[First post, and a brief newbie review]

It could have very well been a gust. However the winds seem much faster when flying this kite. At times it will catch me off guard and pull me forward.

I do recall one impact that could of caused the damage or at least some of the damage. I didn't realize it was actually broken until I went to pack up. I'm just thankful the spreader didn't pop out and puncture the sail.

I did just pick up some heavier and longer lines along with the new spreader.

I'll probably try and find a way to melt the glue holding the ferrule in first. If that doesn't work I'll move on to drilling it out.

I actually heard my spreader crack when I broke the ferrule so I knew when it let go. Since you did not notice the break until you disassembled the kite it's hard to say what broke it. You can crack tubes during set up & take down. Watch JB's video on assembly. Anytime you notice your kite behaving differently or you see a stand off flapping, land to the side & check it out. I have kept flying broken kites several times not realizing what was wrong. Spares are pricey but since you probably don't have a nearby kite store you need to invest a bit in order to keep flying. I am learning all this too & your posts sound just like my experiences. Drilling is a bit risky but once I already broken something I figure I have little to lose. Next time I'll try the heat & tap out method.

[First post, and a brief newbie review]

I cut the broken part off flush with a Dremel cut off wheel & counter sunk it slightly. Next I carefully drilled my ferrule out but I have quite a bit of tooling to do things like that. Spars can be mounted in a lathe & drilled exactly on center & straight using a drill bit chucked in the tail stock. I believe there are posts about removing ferrules by heating them & tapping them out with a rod inserted from the other end. This spar is tapered so that rod diameter would be pretty small. I have broken & repaired my kites several times. I have also bought used kites & refurbished them. Reef Runner says "It's not rocket science." But we have those rocket guys on the forum too.

p.s. It looks like the lower spreader was fully seated in the center T when it broke. A hard impact is likely what caused the break if you did not have winds or gusts higher than the kite is rated for. The more you fly the better you will become at protecting the kites. I would also suggest that you get a super ultra light kite as your next kite for your inland flying conditions. There are many good ones available.

[First post, and a brief newbie review]

I too have a Zephyr & it was my first major buy in my recent return to the KiteLife. I broke the same ferrule in a high wind gust last winter. I was able to remove the broken piece & salvage the spar as the female side of the lower spreader. Or I could put a new ferrule in it. I will say the Zephyr & I clicked. I even got a slightly used second one as a back up. Welcome to the forum, you have found a good one. Get out there & fly every chance you get. I have been to Lexington & I am sure there are great places to fly all around you. Keep a kite with you to fly as much as possible. Stay with us & let me know what you're up to. It just gets better & better.

]

[Do you see or Feel it?]

Last Sunday I had a peak occur in my new KiteLife. As I flew the Zero G it was a wonderful feeling to fly in a very light wind that allowed use of the full 100' of line. I could coax the ZG to full height straight above me then pull it lower, whip it around & send it gliding off a great distance then turning at the last possible moment, finally climbing back up to full height in a beautiful arc. Floating upwind, gliding to the right & left I suddenly realized I had a 360 degree window of flight. Next I flew the 1.5 SLE with my new race rods. Wasn't much wind but there was enough to allow me to paint the sky at the limit of my new skills. Later the wind dropped a bit & I flew the SUL Shadow. All my previous practice with the 4D had prepared me well. Even as the wind left I was flying huge loops walking backward as I climbed & forward on the downward glides. Yes, I was seeing it & feeling it, Nirvana or Zen? I experienced satisfaction mixed with inspiration & completed with moments of elation.

See my topic "transformed by flight"

[transformed by flight]

