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Power, Sport and Stunt Kites, Single, Dual And Quad Line Kites, Windsocks, Telescopic Poles, Helmets, Lines, Videos and Accessories
A Guide To Flying Your Sports or Stunt Kite
Introduction
If you can ride a bicycle, you can fly a stunt or sports kite. Everyone knows how to steer a bike, don’t they? You turn the handle bar to the right, and the bike goes right. Keep steering right, and the bike completes a circle. Straighten out the handle bar and the bike goes straight in whatever direction you are pointing. It’s easy. So keep that image in your mind and lets go kite flying.
Kite Setup and Flying Line
For beginners, launching a stunt kite and getting it under control is almost as hard as mounting a bicycle and getting it rolling. After you do it right the first time, it gets much easier. Roll out your flying lines and make sure they are exactly equal in length. (If one line is a few inches shorter, the kite will think you are pulling on that line and start to turn.) The lines should be about 30 - 50M (75-100 feet) long. Shorter lines reduce response time and make the kite move too fast for most inexperienced fliers. Longer lines make maneuvers harder to complete.
Launching the Kite and First Flight
For the first time flyer it is great to have a helper pick up the kite from behind, and hold it by the base and center strut. Keep a little tension between the two of you so that the fly lines are off the ground. If the winds are strong enough, all your helper needs to do is let go, and the kite will soar off into the air. And if the winds are lighter, give the kite a slight boost by stepping backward as the kite is released. After a little practice it only takes one person to get the kite into the air.
Now remember it’s like riding a bike. You want to get rolling in a straight line, so don’t start steering right away. Don’t jerk your hands around or make any sudden move. Don’t get over excited and let go or start to run. And please, don’t lift your hands up over your head, thinking it will make the kite go up. It does absolutely nothing to help. I mean, you wouldn’t try and steer your bicycle with handlebars that are up over your head, would you?
Steering and Controlling the Kite
Now we’re ready to go somewhere. So pick up your kite from wherever it crashed after that first launch, untangle the lines, and let’s learn how to steer. If you want to turn your bike to the right, what do you do with your hands? Pull back on your right handle. Visualize that motion. Now, gently, do the same thing with your stunt kite handles.
As a beginner flier, your goal should be to move the kite in a big, lazy figure-eight across the sky. Turn to the right as we told you a moment ago, straighten out to fly by bringing your hands even, turn a bit more to loop under, and then straighten out again. When you have gone all the way over to the left, just repeat the process, turning in the other direction.
It’s like riding your bike in a figure eight, except that you don’t need to pedal. If you get excited and pull too hard, the kite will jerk around fast and probably crash - almost like a bike when you turn too hard. But if you eased into it, the kite will gracefully curve to the right. When you bring your hands back even, the kite will straighten out. If you keep turning, the kite will fly all the way around into a circle.
If you decided to fly a complete circle, or maybe did one by accident, you’ll notice that your flying lines have now twisted around each other. This is nothing to panic about. You can easily put as many as a dozen twists in a good set of lines before your control of the kite is affected. Just remember which way you turned, catch your breath, and then turn back the other way until all of the twists have come out.
If your kite crashed with twists in the line, simply wind the handles around each other until the twists disappear. This is much easier than having your helper pick up the kite and try to un-rotate it.
Once you have practiced enough to perform a good figure eight, you’re ready to experiment with a few more advanced maneuvers. Instead of pulling with your right hand to turn right, try pushing with your left hand. The result will be roughly the same although the turn will be a bit sharper. Study the differences between these push-turns and pull turns. Advanced pilots use the difference to improve and perfect various types of maneuvers.
Fly all the way to the left and right. Experiment with how far out your kite will go. And notice that it slows down, and then stops when it reaches the edge of the wind.
Try a landing. Just fly out to the edge and steer gently toward the ground. The idea is to reach the ground about the same time the kite reaches the edge of the wind. Try flying big smooth circles, and then flying squares.
Problems Encountered During First Flight
Lousy Wind
There may not be enough wind, or too much. The amount of wind you need to fly easily depends on the design of your kite. You aren’t trying to fly behind a big tree or building, are you? The wind there is going to be turbulent and really bad. Move downwind or find an open area.
Wrong Handitis
Is the line in your right hand attached to the right side of the kite? If not, you’ll get some really surprising results when you try to steer.
Unbalanced Lines
If one line is shorter, the kite thinks you are pulling on that line and start to turn. If someone’s personality seems a little off, we say that they may not be flying with lines of equal length.
Twisted
Look at your kite. Has it been put together right? Pay special attention to the bridle lines. Is one wrapped over the spar, and the other one under it? I thought so...
