Reef Runner Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 It does fly with out the vertical spars, like a super pig.Had to finish a routine or two that way after breakage mid-performance. Ok, but I was talking about regular people. You could probably get a piece of "railroad iron" to fly......... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 It does fly with out the vertical spars, like a super pig.Had to finish a routine or two that way after breakage mid-performance. Ok, but I was talking about regular people. You could probably get a piece of "railroad iron" to fly......... Very True,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 Finally got some flying time in today on my HQ 1.8. The wind was strong sometimes running well over 15-18 mph, and then it would suddenly drop to zero, and my Symphony 1.8 would just curl up and flutter to the ground, as it would drift in my direction. Then the wind started changing directions back and forth about 60 degrees which was interesting. Wind window kept moving around on me. I finally took a break after about and hour of flying, got some lunch, an when I came back to the field, for about another hour the wind was now pretty steady around 13-15 mph. That 1.8 can really pull, when a strong gust came along, and I had some pretty close calls when heading for the ground at sub-sonic speed , pulling out at the last second, but no crashes in over an hour. If the wind is lighter and steadier tomorrow, out comes the REV SLE, which stayed in the hangar today. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 That's what it's all about. Putting in time, finding stuff out and seeing what works for you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 Time on the lines.............nothing like it ! Glad you got in some quality time ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmadz Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Yes. Welcome to the crappy inland winds. It's different flying than at the beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Beach and coastal flying has definitely spoiled me. I truly dislike inland flying. Fortunately, living in Pensacola I have my choice of premium beach and waterfront flying spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Don't get discouraged by the inland winds, Bob. Use them as a tool to make yourself better. Fine tune the hairs on the back of your neck to feel for gusts and shifts so that you know where to put your kite to keep it in the air (whether you need to keep it centered in a shifting window to get maximum lift or you need to get it to the edge of the window before a gust overpowers it). Learn to be deft and not over controlling in the light stuff. Be prepared to walk a bit, back to supplement when the wind dies and forwards to recover your field. Read through in the forums about recovering your field. REVFlyer has some good technical descriptions of how it's done either here or the rev forum. Embrace the frustrations (and you will have frustrations) that come with loving what we do and the fact that we have to do it in far from ideal conditions. Because, I can promise you this: if you get decent flying around Atlanta, you will look like a pro when you get to a beach and clean winds. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Don't get discouraged by the inland winds, Bob. Use them as a tool to make yourself better. Fine tune the hairs on the back of your neck to feel for gusts and shifts so that you know where to put your kite to keep it in the air (whether you need to keep it centered in a shifting window to get maximum lift or you need to get it to the edge of the window before a gust overpowers it). Learn to be deft and not over controlling in the light stuff. Be prepared to walk a bit, back to supplement when the wind dies and forwards to recover your field. Read through in the forums about recovering your field. REVFlyer has some good technical descriptions of how it's done either here or the rev forum. Embrace the frustrations (and you will have frustrations) that come with loving what we do and the fact that we have to do it in far from ideal conditions. Because, I can promise you this: if you get decent flying around Atlanta, you will look like a pro when you get to a beach and clean winds. Yes, in just a short time yesterday, I was already discovering some of the things that you mentioned. Moving forward, when the wind was stronger, backing up in the lulls, heading for the edge of the wind window in very strong gusts, running back when the sail starts to fold up and collapse.. It definetly isn't boring.... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 When you get started on that rev, you'll learn you don't need stronger wind to recover field. With the leading edge down the kite wants to glide away from you. Look for REVFlyer's posts on it. Absolutely crucial tool for us inland flyers. I'll see if I can get a video of what I'm talking about the next time I'm out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 OK. first day of real learning on the SLE. Got down to the field and unrolled my carefully rolled up quad line, that I did the other day, and voila, it was almost tangle free. I did cheat a bit and used 2 stakes, about 5 feet apart to hook the handles to as I enrolled it, Now I set up the SLE, and that went very smooth. No problem connecting the leading edge pieces together, straightened out any bridle problems as I went along, and then hooked up my unrolled lines to the kite, leading edge down, and I was read to go. So far so good I then tried launching the kite , after I rolled it right side up, and I think the wind was around 8-10 mph at that point. Kite rolled right as it gained altitude, so I applied some left brake ( whoops, too much brake and now some right, whoops too much right etc..) and since I was never that high, it just landed. Hmmmm, overcontrol seems to be the buzzword here. Got to remember to tap the handles on the bottom to bring that wing down a bit, not yank the handle .. A few more launches, and I was able to wag the leading edge back and forth in shallow turns, and then I tried both brakes on a bit and descend to a landing fairly level. One time it got really windy, and I over controlled a bit, and was headed for the ground inverted, tried running