dashgee Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Day 27 The Wala Arrives I am just as impressed with the wala as i was with the emong. flying wings makes a nice kite as you all have already known. for some reason i had thought the eye design was a printed graphic, so it was cool to see the attractive kite up close with its nicely sewn applique sail. i can certainly understand its popularity. flying it reminds me a lot of the hybrid 200, although that's probably not a good comparison as the 200 is about 9 inches wider and weighs lots less. (wala weighs 93.6 grams, hybrid weighs 68.5) i flew in the front yard til dark. the wala is lots of fun as i expected and it will be flown often i can assure you! oh... the emong got a little flight time as well. yes, West Australian, I do blame you for my glider acquisitions :-) Thank you sir! There's still more gliding to catch up on but i need to get back to work. i'll finish up tonight. Happy last day of the International 31 Glides of March Everyone! -g 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joespickles Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Well I flew the wala on sat. Tried to get pics, Failed, the best pic was horrible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amexpmh Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Since this is the last day of our 31 glides of March you know what that means? Tomorrow is the start of 30 days of gliding in April. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashgee Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Day 28 Friday was a banner day as a day off from work and steady winds forced me out to the kite field. Two full hours of flying the rev b in an empty park with earbuds in place. an approaching storm front was producing wonderfully consistant 5-8 mph wind, with a gust to 12 every now and then. it was great but not really gliding weather. Even though the park was empty, every now and then i would look over and find someone watching nearby. kiteflying is like that. anyway, after a couple of hours the wind started to wane and the rev was becoming tough to keep aloft. i brought out the plutz and flew it around a bit. the wind would still come back in waves and the plutz would point into the wind or hunt around almost like a fighter kite. eventually the wind came back so i put the plutz away. i had my fighter kites with me so i decided to try my luck with the hoopty. i haven't put much time in flying fighter kites, it is one of those things i always plan to do but just don't seem to find the right time. well this was the right time as i was able to get the hoopty to break free from circling long enough to climb pretty high up and then it would streak back and forth like the hyper critter it is. the hoopty was fun and i really need to put more time in with the fighters. so by now the wind calmed again and it was time for the wala. it took no time at all to have the wala out on all its line and it too was lots of fun on the large field. finally i got the emong out and had it on a long line. it flew nicely but the gnats would attack whenever the wind would go away, so i was eventually run off the field. back home i flew an orange vented iflite sans photo op. ;-) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashgee Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Day 29 Rain Delay Flew iFlite 1487 inside It is the first day of our National Kite Month in the US but it's raining cats and dogs out there so there will be no trip to the kite field today. yes, Know Eye Deer, flying inside the house is not only possible it's great fun. and the ceiling fan can actually be a target or a landing spot! (just make sure it's turned off) and captianbob, you will not need a stick but there is nothing wrong with using one. just a small dowel will work it doesn't need to be very long at all. With the iflite it's all about line management. how fast can you accurately pull line and and let it back out. in general i drop the line card on the floor and just use both hands to work with the line. a stick can help you because you can move line a great distance with the flick of your wrist. but i like to just feel the line tension and try to let line out or pull it back by hand. it can be tricky but if you try to remember to quickly let line go slack whenever the iflite is pointed away from you it will level out and glide. let it glide as far as it can while keeping the tension on the line as light as possible. if you let the line slide though your hand you can slowly increase tension to turn the kite back towards you at the end of the glide. when it is flying towards you will want to always keep tension on the line but try to pull only fast enough to keep the kite flying level. or if you need to climb pull slightly faster or just a short quick pull and the kite will rise a couple of feet. then let it glide again. i'm no expert, but that works for me. enjoy, -g 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHBKF Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 The delicate little kite on the dangerous fan blades, What an Adventure! But seriously, all these posts, all these pictures, if this doesn't get you gliding juices flowing well you're just not quite there on your path through the KiteLife. I have watched this topic daily & even thrown in a little myself. And again I am taught by the Masters. Western Australian has shown us that he's not the only GMM, Glider Mad Man.Thank you all my glider friends. