Jump to content
KiteLife Forum

How feasible is a solo launch for newbie?


stev123
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi folks.

I'm Steve, this is my first post , first kite since I was 6. I'm 40 years older now....

I got a 3 dollar delta the other day, had a ball, it was easy to launch out of my hand, all was good.

I stepped up to a Dual line Ignitor and was trying to launch it this morning( wind was spotty under 10 mph for most of the time). I finally gave up after 40 mins

I never got higher than a few feet and she went in after a few seconds.

I was pretty carefull with the line lenghts being even, I payed out all my line...around 80' or so.

I tried to keep my hand movements small and careful.

I tried to gently pull on the opposite line from the way the kite turned.

I'm a mod on a slot car board,so I know how tedious these beginner questions can get..

I'll give you any further info you need.

I'd like to get good at this sport, I don't expect to do a bunch of tricks in one day, I just wanna get flying.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Igniter is a very decent beginner kite and should be no problem getting it into the air. If your winds were between 6 and 10 mph it should have gone up with hardly no effort at all. There are a couple things that you may not be aware of that might help you out as you are learning.

If you have not yet done so, get yourself a kite stake. This can be something as simple as a screwdriver or stick that is stuck in the ground or you can purchase a dedicated golf ball stake from your local kite shop. The stake will hold your straps for you as you set up your kite. Loop your straps over the stake, walk out your lines and attach them to your kite. Set your kite up, walk the lines back away from the stake until they are taught, then angle in the bottom wing tips of your kite towards your stake and set it on the ground. The stake will hold your kite in that position for you until you are ready to launch.

To launch, carefully pick up your straps off of your stake and take a step or two backwards until the kite is standing straight up. With arms fully extended towards the kite and no slack in the lines, give both hands a good solid tug downwards and the kite should jump up in the air and launch. Keep both hands even and the kite should climb to the top of the window. This initial tug to launch can be repeated if the winds are light and will help keep the kite in the air. If the winds are too light for the kite, it will stall and drop back towards the ground.

If you have enough wind for the kite but the kite continues to stall and seems to have no forward drive, you may need to adjust the bridles of the kite. We have set up a page to help explain bridle adjustments HERE . Before performing any bridle adjustments, mark your bridles where they are now (this is usually already done from the factory for you). This way you can always adjust your bridles back to the factory setting should something get messed up. The most important thing is to make sure that both bridles (one on each side of the kite) are adjusted exactly the same or your kite will not fly correctly.

Another thing to be aware of: make sure that the area you are flying in is a good area for the kite. Trees, buildings, fences, walls, etc... will always effect the way the wind hits your kite. As the wind rolls over trees and buildings, it creates a swirling pattern that can play havoc on your flying. Sometimes you will feel plenty of wind on your back but because of the swirling pattern, there will be absolutly nothing down wind where the kite is or even worse, the wind will be blowing straight down or back towards you. Try to find an area to fly in that is as open as possible with very little obstruction. Even moving 50 feet to the side or another area of a park could be all you need to do.

Last note - have patience when you are first learning. It can be frustrating at times but if you take your time and stick with it you will find a sport that can be very rewarding and enjoyable. If at all possible try to find other pilots in your area that fly. Most kiters are very friendly and will have no problem at all giving you some tricks and tips. Check with your local kite store as they would have the best information on other pilots in your area and good places to fly. If that is not an option, continue to post your questions here. There are a ton of very experienced pilots here that are more than happy to help wether you are a beginner or a vetran flyer. :big_blowup:

Good luck and let us know how you are progressing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Online, you can go to http://www.prismkites.com/

Once inside, click on "How to", "Tips and Hints", "Where to fly", etc., to get some great info about getting started successfully.

The "magic move" is also known as practice. Each kite has a different "feel" than other designs, and your technique will need to adjust to that particular kite design. With practice, those tiny adjustments become automatic, and it's very difficult for us to "remember" what those tiny tiny differences actually were. Just keep it up and you'll get there. :big_blowup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Kent and Dorsal.

I understand the complexities involved in the replies, and I will get back out there.

I'm glad I didn't get a bad kite. I was a trifle worried there. I was hoping it wasn't too much kite for me....

I did use a big screwdriver as a stake,I couldn't figure out how I could get the lines even without using one

I'm going to leave the bridle stricktly alone untill I figure out it's not me keeping the kite out of the air..lol (it seems very even),and I was careful in the kite's assembly as I could see how many variables would affect flyability..

This kite has a long plastic tail I neglected to mention that, I didn't think it would hurt to leave it on,so I did.

