PowerKiting
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First,
there are lots of resources regarding power
kiting and I'm no expert. I have several kites,
yes, and I enjoy playing in strong winds (I sent
Vickee a series of pictures of me being dragged
and lifted by one of the kites she sold me, a
SkyTiger 26. Heck of a good ride, that one). And
yes, my jeep is rigged with special tow hooks and
guards. I attach myself to the jeep and then the
kites to me. Yowza, it's some fun! You can get
lots of listings regarding powerkiting and kite
jumping on the 'net. If you have trouble finding
some let me know and I'll send you some lists.
Second and very important, I'm not encouraging
you to do these things. In fact, I'm putting it
in writing here that I'm DISCOURAGING you from
doing these things.
Third, having DISCOURAGED you from this
foolhardiness, I'll share with you what I've
learned.
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| Any kind of powerkiting is potentially
dangerous, and I've learned to be careful by
getting bumped and bruised in the learning
process. Start small. Alot goes into computing
how much lift you'll get in what kind of wind
from what kind of kite. I'm not tiny (I'm just
over 6' tall and I weigh 236# with most of my
weight in my chest, back, arms and legs). My SkyTiger
26 can pull me off my feet in a 15mph wind if I'm
not paying attention. I can be flat on my back on
the ground and the SkyTiger will lift me to
standing in a 20mph wind with me pulling back on
the lines (kind of like doing pull ups, not
bending at the waist). In stronger winds, if I
fly the SkyTiger at the sweetspot of the flight
envelope (about 65 degrees above the horizon and
parallel to the wind) I'll be lifted. This is
where you have to be careful (helmet, knee and
elbow pads, wrist guards if you want them. If
you're in an uneven field where there may be
rocks or stumps or logs, consider leather chaps
or thick sweats until you feel confident). As
soon as you are lifted the geometry changes. You
are no longer attached to the earth, the kite no
longer has the drag angle to the lines which got
you airborne in the first place, and you become a
two body pendulum with the mass of the second
pendulum (the kite) being determined by the
surface area, angle of attack (of the wind) and
speed of the wind at the kite surface. |
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What I tell you next is extremely important and
could save your life; YOU CAN ALWAYS LET GO OF
THE KITE! I'm serious. You can get injured
falling from five feet or from fifty, but a five
foot drop you will probably walk or at least
crawl away from. A fifty foot drop? Make sure you
carry insurance. So, when you get dragged too
far, too fast, or begin to think you're going too
high, LET GO OF THE KITE.
The other version of this is that, if you are
using a quadline kite (the NPWs, SkyTigers,
QuadraFoils, CQuads, Quad Deltas, ...) just
release any tension on the upper lines (or alternately, increase tension on the lower lines). You're
releasing the air when you do this and
essentially applying the brakes. The kites will
shoot down, and you with it. Having said all
that, you should also know that you have to be
able to steer your wing once you're airborne in
order to make as safe as possible a landing. Also
to stay airborne as much as possible. The larger
the kite, the more you're hangliding but without
the control or a true hanglider. |
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| For all these reasons I suggest you start with a
small quadline kite or a good dual line kite
(Stylus series is good and I'm sure Vickee can
recommend others). Give yourself the time to
learn how to steer and catch the wind, how to
recover, and most important to learn how much
pull a given kite will have in a given wind.
Please, please, please don't go out with a big
kite your first time out, put it up in a high
wind, and go for your first and last ride in one
day. Take your time and you'll get a hell of a
good ride, love it and be able to walk away to
ride again tomorrow. |
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Ok. Now. Using my size as a guide... I use my
SkyTiger, my NPW, CQuad and my Maxima (not sure if
they still make those) for powering. The Maxima
(a 10'+ delta) will pull me around but not get me
off the ground. Even in the strongest winds, I'm
too big for it to seriously lift unless I help it
alot. More often than not my weight against a
strong wind will damage the kite (this has
happened in the past so I'm careful now). The
Maxima is a dual line, strutted kite which is
excellent for getting a feel for the air and
rapidly changing winds. My SkyTiger will pull me
around in a reasonable wind and lift me in a good
wind. In strong winds I use the jeep to anchor me
because the 'Tiger will snap me hard if I'm not
paying attention. The CQuad 3.2 -- my God -- even
a gentle wind and that'll have me across my
fields. Anything over 10mph and I'm rigging
myself to the jeep. The CQuad will easily lift me
for a good distance in winds over 15mph. I'll let
you know about the NPW in a few weeks. If I
survive. |
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How to judge windspeed if you don't have an
anemometer handy
If you can run a 6 minute mile
you're running at 10mph. The wind you feel
running a 6 minute mile is what is lifting the
kite in a 10mph wind. A bicycle rider will
usually travel along at 12-15mph on a flat, even
surface. The wind you feel riding a bike is
what's lifting the kite in a 12-15mph wind. Get
in your car and drive at 20mph with your hand
cupped forward out the window. The wind you feel
is what's lifting your kite in a 20mph wind.
Remember that the surface area of your kite is
larger than your body or your hand.
Remember to fly safe. When you go out with a big,
new kite or even a moderate size kite with which
you're unfamiliar, take a buddy with you. Yes, I
fly solo (I have quite a few different kites),
but I don't do serious powering solo. |
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