Obviouslly I am new to the sport....


I have been flying at an abandoned airport here in the mountains and had recentlly purchased a 3.5 M hq hydra trainer kite. I had been flying this location for several weeks and practicing new things and gotten good at lself launching and Scudding, The airport is somewhere near 500 meters by about 100 feet wide with a wind sock at both ends and I was easilly scudding myself both Ass scudding ( with butt pads in my shorts, I am also a downhill biker ) and on a modified skateboard ( crisco spray on a wax base slides rediculouslly easy on lightly dewed grass ) . I had been, on this day Sliding the entire length of the field quite confidentlly and consistantlly with average windspeeds 25kmh gusting to 28 kmh... perfect. I had recentlly been watching vieos of pendulum jumps and decided to attempt some jumps ( i know all about the 5M jumping rule ) Was easilly and consistantlly jumping 10 feet into the air all afternoon when the winds decided to Change suddenlly, I had ( as before ) jumped into the air using the pendulum tecnique but this time As I hit the apex of the jump I heard the lines Sing and Instead of Decline I began a rapid acent, In less than a second I was looking down upon trees and people that suddenlly became very small and looking skyward with Gasps of astonishment, I estimate I was 30-40 feet intp the air at this point. I swung hard on the bar and slipped a grip that was also unfortuneatelly the wrist that had the Emergency brake on it, thus collapsing the kite and falling to the earth, Broke my ankle in 2 places and Now recovering with 2 titanium plates in it.. ( matching my titanium femur from a biking accident i suppose ) I later looked on the weather report for the time of my injury and discovered that the weather had indeed changed and thet the wind was at the time of incident 30 kmh with gusts between 54-58 Kmh..


.........I am posting this story For all the new Kiters to see that One can indeed get owned by even a trainer kite and that the wind will always win. I dont blame the Kite, I blame the pilot.. Who is keen on any suggestions from those of you who are veterans at this sport and also keen to again fly, though I believe I'll save jumping for something to do over water, I have 2 months to dream and 3 till I can strap my board on and Ride the frozen lakes.

Since this accident I have learned about the FPL landing technique used by para troopers
NOT to LEt the kite Hover at zeinith
Keep the kite close to the ground in high gusty winds
Know your limits
And that if You brake your ankle, you will have a much easier time using the kite through the power zone to Drag yourself to the car at the fields edge... instead of walking, which, at this point is not an option .


Hope you like the story, I appreciate ANY advice or pointers

I have spent about 25 Full days flying .... wind is somewhat lofty and gusty at times here... but there alays IS wind.

Welcome DH! Sorry to hear about your injuries. I hope you recover fully and quickly. Sounds like you (at least now) know all the safety issues (you were wearing a helmet I hope?) I don't think you'll find anyone on here arguing with your current logic. Conditions can change and things might have been much worse if you had been jumping with a 5m kite when those winds kicked in. However jumping with a smaller kite in higher winds multiplies your risk for things to go wrong. Stick around here and get back to flying as soon as you can.

Thanks for sharing your story. It seems you aren't as new as you think. You know all the right precautions, and I am confident you will follow them in the future.

It sounds like you have a great place to fly. Heal yourself and get back out there. Maybe a little closer to the ground with the right equipment.

Your story will help others who read it. Its a bummer about the ankle.

thanks guys... no, was not wearing a helmet, as I didnt think I would have the potential with this kite to jump that high.. ( i do now )

I will heal quickly and well, I am un fortuneatelly a vetran at bine mending with my total as such

femur, hip, shoulder, various toes and fingers, heel, and now Ankle Tibula and fibula... Gah.. Why are the funnest sports also the dangerous ones... lol, self answered question eh ?

I am curious to know more about re-directing. I was running upwind and steering the kite from 3 through to 12 at zeinith to achieve decent jumps.. what would be the proper tecnique then for re-directing the kite during flight ?? I am also curious on opinions of weather it would have been better if I had managed to Ride this out ( hold onto the bar till landing ) ... It happened so fast and more powerfully then I'd have ever imagined.

