Indoor Flying Practice

[Penny Lingenfelter]

I start my day around 5:30 in the morning by answering my emails then I navigate the web. It's always a pleasure to discover new kite related websites and specialy kitefliers that are new to me and there's a lot of them !

So yes, I read all the pages of this post

You might know the guy with the rev in the first photo it's Jean Lemire from Montreal.

We often ask our friends kitefliers to come to our events and I wanted to thank them in a special way. I made a few phone calls and got the Montreal stadium for four hours on a sunday morning with the top on it They asked me to write about who we are, why I wanted the stadium and a resume about each kitefliers. We had free parking spaces and accomodation. We only had to pay the fees for a security guard.

The stadium was not available this year because of football games and dog shows. I tried other special places but was not as lucky

but I'm sure I will find a nice place so we can, again, have a couple of hours among friends to have a good time flying indoor kites.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks for the warm welcome !

p.s.

excuse my basic english... but practice is good !

A perfect example of "it never hurts to ask."

Glad you found the forum. Happy Holidays.

BB Penny ~ who is having trouble waking up today.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Two weeks ago:

I tried sitting in a chair and flying the Rev. It was ok, a little work but practice would certainly put you there.

I liked Standing on the chair better. You had a bigger wind window. If you had told me I'd be standing on a chair flying a rev indoors, I'd of told you that you were crazy. lol Now I guess we know, it's me that's crazy.

**Wish I had some video, but here is a picture... all I see is the muscle in my arms. lol

Jinx, are you the Ryder cup Jinx?

BB Penny

[Jynx]

Jinx, are you the Ryder cup Jinx?

BB Penny

Take care when flying from a chair! I don't want to see photos of you flying in a body cast!

As far as Ryder cup Jinx...? Don't know who or what that is...

Just Plain JYNX

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Jinx, are you the Ryder cup Jinx?

BB Penny

Take care when flying from a chair! I don't want to see photos of you flying in a body cast!

As far as Ryder cup Jinx...? Don't know who or what that is...

Just Plain JYNX

Ok, wrong Jinx.

I will be careful in a chair. I'll have to rig something to stand and fly on. I picute myself flying on a small podium raised above people's heads.... if you can dream it, you can do it.

BB Penny ~Thinking that podium will have a secure railing.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

You know I say, Do whatever it takes to make the kite do what you want it to do. As long as it works for you.. or me. That's how I fly. However, that doesn't mean that we won't learn an easier way, or improve what we are doing. The Indoor Revolution Kite has no end to what we can learn on it.

Tonight I flew on short lines in the racquetball court. Just playing off of the walls in different directions. Launching, landing, sliding. Just checking out what looked kewl. And when you need reverse- How close to a wall can you start your reverse before your walk has the nose meet the wall. Things like that.

Something new that I learned was the way to walk the kite inverted (leading edge facing 6:00) walking it tip to tip.. (R. wing tip touch-left wing tip touch, R. wing tip touch. etc) Behind me. A tap dance.

Now, this can be on or off the ground or done higher in the air. It sounds difficult, but it's not. Do try this at home.

I'd been walking this move by using my thumbs, the top of the handles, as my main focus point. You know.." push = reverse", so if the kite is upside down, it's lift. push, release, push the other handle. This is ok, but I like the new way better.

It's focusing on the bottom of the handles instead of the top.

By using a wrist motion to move that bottom handle less then 90 degrees forward, it tilts those bottom wings in and gives it easier lift. Upside down handles-Handle bottom facing 12:00, push to 9:00, back to 12:00 one handle at the time.

Flying goes like this;

Kite in front of you, leading edge facing up to 12:00. Fly an up and over- Straight over your head to behind you without moving your body.

Kite is now inverted (upside down) leading edge facing 6:00 a few inches from the ground, behind you. Don't turn around.

With your arms behind you, you are ready to reverse the kite up. Pull the handles up to your head as you walk forward. Use more arms and less wrist here.

Pull Bottom R. handles down w/ your wrist, 12:00- 9:00 -12:00 release, pull L. handle down w/ your wrist, release, R. handle again, etc. Yes. the kite should be doing a tap dance behind you.

Now, you might think that I should have been know this from the start, but taking this kite R. is not the same as L. Forward is not the same as reverse, in front of you is not the same as flying behind you.

I tried to see if I should use the top handle behind me with the top handles if I launched the kite facing 12:00 behind me. Nope, it doesn't work.

lol You gotta love this kite. It keeps you guessing, it always evolving and I love the challenge of figuring out even the easy stuff.