If we have wind tonight, or early this morning I'll get back at it!

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tails are pretty fun to play with, but if the wind is light I would suggest taking the tail off. The tail does add drag and weight to the kite and in light winds may be too much for the kite to pull around. If the winds are stronger then the tail can help slow the kite down a little and make it easier to learn on...not to mention it looks really cool. The kite will fly fine without the tail attached and is designed to do so. That's the beauty of getting a professionally designed kite compared to one that is purchased through the wally discount department stores.

Have fun and let us know how it turns out for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The wind mocks me....

It was a very windy afternoon and I blew it! I was baking bread, talked myself outta going then..

getting dark, still windy, time for me to start cooking...pork loin takes a while to get it right....so I talked/cooked myself out of some really good flying weather.

Today? no wind..none...I have plants on the balcony that let me know if it's getting windy...

I'll try again tonight... :big_blowup:

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yikes,...more hobbies to feel guilty about not doing... :big_blowup:

What do "kite people" do?

I live next to a decent city park (Denver Tech Center)...so if I "go out and bring my kite"...

It's not a big deal if the winds forsake me... How do you folks deal with a destination kind of

drive?

Do you drag out the R/C B-17s?...I was feeling 'kinda silly standing upwind of the kite,waiting for a breeze.

This hobby involves more than just showing up, It's like astromony...but not quite...we really are at the mercy of the winds...

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Uh, I think that's when low to zero wind kites come into play! Speaking of, I've yet to get a good one except for my cheapy ebay bought very used prism 3D. I've had some fun with it in my small yard though when the wind is actually UP. I can fly it out in the field though when others won't! When trying to fly my rev last weekend, i'm sure I looked silly to all the people on the walking track that surrounds the field I fly in. I did a lot of standing around with handles in hand waiting for the stronger breezes. I didn't mind though, cause the wind DID pick up ever so often! Yesterday though was the strongest wind i've flown in yet! My Rev EXP had some STRONG pull at times!! FUN! FUN!

Keep up the practice Steve and you WILL catch on! In the right wind with a very cheap 'goflyakite' bandit, I caught on and i've been addicted ever since!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Steve...

These responses are all right on. I agree, drop the tail, and check the bridle on the kite. I believe your kite is a New Tech kite, and if so, should have clear marks on the bridle that show where it should be adjusted. The New Tech website has some good info, too. Try this...

http://www.newtechkites.com/instructions/F...ManualBASIC.PDF

http://www.newtechkites.com/ntk_fs_faq.htm

You've all ready found your way to the best source of info that I've found... Kitelife. Just wish I found them when I was starting out, it would've saved me alot of solo frustration.

Not that it's a bad thing, but I noticed that your Ignitor kite is barely 4 feet across. This is going to be a zippy kite once you get it going, and I think it will be hard if you try to start learning tricks with it. A kite with a 6' to 8' wingspan moves a little slower, and more predictably. My first kite was very similar to yours, and I got better instantly the first time I flew a larger kite. My favorite right now is the Acrobatx. Flying that kite has made me a better flier all ready, after only 3 flights.

Good luck...

~Rob.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was first flying my kite for the first time, It would never go up or stay up. It was actually cuz I had the line going under the lower spreader rather then over it, once I did this it went up (of course crashed after awhile) but it actually took off and went up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had some decent breezes this aft. it was 100 something degrees though...

The only way I could get the kite in the air was to get very close to the kite 2 or 3 feet!

And fly it that way, I let out line as it would take it, not very satisifying, but she was in the air!

I think I need to adjust the bridles noseward a touch to inprove light air ability...but I'm hesitant.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would go ahead and adjust your bridle, make sure it has the bridle marked (it should already be there). Bridle adjustment is fairly easy to do and if it screws the kite up then just put it back on the original marks. I was very hesitant at first to adjust anything on my kites but after the first time and finding out just how much of a difference it makes in different winds, nearly every one of my kites have now been adjusted and re-adjusted according to the conditions. Bring the nose forward a tiny bit and see how that works for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Kent. Yup that is what I think needs to be done.

I was flying in downtown Denver in a little 360 degree park.It's good it was a circle 'cuz the wind was backing and veering the whole time..lol

I had some decent breezes but it seemed the heaviest were when I was away from the kite doing adjustments,etc.

I'm wanting a very windy time so I can tell if it's me or the bloody bridle.

