Got the NPW5 4.8m in the mail today!!!!! I don't know if it's my 1st or 2nd kite?? I ordered it 2nd. I'll figure all that out later.

I couldn't get to it till dark. It's windy and gusty outside. I took it out in the yard and held the bridles in my fingers and tried to fly it with the wind going from 0 to 15 mph and changing directions every .04 of a second! Ha! It was still fun. Tomorrows winds are to be about 1 mph?!?!?? But, Friday about 9 or 10 mph. Maybe I can be careful and figure something out. I do have kite killers with it.....I know y'all are all so worried about me.....heh heh

Lobo :singing:

Just put some wheels on your kite boat and do work

Have fun and be safe. We don't want you to get hurt before the beamer gets there. I give you a month before you have atleast one more kite and a buggy or board.
You have the fever ... Its a kite thing

Congrats! Be careful with the NPW it get a mind of its own sometimes. Little note: If you can, fold it up at home. If the kite starts twisting out of control in the wind upon leaving it can get quite messy. But it always looks worse than it really is.

Just remember that nasa wings like a lot of brake.

Susan (npw goddess)

Thanks for the hints!

I got out today in a whopping 0 to 2 mph wind.....ha! I took off work and went out in the MS delta in a big grass field....I guess, just in case a cow or horse sneezed me a breeze.....or worse. :wow:

Well, actually I did get it up overhead a couple times. I don't ever remember running backwards that fast before!!

Anyway, it was still fun. Gave me a chance to get it all setup and hooked up and get a "touch" of a feel for it.

Now, tomorrow I'm off, and it's forecast at 10mph winds all day! So, I'll go from me dragging the kite all over field one day to it dragging me all over the field the next....ha! :frog:

Can't wait. Yes, I have kite killers. Yes, I'll put them on. Already got my scudding clothes lined up. They'll be my forever scudding clothes....until something is showing through that ain't s'post to be??!!??

Gonna be fun, fun, fun!! I just hope I'm able to sit at the computer tomorrow night and move my fingers to report that I'm still alive and still a happpy boy!!

Lobo :singing:

Good luck and stay safe.

Susan (npw goddess)

Thanks, Susan for the well wishing....I had good luck, and I did stay safe!

Well, I got out an wore myself out today. I spent about 3 hours in a field in the MS delta. The winds were not the predicted 10 mph.....more like from 0 to 8 with gusts to 10 or 11mph. Actually, it seemed perfect for training on this beautiful kite. When the wind occasionally went to 0.....I needed a break!!! And....I took a few more also!

I learned a lot!!! Doing is so much better than talking...ha! At first, I found it sometimes would just want to back down on it's own, and I couldn't get it to stop. Eventually, looking at it while is was airborne, I could see that if I held the power lines full, that it was still getting a little brake effect on the bottom of the kite. I was giving it a little brake to fly, which is what, I guess, most of them need....but, it looks like it is adjusted with a little brake in it already! So, that made life easier on me....to not have to try to hold a little brake while flying.

Anyway, got where I could put it anywhere I wanted to, and loop back and forth, or 3 or 4 loops, and then untwist with loops back. It looks so pretty moving all over the place. It was just great.

I kinda like to be up real high and do a slow dive off to the side and turn in and just skim (sometimes it was a solid brush) the ground all the way across the wind window....and then just stop at the outside edge of the window.

I also am glad I started with a quad line kite. It was great to be able to recover it off the ground, when I lost it, without having to go near the kite! And a fun challenge as well.

I crashed it nose down fairly hard 2 or 3 times....and lifted right back up again. Cool!

I'm sore.....yes, I'm sore. I think all you power kiters out there must have "Popeye" arms! Whew! I guess it actually hurt my hands more, pulling so on my finger joints.
I'll probably end up with a bar and harness someday. Surely it will be a little easier on the hands in time.....and maybe easier pull on you when buggying, as opposed to static flying?? Is this true....since the buggy is moving, you aren't having to pull so hard??:puzzled:

I let go once to see how well the kite killers work. You is as safe as a baby with those things on...hunh?!?! I only let it go like that one other time, while sliding on my "hinny"...not because of the slide, but because my hands became too painful. Marvelous, simple, great-working item.

