So i just got a 4.5 meter profoil.....i flew it for my first time today.

i hardly know anything about this so here goes my questions,


-how do you get the kite into the zenith position
-my kite kept twisting (lots). I mean it would get up and twist 5 or 6 times then come down. What do i do???


thanks

Something doesn't sound quite right... can you take pics of your setup?
Is this your first 4-line kite?

When I started there wasn't forums like this one..so I had a major crash course on trying to learn how to fly 4 line kites. Had flown 2 line stunts a lot, but never 4. It kinda sounds like you're doing what I did when I first started.... I thought that just by pulling back the kite would go up. This is true, but the key is hand position on the handles. If your hands are near the top of the handles and you pull back slightly tilting the bottom portion of the handles towards the kite, then the kite should go up..from that point steering is similar to a 2 line kite. However, you can do sharper turns with the kite by applying brake to one handle and pulling that same handle. Brakes are applied through the handles by tilting the top portion of the handles towards the kite thus pulling the bottom lines towards yourself causing the kite to typically collapse and come straight down. By applying brake to one side slightly, you cause the kite to almost pivot in place and spin. This could be what you experienced without knowing better when the kite spun the 5 or 6 times that you speak of.

If the kite crashes with the leading edge (the open side of the kite that allows air into the kite) facing down..by applying both brakes the kite will lift straight off the ground allowing you to quickly reverse launch the kite and get it back up in the air.

The zenith is the sky directly above you.... I haven't flown a profoil, so I'm not sure about its characteristics. But if you shoot some kites straight up to the zenith immediately from take-off they can (depending on wind, size of kite and size of the flier) lift you up off the ground.
The best bet is to practice setting the kite up for launching near the edge of the wind window (about 45 degrees off to the right or left of the main direction of the wind). Launch the kite pulling back and tilting the top of the handles back towards you as you pull..then while pulling steer the kite by either pulling more on the left or the right handle. Try to keep the kite near the edge of the wind window until the kite is directly above you. So basically you're going to start the kite off at either a 2/3 o'clock position or a 9/10 o'clock position and slowly work the kite up to a 12 o'clock position directly above you..this would be the zenith.

Hope this helps a bit. Also...don't go out in major winds anytime soon til you figure the control out. If you do go out in higher winds you'll end up frustrated and/or hurt really fast.

~Joe

how can i send pics to you

post a link or email'em to me... if you post a link it may help more as that way others can voice what they may see going on. Did any of what I said earlier sound like a possibility that you might've just pulled wrong?
~Joe

yea...i may have been riding one of the brakes....by the way, the power lines are on the top of the handles correct?...and ill post some pics (the white is the leading edge, the turquoise is the trailing edge)

im sorry im having trouble posting a link so i dont know how u want me to send pics...i dont have ur email

The stronger lines, power lines should be on the top of the handles and attached to the bridals that cause the leading edge to lift, while the thinner lines (brake lines) should run to the bridals that are towards the bottom of the kite.
Here's my email addy... piyip6@yahoo.com Once I get the link or pics I'll try to post'em so others can chime in.
Thanks,
Joe

The Pro Foil 4.5 is one of my favorites and I fly it a lot.

My first guess, knowing nothing else about your predicament, is that your brake lines are too tight and possibly imbalanced. I have had my 4.5 tend to corkscrew in these conditions. You can be going along in light and moderate air just fine, then the wind strenthens a bit and she twists.

As noted, the zenith is directlly overhead and if you had trouble getting the kite there, this is another sign of too much brake pressure

Pro Foils like to be flown with a bit of brake but too much of anything is bad. Look at the trailng edge- if it is visibly deformed with the tips bent down noticeably (more than an inch or two at the tip trailing edge), then it is too much. You need to effectively lengthen the brakes or shorten the power lines (same effect).

On the Pro-Foil it is a good idea to tie a new stopper knot on each main bridle toggle (where the power lines attach) farther up towards the top knot. This is good advice for another reason: On some Pro-Foils, the end stopper knot on the bridle toggles are too close to the end and they can pull out under load. It's happened to me with my 4.5 and dumped me on my arse. Use a figure-of-eight knot. Here is an example...

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/FigureOfEightKnotTutorial.h...

before tightening the knots, adjust the loops carefully so that both knots are in the exact same place on each bridle. this is tricky but important.

Referring to the photos in this link (which happen to be wtih my Proi Foil 4.5) put the knots about where my left thumb is or a little higher in photos "Step Three" and "Step four". See..

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/LarksHeadTutorial.html

If you need even more length on the brakes, put another stopper knot closer to the handle on each of the power lines down on the handle pigtails (on the power lines- on top). Again, use a figure of eight knot and keep them even.

Remember that the brake lines will allways bow a bit and never go straight to the kite. Just their weight and some aerodynamic drag will add some tension.

Remember also to hold the handles at the top with the power lines between your index and middle fingers.

Brake tension and tuning is adequate when:
1) The kite flys predictably and to the zenith with no (conscious) pressure on the brake lines and still...
2) Adding brake with one wrist noticeably quickens a turn in that direction and
3) Adding tension with both brakes will stop the kite and back it down evenly (with some practice).

Let us know how it goes. This is a stable and precictable kite when rigged right.

Are you gripping the handles correctly. I fly with index finger ABOVE the fly line and middle finger below. Mostly I just use those 2 fingers. Let the bottom of the handles hang LOOSE and tweek them with your 2 little fingers as required. Turn left, pull left tweek left pinky etc.

OF COURSE you have a HELMET and pads........ RIGHT !!!!

thanks for the advice..ill try that out

alright,
i went out today for my second day in a row and my second time ever. The wind was roughly 11mph pretty constant. this is how it went:

basically i couldnt wait to get home and update this. WOW! i had no idea puting your hands on a dif. part of a handle and moving some lines a couple inches could make such a difference. i scudded for probably 45 minutes and my arms were pretty wasted. Thanks for the help guys. Can't wait to get better and do some snowkiting and landboarding.

Quote:

OF COURSE you have a HELMET and pads........ RIGHT !!!!

RIGHT !!!!!!!!!??????????

Quote:

Originally posted by snowbird Quote: OF COURSE you have a HELMET and pads........ RIGHT !!!! RIGHT !!!!!!!!!??????????

Ahh, Grasshopper, you've come such a long long ways in your journey.

well to be honest i dont have pads but i have a helmet....(snowboard helmet)