Also, since I am sure this kite can pull me through snow, is there a way to modify the brake line to depower?? ( i would then use kite kieers as my primary saftey ) My main concern is again getting lofted while on a snowboard under speed, Or is it a safer way to fly due to the ability to keep the kite low to the ground..

I've known this sport a short time And I love its potential and its beauty... Riding the air.

Seriouslly, Skateboard with waxed bottom and no Trucks or wheels, Can of Crisco, Freshly wet field = Rediculous speed and big smiles... I was wearing my FF helmet for that ..

While someone else may be able to lay out the redirect more clearly for you I will say that any material (preferably inflated) above your head is better than nothing.

From a pure physics stand point when you are dropped from a height you want drag to slow your decent. While you well know that size kite is not enough....theoretically dropping with the kite inflated above your head would have created more drag. That does not mean the outcome would have been different...but given a straight down decent your speed should have been decreased with increased drag.

Skydivers, faced with high speed impacts are trained to get as much inflated material above their head as possible. More surface area typically equates to more drag and slower decent.

Again this is in theory only....there are to many variables to say your situation would have ended differently. In the interim....look for a larger kite for jumping. I feel much safer floating down with my twister 7.7 than anything else. (that I own)

thanks for the reply, As I've lots of free time right now duing b0ne mending I've learned that re-directing is basically keeping the kite at zeinith when you start to come down.. Given that I slipped my grip on the bar I was pretty much doomed ( though I cant say for sure that i slipped or that i Maybe Freaked myself out and tred a bail out ) knowing now the pfk landing might have made a difference... who knows.

For now I am eager to get back on the trainer.. Obviouslly I still need to do some training..

Thanks for the info txshooter, next time I will surely keep the kite overhead and I will use my un-leashed arm to pull my pockets inside out and then Rip my shirt off and swing it above me in a circular helicopter motion :singing::singing:

........... if I keep adding to my titanium collection I will need a much larger kite to jump .

Thanx..

DH/.

Thanks for sharing. Getting caught by a gust like that can happen to any of us on any kite so it's valuable to share these experiences.

The same lofting would have happened even with a different kite. May even have happened if you were just standing there with kite overhead ?

I haven't had to play it out but in my head it goes like this. Even if I am going up and UP my job is to keep the kite inflated and seeing wind. Odds are It is a rotor wind so I think / hope I would instintively do a kite loop. That or constant REdirection ? But truth is I will probably blow it and go to safety at the wrong time just like you did ! :sniff:

I suppose if you made any mistake you tried to get too much too fast. Sounds like you learn quick but reflex memories take time ?

reflex comes quicker with the memory of bone crunching badness.... I am much better at guaging distances and speeds for takeoff jumpind gaps on the dh bike after my titanium femur inplant .. :wee:

Wouldnt a kiteloop have sent me at an arc into the ground with even more speed?

I dunno really but I'm thinking keeping it overhead and the pfk landing would have been my best bet but the way the x-ray looked makes me unsure

Overhead and seeing wind is the key. Even with the kite loop . Just holding overhead is O.K. if you don't have any rotors in the wind. Flysurfer says Trust your kite and relax but they are talking about larger kites.

When I see people kite soaring in the mountians the are usually constantly redirecting.

I read on another post that you had decided to do one more lap. I have seen several broken bones result from that one last try. Ever since I have tried to listen to that little voice that in my head that expresses doubt about the one last try. I hope you mend well. BTW, redirecting is a little more than keeping the kite at zenith but I am not a good one to explain it. I still have difficulty with it myself. Keeping it overhead is a lot better than nothing. Again, I hope you heal well and can continue to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Ironically As I Hauled my ass Across the Grass Body dragging at 20 kmh and Doing 6-8 foot jumps It never occurred to me that this "trainer kite" could potentially loft me so wildly ( no #@%$#! 30-40 feet, I know so Cause there were witnesses and the tree I landed beside was easilly 30 footer and I was WAY above it ) I learned a valuablle lesson that day, and Am happy I started on a trainer as I believe it could have been much worse with a larger kite.