What I did sunday was walk up the lines towards the kite(leaving the handles on the ground behind me),when the wind picked up, I grabbed ahold of the lines and flew from there..I got quite a bit of air time that way, and I was able to give her more line as the winds would allow. All the purists are puking,but it worked for me in the winds I had... :P

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The area you are flying in makes a huge difference on how the kite will perform. Clean wind is a blessing to all kites. When flying around trees, buildings, fences, etc... The wind can be very unpredictable and down right frustrating. What you may not be realizing is that the wind you feel on your back is actually being forced up or down by the time it gets to your kite. This is caused by updrafts or downdrafts from buildings or other obsticals. I met up with one person who was trying desperately to fly his new Revolution and having a huge amount of difficulty. When we were standing at the handles you could feel a very comfortable 6-7 mph wind on our backs, try to launch and the kite would go up and then dump back onto the ground, even I was a little confused. We went to the kite to see if something was wrong but everything looked fine. We both noticed that there was absolutly no wind at the kite but walking back to the handles we could feel wind. Because of the buildings downwind from us, the wind was actually swirling over us and back down onto the field where the kite was and 5 feet up the wind was blowing lightly in the opposite direction. We moved to the opposite end of the park which was much more open and the kite went up fine with no problems. The person thanked me and said it was the first time in over 2 months of trying that they were able to fly the kite, never realizing that it was the surroundings and not himself that was the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might have nailed the problem. At home I live at the north edge of the Denver Tech Center.

I was downtown Sunday(in both cases I was surrounded by trees bordering the park, and distant buildings..) This really is bugging me, I can fly my 5.00 delta right out of my hand,I'd like to think I have the brains and the dexterity to fly this thing...

I'll start looking for open fields around here.

Thanks for the patience and help.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally! I got her into the air for more than 2 minutes at a time!! WooHoo!

I did give it a little noseward trim, but today it was Windy...

Isn't it frustrating how it's "blowin' like a bandit" all day while you are at work, all through the drive....

But by the time you get home....I got lucky. It was still breezy enough to get airborne and stay that way.

I still had to walk up the lines and fly it by finger till I got some height... That needs to be addressed.

I can't get Rocky Mountain kite club to call me/e=mail me back, I was hoping to hang out with them till I can really fly this thing.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some pointers about "checking" the bridle on a dual-line stunt kite:

  1. Check the bridle is properly routed. By that, you need to be sure the bridle is not wrapped around the leading-edge connector on one side of the kite, and not the other. Also check to ensure that both halves of the bridle come up from above (or below) the center tee - not the left side from above and the right side from below. (hmmm - Why do I know to check for those things? :matrix: )
  2. Check that both halves of the bridle are equally adjusted. Lay the kite on the ground and pull the bridle attach points (where you attach your flying lines) down, toward the lower spreader. Do they both reach the same distance from (or past) the spreader? Now pull the attach points out toward the wingtips. Do they both reach the same distance toward the lower leading-edge connector? If not, discover why and adjust them until they are correct. (You don't need a dial caliper for this. Is it 2 fingers or 3 fingers and a knuckle away?)
  3. Now, pick the kite up by the bridle attach points. With the kite just hanging there, the nose of a 6-foot wingspan kite will be about 2" to 2 1/2" higher than the base of the spine. This will vary between kite designs, but it's a good rule-of-thumb to start. If the nose hangs lower than the base of the spine, the kite wouldn't lift off the ground in hurricane winds.
  4. After adjusting your bridle, just walk back about 10 feet from the kite and grab the flying lines. Now give the kite a normal launching pull, and see how it acts. If your bridle is set correctly, it should lift and fly about 10 seconds before it settles to the ground. Again, it's a rule-of-thumb. Don't try this trick in heavy winds of course - you can get badly cut if the lines are in your hands when the kite catches a gust of wind.

B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys! Dorsal, that is a great post,I have been checking to make sure the bridle is free of the frame.

The first time I assembled the kite out of the box I did miss that.

As I look at the bridle using your tips it appears even all around, but I notice even after I adjusted it the other day, the kite hangs level. I will bring the nose up a hair and try again. This must have been the trouble all along! And remember, this is after I adjusted the bridle...

And yes I found out about the lines getting a bit bloody!.. :matrix: I'll wear my cycling gloves if I ever try that again. We are supposed to get T-storms today maybe I can get some time in before they hit.

P.S.I mentioned in the first post that I had purchased a dual line kite in the late 80s, I had to assemble everything on that kite. the lines, all of it.We could never get it to fly! I tried at every softball game I played...nothing. The internet really has changed the way we live,It's so nice to find folks that share the same intrests and that can give you advice as you learn

Thank you again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...