Tune In
If your bridle isn’t twisted, then look at the connection points where you attach the fly lines. Are they equal distance from the nose of the kite? Usually, kite makers put a mark on each bridle to show the factory setting. You can change the setting to adjust your kite’s performance, but make sure both sides of the kite are set the same.
Performing Basic Tricks
You have a stunt kite and can keep it flying. You’ve learned to launch without help and make it do loops. What do you do now? How do you get the kite to do all those other tricks you’ve seen sport kites do?
Besides the light touch on the lines, advanced flyers move their feet as much as their hands. Moving downwind a couple of steps and swinging your hands forward at the same time can slow the kite significantly, allowing dramatic downwind stalls and axels.
Stall
A stall is when the sport or stunt kite hovers pointed nose-up but not moving. The axel is a spinning kite move beginning from a stall position. Most impressive when the kite is a few feet above the ground.
Axel
To axel the kite, the flyer tugs one line while giving slack to the other. A short sharp tug. The kite flops face down (while still in the air) and rotates around in a full circle before popping nose- up and flying away. Be careful not to wrap the lines on a wingtip.
Turtle
A turtle is started the same way, but the kite flops backwards and doesn’t spin around.
We hope this helps, good luck and happy kite flying |
Flying A 2 Line Power Kite
Flying Kites is an enjoyable activity that just about everyone can do. Steering a kite is much like riding a bike when you turn the handle bars left you steer left, so when you want the kite to fly to the left you pull slightly on the left hand, and right when you want to fly it to the right. You may see people making fast movements and struggling to control there kite this is because they are not using "Slow controlled movements" these are best as sudden jerky moves will normally result in your kite nose diving and hitting the ground. One of the best things you see is people lifting your hands up over your head in an effort to make the kite fly upwards - although it looks impressive it actually does absolutely nothing!
When you are new to kites it is a whole lot easier to have someone with you. Get the person your are with to hold the kite up from behind, holding it firmly, but allowing a little tension between the two of you so that the flying lines are off the ground. If you helper is struggling to hold the kite then I would suggest they let go as soon as you are ready as the winds are strong enough, and the kite will soar off into the air. Try to keep the lines evenly balanced to ensure stable flight, and with practice you can slowly start to make small turns left & right. It won't take long to get control.
If you crash your kite and the line gets twisted then carefully wind the handles around each other until the twists disappear. This is much easier than trying to un-rotate you kite.
To land the kite, you need to fly it out to the edge of the wind and steer gently toward the ground. The idea is to reach the ground about the same time the kite reaches the edge of the wind. |
Power and Traction Kiting Guide
Power kites have been used for many years and over the years kites have been developed and perfected for the purpose or dragging surf, land and snow boards as well as buggies.
This range of kites is commonly known as Parafoils or foils. Many now contain no spars and are therefore very light in relation to their size.
Safety Tips when Flying A Power Kite
1) When venturing into power kiting you should already have a very good idea of how to fly a kite before getting onto anything that moves. You need to be able to fly the kite without watching it. This will take time and you need to be able to feel what the kite is doing.
2) Use common sense when dealing with these kites, they can be big and very powerful and can be very dangerous if not treated with respect.
3) Never hold onto the lines when under tension or try to launch the kite. These flying lines they tend to resemble cheese wire and can cut like it as well.
4) Never fly near:
o Power lines
o Roads
o Airfields
o Railway lines
o Poles or fences
o People and animals
o In Thunderstorms
5) Always make sure that you have enough space around you and be prepared to be dragged off of your feet in strong winds.
6) Never underestimate the wind or the power of your kite, always start in very light winds, most power kites will fly in winds as low as 5 mph Be aware of your limitations and never try to exceed them.
Power kites or parafoils are designed for traction they come in a wide range of sizes. Your weight, the wind you intend to fly in and the type of power you need to generate will dictate the size of kite you need/ Power kites have either two lines or four lines. The two-line variety gives the truest pull. The four line kites require a different technique to fly, the additional two lines act as brakes. The most commonly used kites used to be the two-line variety but this has moved to probably more 4 lines because of the greater control.
Buggies
These usually have 3 wheels with a sling seat that is set very low to keep your center of gravity low. Made with a stainless steel frame and inflatable tyres.
Sand Skis
There are a lot of different types of sand skis. Generally they look like snow skis but with a shorter ski. The foot attachments can either be in the form of boots or slip in straps. The ski itself is either made of a highly varnished hard wood or composite resign.