I have come to the conclusion that kite flying has transformed my life. I have pursued many hobbies & past times previously but this one is probably going to have some staying power. Take this weekend for instance. Loaded eight kites into the van which covered the range of all possible flying conditions I might encounter on a trip to Eastern Tennessee. They were, in order of wind speed, Zero G, Wala, 4D, Shadow, Zephyr, Rev SLE, Micron, Rev 1.5B mid-vent. Pulled out of the driveway at 3:50 P.M. & headed for Pigeon Forge. Got to our site at the campground next to Patriot Park, set up a few things, ate supper & ran around town a bit. After dark I tried my first ever full night time Zero G flying in the park. The ground was wet & the string was hard to see but I had fun for hours. The next day we went to Knoxville & I flew the Wala & the 4D at West Town Mall parking lot on short lines. Security did not seem to mind & even watched for a while. A young man at a stoplight noticed the kite activity & came back to talk to me. I told him about the kites & encouraged him to fly the inexpensive one he had recently purchased. The major thing I helped him with was how to pick a spot to fly kites. Went back to the campsite & flew the ZG after dark in a complete calm. Sunday we went to Cades Cove in the Smokies. Of course I found a beautiful spot in which to fly & spent two hours flying, first the ZG, then the Shadow & the Revolution SLE. The winds were minimal but my experience flying in light winds has added up & made flight possible. My wife flew the ZG & we had many spectators. One lady had seen us from a great distance & thought that the gray Shadow was a hawk until she got closer & realized it was a kite. I guess I now have some kite flying videos out there somewhere. I would say that possibly hundreds of people saw a Rev for the first time that day. I seem to find time to fly most every day now & the intensity is picking up.

flight location in Cades Cove 35 36' 19.07" N 83 49' 55.60" W

[Do you see or Feel it?]

When you have friends like Reef Runner to help you along what else could you ask for. Thanks Nick!

[Ceewan's Flying Art]

Yes, the Zero G gets more attention than I would have guessed. One comment was "It doesn't go very high" & "Looks like you barely saved it, over & over". But my favorite was "Seems like you're trying to lasso the wind".

[What are your favorite Gliders at the moment?]

When I first got the Wala in a package deal with five other kites I did not know what to make of it. I did a little sewing repair to it & put it away. Watched a few videos of flying & one on assembly. One day I was on top of a mountain ridge in a small clearing & tried several kites, first a Zephyr, next a HQ Shadow & then the little 4D. The wind kept dropping & finally changed to sporadic puffs. Got out the Wala & set it up for light wind. Up in a puff of wind, darting left then right & then back on the ground. Started running around to keep in a good position & that helped. Started tugging at the proper time to get it to head off in a new direction & as long as I didn't mess up by diving down I was getting it to stay in the sky. I then kept trying because could not fly anything else & I needed my kite fix. I learned how to take off from belly down & it was on. Next time was in a bigger area with a bit of wind. I tried the back flip after reading a description. Now that is a real trick. A couple times I put it up as a SLK while I flew sport kites. It is a really cool kite. Another of my newbie opinions.....

[Do you see or Feel it?]

Only get in about five hours a week lately. I flew several times a week all through the winter getting in about three hours. Not too much daylight available when not working. I may try night flying as the seasons change again. Flying in a snow shower allows you to really see the wind. Losing your white kite stake in the snow is not good. I have done some Zen type flying but always when high in the window. I agree that seeing the kite & the sky is part of the allure.

attachment=4935:4-11-13 Prism 4D gliding.JPG]

P.S, 5/17/13 5:30 A.M. Just finished repairing the 4D nose & put 7 kites in the van for the weekend. Gotta be ready to fly at any chance.

[Gliding across the Sun]

Since I got my ZG I look forward to the evening calm & like to fly in the twilight. Morning twilight here in Virginia now & I can see the branches of the sugar maple tree shimmering in the breeze. When the sun lights up a kite you are flying it is a wonderful sight.

[What Line Do You Glide On?]

My newbie thought about line weight varies as to how much length I will be using for the area I have to fly in at the time. If I am in a small area a light line seems to be my choice. If I am in a large field I start considering the idea that I don't want the glider to break the line & fly away. But I have put a Wala up on 500' of 20lb Dacron in a pretty good wind. That was the time the hawks came by to check it out. I have only had my new Zero G at the end of it's stock 100' line a few times. Broke my winder by stepping on it, made a tough wooden replacement. Recently, if I don't unwind all the line, I put the winder in my front pants pocket & seem to have less problems with tangling my feet in the line.

[Subscriber Number?]

Just became a subscriber yesterday & already someone has mentioned I might want to ask about my number.

[front yard flying]

Short lines & a 4D flew in my drive way this evening with the horses making comments on the side.

