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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 )... 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.
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 )... 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:
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.
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.
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.
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?
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:
Go ahead... tell me to "go fly a kite!" Please!
Howard - used to be KC67
Fly: A quiver of Lynx' and Cores (did someone say "Pansh"?), a couple o' Arcs, and a Rev to remind me about control
Ride: PL XR+
Where: 43.857899, -78.941661 and 38.970951, -74.828922
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.
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.
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.
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.
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