Okay. Have to ask because I've never experienced it but have felt the lift at the zenith with my Rage and wonder what will happen when I park the bigger boys up there - especially given that I've recently learned I'm barely scratching the surface of the power you all pull out of your kites. I'd read somewhere here in someone's post about being lifted up and gently set back down by his new kite and how he'd never experienced that before.

Well, the question is - if this happens is it natural that you come back down? Do you drift downwind? (Although I'm sure it depends on the wind that picked you up...)

Sorry - just my nature to want to know before it happens so I know what to do / not do. I don't imagine you want to freak out and let go when you could just as easily "ride it out".

No doubt ... I havent been picked up yet either... NOT really lifted... But im sure my BUSTER can & Will do it someday...

Most of the time I've been lifted, it is just a gradual increase in the pressure on the handles. The CF5 has incredible lift at zenith. You are in a strain the whole time it is overhead. So if it picks you up, You just realize not much changed in your arms but you know your feet are off the ground. Not wanting to take my eyes off the kite, I have asked my son if I really came off the ground and he has noticed anything from me being a few feet off the ground to him not being able to reach my feet with my legs straight. Jumping this way doesn't really carry me downwind since I didn't load the sail up with it downwind. I am just cutting the kite left and running right. Funny, I can't remember redirecting, but the kite ends up directly overhead so I must be.

I only weigh in the 140's. The way I decide I'm overpowered is if I have the kite at the edge of the window and have great difficulty walking back up wind. I try to AVOID having the kite at zenith when fully powered. ( although I'm guilty ) If I can not hold my ground when it's at zenith or the edge I'm over powered.
The trouble with having the kite at zenith and that close to the edge is that you can / will be lifted. How much varies. See Eric EcS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s famous lofting as an example. That would NEVER have happened to him if he kept it low !!!!

So....... If you feel you are being lifted with your kite sitting at zenith. DON'T DO THAT !!!!

Keep it Low and Go ! :evil:

Lift is usually dependant on kite size compared to wind, float seems more related to kite size compared to the load hanging from the kite. Either way in most cases the 5m kite size is usually about the smallest you want to count on for any real float. (the 4.7 should be close enough) Reason for this is smaller kites will make huge power in big winds, but once your feet are off the ground you'll start drifting downwind and the kite loses airspeed so you lose lift.

Either way, you only really have a split second do decide to hold on or ditch the kite. If you're really getting lifted after a second you can easily be 5ft up. If you let go you get dropped, if you hold on you've at least got something overhead to slow down your decent. Just try and keep it overhead and hope for a soft landing. If you think about jumping off a 5ft wall you know it'll hurt, but that's with a proper planned landing, if you fall at some awkward angle it'll hurt.

As Ken pointed out, if you feel that you're in the sort of wind that can lift you, keep the kite to one side of the window, 45deg is good, it'll keep the kite up in stable wind but not lift you. The problem is gusts, if you have the kite overhead and it's near it's limit and you get hit by a gust you're going to be lofted. If it's off to the side you'll get dragged. Way easier on the bones to slide along for a while. If you're really in trouble then you can take the kite lower, you may get a little more turbulent winds depending on where you're flying but you can always sit down and act as an anchor with no fear of getting airbourn.

Get in the habit of listening to your kite, it'll tell you when it's getting fun/hairy. If the lines aren't whistling you're probably pretty safe If they're whistling when you get up to speed in a buggy/atb you're having lots of fun, If the kite's parked overhead and you hear a fairly loud steady hum you're in for a ride.

Rule of thumb, if you can dip your kite and slide 5+ft you've got plenty of power to have fun on a buggy/atb.

Paul B

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy Okay. Have to ask because I've never experienced it but have felt the lift at the zenith with my Rage and wonder what will happen when I park the bigger boys up there - especially given that I've recently learned I'm barely scratching the surface of the power you all pull out of your kites. I'd read somewhere here in someone's post about being lifted up and gently set back down by his new kite and how he'd never experienced that before. Well, the question is - if this happens is it natural that you come back down? Do you drift downwind? (Although I'm sure it depends on the wind that picked you up...) Sorry - just my nature to want to know before it happens so I know what to do / not do. I don't imagine you want to freak out and let go when you could just as easily "ride it out".