BB Penny~who still stinks at pancakes on a standard indoor Rev kite and wants out of the racquetball court and in the basket ball court for a good practice.

Hmm, We need little Rev smilies.. facing 4 directions.. or smilies with rev sunglasses.. that face all four directions.. ok, I'm tired. Peace

[cerfs-volantstylistes]

I came to this forum for a rev therapy.

Yep, I have a brand new rev, that I bought two years ago and left in my bag. That's shameful !

Well, one afternoon, I went to the park with my rev under my arm, set it up and try to fly it.

A man came to see what I was doing. He told me about the great time he had flying his little diamond kite when he was young and asked if he could try my rev.

Ok, why not !

He took the kite, placed it and up the kite was flying in the sky as if had done this all his life !

After 30 minutes, he thank me and gave me back the rev.

I went home embarrassed and since then, I'm trying to find a place where I can be ALONE to try my rev.

Reading your subject makes me want to reconcile with my rev. I have two weeks off starting this morning and my goal is at least to take my rev out of my bag

ok and take it outside

Thanks Penny for this great therapy and be careful standing on that chair !

Christine

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Your welcome. As a newbie you will have a lot of therapy to offer! .

No shame, no gain. Don't worry about what "they" think.

"They" all had to think I was crazy just trying to learn to fly a kite indoors. Especially a 1.5 standard outdoor Rev. "They" think it's pretty kewl now.

What I like is when I hear "They" think I"ve improved. hehehe

(I always think next year I'll get better.)

Do you have a standard 1.5 Rev? If you do, make sure you have enough wind. If it's an Indoor Rev, make sure you have NO wind.

Pull it out of the bag! What color is it?

That's always my first question, and men just don't care.. "I don't know... but I got a new REV".

Well, I'm rambling. Let me know what you're flying.

BB Penny ~ who heard a new weather term.“Thunder snow storms”. We had thunder and lightening w/ our snow storm and we’re expecting another storm w/ high winds next. Hmm..Unusual for the N.W.

I came to this forum for a rev therapy.

Yep, I have a brand new rev, that I bought two years ago and left in my bag. That's shameful !

Well, one afternoon, I went to the park with my rev under my arm, set it up and try to fly it.

A man came to see what I was doing. He told me about the great time he had flying his little diamond kite when he was young and asked if he could try my rev.

Ok, why not !

He took the kite, placed it and up the kite was flying in the sky as if had done this all his life !

After 30 minutes, he thank me and gave me back the rev.

I went home embarrassed and since then, I'm trying to find a place where I can be ALONE to try my rev.

Reading your subject makes me want to reconcile with my rev. I have two weeks off starting this morning and my goal is at least to take my rev out of my bag

ok and take it outside

Thanks Penny for this great therapy and be careful standing on that chair !

Christine

[cerfs-volantstylistes]

Unfortunately Penny, my 1.5 rev is orange

I need another therapy to try to like that color wich is the worst color, well for my taste. Last summer, I even bought an orange polo to help me love this color. I worn it once

Oh yes, color is important ! I wish I could have a nice soft pink rev. I'm sure that with this color my rev skills would improve

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Unfortunately Penny, my 1.5 rev is orange

I need another therapy to try to like that color wich is the worst color, well for my taste. Last summer, I even bought an orange polo to help me love this color. I worn it once

Oh yes, color is important ! I wish I could have a nice soft pink rev. I'm sure that with this color my rev skills would improve

OK, you can sell, give away or *paint your orange kite. I'll bet you could make it beautiful and would love it. Design Master spray paint in the floral department. It's wonderful and stays on in water too.

This purple kite was either black and red new, or pink and teal worn out. I usually paint the kites once they were worn down. Black and red brought me no joy and my kite should bring me joy.

I ask people not to get within 10 ft of the kite, because I pretty much painted it with my eyes closed. It’s a standard 1.5 Rev flying inside.. oh.. the handle is in my mouth.. Yuck.. lol not one of my favorite moves. Lol Happy Snowy Holidays.

BB Penny ~ who is going to the Laundromat for the last time.. maybe …while they schedule a new washer delivery. Warranties.. grumble grumble.. but maybe I can fly while they wash!

Picture from Lincoln City's Oregon Coast News:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

[Aerochic]

Heya Cerfs!,

Definitely do not give up on your Rev!!! We've all been through those tough learning spots and there are some great folks out there willing to help you get off the ground. Penny is one of them!