[OK, what's next ?]

I've been waiting for comments on this topic. It is of great interest to me as I ponder the next shade of the darkness. I am really liking the "KiteLife".

[Another Newbie Reporting over to the Dark Side]

Always glad to see multi-discipline fliers coming along, there are so many cool kites to play with.

Last year, even though I had some interest in kites, I was not aware of Revolution kites. September 23rd I walked into a kite store to buy a kite. I did not have a particular one in mind but I was going to spend a bit of "excess cash". As I looked at all the kites I saw four Rev 1.5's on display. I thought that they were curious looking & asked about them. "Oh, that's more than I want too spend" I told the clerk. He told me a bit about them but I could tell he did not fly one. The store displayed a video of Revolution kites being flown. Wow! I need one of those Revs. But I was a bit hesitant thinking that flying those kites may be difficult to learn. So I bought my little Snapshot 1.2 & had quite a bit of fun with it on the beach. I thought I would check out those funny looking kites on the web when I got home. There was a slight ripple in The Force. I was headed over to the dark side. A couple months later my wife bought my first Rev as a gift for my birthday. Then she gave me a stack of six TRLBYs for Christmas, gotta love her. Tried to fly the SLE just one time in November with results you might expect. Two more sessions in January then ah ha! Now I've found gliders & the kites just keep coming. It's all good. Yes there certainly are many cool kites to play with.

May 8th, a new milestone, now an official subscriber, Thank you KiteLife.

This evening a spectator watched me flying the little Zero G in a very small parking lot & said it looked like I was lassoing the wind.

[What are your favorite Gliders at the moment?]

All kites have their traits in their categories. Single line gliders seem to have personalities. The Zero G is like a bicycle. You are pumping then coasting. You get mesmerized by the glide & forget to tend the line. Not too experienced but will be looking for other gliders now that I've had a taste.

[Finally Flown Indoors]

Did not know that zero wind flying existed until my recent kite awakening last fall. First I got a 4D & flew it a bunch when nothing else would stay up. Started having success in lighter and lighter conditions. Next I got the Wala. My first single line magic kite. I learned that it would fly in virtually any conditions & also in about any amount of space available. The first back flip was quite a thrill to pull off. I must have done it twenty times before the smile faded slightly. Had a good windy winter day & put a Micron tail on the Wala & sent it up on 500' of line, what a design. The local hawks even came by for a look at the new bird. Now I have a Zero G & a new learning curve begins. I now actually like light puffy gusts. I work in a large factory & I too am pondering indoor flights in vacant areas. This addiction keeps getting better, right?

[Another Newbie Reporting over to the Dark Side]

Got the Power Blast 2-4 for Christmas. Santa got some hints. My thought was that it would be a great light wind kite. After I got some time on my SLE 1.5 I finally launched it in 8 mph wind, Wow! Now I consider it a great any wind kite. Have since had it in high winds & it moves fast. The inertia in turns is even greater than the Rev 1 so some may not like that issue. Even flew it on 50' 50 lb lines in 3 mph & had to lean back when crossing the window low. It is an excellent glider too. Some day it will power a buggy I hope. That's my newbie view.

[Another Newbie Reporting over to the Dark Side]

"You fly dual and single too, or just Revs?"

Learning duel & single Old school & powerful Want to do it all. And someday a big single line something attached to the van......

[Another Newbie Reporting over to the Dark Side]

Hello Kitelife, I'm new to Revs and somewhat new to forums, so please be easy on me, till I learn my way around. I've heard such good things about Kitelife, so here I am - another Newbie. I was recruited by Reef Runner, so please don't hold that against me! Started flying Revs in January, stayed in the air on the third session. All the web help available is tremendous but you have to spend time in the air to earn your wings. For me kite flying is attractive in several ways besides the joy aspect. I should be able to do it for at least twenty more years. I can do it virtually anywhere I am. I don't have to pay to fly once I have the equipment. No meaningful restrictions will be affecting me. Can fly solo and or share with others. It is complex & will never be mastered completely. Conditions change all the time. I can do it year round. And so on. I am sure you know what I am saying. So this is where I am coming from. Flying in the highlands of Virginia. Hope to fly with you someday.