forward and last minute braking, which slowed the "hard landing" a bit ( I wouldn't call it a crash , just a solid landing ) Anyway, I checked the kite, and good thing I did, because the end cap on one side of the leading edge had popped out. No other damage at all. Now the wind became the challenge again as it started dying down to around 3-5 mph. I would set the kite up for a launch, with the handles staked, and by the time I got back to the handles, no matter how I angled the kite, it had fallen over in the erratic winds. I kept at this for about a half hour because I was really anxious to get this thing back in the air and work on some hovering and shallow turns, but I finally gave up, and I was getting tired of walking back and forth from the kite to the handles . Might try again this afternoon if the wind picks back up which windfinder says it might. I carefully rolled the lines on the winder, being careful to avoid any twists or slack as I did, folded the kite, with zero problems, and can't wait till the next time I get this kite in the air. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Fantastic........time on the lines , invaluable. Sounds like you are doing everything, pretty much right. Glad the lines worked out. Next time you take one of those inverted dives, simple apply a lot of brake, just "before" the crash. That's one of the neat things about a Rev, you can come from full speed, at the top of the wind window, directly towards the ground, and with a quick application of brake, the kite will stop for you, in just inches. It's really neat to do this, and stop about 2" to 3" from the ground, back up a couple of feet, then flip back to nose up, and go straight back to the top. Kind of amazing, the first time you do it........... Keep up the good work, and I agree, when the wind just won't cooperate, take a brake, especially while you are learning. Nothing more discouraging than having to constantly fight the kite, just to keep it in the air. Carry on Sir.......sounds like you are on your way!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I guess as a newbie, I have a question for you Rev old timers. When learning, which is better at first , to practice launching from the inverted position, rolling the kite over prior to launch, and then launching straight up, or launching from inverted, going up inverted to say 10-20 feet, and then rolling upright, or placing the kite leading edge up while staked, with the brakes set to full on with the stake, and launching straight up.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPuppets LimitVoodoo Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Get used to launching inverted! During setup, if the Rev falls toward you, a quick application of brake and it pops right back up without having to walk to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Keep the leading edge down if you don't have the handles in your hands, it can take off if you catch a gust. If you can launch inverted to 10-20 feet, hats off to you. Overall it doesn't really matter which launch you choose. Eventually you'll need them all in your arsenal. JB has a vid about launching from flat on the ground. Recommended viewing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 From a personal standpoint, I prefer to launch from the inverted position, but this is because inverted, is how I set up, and how I land. If you want to launch from the inverted position, just over brake a bit, and allow the kite to rise 3 or 4 feet, then release one brake, or increase one, and the kite will flip to the upright position, and off you go. It's really whatever feels best to you. Again, landing in the inverted position is always the safe position, because you can simply hold both handles on one finger, by the top leaders, or stake it that way, and the kite is always being driven into the ground, hence no accidental, self launch...... That's just my opinion........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'm in the inverted group mostly! I don't hesitate though, to roll my kite over to launch LE up! As stated before, you'll use all the launches!! With the LE down, if the kite falls down, just a few backwards steps will usually bring it back up!! Just remember to ALWAYS "park" your kite LE down and stake the handles at the top of them for safety!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Always keep the leading edge down! I know this, and yesterday I made that mistake and my kite took off into the Gulf. Long story short, I had to swim about 50yds in freezing cold water to retrieve my vented pro with 120' lines and Snagless handles... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Always keep the leading edge down! I know this, and yesterday I made that mistake and my kite took off into the Gulf. Long story short, I had to swim about 50yds in freezing cold water to retrieve my vented pro with 120' lines and Snagless handles... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk OH NO.........now that's what I call a dedicated Rev Pilot...........My hats off to you Gulf, or no Gulf, I bet that water was cold, and what a tough lesson to learn. Glad you got all your equipment back I suppose a Pro was worth the swim, though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 You warmed up yet, Jason? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Lol, yep. Warmed up. I'd have swam to Cuba to get that kite back! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Lol, yep. Warmed up. I'd have swam to Cuba to get that kite back! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk I'd have had to find some help.......don't think I could have taken the cold water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 It was either me go swimming or lose the kite, and THAT wasn't happening... Hahaha Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I didn't even hesitate, when I finally saw it, I just started stripping right there Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 It was either me go swimming or lose the kite, and THAT wasn't happening... Hahaha Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk I bet you stake it nose down, next time.......... It's just a no-brainer ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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