Power Kite Forum

How to Kite Buggy

John Holgate - 11-2-2016 at 01:36 PM

I think Kite Buggying has been my all time favorite hobby but it took me a little while to come to grips with and I made lots of mistakes like losing ground downwind and coming to a stop pointing too much into the wind. So I've put a video together that I hope might help save the odd kite buggier or two from making some of the same mistakes I did. It's all basic stuff and it assumes you've got the static flying up to speed.

BeamerBob - 11-2-2016 at 04:05 PM

Looking forward to watching on wifi and the big screen.

Windstruck - 11-2-2016 at 04:22 PM

Just watched it John. A fine video indeed. Nice to see some action from the paddock. I was starting to think you had moved to the beach! :cool:

John Holgate - 11-2-2016 at 08:37 PM


Quote:

I was starting to think you had moved to the beach! :cool:


I wish!! Got the lotto ticket in my pocket. :D

3shot - 12-2-2016 at 04:39 AM

I did win 200 bucks yesterday. So thats a start towards a beach home in Jekyll Island!! Lol

ssayre - 12-2-2016 at 05:28 AM

That's great John, nice work. Brought back a lot of memories of figuring all that stuff out in my grass fields.

IMK - 16-2-2016 at 01:57 AM

Fantastic vid John.:thumbup:

Randy - 16-2-2016 at 06:44 AM

Really good video. Your warning about not using your feet for brakes alone may save some broken legs. I don't know if I will ever do buggying - but I will sure keep that in mind if I do.

soliver - 16-2-2016 at 07:06 AM

Great stuff John!... I still have the bad habit of the Fred Flintstone style footbrake stop... that would have been enormously helpful for me a few years ago... good stuff for sure.

Man I need to go kiting :no:

Windstruck - 16-2-2016 at 07:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by soliver  
Man I need to go kiting :no:


Man you need to tell us about your 10m NS3! :eureka:

John Holgate - 16-2-2016 at 01:51 PM

Many thanks guys!

RedSky - 16-2-2016 at 03:23 PM

John are you aware that you have an Australian accent? I thought you were Italian. A gem of a video, wish I had this when i started out.
You are so fortunate to have all that land to ride on. You could easily hold a meet on it.

John Holgate - 16-2-2016 at 09:32 PM


Quote:

John are you aware that you have an Australian accent?


Damn, I forgot to put on my radio announcer's voice! Funny, it never strikes me as Australian - only nasally!!

And yep, going to have a meet out here one day. The grass is nice and short now, the sheep pellets are dry....ish. All I need is a nice steady easterly wind and I'll invite the locals over.

soliver - 17-2-2016 at 12:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck  
Quote: Originally posted by soliver  
Man I need to go kiting :no:


Man you need to tell us about your 10m NS3! :eureka:


Ok,... My 10m NS3 is friggin' awesome....

Done... ok now what?

JK,... what do you wanna know? its big and powerful and I had a really decent sesh with it last time I was out (in November :no: )... It turns really quite well with the stock bar. If I can wrangle up some time I'll edit my go pro footage from that session and post it. But for me right now, spare time is like leprechauns riding on unicorns... man, that'd be cool but it just doesn't happen... Spare time is for sleeping.

soliver - 17-2-2016 at 12:02 PM

Wait a minute... John's Australian?!?!?!?! ... I thought that was Alabama!!!!

Windstruck - 17-2-2016 at 01:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soliver  
Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck  
Quote: Originally posted by soliver  
Man I need to go kiting :no:


Man you need to tell us about your 10m NS3! :eureka:


Ok,... My 10m NS3 is friggin' awesome....

Done... ok now what?

JK,... what do you wanna know? its big and powerful and I had a really decent sesh with it last time I was out (in November :no: )... It turns really quite well with the stock bar. If I can wrangle up some time I'll edit my go pro footage from that session and post it. But for me right now, spare time is like leprechauns riding on unicorns... man, that'd be cool but it just doesn't happen... Spare time is for sleeping.


Thanks for the update! Glad you liked it. She is a handful. Nothing quite like 10 square meters of ripstop attached to a fixed bridle when the base wind and gusts end up being much stronger than when you started your session. Don't let anybody tell you NS3s don't have lift. I was lifted right out of my buggy with her late last summer. It was sort of like an OBE on super slo mo.