Incase you haven't seen it before, there is a ~wealth~ of helpful info and wonderful Rev Heads over at the Rev Forum. Check it out!: http://www.revkites.com/forum/

~Aero/Carolyn

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Heya Cerfs!,

Definitely do not give up on your Rev!!! We've all been through those tough learning spots and there are some great folks out there willing to help you get off the ground. Penny is one of them!

Incase you haven't seen it before, there is a ~wealth~ of helpful info and wonderful Rev Heads over at the Rev Forum. Check it out!: http://www.revkites.com/forum/

~Aero/Carolyn

Yes, there is a wealth of info at www.revkites.com

John handles both forums. I think this forum became mostly Rev fliers and the Rev forum filled a need. It's a kewl site and very busy.

I started here before the Rev forum picked up. I hang here to share and just blog about my indoor journey. People who wander in find me. Your always welcome here to. Keep me posted on your antics.

BB Penny ~ who won't budge from her comfortable little box.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

A pretty ending to a song tonight had me laying the rev face down about 5 ft off the ground and simply float down on spot~ I liked it. BB Penny ~who's enjoying the flow.

[Spence Watson]

Just want to throw this out there

http://www.revkites.com/forum/index.php?sh...amp;#entry38980

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Just want to throw this out there

http://www.revkites.com/forum/index.php?sh...amp;#entry38980

Kewl this will be outdoor Rev lessons for newbies and possibly some indoor time. I hadn't looked at the calendar yet. Is it in conjunction with an indoor event in Long Beach?

Andrew Cimburek is looking into having an indoor event in the Renton area. I wonder what month he is working on.

Thanks Watty, keep us updated over here. BB Penny

[Spence Watson]

It seems that John is working on getting an indoor area for Friday evening. The event is scheduled to take place on the weekend of March 6-8.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

I looked at the clock as I packed my gear up last night and it was 1 1/2 hours of practice. Sounds good doesn't it? Actually, I've learned to keep practices at 1 hour so I don't over due it.

This morning as I drove to work while holding my hot breakfast sandwich on my elbow, I knew I had over done it. lol Ahh~ the heat from my breakfast felt so good on my elbow.

I had started off in the basketball court and then moved into the raquetball court as the gym became more crowded. (It's important to share space and I don't want to be a sky hog.) A little practice with the single handle and a little practice with short lines turned into 1 1/2 hours that zoomed by way to quickly.

I tried the float down landing for the Rev again and really like the looks of it. I'm going to add it as an ending to songs. I'm wondering what else I can do with it too.

It's lunch, so I'm heating and icing my wrist and elbow.

I'm headed on a road trip tomorrow and tonight might be the last chance to fly till I return. I've booked the raquetball court for tonight. I'll try not to overdue it. Perhaps when I get back my soreness will have worn off and I can start playing with 2 revs indoors again. I'm steering enough with a single hand without tugging the lines enough to think it's worth the effort to try both... and untangle... both...... ewwwww. fly/untangle/fly/untangle. I can do this.

Amy, I'll be in Bend, OR sometime in the next 5 days. If I have a free moment, I'll give you a call.

BB Penny ~ who will miss her sweetheart on New Years.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

So, I've been heading to the gym at night to fly. #*# grumble~grumble. Basket ball season is now in full swing, so I've been in the raquet ball court for practice. I shouldn't complain. at least I have a place to fly.

One of the fun moves I've been playing with is just landing the rev against the wall. A nice secure way of landing it and sticking it is to just reverse the kite and land it tips on the wall.. facing 9:00.. tug slightly on the top wing and it comes down.. slides down the wall and stands against the wall. It's so easy, I wonder if I could do it blind folded. I'll have to try that.

I haven't called Amy back, but she and Connor were headed to the gym to fly. I'm antsy to see them and everyone else at Windless in Long Beach, WA on Martin Luther King weekend-next week. (?) I guarantee you everyone will have improved. How exciting.

I'm going to work on my mermaid costume soon. I was flying to the little mermaid last night and thought how my kite looked like a crab.. so there you go. I'll make it look a little more like the crab that sings the song and I'll be Arielle? What ever the mermaid's name is. I'm going to KISS it.. Keep- It- Simple- Stupid... Just me and the kite to start with. I'll have to prepare the kids mermaid costumes for later.