Land Boards
These look like really big skateboards. They have large inflatable wheels. The boards are usually made of laminated wood and carbon composites that are very
flexible and durable.
Accessories - Helmets
A helmet is always a good idea especially when learning.
Accessories - Harness
Land harness with quick release is both a comfort and safety issue. It has a quick release mechanism for instant disconnection from the kite in an emergency situation and is designed to remove the strain from your lower back and place the center of pull closer to your own center of gravity.
Accessories - Pads
When land boarding or sand skiing, elbow and knee guards are essential.
Choosing the Flying Area, Now for your first flight!
Requirements:
o Choose your flying area carefully.
o The kite lines are normally between 20 and 30m long, so make sure you have at least 60m radius safe flying area.
o Make sure that the area downwind is clear of rocks and other solid objects - impact at high speed can cause injury.
o If you are flying on hard ground wear suitable shoes.
Hot Tip: In strong wind and with larger kites it may be better to launch towards the edge of the window, the area at the side of the wind zone, where the initial power surge will be lessened and you reduce the risk of being dragged across the ground. The space directly to your right and left and extending directly overhead in an arc is known as the neutral zone. There are two factors that affect the size of your wind window. The first and most critical is wind speed, if you are flying in a strong wind the window will expand in comparison to a light wind where the window will shrink. The second will be the length of your lines, the longer your lines the greater your wind window will be. Longer lines also make maneuvers less precise.
Kite Buggying
o For your first venture out choose a suitable spot, a good open space with no hidden depressions in the ground or rocky outcrops.
o Prepare your gear and make sure that everything is in perfect working order.
o Wear the right clothes. If you are flying facing the sun a pair of sunglasses is a must. If you are on a field, wearing trousers could prevent nasty grass burns. When learning a helmet is also a good idea. The wind window is that space in which your kite will remain airborne; the window is a half hemisphere
in front and above the flier, with a radius equal to the length of your flying line.
With your back to the wind, the area directly down wind from you and about just above the ground is where you will get the strongest pull; this is known as the power zone. This is also the best place to launch your kite especially in light wind.
o Launch your kite and take it overhead into the neutral position.
o Fly your kite a bit from side to side get a feel for the pull and even let it pull you a little.
o When flying a kite with a buggy keep in mind that you will fly the kite on one side of you while you steer the buggy across the face of the wind (like
sailing or wind surfing).
o Now get into your buggy and slowly put your kite into the edge of the power zone. Be prepared for your buggy to slip a little while you and your kite settle.
o Keep an eye out for any unforeseen obstacles.
o As you gain confidence you can bring the kite lower and more into the power zone, this will cause you to gain speed so be prepared!
o As you gain speed you will find that you and the back of the buggy will start to be pulled sideways. You need to counter-steer the buggy to avoid veering
off track.
o Be careful when you cross from a dry patch to a wet/slippery patch, as this will cause the buggy to slip sideways.
o Skidding out is a useful way to slow down and can be used as a kind of brake.
o Another way to stop is to do a wide skid. This is done by doing quick, left-right maneuvers with your foot pegs or right-left depending on which direction you are heading. Then counter steer to avoid going into a spin and take your kite overhead into the neutral zone.
o One can simply take the kite overhead into the neutral zone but be careful doing this. If it means going through the power zone your kite will power up and pluck you out of the buggy. The best method would be to get the kite to the extreme edge of the wind and edge it upward from this position.
o In order to turn you will have to learn to gibe! To do this, do a wide skid as described above and bring your kite up. As you slow down, turn as sharply as possible as you lower your kite back into the power. The main key to doing this successfully is to synchronise the turn of the buggy and the kite motion.
Kite Land boarding - Surfing the Earth
The same safety and set up systems apply as for buggying. If you have some skateboarding experience this will be to your advantage.
o You can learn the basics of controlling your land board by simply standing on it and using it as a skateboard. This will help you figure out which foot is your front or riding foot.
o Try doing runs on your board down slopes to get used to the speed and how sensitive the boards' suspensions are. As well as how to control the motion by shifting your weight.
o Once you are comfortable with the board you are now ready to try it together with your kite.
o Set up your kite, launch it and get it into the neutral position. Put both feet into the board straps keep the board aimed across the face of the wind, then very slowly dip the kite into the power zone.
o Keep the kite high at first, as too much power will just pop you off the board.
o Keep your knees bent and lean back against the pull of the kite. Keep the kite in a tight figure of 8 pattern to keep the pull continuous.
o Keeping the kite low and in the power zone will generate a lot of traction and you will get to incredible speeds. To slow down use the same principles as for buggying i.e. allow the back to skid out at the same time bringing the kite overhead.