BTW, Van is getting my rails to the powdercoater this week in time for my trip next month to Ivanpah for IBX. His deep seat should hug me as you and others have said so maybe OBEs like that will soon be a thing of the past. :karate:

m00ms - 23-2-2016 at 01:15 PM

hi john and ive just watched your video which is great.static flying was always just my aim but i am getting drawn towards buggy idea once ive learnt to fly my beamers better.

there seams to be lots of buggys for sale on ebay near to me but not sure if the local field to me would like a buggy going around it.ive had no complaints about static flying so far.

i have found a coastal site about 1&1/2 hours away that does lessons there so once i can fly better i might at least go and give it a go.

John Holgate - 23-2-2016 at 02:04 PM


Quote:

i have found a coastal site about 1&1/2 hours away that does lessons there so once i can fly better i might at least go and give it a go.


My local beach is a little over 1 1/2 hours drive away too. The difference in how smooth the wind is, is incredible. It's so much nicer to fly in. Depending on your local tide heights - you may end up being able to kite 1 - 2 hours either side of low tide. You'll get stuck in the soft sand, but if you stick below the last high tide mark, it should be nice and hard to buggy on. Off shore wind may be crappy depending what obstacles there are behind the dunes so always try for a direct on shore breeze.

bengineer - 26-2-2016 at 07:57 AM

Thanks for the info John!
I didn't hear any mention of brakes. Do buggys have brakes? If not, why?

ssayre - 26-2-2016 at 06:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bengineer  
Thanks for the info John!
I didn't hear any mention of brakes. Do buggys have brakes? If not, why?


Nope. No brakes. Really not necessary. You slow down and stop by changing your direction of travel in various ways and by kite placement and or changing angle of attack of kite by manipulating bar on depower.

WELDNGOD - 26-2-2016 at 07:47 PM

The brake system for the parakart must be a wind brake done by the kite.

Bladerunner - 27-2-2016 at 11:03 AM

Windstruck,

Don't look at your new side rails as a CURE for OBE! They will allow you to take more power down low but if you mess up with the kite up high you are still going OB.

Probably your best investment to save from OBE would be the BigKid AQR, quick release. Not sure he has perfected one for depower kites yet ?

John,

What is up with the old skool set up using both chicken loop and a D-loop?

hiaguy - 27-2-2016 at 02:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner  
Probably your best investment to save from OBE would be the BigKid AQR, quick release. Not sure he has perfected one for depower kites yet ?

Yup. :wee:

Windstruck - 27-2-2016 at 02:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner  
Windstruck,

Don't look at your new side rails as a CURE for OBE! They will allow you to take more power down low but if you mess up with the kite up high you are still going OB.

Probably your best investment to save from OBE would be the BigKid AQR, quick release. Not sure he has perfected one for depower kites yet ?

John,

What is up with the old skool set up using both chicken loop and a D-loop?


I'm certain you are right. I didn't mean to imply that I'd not OBE with Van's rails. Rather, I thought I might have avoided that particular sort of slow motion OBE if I had a deep seat that hugged my sides. Other's with Van's buggies have noted something to this effect. I fully realize my best insurance policy against OBE is good piloting, kite selection, and actually paying attention all the time. Good luck with all that, self. :lol:

John Holgate - 27-2-2016 at 03:24 PM


Quote:

What is up with the old skool set up using both chicken loop and a D-loop?


That's for the Nasa Star 3 - all the force is on the bar, so the trapeze loop solves that (but you can't spin it) and the center line clipped separately to the harness is the depower/safety line.


Quote:

I didn't hear any mention of brakes. Do buggys have brakes? If not, why?


I've only ever seen a couple buggys that actually have brakes - both custom modifications. But using the kite and/or turning upwind slows you down pretty quick. Or you can throw the buggy into a hard downwind turn which can stop you just about dead in your tracks.

ssayre - 27-2-2016 at 05:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck  
Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner  
Windstruck,

Don't look at your new side rails as a CURE for OBE! They will allow you to take more power down low but if you mess up with the kite up high you are still going OB.

Probably your best investment to save from OBE would be the BigKid AQR, quick release. Not sure he has perfected one for depower kites yet ?

John,

What is up with the old skool set up using both chicken loop and a D-loop?


I'm certain you are right. I didn't mean to imply that I'd not OBE with Van's rails. Rather, I thought I might have avoided that particular sort of slow motion OBE if I had a deep seat that hugged my sides. Other's with Van's buggies have noted something to this effect. I fully realize my best insurance policy against OBE is good piloting, kite selection, and actually paying attention all the time. Good luck with all that, self. :lol:


Had a great session today. Hotwire is like being married to my buggy we are together for better or for worse but obe not possible :D Remember the camera adds 50 pounds at least. :)