Brian Holgate and I were at the Friday Night Kite gathering in Las Vegas last night and dealing with almost no wind whatsoever. I could barely roll
with my 5.4m Vapor. So Brian got out his 10.8m Reactor II. It was working ok but we're on grass and really only have 1-3 mph winds. He decides to
see how it does on double lines (he flies 30m lines anyway) so now its at 60m. He does better in the bug now and when he finally avoids the walk of
shame and makes it back to camp, I want to give it a try. It's like flying the kite remote control its so far away. And then the lights go out.
Brian taunts me to fly it in a 360 and I decline at first but decide why not.
I've done this a dozen times before but of course never with almost 200 feet of line. I fly to the right then swoop left and take off. Eager to
finish, I run around the circle a little more than optimal and needed to run backwards a bit more, but eventually got around the 360.
Ok, now Brian has to try because he hasn't done it ever either. He does it with great form, barely walking away from the kite and about 300 degrees
around, barely touches the top of a soccer goal frame, then while about 195 feet away from a really tall palm tree, the kite hits and the bridles wrap
around the tree. All is well, and it came down with the help of his flag pole, though. I bet he'll get it next time the wind isn't blowing.
That big 10.8 on those long lines felt like it would fly inside a coliseum. Most of the time the wind was barely perceptible. I was regretting
having sold mine. Might need to get a big day saver in the quiver again.lad - 10-3-2012 at 04:18 PM
Sounds a bit like this :smug:
When he was doing lo-wind Deadman's Turns with the 8.3 R1 bigkid - 10-3-2012 at 05:08 PM
The longer lines are quite a bit different. The biggest difference is the reaction time of the kite, like operating a big boat, you do everything to
make the change of direction and than wait for it to happen.
2 of us flew with 200 foot lines in 1 to 2mph wind at the beach and after the learning curve of changing direction in the bug we had a great time
bugging up and down the beach.
Like you we did not have the room to do a 360 but, NABX is coming up and during the calm of the day there is more than enough room.
I tried last year with 200 foot lines and my 13m Century during the calm of the day but as the kite got up to the zenith it was way to much kite and
leaving the ground for loftier heights it was all I could do to apply all the brakes and wait for it to come back to earth. A 10m would have been a
better choice but one of those was not in my quiver at the time.
Good luck with the new found sport of distant flying.Drewculous - 10-3-2012 at 05:09 PM
sweet... i just got done with a lightish wind sesh... it was either >5 or 25.... not fun blade weather
Brian taunts me to fly it in a 360 and I decline at first but decide why not.
I've done this a dozen times before but of course never with almost 200 feet of line. I fly to the right then swoop left and take off. Eager to
finish, I run around the circle a little more than optimal and needed to run backwards a bit more, but eventually got around the 360.