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 I see some people mention using a wand to fly the iFlite , what would make a good wand besides having to buy a fishing rod? To see if that works for you - use a spare Rev rod and run the line thru it! If you like it, I'd switch to something else, the line will cut into the rod! That's one of the reasons I use the fishing rod (fly rod top section), has eyes that will protect the line from wear! I made a handle from an old barbecue tool!! You could pick one up cheap at a garage sale! I also use the butt section for bigger gliders, just had a ferrule glued to the end, again for wear on line! I also cut the reel seat off, so I can again run my line thru the blank! Never a tangle during demos with the "thru blank" system! I also have a nicer custom wand with fittings on both ends to eliminate line wear!! I use them as a mechanical advantage, and I had fly fishing experience! I use my wands very much like how a fisherman works his rod - mending line, casting away, etc!! Again, just like the Revs, it's what works for me!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashgee Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Day 30 Tree vs Emong The emong was fun flying outside in the yard at the end of the day once the wind had quieted down. At one point the emong was gliding along minding its own business when suddenly a tree branch snagged the edge of the sail and brought a graceful flight to a sudden stop. It took more than a few trys pulling on the line but it finally came loose, averting the need for a ladder rescue. There is only one more day to the 31 Glides of March, but it is the second day of National Kite Month, so earlier in the day we trekked off to the kite field. The park was quite busy but we found an empty softball field in the back and setup camp and did our part to help begin the celebration of National Kite Month. It was a beautiful day at the park. (April is National Kite Month in the US and is observed from Mar 29th - May 4th, 2014) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashgee Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Day 31 It all started with "Ok, I have had an idea." Thanks for starting this topic and stirring interest in gliders, West Australian! Obviously i didnt need much encouragement. I always have an iFlite nearby and my Horvaths travel with my Revs so there's always something to fly when the wind is down. When the wind dies in the middle of the day at a festival and all the kites are on the ground (save a few good Rev fliers) the Horvath will still fly high and glide forever. And now after the last 31 days, there are now three new gliders to add to the mix, very cool. It is the 31st day and Kelli went big getting some nice pictures while she flew the Orange and Blue Vented Fusion iFlite outside on the campus of the University of Florida. (orange and blue are the school colors) In the background you can see Century Tower and the art object known casually as Potato Rock. So, I was wondering what to fly on this last day and decided on the Horvath 200 outside and iFlite #621 inside. The Horvath is the first glider i bought on a trip to St. Augustine about a year and a half ago. and on the same day iFlite#576 came in the mail. iFlite #621 showed up a few weeks later and became my favorite iFlite for a long time. iFlites Rock. Thanks Patrick Tan! I compared the Wala to the Horvath in an earlier post and flying the Horvath once again reminded me how special a kite it really is. The Wala is nice but the Horvath really has a special feel. After flying the new gliders this month I was amazed at just how flat you can spin the Horvath. It requires a bit more work perhaps but it reacts to the lightest inputs and really puts a lot of control in the pilots hands. Amexpmh, congrats on completing the Horvath set! And yes, I have already started on the 30 glides of April. (sans pictures) Hopefully one day I will get a 240, it is definitely on my wish list. But I've kinda blown my glider budget for the foreseeable future. And I also have a real need for a mid-vent Rev B-Pro, and an Urban Ninja, and a Peter Lynn 80 foot Octopus ... Well... See you all back here next year ;-) Happy Kiting Everyone! -g 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Australian Posted April 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 31 Days of Gliding..... First of all A HUGE thanks to everyone who Posted, Flew, Commented or Read along with the 31 Glides of March. The Responses, Feedback, and Participation that has happened here is way beyond anything I could have dreamed of. Thank You All ! One thing I have come to realize is how out of all the kites I own, The Gliders are the only ones I could guarantee being able to fly every day. Even if the Outdoor opportunities do not present themselves for my Mega-Plutz or my Wala's, there is always a small room at home that will let one of my "iKites" fly. (thanks Patrick) There have been many wonderful Pictures posted of many a wonderful glider, and I hope those Pictures and the Stories that came with them will inspire Kite Flyers everywhere to try out Gliders. I have some pictures due that I need to organise myself before I can upload. But I will get to that. Amexpmh, dashgee, 30 Glides of April.... Well, I will be continuing to glide every day. Though I doubt I will take photos every day. Gliding every day was