Light wind flying

[Steve]

Thank you John ! I re-read you article on light wind flying, went down to Sporthaven Beach where the field is only about eighty feet and then you get wet. Took out my Rev 1 and started flying in about 3mph wind. I found myself about to get real wet, flipped the kite over: went into a side slide and took off. Success ! My first 360 ! So I kept it up. Lots of fun ! I screwed up once when I forgot where I was and stopped at the top ow the wind. Not bad for an old man ! Now I need to get some Clockwork turns in. I couldn't have done this today without reading that article again.. Thanks

[John Barresi]

Haha! You've made my day Steve.

I'm very glad to hear the article was of use to you... My pleasure to help any way I can.

Glad to hear Brookings is on schedule too!

[Steve]

I was probably working too hard ( Running too fast for the wind ) but now that I know I can do it the style will come. Do you have anything in print that describes the Clockwork turns ? Brookings is looking better and better every day !

[John Barresi]

Nothing for clockwork yet... There's more to it than text can tell, really requires some video... It's on my long list of projects.

[Dorsal]

I think by "clockwork" you are talking about slowly spinning the kite about its central axis, like the hands of a clock. If so, I learned it by practicing flying the kite upright, fixed in one place. Then I rotated the kite (clockwise) 90 degrees, and held it there. Then I rotated it another 90 degrees, holding it in place, then the next 90 degrees for a while, and finally back to upright.

After learning how to control the kite in each position, and how to turn it to the next position without "moving" the kite's center, I slowly started to increase the rate at which I changed positions and decrease the duration at each position. Eventually I figured out how to make all the motions flow into a continuous spin of the kite, like it's stuck to a pin in the sky. That took many flight sessions.

[Steve]

Thanks for the advise, but it sounds like you are describing the "Bicycle" spin. what I am trying to do is spin the kite on it's axis with a clicking motion, like the clicks ov the second hand. I am using your method though. Every bit of help I can get is greatly accepted. Thanks again

[Dorsal]

Well, what I described is what I always called the bicycle spin also. If you've got that part down, the rest is just practice.

For the "click" type stops, try pushing both hands forward at the same time you issue the "stop" command for the position of the kite. That will cause the kite to momentarily stall, making the "stop" motion more dramatic.