Dave362

I gotta get down to Portland,,,,,, Must learn the French turn!

What's cool is the 540s you're doing without a dive for an entry look very Taz like and have the same effect. I stole that from you, by the way, and have been doing it all the time Its a very effective move, Nice goin'!

weird. I still works for me...

Some may not think of this as a trick, but the way it can punctuate a line is for me even more impressive than the tip stab. Having said that, I can only kind of do it. Lately I've been getting to it from a rolling Susan (snap lazy) I fly across fairly low, pull the lower wing, when it orientation is right pull for the snap lazy. I let it go around once and pull both lines when the kite is in the turtle position. The kite pulls quickly into a two point landing. Looks pretty cool, but I'd like to be able do it without the rotation and from a dive. I've seen the tutorials. As usual, they get you into the ball park, but some discussion of the finer points always helps me more. Any thoughts or tips?

John, very cool! I still don't have this one consistent, but its getting better.. BTW, I was at Ocean Shores all last week and Aaron, NWkiteluv,was there too. We had a bunch of conversations regarding how much you've helped us both. You're a beast!

Nice stuff, Rob! Really enjoyed it.

Here it is next to my Skyform 30. The Skyform is lifting a 12 ft spin sock. Interestingly, the Skyform pulled harder until the wind really came up. Either kite would be fine to fly out of hand in most conditions. i had everything anchored solidly today.

I ended up getting the Premier Power Sled 36. Flew it all day on 300 lb line. Great flying kite. winds started off light, around 7, and ended up in the upper teens. I kept pulling on the line, testing the pull. it was fine. When i walked it down I put gloves on and used a 'biner. Absolutely no problem. I got a 75 ft tail because I don't like the drogue. Very stable with either. I'm very happy with the kite and think it would make a great KAP platform

I flew my skyform 30 for a couple hours yesterday. Nice wind, around 8 to 10. I walked it down with a 'biner effortlessly. I think i am going to buy a pulley for bigger wind days. Truth is, I think I just want more single line gear that clinks and clanks. In the words of Hemingway, " he felt very professional with his equipment."

I saw a nice selection of Pemier power sled 36's today. really nice sail patterns. Seems about the same size as the Gomberg. I think I'm going to go for the '36. There are a few sleds available in this size class. They all look like good kites. I think it just comes down to which one looks best to you.

Currently my favorite shop is Ocean Shores Kites. Andy, the owner, is an avid flyer and great at repairs. I've had him fix a bunch of kites and he's very creative and capable. Nice to have a kite shop owner who knows his way around a sewing machine. They stock lots of high end kites, Duals, quads and SLKs. The SLK stuff is really great. Tons of 'biners, pulleys, sand anchors, etc and lots and lots of kites. Lifters of all types, an entire sled section, all sorts of DDCs, some double Fench Militarys, and some costum pieces as well. They also have some large inflatables to fly below a pilot. They usually have a good selection of Sky Burner duals, and all the vented revs you could want. When I'm in the mood for a new kite and don't have somethng specific in mind, I really enjoy taking a trip to Ocean Shores and buying what he has on hand, then staying a few days to fly it.

I like open space in the direction the prevailing winds come from. I always try to fly as far downwind as I can as space allows. Sometimes unusual things can create good wind. There is a field here that is surrounded by apartments. But to the West, a road that runs directly toward the field and is lined with apartments on both sides creates kind of a tunnel that smooths out the wind before it hits the field. Since the preailing winds are out of the West, I've had very good winds on that field.

Also, Heidi's Inn in Ilwaco often has rooms available. Very reasonable, too.

Congrats! Great score!

Good stuff, Nick. There's a vid of a guy trying to get a power sled 81 down. Its funny. He has the straps to either a 'biner or pulley, hard to see, but before he could get it down it took four guys total to hold the line and walk toward the kite. Makes me think two things: don't fly big kites in too much wind, and I'm really glad I'm just interested in Gomberg super sled

pulley would be nice. I was actually referring to the larger kites like the 120/250 size. Seems to me a key element is not flying in too much wind. From all accounts, if you have a good anchor, the skyform 60 is pretty manageable. Since he flies them regularly, I was hoping StainedSkin would take us through his process for bringing down a large kite.

I know..... you see normal guys flying skyform 250s 450s, etc. and I'm wondering, "how do they get them down?" I mean we both have two arms and legs, but just how do they get them down????

Tmadz, agreed. Nick, all my line is braided. I've been using the 300# for my skyform 30. The lighter stuff so far has only been used on my 10' DDC I figure the 300# is good for the Super sled. If I opt for a bigger kite, I'll buy a roll of 500#. The Skyform 60 is as big as I will go for now. I'm not much for flying aything in strong winds. So if the kite needs more than 500# in reasonable, say to 15, winds, its too much kite for me. At least for my current level of experience.

Wayne, good call, sir Nick, Thanks very much for lesson! very clear and helpful. I hadn't thought about the additional weight of a long line. I've got a bunch of 150#, 200# and 300#. The 300# is the black waxed line. very nice. After reading your recommendations, I feel all set for this kite. Now watch, I'll spring for a pilot 50....... This is the best part, the deciding. I think I'll let it last a bit longer.

A question about line strength: The Gomberg site recommends only 100#-200# for the super sled 40. That seems kinda light to me. I'm planning on using 300# line. the skyform 60 is rated for 500#. What do you guys think?

thanks guys. I'll definitely keep that in mind. What I've enjoyed about my Skyform 30 is I can throw it in the car and take it out for a few after dual line flying. In the same winds I would trick in I can simply fly it out of hand. I do, however, anchor it when the breeze freshens. I do like the looks of the Skyform 60, although it wouldn't be the casual affair my 30 is. I've got really good straps and 'biners waiting for it, should it end up in my bag.....

ah, I get it. My mistake. I just think this sled is a cool looking kite that would be fun to fly. Id like to try KAP someday, but that's not the main motivation for getting it, just a possibility. I'm definitely going to get a new SLK next week. Its between this and the Skyform 60. Honestly I think I would enjoy the sled more because its a bit smaller and would likely see more airtime in mmy inland winds. Thanks all, for the input

I had real good luck today using an Axel as an entry to the extended flatspin. Essentially just a double axel done using a second pull instead of a really hard single pull. No luck using the slot. It was too confusing because the flatspin hand ends up being with the same hand used to reverse the half axel. Just the opposite for the taz and for me not worth the trouble. I'd rather just practice the Taz on its own. The Taz is getting better for me. Brian's suggestion of taking a couple of steps toward the kite right after hitting the second input is what works best for me. As long as I can get slack into it the move works.