out with the 6m Hornet today...learning how to fly...buggying by ...June?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0LwAZFV-hE

Wind speed today was a very comfortable 7mph ish..

Buggying by June for sure. I think I saw the mythical green flash at sunset, or was that an orb.

Assuming you have no sailing experience, it might be a good excersie the next time you're out with the kite to walk or jog in a crosswind direction, as if you were in a buggy.
You'll notice that walking slightly into the wind takes more effort and slows your progress and walking a little downwind takes less effort but risks stalling the kite.

Find the optimum position.

To turn around and head back from where you started, slowly rasie the kite until it's above your head and do a U turn initially in the downwind direction ( don't stop walking). Then quickly strightern up to a crosswind direction whilst slowly lowering the kite back down into the power.

Am I crazy to suggest just grabbing a 3m and a bug and going for it? 6m is kind of a handful to start out with unless it's light and steady. Get maybe 20 hrs of kite flying under your belt (or until you feel comfortable and know the wind window) then jump in! I can't remember if you have anyone there, but having someone with experience help you out will shorten the learning curve considerably and make things much safer. You're already scudding down the beach, you're like 9/10s of the way there! :D

Others here can shoot me down, but June seems like a long timeframe before you even step in a bug! And I'm hugely in favor of safety.

Yes..thanks RedSky...tried it walking along crosswind and turned and walked back...felt like I was doing my first proper pre-buggy lesson especially now I've got used to the hornet a bit. I'll practice that every time I go out flying. It took a bit of thinking to do and I'll have to work to find the optimum position but it's a learning curve and one I'm happy to be on.

As for the green flash!...No, I dont know what it was either..Im a fan of the "so-called comedian" Bob Mortimer and he does an observational comedy routine about having a brass hand (which, in observational comedy terms is pretty rare)..so, in that spirit:

"have you ever noticed, HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED when your'e out flying your kite and your mate is taking a video on his phone, and his BRASS HAND reflects the sun and shines onto the camera...have you ever noticed that? Have you?


orb...ORB...I gotta get those headphones on and go flying!..Thanks for the tips RedSky..muchos appreciatos

Hi Jeff..I'm getting a 3m in the next 4/5 weeks and am expecting that after flying that for a few times then I'll start looking properly for a buggy....yes, I love the scudding thing. .

I think because I got the 6m first I have had to take tentative steps..that said I've loving getting to learn how to fly it and I can't wait to use it as a motor for a buggy.

I think I will start to bump into flyers and buggiers on the beach as the weeks go on and the weather continues to improve..I was in touch with someone in my area in Dec last year and I expect we will re connect in spring so I'm looking forward to that.

Been enjoying Bob's guest appearances on Would I Lie to You. Easily the funniest guy on there. There's a fine line between genius and insanity which describes him best I think. Not heard of the brass hand thing, so I you tubed it, and sure enough a brass hand. One particular story has him trying to keep 5kg of Jambon cool in his hotel room, wtf!

See if this helps...

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

That seemed to be a broken link. These two work:

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/TutorialMenu.Html

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

I studied these extensively when I was first getting into power kiting; fantastic resource!

Thank you for posting the corrected links; had trouble editing it on my iPad, for some reason.

Hey RedSky...you will like BOB Mortimer's podcast "Athletico Mince" i'd think....agree, easily the funniest on WILTY...love going thru his past performances on youtube...

And thanks to Windstruck and acampbell for the coastal sports links.

Learning how to fly


Update :Got the 3m Hornet last week to compliment the 6m and been out with it 3 days in a row...too windy to fly today though. I flew on grass for the very first time on Saturday. Only ever flown on sand at the beach so it was new experience and quite a different one. Grass playing fields are a lot more "sticky" than sand arent they ..I very cleverly (not) didnt change into my slippy shoes I keep for beach scudding and instead kept on my quite new, super-grippy mountain boots.
Fortunately the wind wasn't high enough for me to actually face-plant but I did end up doing that running about thing I see on youtube sometimes. Fields are a lot more lumpy and bumpy though and the chances of twisting an ankle or knee seem a lot higher than on sand so I'm going to approach a field with a lot more caution in future
As a beginner flyer I am very happy now as I have the 6m for winds up to around 12mph and then the 3m for anything over that.

hey
if i'm reading this correctly and you seem to want to scud on dry grass, consider your lumpy/bumpy observation and think about what that'll do to your knees, ankles, and hips as they pound into the bumps. knees feel it the most. i had read about that issue before (probably on this forum) and stopped thinking about doing that.
read about cutting large pop bottles and putting them over your shoes to lessen the friction (which i have read works pretty well) and thought about scudding after or during a rain.
never got around to that.
i did, however, experience the pounding first hand in january with my snowfeet on a field that had just a light dusting of snow. i moved ok, but it was very jarring and my left knee hurt for almost 2 weeks.
probably would have been a similar outcome with the pop bottles.
then again, i'm 60 years old now. that MIGHT have something to do with this.
tom

Thanks for the post tomdiving..yeah, not worth trying it on grass then,esp as I'm not that far behind you in the age stakes and I don't bounce nearly as well as I did when younger. Think I'll keep the field for the sports kite.

