wreck his own kite. I have no issues with handing even one of my most expensive kites to a total newbie -- and I have done so with $450+ Revs quite frequently -- because by the time I set up a beater, that person may lose interest or have to leave. I'm gonna get him hooked before he can get away! The person who offers you the handles knows that there is a chance that you may damage the kite, and is ok with it should it happen. Never pass on the opportunity to try someone else's kite if offered to you. If the pilot has concerns, he won't make the offer.

You're on the way to bigger smiles. Yeehaw!!!! Let the journey begin.

Any full-sized kite that costs less than $100 (with extremely few exceptions) will fight you all the way on all of these.

Looks like all of you had way too much fun, despite the weather. Anyone learn anything?

High or low end price point doesn't matter. You can fly either one around the window and just enjoy it, doing figure-eights, loops, tight corners, ground passes, etc. However, if you see something that you want to try and the kite just isn't capable of that move, the low end kite will limit your progress and enjoyment. The higher end kite will allow you to do what you wish, even just the basics, but even if that's all you do it will be much more enjoyable if you have better control.

100 repetitions of flying toward the ground from the top of the window as slowly as possible and you will own your hover. Trust me. You just have to want to.

Actually, yes. Those who have duplicates and don't fly them often may be willing to part with them. Ask those you meet on the field.

You have the NG coming -- you will like it. It is a very capable kite. If you don't like it at first you will grow into it as you gain experience. It will actually force you to learn control more quickly for the simple reason that it will do what you tell it to. Bad input, bad result. Good input, good result. Many kites are like this, and those are the ones that are rated intermediate to advanced. They require that you have at least the basic skills down pat. Since you've flown before it should not be as much of a challenge as it would for a total newbie starting out with a kite that requires advanced skills. You may have a bit of difficulty at first, but if you work on the adjustments that are available to you with any trickable kite, you should have it down in no time at all. Just remember to try new stuff a bit further from the ground so you have a bit more time to recover from the many "oops" moments coming your way. Which kite to choose is a question only you can answer. If you've done some research pick whatever appeals to you. As your skill and experience increase, and you develop your own style, it will probably have been the wrong choice, because now there is something that better suits the pilot you've become than the first kite you selected. This is true for 99% of those who fly stunt kites. Just ask them. You will still have a place in your heart for it, it just won't be the first one out of the bag most of the time. Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe. Ask questions here frequently. We're here to help.

I've noticed that people don't want to be the first to engage in conversation or interact with the kite or the pilot, but as soon as one person does many others will too. You have to look for that one "crazy" person who's easy to engage in the activity, and then the rest become much more receptive. At festivals it's very easy to interact with the crowd because they already expect it. The small venues like the local park on a Sunday afternoon are much more difficult to garner any interest from the crowd.

I really appreciate not having to change the batteries every 12 minutes when I'm flying the Rev. Although I do enjoy my RC flying as well, I prefer as little wind as possible with the RC quadcopter. As far as your inverted hover goes, fly to the top, turn it over and fly towards the ground as slowly as possible. Repeat 100 times, trying to go slower each time, once to the left, next to the right. After 100 repetitions you should be able to stop in a hover on the way and hold it steady. Seriously! Try it.

Santiago is completely surrounded by mountains, isn't it? And I mean mountains, not hills.

Hi, cjay, and welcome to the forum.

I'm in.

Go fly the RC, but take a kite or two with you when you go. Then if the wind is too much for the RC......so if you have your bases covered, you can't be disappointed.

However, if your intent is to put steak on your plate.....

Guys in the Midwest, here in the Chicago area (Windy City is a reference to politics, not weather -- yes, seriously), and in 99.9% of all areas inland would likely sell their souls to the devil to have the kind of wind you have on the coast. Unless you are selling the kites so you can put food on the table, you should hang on to them for a bit. There is a bit of frustration early on in the learning curve, especially if you are flying alone and there is no one to give you a hand. This will pass. You are VERY close to that first "Aha!" moment when everything begins to click. Summer is the time when most people are outdoors. There's three other seasons when they are less inclined to be outside. You will find that the crowds begin disappearing in September, or at least drastically thinning out. I have followed your progress here on the forum with interest, and can see that you are on the verge of having kite flying become truly enjoyable. I can only hope that you hang in there just a bit longer. We've never met, but I feel as if I'm losing a friend. I wish you luck in all your endeavors, no matter what they be. In all that you do, have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe.

The brown one on the left has his own set of handles.

Yup, so all we're saying is that once you get past the crash and burn stage of quad flying you will need to begin experimenting to better understand what will suit your style as well as the conditions at the time. This is a different journey for everyone. What floats your boat will sink the other guy's. Other flyers are out there so you can try their set-up to get an idea of what works for you. Flying OPKs keeps the cost down to reasonable, although eventually you will probably have at least one of everything so that you are ready when the situation arises. It's all about what puts the smile on YOUR face. Most pilots will develop a preference toward a specialty and will gear up for that. For instance, my addiction is very low wind, but I don't like indoor very much. I know how and have the equipment for indoor, but I would rather fly low wind or near zero outdoors, so very much of my equipment is geared towards that.

Again, it becomes an issue of personal preference and your flying style. Of course any lighter frame will reduce the overall weight, which allows the kite to fly in lighter wind, but the race and diamond frames have a faster response time and are therefore more suitable for a yank and spank flying style. Two wrap frame is a bit heavier and has a slower response time, making it more suitable for slow precision flying, and light uneven winds because of the additional mass. You will probably eventually end up having both in your quiver as each has its benefits in specific conditions. Which one to get before the other? Talk to the others in your area about what they use and ask why they choose that, and observe the associated flying style. Try the kites they are flying and see what's in them.

Wow! No kidding? I would seriously check out the method they used to put the leech line inside the velcro and make that modification as soon as possible. Leech lines are a royal pain to re-do when they wear out or break. First one I've heard of designed that way.

It shouldn't be exposed anywhere except near the tips. Sounds like a routing issue.

The wind was a bit too much for the kite you were flying. When you have that much wind, let the top lines out two or three knots. It will slow everything down and improve control. You gain zero muscle memory if you are fighting against the wind for control of the kite. Watch the clockwork, bicycle spin, and hover tutorials. Practice holding all eight hover positions -- upright, left, right, inverted and the four diagonals -- steady in one spot, and moving from one to the next nearest in both (so you don't become "handed") directions. Make the transitions as slow as possible. This will give you muscle memory in each position. Don't obsess over learning the bicycle spin. It will just "click" eventually like the inverted hover did. Let it develop without pushing it too hard. You need that muscle memory and slow, deliberate transitions from each position to the next before you can combine them into fluid motion. You must have control during the transitions, and the best way to get it is to spend a lot of time going very slowly. I know how much fun it is to zip around and just have fun, but it's ten times as much fun to zip around with total control. You should hit that next plateau somewhere between 40 and 60 hours of flight time. Relax and let it happen. I look forward to your next video. Remember, your primary objective is to have fun, smile, and don't forget to breathe.