Also known as "The Air Up There"

So, first off....thanks to Jeff (Big Kid) for letting me clean him out of his used line-sets.

I've been flying LEI's for about 5 years now, but ARCs have always been on my to-do list...I have not been let down...

Wind was consistent 5 mph all day with one little bump to 7-10 for about 10 minutes..

Part 1 - Are you Crazy?
Today started with quad line-set (23M stock Navigator + (2ea) 25M + 20M=93M=305FT). Jeff assisted launch and we SENT IT to what seemed to be the moon. I quickly realized the back lines were a bit tight (even sheeted all the way out)...So...I was powered up...and approaching apogee, getting light on my feet and feeling that first taste of "the air up there". WHOA...Nelly...couple of moon walks..hopping around at what felt 1/4 my weight...then, re-gaining my footing (Hint...the wind is NOT 5mph at 300ft AGL) and after a mild (non visible) panic attack I brought her back down to Jeff's waiting hands...we brought in a few inches of leading edge line and relaunched. Again...off "to the moon Alice!!" The mind plays a little trick on you here...(that kite looks small)...but you know that's 24 Sq meters of kick your rear end..if you mess with it. Where's my steering now?? Uh oh...now I'm not even using the bar to get it to come around grabbing the left oh crap handle.....then right... Ok, not much fun yet...and decided to land and pull two sets off.

Part 2 - Go with what works
Now on double line-set (23M+25M) turning was back, power was back...all good....rode for an hour or so....but I kept feeling like I was right on the edge of something at the top of the window...It was fun....bringing the kite up after a run prepping for transition back the other way...I'd hit the top of the window and get a little "extra credit" pull....what a tease....

Part 3 - Ahhh...just right
One more line set...(23M+(2)25M=73M) PERFECT!! I could keep the kite high in the window and just CRUISE...then drop it in to low wind and ride out that apparent wind, then edge hard and pop back into "extra credit" zone...:wee:

I rode till Sunset, humoring myself in my head with a song......Sunset at Sunset (la la la)....then Amarillo by Morning got stuck in my head (but that's a different story).

So, in a nutshell this kite is a LOW WIND MACHINE especially on long lines..
Also, this is the best time I've EVER had on an off-shore Easterly wind...I swear I could see the Phantom EATING the gusts...you could see it flex and absorb then you'd feel the gust hit your face while riding...but barely any change in pressure/pull on the harness... WOOT WOOT!!

What a cool kite...my first ARC...my first long-line experience....can't wait until next session to see what the big Phanny and teach me... :roll: Everybody likes a big Phanny right??

One thing to note - this thing takes a little learning curve to stay upwind...all that 24M of ripstop and that fat airfoil...you gotta get it sheeted all the way out and get it way up in the edge of the window FIRST drop it into the groove..THEN pull on a little brake... otherwise....your going THAT WAY (pointing downwind)...LOL....Your edge becomes a 1/4 mile slide....
But if you get it right.....pull on that bar just right....you just GO...

Thanks to Peter Lynn Kites, Jeff (BigKid)...and the guys that came out to hang at Sunset this weekend!! Having a blast with my new kite....

If you've ever been curious about flying an ARC...give em a shot.

You got any proof there young man?:evil:

I thought I saw some dude with a camera out there...maybe, just maybe there's some pics (maybe even video..who knows) that may show up on the internet somewhere...(wink, wink)

this is with 65m lines.
EDIT-sorry, this was at the coffee stand just south of sunset road.

I don't get it.... :duh:

this is the right one

24m on 94m lines, damn!

I flew a 4.9 Blade on 900ft lines at my local grass site back in 98. I was forever buying 25m line sets from my local kite shop. The journey from ground to Zenith was interesting to say the least. Straight up. Had me running. The lines whistling. Scary stuff. Landing the thing had me walking out into the car-park. No harness, no killers. Old skool

Regularly flew twin Super 10 stackers on 720ft lines at a local beauty spot high up on a hill. Now that was fun!

Location, Ashdown Forest, Winne the Pooh territory. Lots of Japanese tourists but I ain't playing Pooh sticks.

Instead I'm dive bombing from that height. People on the ground running for cover. Old guy could hear it but couldn't see it. Must have been travelling 100mph in the dive. Pulled up just above his head. Old guys squatting with hands on their heads. Probably took them back to the London war time Blitz. A real crowd pleaser. Most fun I've had with a kite.

I like to hear unusual things with kites. Nice one crazyherb.

LOL...Jeff...nice ELK...Kite flew like one using those 4 line-sets...

Pic is like... "Look...NO HANDS!!"

Nice! I think launching something with lines that long would take half of my inland flying field (haha!)

here is another view,

http://youtu.be/W1u8aNnEPZM

Holy cats that kite was a looooooonnnnnggggg ways away. Seriously must have steered like you were in two times zone and reacted about an hour after you pulled the bar.

Makes the 24 look like a 9m Pretty wild there. That's high enough I bet you get some good upper gradient stuff, enough to keep you moving inspite of the drag the extra line length produces. I've seen expedition guys do 100mish line sets with Speed 3SA to get going when theres no wind down low.

Hate that spongy steering feeling but I bet it must have been wild. That's like launch a kite at the end of my street from my house. Bet you had to run some

Nice work, very cool.