easy and relaxing, I was worried that I would be forcing myself to fly and that would drain some of the fun out of it. But I really found myself looking forward to each days glide. Once again, Thank you all for joining in and bringing on mans little "idea" to Life 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfish Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 Thanks, WA, for starting this. While I didn't get to glide as much as some of you, I will say that this topic caused me to get my gliders out more than I otherwise would have. It was a fun month, flying and following the adventures others have shared here. To those who posted pics of iPreys...I want one now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Australian Posted April 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Well It has been almost a month since the 31 Glides of March ended. I had a great time with it and the thread seemed to be a popular one, based on views and posts. I must confess that I have Flown gliders almost every day of April. Also I have Noticed that May has 31 days also. So I am going to do it again. You are welcome to Watch, Comment, Join In, or Ignore me. Just to get you warmed up for next month, here are some Warm iFlite Pics I took. (a Little Blurry, but that's cause they are Art ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHBKF Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Wind is roaring this morning, flood watch, storm watch, wind chimes in trouble. Time to buy 0.18 mm line on the way to work for no wind gliding. That should equalize the ironic wind factor. Love my light wind/no wind kites. They allow me to fly in the evening calm after the winds blow all day while I am working. I am starting to really connect with my little Zero G after enough time in the air & some help from my friends in KiteLife. Thank you Western Australian! Keep em in the air. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amexpmh Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Thanks Ian. I too have been gliding almost everyday. My iFlite fusions came in and the Plutz Mega Plutz combo. Next up are the Horvaths. I'm ready for almost any light/no wind day. And who would have thought indoor would be such a blast. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Getting some converts I see!!! Next up - an Indoor Rev for all you "gliders" out there! Funny thing about indoor flying - it will improve your outdoor touch! You develop a "wait for it" mentality with good indoor! It all starts to slow down and you start to realize how little movement is needed to keep up with things!! Or to keep things UP!! Enjoy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Australian Posted April 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Awesome Dayhiker, glad to hear you are experimenting with Glider line. Let us know how the 0.18mm feels vs the 0.3mm. Amexpmh, Wow your Glider is fantastic. I hope to see many great pictures over May. Wayne, I have been flying Gliders way longer than Revs, I find they fill a different need for me. I have never really clicked with SparkieRob's Rev Indoor. But I may end up with one of my own one day. I hope the next month brings many great glides to you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Ian - have you tried it indoors? I know it sounds crazy, but that is where it really shines - inside!! I learned just about everything I know from JB's tutorials on indoor - the footwork, handwork, letting the kite glide, waiting for it to finish something before going to the next move, etc! It's really the element it was designed for! Give it a proper chance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Ian - have you tried it indoors? I know it sounds crazy, but that is where it really shines - inside!! I learned just about everything I know from JB's tutorials on indoor - the footwork, handwork, letting the kite glide, waiting for it to finish something before going to the next move, etc! It's really the element it was designed for! Give it a proper chance!! He's usually asleep when I'm flying it Wayne, 2am! With winter about to launch we'll hire an indoor court or something and freak a few people out!!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Australian Posted April 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Wayne, Rev Indoor....... Indoors..... What is this madness??!?? Seriously though I am not discounting the Indoor, I will fly Rob's again, and may get my own one day. But when I do it will not replace Gliders or any other kite I have, it will add to my Bag, my Options, and my Enjoyment. Rob, I look forward to it. Gliders, Duals, Quads, we can try them all indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Never said replace the gliders - I own and fly plenty of them!! Just a magical connection to my Indoor is all! Sometimes I'd rather fly it than my outdoor gear, it's that inspiring!! Here where the wind is iffy at best, indoors is constantly the same - you provide it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 I know what you mean about a magical connection with your Indoor. When it's all silent and you can only hear a slight sail rustle, the sound of your feet and an occasional spoken to yourself "nice". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Sometimes it's an AW SH#T,.what just happened!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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