Ha! I used a cardboard box as my first kite buggy!! :o I got at least 60 or 70 feet in it before it was a total loss. I thought about sliding downhill on cardboard as a kid, so, why not let my kite pull me on a flat grass surface. It was FUN while it lasted. Got yanked out of it and rolled a time or two once Since I could not steer the box, I would have a hard time when the kite wasn't directly in front of me.

I also practiced sitting a fair amount....as though in a buggy, per y'all's admonition on one post I read. Sooooooo, the seat of my "scudding" pants looks quite interesting. I never was able to stand and slide, but got a LOT of good slides on my rear! Ha! It was FUN!!:P

The wind is to be a little stronger tomorrow, and I may go out again.....I want to.....if my body will let me...heh heh.

I'll try to add a picture or two, if I can figure out how to get more than one in this post.

Oh yeah, my Beamer is in the mail as of today!!!! Yeah!!! Can't wait to try that sort or kite out also. Y'all just have too much fun with this stuff, don't you???? How do you ever get any work done??? Or do you??????;-)

Lobo :singing:

Well, I can't figure it out how to do multiple pics. So, the last one was my first kite buggy.....after use, of course!!

Here's a pic of a pretty kite down low.



Lobo

Another Pic:

Lobo

A pic of my best side!

Lobo

A pic of a wore out boy!!! :frog:

Lobo

nice to see you enjoying your kite. looks like your really having fun. fly safe.....:singing:

that looks like a great buggy field to me !!!:o:o
Kiting definately takes its toll on the hands and forearms. and for me anyway being in the buggy isn't any easier on the arms and hands. Its easier when your going down wind, but when your trying to work up wind its labor. Glad you had fun and I noticed your offline alittle earlier tonight than in the past

Thanks, strictlycarved!

dlish89, yeah, it is a great buggy field. Only thing is it is a crop field for Bermuda Hay. So, in a short time, it will be off limits, at least off the little center line "road" I'm on. But, after the last crop of the summer (he tries to get 4 in a season), it'll be open.....and who knows....I just might have a buggy by then.

Yeah, needed a little rest last night! Ha! But, even the "pain" was kinda fun. It's definitely a good way to get some exercise....as you know!

dlish89....thanks for getting me this kite.....and for getting the Beamer in the mail so fast after you got home! I appreciate that!! Hope you had great winds, and a great time at the beach!!!

Lobo :singing:

When you are flying without a harness your hands do get tired. Most everyone gets a seat harness to take the pull of the kite. This lets you fly all day without getting tired.

Have fun and stay safe.
Susan (npw goddess)

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4 When you are flying without a harness your hands do get tired. Most everyone gets a seat harness to take the pull of the kite. This lets you fly all day without getting tired. Have fun and stay safe. Susan (npw goddess)

Wow! Now that sounds good! I guess you are able to "release" if needed.....almost as quick as with kite killers...or how do you get an "extra life" if you get in trouble. I know, you folks have got enough experience that you don't get into trouble....right??:wow:

Could you maybe send me a link to one of these seat harnesses? I'd love to see what one looks like and, of course, how much $.

I just got back in from about 2 hours out kiting with my wife trying out the NPW. She likes it....and is impressed with the pull power! It hurts her hands too. Maybe we're just older than we are willing to admit. Well, we're still gonna fly! What do we say?......."Fly till You Die!!!!!!"

She did have fun.....and I enjoyed snuggling up so close to "teach" her......heh heh.

I know all this fun is old hat to you folks, and I carry on like a kid in a candy store....well, I am a kid.....and thanks for listening to all the raving....and for the help and encouragemnt!!

Lobo :singing:

When I was out flying the other day I was having soo much fun I was ignoring the pain until my wife was yelling at me because it was time to go eat. It was then I realized I couldn't open my hands to let go of the handles I had to pry each finger from the handles ... It was a great day!! Power kiting is a great, fun way to get in shape. The handles that come with the beamer are alittle softer, maybe those will be easier on your hands. Also you could put alittle soft spongy pipe insulation on the handles to help out.