I remember one of the organizers in Santa Cruz told me her daughter was helping her and heard that Penny was flying next.. She tossed down what she was working on and said "Mom, I have to go.. Penny's flying...I can't miss this." lol I haven't met her, but I can't let her down... I've got to have something that will make her smile. Do you think the mermaid might do it? My witch routine will be new there and I love the flow of the cape.. so that should be enough for this year.

I've been flying for an hour and then getting on the tread mill. YUK!!!!!! I dislike walking. I don't like to walk across a fair ground without a kite in my hand.. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could even walk a mile without my kite. I'm up to 4 miles now and it's not near as bad as I thought... especially after an hour of flying and getting my heart pumped up without even trying. I figure I'm walking at least 1 1/2 to 2 miles while I fly. I seldom stop even once in an hour. Though, seriously the kite looks a little tired the last 15 minutes. lol

YIkes, I better get back to work. I swear.. I'm going to try and fly two handles this weekend.

Have a great weekend.

BB Penny ~ who's thinking "Where did I put that second handle?!"

[cerfs-volantstylistes]

Penny, very nice rev !

I tried to paint a kite once with the floral paint but for outdoor, it's not the best.

I exchanged a couple of email with John Pollock on his method.

Last night, I talked to another kiteflyer who has been painting kites for more than ten years. He gave me lots of good tips. I have some ripstop in the washing machine... I will try that before touching my rev.

Aerochic,

Thanks. I will defenitively check out this forum.

Watty,

That would have been perfect for me but I will be in Gaspe, Quebec flying kites for their 475 anniversary.

[cerfs-volantstylistes]

Hi Penny, How are you ?

Can't wait to see that mermaid costume :-)

Yes her name is Ariel.

Have someone take a video to show us.

Could'nt try my rev during the holiday. Too much snow, very cold and too much wind. It would have been perfect for our speedwing kite...

Have a nice weekend !

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Penny, very nice rev !

I tried to paint a kite once with the floral paint but for outdoor, it's not the best.

I exchanged a couple of email with John Pollock on his method.

Last night, I talked to another kiteflyer who has been painting kites for more than ten years. He gave me lots of good tips. I have some ripstop in the washing machine... I will try that before touching my rev

Hey Cerf, the paint I was referring to works wonderful outside even in the ocean unless it's painted to thick. Wonder what you are using?

I hope the witch makes it to the N.W. heheh Not Litsong, but the kite.. I mean.. she can come too... Oh.. you know what I mean. BB Penny

[Spence Watson]

Penny, very nice rev !

I tried to paint a kite once with the floral paint but for outdoor, it's not the best.

I exchanged a couple of email with John Pollock on his method.

Last night, I talked to another kiteflyer who has been painting kites for more than ten years. He gave me lots of good tips. I have some ripstop in the washing machine... I will try that before touching my rev.

Aerochic,

Thanks. I will defenitively check out this forum.

Watty,

That would have been perfect for me but I will be in Gaspe, Quebec flying kites for their 475 anniversary.

475 anniversary!!! Wow! What is it the anniversary of? 475 years seems like quite a long time!

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Ok, It's the weekend.

I'm going to go fly here shortly. Someone mentioned jump roping in an email.

For jump roping the line must be short. Depending on your heigth as to how short. You have to be able to pull it off of the ground a few inches, so from the the top of your raised arms to an inch above the ground. That long.

For now the way I'm doing it:

Laying the Revolution kite face down. Leading edge towards me. I pre-wrap my lines. Turning each handle a 360, completely around for 1 count. I do this three times on each handle. When you jump rope the kite it puts twist into each line, so this leaves the kite ready to fly after jumping it 3 itimes

My arms make large circles and my hands push out as much as possible to keep tension on the line.

Pulling the kite along the ground towards me I jump it and pull it over like a jump rope.. the next two jumps (more if you like) the kite floats a few inches off the ground completeing the jump rope sequence.

I'm pointing the handle bottoms straight or pointed out to try to keep the line off of them as I jump-I thnk. Pointing them in? That might be why the line is getting around the bottom of the handles. (Time for me to pull out the video camera and check it out)

At the end, my kite wants to float towards me.. I lower my hands so I can pull the lines up while stepping back and lower my handles while shaking them to shake the line off of the bottom of the handles. This is important for me.. till I figure out a better way to do it. Wala.. I'm flying ..

Oh, Hot tricks. This will have an example of the jump roping.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1009485866837776506

BB Penny ~ who’s going to go look for that handle.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

I hope no one out there is holding their breath.

