Well, I flew the Tensor yesterday evening for the first time and I have to say the conditions had to have been perfect for 'firsts'. The wind was not what you experienced guys would call good, but for what I was doing...

It was 3-6 or so..and I think maybe it gusted to 8-10 once.

The kite could fly without yanking me all over the field...and I was able to experience many different conditions:

* The kite luffing at the edge of the window, and how to recover.
* Differences in pull based on wind speed changes.
* Reverse launching.
* Dropping to safety (practiced this throughout the evening).
* A 'gust'. It wasn't much...but the kite responded instantly. I fully see how you can be surprised and caught unaware with stronger winds. I was already 'buckled down', so this was my 'scudding' experience..about 2 feet or so on grass.
* what happens to your hands if you are too excited to take the time to look for your old motocross gloves.

Setting up/packing up was no big deal...just having to think about procedure order so I could treat the kite like a 'loaded gun' and be aware when it was possible for it to power up.

The bad and the ugly. Even though I was trying to be aware of everything around me:
1) A kid came over while I was resting for a second. He appeared to be autistic or developmentally delayed based on his behavior for someone his age (7-10). I smiled inside, thinking this is going to be great for him...but then he started walking in front of me down the lines and I had to as gently but firmly as possible tell him to please stay away from the lines and the kite. I thought he had walked off, but I heard crinkling and looked up...and he was pulling on the leading edge of the kite, with my water bottle weights rolling down and off towards the trailing edge. I wasn't worried about the kite...but I had to yell at him to get away, it was dangerous...etc. His parents were nowhere to be seen. Next time I see a situation in which I sense behavior from a spectator may be abnormal, I'll just stake the brakes and hang out.

2) As I was flying, with the wind fluctuating between weak-luff-drop/stronger-pull-recover, a dad and his 4-5 year old daughter walked from an angle to my left and behind headed in front of me and to the right straight under the lines. They came out of nowhere. The lines were low at that point, the kite was passing from right to left..and I figured if it powered up it was going to speed left and the lines were going to knock both of them down hard - at best. I dropped to safety which caused the man and daughter to stop as the lines dropped right in front of them and the Dad says, "whoops, let's go around."

I've read it here...but I can really see that you have to watch out for the safety of those around you...because they aren't. They don't see the need...they just see a big toy.

Other than those two things making me nervous it was awesome. :wee:

now thats an awesome account for a first flight...............building kite skillz and situational awareness.......................

Sounds like you had a great first flight! You're observing and learning fast... enjoy!

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I've read it here...but I can really see that you have to watch out for the safety of those around you...because they aren't. They don't see the need...they just see a big toy.

This one won't go away... I've had folks try to grab my handles while i am flying.

That’s great. You seem to be off and running so to speak.

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Originally posted by j0fer I fully see how you can be surprised and caught unaware with stronger winds.

Be prepared for more of the same as you get accustomed to the kite and experience more variable (for me at least) conditions . There have been days (I am inland) where the wind is blowing just on the edge of too much and I cannot keep the kite in the air because of the pockets. Full power to no power – falls out of the sky into a ball or floats into the power zone and POP.

As for the other people, I have had those days. I have several places I can go to fly. So, if one site is too busy, I just try one of the others. I learned to avoid anyplace that is having an organized event. Even if there is plenty of room, I am too much of a distraction to kids who are supposed to be playing soccer. I’m even in the other field on the other side of a tree line. One advantage to using the same location is people get used to you and the problem subsides.

Enjoy.

Definitely approaching this the right way, good on ya! Welcome to the addiction!

I had a kid with an RC airplane come up while I was flying and I swear to god he was trying to take me out!

You sound like our kind of people !

Safe sensible and polite to the uneducated !

Like folks are saying those foolish people will always be a hazard.

Welcome to the addiction !

Second Blade here. Awesome to get a report form someone who pays attention, isn't reckless and has a focus on safety.

Wish more beginners were like this.

Don't give me too much credit...a lot of that has to do with the 4+ decades of "oh crap...that was dumb".

Wow, that sounds like an overall great experience. You have a good head on your shoulders

The general public, especially those that have never seen a power kite before, tend to freak out about them... or at least act abnormally... which I don't really understand, as the first time I saw a traction kite I could clearly see that it was just a big, four line kite. But anyway, I guess most people don't see that. The list of people's reactions to traction kites/other equipment over time will steadily grow increasingly long and more random. Usually they will stand there and ask you, what seems to us at least, ridiculously stupid questions. Those people are mostly harmless. Another majority will not only ask you stupid questions, but will mess with your gear thinking they are "helping" when they are not; most of the time, they are actually putting themselves in danger. The rest of the group is just too random to call. We all have our own personal experiences... there's no telling what people will do around these things. It seems to me though that you have the right idea. Be aware of the surroundings and try to educate the curious ones.

Have fun with it!

Nice write up. Sounds like it's all going to plan (touch wood). You are probably aware already, but small children don't have much peripheral vision, plus if they're chasing something, they are only concentrating on what they're chasing. And not too many of them know not to walk over the lines of a parked kite - that goes for the bigger ones too!

Sounds like the start of a beautiful relationship !

That's might be an awesome flight for you. Soon I will be doing it and I will make a note of your experience so that I can enjoy it too. Some more tips........?

jimmie8taylor,

Absolutely...but these are just my opinions...and those of someone with no experience in power kiting...but loads in various types of racing as well as general aviation:

When you have your first flight(s)...first thing you need to do is practice dropping the kite to the kite killers or whatever safety mechanism it has. Like...for as long as you can without getting bored.

In a panic situation or period of kinesthetic overload (like that moment right before you fall over backwards in a chair, or you start getting yanked skywards)...the human reaction is a grasp reflex, or to hold on. You can watch it happen real time in YouTube videos of people getting on a motorcycle for the first time. They're putting along and they hit a little bump and it startles them, and all of a sudden they're at full throttle with a death grip.

Telling yourself "I'll just let go if I get into trouble" isn't good enough. You're working against instinct, the body's default programming...which always wins. Also, I learned in some other training once that "in a panic situation your brain disconnects from your body, so you've got to show your body what to do without instructions from the brain...'cause it's going to be busy doing something else (panicking!)".

You're going to be nervous and excited on those first flights, and you need to utilize the nervousness and heightened awareness to reprogram your mind and muscles, while they are paying attention, with the concept that releasing or letting go in a feeling of panic is a viable option. Sounds silly, but you have to train your body like it's a toddler with a short attention span. "I know this feeling...do *this* to be safe."

So all those self instructions you give yourself ahead of time: "I'll be careful" "I'll watch for dangerous gusts" "I won't jump that high" "I'll just go to kite killers" are worthless...as the Internet between your brain and your body is going to be down when that time comes and your body won't have access to download them when needed. It's got to have them cached already.

I would imagine that when adding a harness, switching to depower, etc...there is a whole new set of body programming that needs to happen. "Release the chicken loop like *this* when in trouble" "Depower like *this* in an emergency" "Pull the Quick Release like *this*".

Broke my left leg in '92. Broke my right wrist 3 times in '93. Had my left knee scoped in '94. Broke my left foot in '95. Had my bell rung in '97. All due to extreme sports. If possible, I'd really like to stay out of the ER in this venture.

^^^ good advice, all! Experience is a great teacher. lol Keep that mind set and you will stay safe(as can be expected!)