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Jumping in head first!


Pacolyps
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Sticks "change" the float and glide, not better or worse,... just different. You are adding a structure onto the back of the sail, stiffening and connecting the two halves. Balance point changes, the kite will want to glide downwind from the top of the windowALL BY ITSELF, without handle inputs or even dropping them entirely to drag behind the kite.

I want you to do a comparison, ideally with a friend, try different wind conditions and some precision figures too, one stock, one with sticks.

Try some slack line tricks, you can probably get out of any screw-ups because the sticks will "shed a flying line tangle", roll-up the kite to land and do the dramatic unroll to launch! Only sticks make this a novice technique in either direction.

I flew the first 6 years with the stock bridle, the first 7 years without sticks, the first 14 years with stock sail construction. I hope you also develop a style and feel that's yours alone. Some folks love to fly my rig and some hate it!

Experiment and prove to yourself whether sticks are beneficial. Eliot makes and sells 'em but doesn't use himself. My nemesis Dennis smith is stick-less, Burka, Dantonio, Johnny bee, lots of respected pilots can prove you don't need this crutch! My flight role model does and until I can do what he does, as well and as easily,... The sticks STAY

I can't find anything on this roll up landing that you mentioned, and how to do it ( Probably way beyond my abilities at this point), An explanation would be great.

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I can't find anything on this roll up landing that you mentioned, and how to do it ( Probably way beyond my abilities at this point), An explanation would be great.

Hell Bob, it's all beyond my abilities ! He lost me when he started talking about flying with someone, and slack-line tricks ! Tricks ? Heck, I'm just a cruiser, not a trickster. Sheesh.................. :cat_sick:

But all kidding aside, Paul, thanks for the very good explanation........... :ani_victory:

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I can't find anything on this roll up landing that you mentioned, and how to do it ( Probably way beyond my abilities at this point), An explanation would be great.

Hell Bob, it's all beyond my abilities ! He lost me when he started talking about flying with someone, and slack-line tricks ! Tricks ? Heck, I'm just a cruiser, not a trickster. Sheesh.................. :cat_sick:

But all kidding aside, Paul, thanks for the very good explanation........... :ani_victory:

Main trick I have mastered is bringing my Revs home in one piece after a flying session.... ;) I would like to try that floating thing, but not sure how to do that either.

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I have sticks on 2 of my sails but I ALWAYS park inverted and stake. Habit maybe but it is safer.

As far as being easier to reverse fly, I didn't find that. Each to their own experience.

To me so far, sticks are a plaything. They will definitely stay on my SUL. Still deciding on my B2. I'm my situation, I have to buy to try. Glad I got some though.

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Roll-up landing:

First practice session begin with the kite standing upright on the down spars, ready for launching, step towards the kite SUDDENLY giving slack. It should roll backwards winding up into the flying lines and resting leading edge forward flat on the soil. Now maybe this is easier with a wrap in the flying lines (brings em together, doesn't it?).

Your objective is to execute this trick without resting on the ground, by powerfully flicking your thumbs at the kite and stepping forward,.... this is abusing your new wing, abrasion to the trailing edge, possibly cutting the sail with thin flying line too.

UnRoll-launch:

First practice session begin by staking the handles down, walk to the kite, lift it and roll it carefully into the flying lines, noticing the tendency of where the lines want to go. You don't want the left handle side wrapped inside the down spars and the right wrapped outside. In competition you would insure your wraps were the same way on both sides. Ready for launch, back to the handles.

Pickup knowing left from right (I recommend vinyl electrical tape, colored on the right handle) and take two steps away from the kite backwards. The first step snaps it over to standing back upright, another step sends it airborne, 2steps, two beats of music, 2 movements of the kite. Again you are banging the kite around intentionally, that's hard wear and tear on your equipment!

So the safest practice session, or easiest incorporation of these techniques in competition is........what order they are done in! You start your routine rolled-up, insuring everything is laying where intended, finish it back rolled up again to end, not caring if it's properly executed because the music is over.

Now to show off, you'd execute one and then undo it back immediately,... Four musical beats, land, roll-up, un-roll, launch, slicker than ice on glass! Too easy you say? It is just walking with the kite,.... Shhhhhhh! Nobody knows but you.

Technique is everything, with practice you can execute these moves w/o sissy sticks, but I would cover the bottom knots of elastic on the sail with covers so snagging a flying line is eliminated.

Risk vs reward.

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I have sticks on 2 of my sails but I ALWAYS park inverted and stake. Habit maybe but it is safer.

As far as being easier to reverse fly, I didn't find that. Each to their own experience.

To me so far, sticks are a plaything. They will definitely stay on my SUL. Still deciding on my B2. I'm my situation, I have to buy to try. Glad I got some though.

I found that the tendency to flip a wing on reverse or a fast spin was almost zero with the sticks, versus before I installed the sticks. The difference was immediate and very noticeable to me. The other thing I noticed is the frame lost some of his "rubbery" feeling in gusty winds, which I had plenty of yesterday. Much stiffer feeling.

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Thanks to everyone that has shared their opinions. I think being new to the sport, I am going to purchase the Magic Sticks. The reason is two fold. First, my son can get impatient waiting for me to land to help him launch. Having the sticks will make this easier for him to do on his own. Second, if we learn from the start with them we won't know a difference in flight characteristics. Once we are a little more competent we can experiment without damaging the kite as much.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

my son can get impatient waiting for me to land to help him launch.

you guys need to learn the "cartwheel" too.

When the kite lands leading edge down, you just roll it over using one thumb (in low wind you may also need to sweep that arm backwards towards your knee). Pick-up each handle one at a time and hold it as high as possible, see which "side" is on top first. The top side is the side to roll towards (unwrap). I don't want to see you side-sliding to launch, rotation only!

At the halfway point (kite is now tip-balancing on the leading edge) you must return your handle back to the original neutral position. Otherwise it will just keep on rolling across the ground.

This is the first lesson to master, then you don't need a assistant to help you or the walk of shame either.

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Paul - Maybe I missed the purpose of that cart wheel (?). Couldn't you just re-launch the kite, directly from the inverted position, then rotate to the upright position, once you have cleared the ground by 3 - 4 feet ? Just curious, because I have always tried not to roll, or drag my kite, across the ground. Again, maybe I missed the real purpose of this maneuver. :ani_victory:

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Thanks Paul. We have a lot to learn. We have never seen a Rev in real life. Everything I know I have learned from this forum or YouTube. I will make sure we get the cart wheel down as one of the first maneuvers. Trust me, there will be lots of questions in the next couple of months.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Game on! I am purchasing two mid vents tomorrow. I bought two sets of Magic Sticks also. We should have the kites next week some time. My son and I are both really excited to get up and flying.

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You will love the mid vent. I can launch mine in almost as low a wind as my full said, and it can fly in much higher winds, with the Magic Sticks.

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Paul - Maybe I missed the purpose of that cart wheel (?). Couldn't you just re-launch the kite, directly from the inverted position, then rotate to the upright position, once you have cleared the ground by 3 - 4 feet ? Just curious, because I have always tried not to roll, or drag my kite, across the ground. Again, maybe I missed the real purpose of this maneuver. :ani_victory:

I don't quite understand the "cartwheel" either. If I land LE down, I just relaunch inverted, rotate about 100+ degrees once I get about 5 feet high, and forward fly away. I guess I am missing the understanding of the cartwheel.

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