Quote: Originally posted by Tao-flyer

Thanks for the post tomdiving..yeah, not worth trying it on grass then,esp as I'm not that far behind you in the age stakes and I don't bounce nearly as well as I did when younger. Think I'll keep the field for the sports kite.

Get off your feet and get a buggy.

nothing wrong with that advice...

Hmm,,,,buggy...now there's a good idea

.........and the hook is almost set...

Oh Yes

So, big day for me today..first time in a buggy..out flying this morning and by chance met up with some great buggy guys at the local beach,bought a flexi-foil buggy and had some great on the spot tuition this afternoon( I had the permit and insurance a cpl of weeks ago in preparation for May)..managed to trundle up and down the beach a few times using the 3m ..went backwards once but do we need to mention that?..had a great first experience , lightish onshore breeze...I know I have much to learn but never thought when I woke up this morning that by the afternoon I would be having my first buggy ride and bringing one home with me.
It didn't take so long afterall

Nice to hear Tao-Buggy-Rider. A whole new world awaits. Get that bank account of yours lubed up. :evil:

Atta boy!
Progress slowly and enjoy every minute in the seat.

Cheers Windstruck, cheers ColinW...very much looking forward to new adventures. I'm gonna take it slow..I've got this far without being stung by the Hornets and I'd like that to continue for as long as possible .

Nice one Paul.
Yeah, take it easy and take it slow. Learning the wind is the most important thing. Avoid gusts and anonymous clouds,... anonymous?...you know what I mean. Avoid incoming squalls and fly well within the kites wind range. Fly in clean onshore breezes if you can ( not offshore ) otherwise kite go bye bye and get the wind forecast before planning a trip to your spot. I use https://www.xcweather.co.uk/GB/forecast XC as do real world pilots. Avoid the red arrows!

Basically the secret to enjoying the sport long term is in becoming a good meteorologist, obviously without that Michael Fish moment,
...and get some video. We thrive on videos here and quickly become depressed if we're not entertained.

Thanks for the xcweather link Tom. I'll be studying the wind and tides with extra scrutiny now I have wheels so that is very useful. Still flying static as well because, well, it's just so much fun and great exercise too. But yes, I'm looking to do this long-term (i'm only 15mins away from a beach) so I will be adopting a cautious approach,probably wont buggy with the 6m till I have had a bit more experience buggying with the 3m. I'll see if I can co-opt someone to take a vid on my phone next time im out with it.
Just a quick questionee...is it the "lumpy" winds that make offshore breezes not advisable for flying in?

Hey Paul, I agree, don't abandon the static flying altogether, way too much fun to be had there. Keeps you fit. You're blessed to have the beach so close. I'm an hour and a half from my local.
Avoiding offshore winds applies mainly to those riding on the water as there's the very real risk of being dragged out to sea. The only worry you have flying a foil on the beach, is if you let go of your kite it might end up in the shipping lane. Kite killers will retain your kite but there's always the chance during set-up or while handing the kite over to someone else that you'll lose it. Using a tube kite in an offshore has the potential to drag you into the sea and drown you. At least with onshore wind there's the chance the kite is stopped.

If I can offer one other piece of advice, and that is, don't allow yourself to become distracted while flying. Keep your focus on the kite. It really only takes a split second for things to go south. The kite is always watching you, waiting, biding it's time for you to look at your watch or reach down for a drink, then it will punish you. :D

i strongly recommend that you don't start with buggying.
this will make you addicted in a way you've never expirienced before and there aren't
any medicine or rehab-facilities
:D:D
i started over 16 years ago and still loving it like day 1.

for static flying i had more fun by extending the lines to 30-50 meters, so you get a very big window.
i flew an 8 sqm matras on 55mtr lines and it took from left to right alsmost 10 secondes instead of 1-2.
it is really fun

if you start, drive safely and look on my youtube channel and other members
who post their buggymovies so you can learn from them.

stay safe and remember: just break records, nothing else...

RedSky that is a very timely advice before I properly begin. I'll store it in my brain under the word "Bolero" and that way I will remember it each time I go out.
In lockdown 2020 I was wanting something to do to get me out and about and discovered sports kites..then found out about powerkites and THEN found out that the local beach here at Ainsdale had a powerkite/buggy zone. And the rest is..well...happily predictable :bisou:

After work today I went out onto the beach in the evening sun static flying the 6m in a light breeze..headphones on, music on..a great de-stress (not that i'm particularly stressed) It's a graceful kite to fly and very satisfying, making it slowly turn and dive down. Watching as it skims along just above the sand.

Jantie
I thought i would have just one more go, after all it seems silly to have a buggy just sat there doing nothing..right? Seems harmless enough...what harm can just one more trip to the beach do:cool2:

And that 8 sqm flying on those lines...man that must look awesome flying static. I was starting to think about what I else I could do static flying and longer lines to extend the window sounds like a definate way to go.

I'll definately check out your youtube channel jantie...thanks buddy

found the pictures by the story.
hold on: from december 2004 ( i'm getting old, really old..)


it looks like a 4m2 buit is the Libre Vampir 8.0


XXl-size window

Yes that looks seriously awesome Jantie,it must have looked mesmerising as it moved across the window,thanks for digging out the pics

I see that you are flying it de-power..could an 8m kite like that with 50m lines be flown static with FB? If not, can you still make it skim the sand and do loops like with a FB?