I Will never Poo Talk the sport though, I got owned, it happens and those that dont get back into the saddle never realize the dream They never allowed the chance to live.

I am Stoked To learn all I can, and to practice jumping even bigger, In more controlled winds... and over Water.

At least this wasn't you....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOCsQCKi7I

and you are not this guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqJ752JS5eY

fawk.... scary stuff... Ironic that he's clapping and remarking on his "good job" when all hits the fan..

seems like he survived enough to schpeil at the end, again ironic, i would have thought htis was gong to end much worse.

I am glad to not be either of them

DK, Welcome to the injured reserve team.
We hope to not do this again, take the time to heal and when you get old like me you wont hurt all the time

Just adding to the titanium collection... And learning the sport, Like all sports danger can be present. I compare this injury to years back when I started Downhill Mountain biking and Didn't realize how badly one could injure themselves dropping... did a 20 footer to a top of the head landing, rolled with it and came out unharmed and a lot wiser..... this Time I didnt get as lucky, but it surely could have been much worse. I will NOT walk away from something just because it bites me... I will learn and push to become better.

... Fortuneatelly I'm a veteran of crutches, I kinda do wish I owned a 1M kite right now though so I could fly from a seated position and continue to learn the wind.

Anybody got reccomendations for a Cheap 1M or 1.5 M kite??

what's Your story Bigkid?? What put you out ?

.. heal well, and if it's inflamed, get some TRAUMEEL... seriouslly This stuff is awesome .

Disclaimer: I do not work for Traumeel or any of its Representatives, I simply this the stuff is Awesome.

Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner I haven't had to play it out but in my head it goes like this. Even if I am going up and UP my job is to keep the kite inflated and seeing wind. Odds are It is a rotor wind so I think / hope I would instintively do a kite loop. That or constant REdirection ? But truth is I will probably blow it and go to safety at the wrong time just like you did ! :sniff:

Only Chasta and a few others I think have the peace of mind >20ft up to kiteloop - I am learning how to kiteloop on low tricks now and can't imagine myself actually doing it on a loft - not for another 4 years at least.

What I do have the confidence to do is to keep the kite flying in small figure eights just as you do with a trainer - it's the same as a small redirection but more controllable. We are not flying paragliders so you'll come down you just want to keep the kite's momentum. Just keep both hands relaxed on the bar - don't pull your safety and look for your landing. The more forward speed you land with probably the better - landing on your board or feet even better.

Godspeed

A problem was quite possiblly that I wasn;t hooked in and as such was literally hanging from the bar in the air... hard to steer.


I would agree with your theory that forward speed would help, I've been Dh biking for over 10 years and had some nasty Crashes at speed over distance gaps and always walked/limped away, It was the one time that I came up short on a 30 ' out 20 ' up road gap that I broke femur,hip,shoulder, Came up a doot short and the sudden stop is what caused the damage, had I overshot or ditched the bike I'd have been in better shape.

Sorry to hear about your injury

These days, I think jumping on the land is just mad :D that said, without the experience of the little hops I made way back when, I would have #@%$#! my pants mid-air yesterday, rather than enjoying the flight time and keeping my cool and piloting myself back to the water.

I am giving this story to the lady that filed a complaint at that shop against one of the guys... said he was talking down to her (trust me... this guy... not that type) because he said a 5m beamer was probably not the best first kite for someone that is 5'2" 110lb. Before he could explain why, she said "fine, I have heard enough" and stormed off.

Quote:

Originally posted by DHKITE what's Your story Bigkid?? What put you out ? .. heal well, and if it's inflamed, get some TRAUMEEL... seriouslly This stuff is awesome . Disclaimer: I do not work for Traumeel or any of its Representatives, I simply this the stuff is Awesome.

ahh.... or you could take my endoresement. Beer... beer cures everything. Or at least it takes away the pain!

