Power Kite Forum

Advice for ex-flyer looking to return

r7stuart - 17-4-2016 at 04:54 PM

Hi everyone!

I did a bunch of flying and buggying in England back in '01-'04 using Blade I/II, Ozone Razor/Little Devil, JoJo RM/RM+, PL Comp. 12 years on, I live in Michigan USA and am looking to get back into the sport. I have a couple of my old kites with me (3.5m Razor and 6.5m Century from my sig; the others are still in the UK), but I'm looking for help with a few questions:

- where on earth do folks buy PL buggies in the USA? It seems that buggying is relatively unusual here compared to surfing, and I've had a tricky time finding sellers;
- what sorts of contemporary kites would be the closest equivalents of the brands/styles I mentioned above?
- what does the standard safety setup look like nowadays, for 4-line static flying and buggying (last time I flew regularly it was helmet + handles only; I wasn't a big fan of strops);
- any USA or MI-specific laws or insurance requirements to watch out for?
- any known good MI sites for land kiting in particular?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Cheers,

Stuart

riffclown - 17-4-2016 at 05:02 PM

I was gog to refer you to a few places that have had them in the past. But I do see Kitty Hawk Kites carries them on their website.. Call the Nags Head store and tell Dino that Rob sent you..
http://store.kittyhawk.com/Kite-Buggy-C297.aspx

BTW they have a discount for AKA members. Remember to ask for it if you qualify.

Nags Head - Kitty Hawk Kites
3925 S. Croatan Hwy
Nags Head, NC 27959
(252) 449-2210

abkayak - 17-4-2016 at 05:09 PM

Welcome ...get some gloves and a bug and sounds like your good to go

Bladerunner - 18-4-2016 at 11:36 AM

Welcome,

Yes, the sport is growing on water and snow but land kiting remains pretty rare.

PKD is still around but only online. Ozone is out of the FB kites. Newer FB kites use cross ribs and stuff to reduce bridle. I might suggest it will be worth looking at shipping what you left behind out. Still decent kites!

Common sense rules for gear. I wear a helmet every time I fly a kite. The rest I add depending on the situation.

BigKid has developed his own special AQR quick release for buggies and FB kites. It isn't a commercial item but possibly the best new option for a safety.

The sport isn't organized enough for us to have personal insurance. NAPKA is a club for insuring liability at kite gatherings but that is about it. Your household insurance should cover you but I wouldn't want to prove it!

Kiting is banned in some locations. Not sure about your area?