Kite Sand Skiing
The major difference between sand skiing and buggying or land boarding is that you use the kite to pull you directly down wind. Whereas with buggying and land boarding you move across the face of the wind. This affords you the ability to return to your original starting position. With sand skiing you need an obliging assistant to collect you at the other end.
Kite Jumping
Kite jumping uses the lift generated by a large power kite to lift the flyer into the air and then bring you down again.
What Do You Need?
You will require a large power kite in the region of 4 to 9 m² (65 to 100ft²), decent boots with good ankle protection, helmet (cycling helmet is fine) and elbow and knee pads are not a bad idea unless you want "war wounds" to show off. You will also need a decent flying site, free of people and other kites. Usually a beach with soft sand, not hard packed as this is like landing on concrete, and free of obstacles for at least 200m (220yds) downwind. The wind also needs to be free of turbulence so upwind of your flying site should be free of trees, buildings and hills. Turbulence is very dangerous and will cause the kite to behave unpredictably. It is usually best to have the wind coming off the sea or large body of water (at least 400m - 440yds - wide is usually enough to smooth out the wind).
How to Kite Jump
There are essentially two types of kite jumping. One way is to find a solid anchor point against which you can anchor yourself, such as a hole in the ground or sturdy log or boulder. It is important that your anchor point is smooth so you can be safely be dragged over it without injury.
Remember that the amount of power generated by power kites in strong wind is scary and you can get seriously injured, so take it easy and learn gradually getting used to the kite and its power. What you do is brace yourself against your anchor point and bring your kite across the wind window at about 45 degrees above the ground. (This position changes with wind speed, in strong wind the kite needs to be more overhead.) As the kite nears the centre of the widow arch the kite upwards. As you feel the power increasing push backwards and upwards and you will be pulled vertically into the air. Ensure the kite flies directly overhead and you should land softly. If you jump too soon you will be pulled horizontally causing you to land hard and fast. The answer is to delay the jump until the kite is more overhead. With experience you will be able to judge the timing.
The other way to jump is to fly the kite horizontally across the wind window at about 50 degrees above the ground and at the same time run like mad in the same direction as the kite i.e. across the wind. You are trying to stop the kite from flying through the power zone and out the other side. When you feel the power starting to build turn the kite upwards and back the way its come. As you get lifted off the ground remember to turn the kite back again to its original flight path.
The trick to this type of jump is timing. A very similar maneuver is performed when kite surfing so it is worth practicing as it will also give you a better feel of where and how a kite generates power and how to use this power to your best advantage. All types of power kiting has the potential to be extremely dangerous so be careful and remember that things can go wrong really, really fast!
Don't take chances and take your time learning the feel of the kite and your limitations. Good luck and have fun. |
Aspect Ratio
Aspect Ratio is a term you will hear a lot in the kiting world so What is Aspect Ratio?
In simple terms it is the relationship between the length and width of your kite. the width or size front to back on a kite is called the "Chord" and the length or size from left to right is called the "Span"
High Aspect Ratio - (4 and up)
High Aspect Ratio basically means that the kite is relatively narrow compared to its length, a typical high aspect ratio will be in the order of over 4, basically take a kite with a 5M span with a chord of 1.2M this will give you an aspect ratio of 4.16*, if the kite had a chord of 1M then you would get an aspect ratio of 5*
Low aspect Ratio - (2 - 3)
Basically the opposite to what has been described above, if you have a kite spanning 3.5M with a chord of 1.2M you will get an aspect ratio of 2.9*
So what does all this mean
High aspect ratio kites are more aimed towards the experienced kite flyer. These kites generate more lift than a low aspect ratio kite, they have a bigger upwind performance and a larger wind window. The down side is they are less stable and if depowered to fast they are likely to fall out of the sky. They are not recommended for the novice as they require a great deal of control and take offs and landings can be a problem. The experienced flyer will benefit from the increase in power, a must for many technical tricks and jumps.
Low aspect ratio kites are a lot more stable high up in the wind window however the the wind window is smaller, this results in a drop in the upwind performance. The advantage of low aspect ratio is the greater control over the power and greater maneuverability over high aspect ratio kites. These kites will relaunch with ease consistently power up. All this results in a the right kite for the beginner.
Medium Aspect Ratio
You guessed it, somewhere in the middle of the high and low aspect ratio kites. These give a good balance and allow the user to learn better control and flying techniques. There can be a considerable jump from low to high aspect ratio kites if you moved from a 2 to a 5, so a good intermediate system with be around a 3.5, however if you flyer a high level low aspect ratio of say 3 and moved to a low level high aspect ratio of say a 4 then most users would find this manageable and would not require a intermediate kite.