Hey DK, you're a cautionary tale... I've been static jumping for a couple years now and remain injury free, but tales like yours do worry me. On the big days if there is any level of gustiness I do feel like I'm rolling the dice.

It sounds from your first post that the wind changed suddenly, but it's unclear whether you recognized the change and had time to put the kite down / change your style... Or did it come without warning? I'm convinced that being very aware of the wind is part of what helps to keep me safe, and big gusts with no warning scare me...

So to repeat the question... Did you recognize a change in the wind before you sent the kite for that last jump, or did the wind change while you were up in the air? In other words, did you have an opportunity to put the kite down after the wind change?

Well Firstly Ill say to flash that beer IS great, but unfortuneatelly is bad when bone healing.

Where I fly has been dubbed one of the most dangerous airports in canada ( not used anymore ) due to wind sheer and the surrounding mountains ability to produce dirty wind, That being said It is also one of the few places with consistant wind ( usually ) and ample room in the summer months when the lakes arnt frozen over. I had noticed the wind had picked up some and was keeping the kite hovering off the ground about 5 ' and at the edge of the window to walk it back Where In hindsight I should have done a bodydrag back to the car and called it a day, but lacking in experience ( something I learned HARd now lol ) I failed to appreciate the gustyness of the wind ( I surely did not feel that it was gusting 30 kmh over its cinsistant 20-25kmh.

I will take the molment to note that this kite's MAX suggested windspeed is 36 KMH and the gusts ( unknown to me ) were upwards if 54 KMH.

I had been jumping all afternoon and for the first time Felt I was getting decent air and really learning it well ( I felt I had conquored the art of bodydragging by this point and wanted a new challenge ) In shortt YES I did notice a change in wind, but lacking the experience To recognizer to put the kite away, Something I'll not fail to do again I'm sure

I DO feel That I was hit by one of, if not the first Gust of this power Cause at the time of jumping I was only aware that the wind speed had increased and of course more wind = bigger jump = more fun.... I got owned by the wind.

Over water, I am convinced that although scary as hell It would have been a different outcome.

An the Brakes on the hydra worked flawlessly in collapsing the kit on safted bridles, Like I said in the post. Unalble to walk I used the kite to bodydrag myself to within 50 ' of the car before I packed up the kite and THAT was a seriouslly fast Body drag and tremendous fun ( did not think ankle broken ) while packing up the kite I became aware that the gusts were very powerfall as a nearby waterfall was being blown sideways, and the trees were swinging hard, I was quite happy to have 4 5 lb sand weights in my posesin then .

Stay aware of the weather and changes, know when its getting dangerous and lofty and I believe you'll be fine, you have survived this long by being safe and making smart choices. NEVER take wind for granted. this was a small kite that Raped me Quite thurroughly . lol...

OK, sounds like a scary spot. I'm lucky.... Tho my beaches are tiny the sand is soft and the wind usually clean.

Were there any clouds in the sky? thundery looking clouds (cumulonimbus) can have very strong gusts underneath them, they are scary enough when coming in from offshore, but in an inland situation they can be messy as heck and come on very quickly, the gust front coming before a big squall in an ocean situation has the potential to go from 5-50 mph in just a few seconds.

Best of luck recovering from your injury....

wind power increases as the cube of the speed, btw, do the math and you'll be impressed by how much more power 54 kmh has over 20-25, it's not just double, it's more like 5-10 times the power.

I sure hope you can keep up with the sport....

I'll have no problems Keeping up, Bone healing is second nature to me, And I agree that the power increase can be huge.. There were alto Strato Cumulis clouds out and a few Strato lenticular clouds... no storms.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash Beer... beer cures everything.

Like Homer SImpson said... Alcohol..the cause of and solution to all of lifes problems!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oveLq6j4JUw

This Seems Similar to my experience.. Feck.

So Any Ideas About how to mod the trainer to de-power?? or at least to hook in, I am comfortablle Flying the kite and Dragging, I want to snow kite with it this winter..

Sorry if this should be in another thread.