I didn't get to work on two kites at once yet.

I fought a cold.. it was a tie. I found my handle.. but the gym has been full.

And now there’s not much time to prepare for Windless Kite Festival in Long Beach, WA.. Three more day! It's a wonderful event, but small gym. I did make up two new sets of line for the handles.. I can hear No Doubt singing in my head.. "Getting closer... Getting closer....

I've been flying in the racquetball court, climbing on the treadmill (I'm determined now) and making my new costume.

The mermaid costume is almost done. I hope to debut it this weekend, though it will be very messy. It's a homemade costume, and comes with a guarantee to make you smile. Red curly hair and a shiny mermaid tail; how could you not smile? My husband laughed out loud.

Well, I better get an email answered and ready for work. Soon!!!!!!!

Now go fly a kite. BB Penny ~who would rather be flying a kite.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Woo Hoo! Windless was a great success! The group of flyers is certainly outgrowing the gym.

I defended my title for hot tricks! First place.. This year I added two tricks and trust me it takes all of that to get a first place.

What did I do? Jump roping, pulling it from behind me to jump over it and launch in front of me. single handle flying, pancake.. I pointed it out with one hand, while it did it with the other.

New tricks? Aha ha I climbed up in the chair and stood. It took me the second attempt to do it.. so the audience appreciated it more. Steve said the first time I went up he thought I was going over. lol

Nope, but I would like to find an easy way to get in the chair without loosing the kite. Steps maybe?

Then.. and then..... and then... I tried to fly two Indoor Revs at once. Once again it took two attempts. My kite caught kite tails from a wall kite and wouldn't go.. The second attempt I DID it.. I was totally out of control.. but I did it!! Cold, to I might add.. I haven't got to try flying two kites at once for several years I think. I needed to practice one handle in each hand till I improved. I lost the kites.. then I regained them. I actually had a little control. You know that feeling.. The kites doing what you want, but you don't feel in control. It was awesome for me!!

I was yelling my head off in excitement. I can do this!!! I'm going to do this. It will take some time.. but it's doable.

My mermaid costume was a hit, and I'm really looking forward to making the kids/ladies costumes for the future. It's going to be fun routine.

My witch costume was the first time flown at an indoor event. My feed back was great. Some people claim it is now their favorite routine.

It's all about the cape. It flows so well, though the single handle flying was probalby what the people were watching.

Scotty Weider was there. He flew beautifully. We are so lucky he gets to come play with us sometimes.

Connor Doran received an indoor Rev for Christmas and he has improved leaps and bounds. He took first place in Experienced.

You'll have to go to the N.W. stunk kite leagues web page to get the results from the competition.

Dick Curran, took 2nd. Last year he whined (yes, whined) to me that he couldn't ever take a first place in a competition with an outdoor single line kite on a stick. I told him, yes you can. wear a costume or somthing, because the score is total entertainment value. Change out your kite with the music.. Well, he threw off a cape and had on a cream colored suit, w/ red tie and looked pretty sharp. No, he didn't have on his normal pirate hat. lol He flew to some classical music and took 2nd. I told him later, he would have took first place if he'd shown another kite.

He said, watch my demo routine and let me know what you think. He switched 5 kites.. Looked good. Maybe he could have used one or two less kite.

He asked me if he would have took first place. oops... I told him "No, not till you get rid of the clothes that scare the kids." lol Dick is like me.. we believe in wearing kite clothes.. jammers.. colorful..non matching circus meets disney clothes.

Dick looks like a clown in a pirate hat.. great for kites, color and attention. But I have to be more careful in a clown suit then a dinosaur suit. Many kids are afraid of clowns. Dick asked Toby and Toby told him.. yeah, you scare kids. lol Watch out.. I see a first place finish in Dicks future.

John and Ron were there, the gentlemen I met in Camas. I should tell their wifes on them. They are having way to much fun flying kites.

They were in for comps and hot tricks and then to the beach to fly.. the yard to fly.. anywhere.. as long as they could fly. They were walking smiles.

Well, I am going to be late for work. You don't want to miss Windless next year. All the flyers have improved so much..and it's just the beginning.... next year.. we'll get good.

BB Penny ~ who flew two Revs at once.

[Mousie]

It was a greatt weekend! Thanks for all the help this weekend..

Great festival, great things happening.. great people.. We will be there next year for sure.

Hope everyone has a safe trip home...

hugs mousie