We hope this helps explain the main difference between high and low aspect ratios and remember power kiting is an extreme sport and care must be taken.
* Please note these calculations do not take into account the wing shape, they assume that the wing is square which we all know is not very common, a few flexifoils have this type of shape but most power kites have a curved design to the wing. |
General Questions & Answers
1) How Old Should You Be To Start Flying Kites?
While even a toddler enjoys kite flying with an adult, normaly a 6 year old can pilot a kite solo. For dual line stunt kites and large kites, they should be a minimum of 10 years. Remember "Stunt kites" require a certain level of understanding, so adult supervision is always recommended for children under the age of 16 years.
2) Does my kite need a tail?
Generally kites that require a tail come with one included. Many people add a tail merely for decorative purposes. However some tails are not only for decoration, when flying kites in strong winds the you will normaly find any kite will benefit from the stability that a tail provides.
3) Do I need to run to launch my kite?
You should never need to run to launch a kite. Nerely all modern kites are so light weight the smallest breeze is enough to get your kite aloft, just wait for the wind to inflate the sail.
4) What Kite Would You Recommend For A Beginner?
There are a lot of kites for beginners, but the key points to remember are :- What do you want to do with your kite. Tricks & Stunts?, Details of each kite with and recommended age can be found for all kites featured here. As a general rule, `soft` stunt kites fly slower so are easier to learn. For a beginner's stunt kite, look for either a flexible fibreglass frame that will be less likely to break, or a frame-less, spar less and thus `soft` power kite. They are easier to control and less likely to break upon crash landings.
5) My stunt kite won't fly... what's wrong?
The number one reason a stunt kite won't get off the ground is that you have not let out all of your flying line prior to launching.
6) My stunt kite is diving to the left (or right) and crashing. What's wrong?
The line is not even from each handle to the bridle or the swivel clip has slipped off of the tow point. |
Wind Conversion
The converter below is only to be used as a guide and we have added this to our site to help people convert from different forms of wind measurement.
Enter the unit you wish to convert click the convert button - You will need to click the reset button before before entering another value
Click Here For an XML product feed  |
Termanology Used
Below is some information on the termanology used in the kiting world and tips on how to achieve these manouvers, This is by no means all but a small taster
A Spin:
When doing a spin, pull one control line or the other (depending on whether you want the kite to turn left or right) and keep pulling until the kite has completed the spin.
Immediately after the spin, bring your hand back to its original position and the kite will again fly in a straight line. Although you will now have a twist in your lines the controls are exactly the same. Pull left, turn left, pull right, turn right. To remove the twist, simply spin the other way.
Jump stall:
Start with the kite just off center of the wind, in a wingtip stand. Next, spin the kite into the wind like you were going to land it onto it's opposite tip. When the kite is flat on it's belly during the rotation (nose away), you quickly pop both hands towards you, causing the kite to pop open facing down. Now lightly let one line out so the kite can rotate around pointing the nose up. Now hold the kite in a stall, and slide it out to one side. This trick is ideal for light wind flying, and requires a kite with a deep sail.
Helicopter:
Fly the kite to the top of the wind window (overhead). Pull both hands to bring it past that point. This will stall the kite. Extend your left hand (immediately) to initiate a left rotation float. You will have to move forward so that the lines stay under the kite as it floats. To end this trick, point the nose down and pull the kite back into the wind window.
What is Radical?
Radical maneuvers are the turns, dives or straight line passes that are normal sport kite maneuvers. Until fliers discovered the radical side of kites, kite designers considered "radical" kite behaviour to be a defect and tuned it out of their kites. Now it can be the basis for winning in competition.
Some radical tricks:
Snap Stall: The Kite stops downward in midair.
Axle: The Kite drops forewards and pivots horizontally around it's center.
Feather: The Kite floats on its back parallel to the ground. |
Advice & Safety Information
Flying Kites Can Be Great Fun - However to some who have never flown a kite it can be a nuisance.
Remember this basic advice and you should have many happy hours flying kites.
1) Never fly kites over other peoples heads or in an area where someone else may become injured from an out of control kite.
2) Keep away from overhead power & telephone lines.
3) Don't fly close to roads, landing a kite in a road could cause a serious accident.
4) Don't fly near airports.
5) Don't fly your kite in winds stronger than recommended.
6) Animals like dogs may attack your kite when you land it
REMEMBER SAFETY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FLYER, NOT THE SPECTATOR! |
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