Power Kite Forum

Solo BowTies

Drewculous - 6-6-2009 at 09:05 AM

So if you jump, land, and you kite deflates and crumples, you pull it out, but it doesnt quite go right

and you get something like this....

(not me haha)


if you are flying solo, other than staking and running up to the kite, is there a way to manipulate the lines to pull the kite out of this?? Ive tried every combo of push and pulls, but nothing makes it come loose... Any tricks from the masters?

kitejumper - 6-6-2009 at 10:34 AM

you mean the kite isnt normally flown this way??? i fly mine like that all the time! just kidding!! when my kite bow ties,sometimes i can just shake it out if its not too bad and its near the edges....otherwise i walk down and fix it

arkay - 6-6-2009 at 11:28 AM

that pic the kite has flipped 1/2 inside out. I usually wil try to shake it out, but pretty much you're srewed :p I can't imagine anything you could do at te handles/bar to fix. if the bridal is over the wing tip it would likely shake out, but towards the midle of the kite, the easiest thing to do is stake it and twist it out.

this happened to me a few weeks bak when i was flying my 7m blaze. The wind died for a minute or so and my kite did an olympic calibur dive to the ground. of course the wind picked up and i couldnt stake it then as the way the kite was flapping it was pulling the stake out. luckily I cones a few beach goers to sit on the kite while I staked and got up there to fix.

if i was completely alone i guess i wouuld have backed the kite up to an object, taken off the center lines (on a bar) staked th brake lines and prayed! It hurts to think about backing the kitr up to a log or the dunes :o

macboy - 6-6-2009 at 10:24 PM

I'd think you should / might be able to grab one brake line (preferably with something other than your hands) and let go of the bar? The bar should shoot to the kite leaving it flapping on one wing tip?

Maybe you could hook it around something sticking out of the ground? If you've got a knife you could hook the line around your harness hook but be ready to cut if my theory didn't pan out ; )

Actually to be honest, when the Phantom bowties on a botched launch I go to the leash which is essentially the same thing, stake down, go to the flapping kite, sort it and relaunch.

PHREERIDER - 7-6-2009 at 07:46 AM

if you let it flag out on the leash it can sometimes come untied , but a complete reset is at hand and if you re solo walk up the flag line to the kite to secure

if you are in the water fly it back like it is, even inverted it will stiil get you back, they fly inverted well enough get you around

THE SAFETY, IT'LL BE TWISTED IF YOU LET SPIN OUT CONTOL FOR TOO MANY TURNS. LET IT FLAG QUICKLY IF YOU SEE IT COMING THEN GO TO THE KITE AND FLOAT IN.

SUDDEN REDIRECT AND PULLING IN WILL PREVENT A BOWTIE , BUT THEY ARE USUALLY CAUSED BY ABRUPT HANDLING WITH NOT ENOUGH BACK LINE TENSION.

NOT A FAN OF ATTACHING THE KITE TO ANYTHING. LEARN HOW TO HANDLE THE RIG SOLO.


"Crumples and deflates" not sure what you mean by this. if this occurs it is not going back up. never had this happen.

with PL closed cell kites if it goes down (in the water esp.) it will retain internal pressure but corrective action has to immediate ..quick! within a few seconds after about 5-10sec every second after that... success will be escaping. if you let it flag on top of the water, line management is tedious, and orientation is lost quickly, it can be done. but after 45sec (or so ) if its not looking PERFECT then wrap lines and get to the kite, roll the ends together for rescue drag.

the kite will take on water and sink. the water elements described are not the for the novice and require quick deliberate action.

line management, board, kite, in 20mph +swell. focus grasshopper ... if there's wind the kite will pop right back up in the first second or two and you should n't have to worry about all that any way.

Berg25 - 7-6-2009 at 10:25 AM

I guess TS is talking about his twister. Actually you can undo the bowtie while flying. Fly it up to the zenith and then let the kite deflate by pulling the brakes. You need a bit off luck, but usually with a couple of tries the kite will untie.