Feyd, thanks for chiming in...(bowing to a fellow ARC master)..
(love your videos)

In all seriousness...I didn't notice line drag... I noticed smooth strong power....but no line drag...now I'll have to purposely THINK about that next time out...

As far as turning goes....on three line-sets 73M the kite was high enough to comfortably turn/loop/s-turn with no surprises. I think it's due to the larger overall window...

The gradient change is the awesome part...once you pop above ground induced wind it's just smooth...not sure how inland would work though...I'm pretty much exclusive beach here...I can't wait to try on a soft on-shore breeze.

Ha! That is awesome.

Great. now I have to scrounge a bunch of old line sets. (shaking my head)

I know some (myself included) have thrown 40m+ on the 24m and for my tastes it kinda sucked. The benefit of the extra pow vs. the drag wasn't there IMO.

But, way up where you put, I bet the balance swings way back to useful flying. LOOPING MUST LOOK INSANE!!!

Argggh your killin me. Winds are blowin 20mph today so I'm not gonne get to try for a while.

Here's a couple of shots I took of the 24 Phanny last time I was in Oregon.
Thats a lot of kite!




Cheers
Ken(K3)

In that last shot, looks like he's powered and moving, and the flag is limp? The wonders of 24m and apparent wind.....pretty jealous!

Awesome shot KEN!! Pic is worth a thousand words...limp flag and ROLLING..

Mind if I re-post on my Facebook?

On LONG lines this kite gets you going even better...

Limp flag? Not sure I like that. It was in behind the dunes, there was a bit of a lull, you took away the wind as you passed by, it was wet and need a bit more wind to fly, lets see what else I can come up with, how bout its a HQ flag and is used to more wind to get up. Yeah thats it, it was resting from the storm the day before. Ha Ha Ha.

The 24m is a big kite and it will create its own wind. Should have Ken take more pics of all the events. He has a good eye for what to shoot.

I might even steal the pic for my website, thanks ever so much Ken.

How does a kite create its own wind? Or is that just a figure of speech?

Quote:

Originally posted by geokite How does a kite create its own wind? Or is that just a figure of speech?

When you are static flying your kite, and you make it stop moving, at the edge of the window or the zenith, it will fall to the ground. If you keep the kite moving it will fly, so you are creating the wind by flying the kite. As long as the kite is moving, you have generated wind. Thus the statement creating its own wind. Not sure I understand now.

the above statement is to include flying in no wind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_wind

Quote:

Originally posted by crazyherb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_wind

thats what I said.

I know what apparent wind is, but it was implied that the kite will fly with no wind (making its own wind). From an energy conservation standpoint, that isn't possible. If there is no wind, the kite will not fly. If you are moving, creating wind, the kite will fly, but not be able to propel you on a board/buggy as you are source of the energy pulling the kite through the air.

Let's say it will fly in wind you can't feel. Even a mph or 2 will give you something to lean against. Maybe not power you, but it will fly.

Quote:

Originally posted by geokite I know what apparent wind is, but it was implied that the kite will fly with no wind (making its own wind). From an energy conservation standpoint, that isn't possible. If there is no wind, the kite will not fly. If you are moving, creating wind, the kite will fly, but not be able to propel you on a board/buggy as you are source of the energy pulling the kite through the air.

This is the stuff that gets the mind out of the "I was told this in school" rut. Interesting how we pay to learn what others already know, and then take it as the ultimate truth.

I am not looking for a fight or looking to bad mouth anyone.
Steve, you ask a very good question, and I am not out to start a world war. It wasnt until I got out of the box and started thinking in a different light.
I have not worked with any thing longer than 200' of lines with a kite. I have flown a 13m, 12.5m, 10m, 8m, on 200' lines and was surprised at which one was better on those lines in 1 to 2mph wind. Not sure as to the accuracy of the wind gauge in that lite of winds but you know the wind is moving the air but nothing else. I could sit and calculate out the answer why it won't work, but I like to try it out anyway. (2m on 200' lines in high winds :wee: )
Is buggying down the beach at 15mph, in 2mph wind impossible? I have done it, and fletcht was with me the day we did it. All the calculations in the world will say "not possible". Up and down the beach a half dozen times before we stopped to laugh at what we just did and talk about it. 250' lines with a 10m should work with zero wind, or not, but would be fun to find out.

All I am saying is things are not always what you would think.
I just like to push the envelope off the table so I have more room to explore.

Note: the "zero" wind we are measuring is at ground level, obviously there's some wind up higher that we can't measure with arms only 3 feet long....

If only we had some method to hoist an instrument up a few hundred feet and hold it stationary in the sky while it recorded or transmitted information.

Wouldn't that be a remarkable device!

Philip

Well, we do have kites Kite aloft wind meter, transmitting down a wire or wireless. Just very hard to keep such a kite aloft in very light winds.

The wind is often different speeds at different levels. Many of us remember days of old when Andrew would put multiple line sets together at Elmers and fly his 10m Peel in "zero wind". Flying across the lakebed, lines singing, only to pause and not feel anything on your face. Amazing.

I have no idea how to respond to "conservation of energy" deniers. Where does one start?

battery operated personal weather station hung from a single line kite, use your phone to see the results at ground level?

Quote:

Originally posted by geokite I have no idea how to respond to "conservation of energy" deniers. Where does one start?

I like to start in the middle, that way you have the option of going forward or backward.:puzzled: Or staying put.