TIP 1: The Class of 99; WEAR SUNSCREEN! (& a hat)... When you are flying your kite you will not notice the power & beauty of the sun till you are burnt and crispy!
TIP 2: WEAR UV BLOCKING SUNGLASSES!.. there is evidence that staring at the sky for long periods exposes the eye to excess UV radiation and premature development of cataracts, corneal opacity and macular degeneration! (Those with pale blue eyes are most at risk)
TIP 3: DON'T CROSS THE LINES! When approaching someone flying a kite DO NOT walk under the kite and lines to get close to them... walk around and approach from the side or rear. Not only will this avoid annoying the flyer, but it will also save you from impalement by carbon fibre or decapitation by kite line! Kites are easier to repair than people... I should know!
Dual Line Beginners Guide
An ideal starter kite would need to have an impossible mix of attributes. It would need to be;
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cheap |
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indestructible |
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steady and predictable in flight whatever the wind |
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capable of more advanced moves as you progress |
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easy to assemble and repair |
There are problems in achieving all these aims at the same time. Let's look at the problems.
Cheap kites tend to be small and made from heavier material and rods than more expensive versions. This means that they require a greater wind speed to fly and will therefore fly faster and be twitchier and harder to control. They may not be as robust as kites costing a little more money. The cheaper kites may not have a "3-D" sail design, or a supported sail that will hold it's shape out of the wind, either being flat (Peter Powell style) or with a floppy sail not supported by "stand-offs" or "whiskers". A supported sail is required for the more advanced moves and tricks as well as unassisted ground launches.
Look for the larger delta (V shaped) kite with a rigid frame
and a supported sail. Larger kites are steadier and slower in flight and fly in a lighter
wind making it easier to learn. Somewhere between 1 and 2 metres for wingspan is a good
bet. Sail material should be rip stop or Carrington K42 nylon or better. Frame material
should be carbon fibre rod (smaller kites) or tube (larger kites).
Good beginners kites (a personal list in no particular order):
| Kite | Manufacturer |
| First Step | Eolo/Dodd Gross |
| Twister | Elliot |
| Rapier | Spirit of Air |
| Sabre | Spirit of Air |
| M Performer | HQ Kites |
| Bug | Mullin Kites |
My personal favourite is the First Step... unbreakable (ask
my 9 year old son), huge wind range, but not too fast in higher winds, less than £40(UK)
and capable of most of the tricks in the book so it will keep you interested for a long
time. Also comes with good instructions, lines (which will need adjusting to the same
length) & handles.
Extras required = tent peg/ground stake
1st Upgrade = better quality, longer lines and wrist straps
Lines should be long to start with, 80-100ft is a good starting point. Both lines should be exactly the same length and all the line should be let out to fly the kite. Long lines allow you to fly higher in the sky i.e. further from the ground giving you more time to avoid crashes. They will also give you a bigger area of the sky to fly in that is not in the "power zone" low and directly downwind of you, where the kite will pull hardest and fly fastest (or spin like a top and smack into the ground!).[see wind window]
From a kite shop of course, preferably one you can visit, look at the differences between kites and get advice on assembly and set-up. If you're in the Greater Manchester or Chester area of the UK visit Kites Aloft and tell them I sent you!
Easy! Pull on the right line
and the kite will turn to
the right.
Pull on the left and the
kite will turn to the left.
The more you pull the tighter the turn and it will carry on turning till your hands are
brought back to level, at which point (if your lines are the same length) the kite will
fly straight in whichever direction it is pointing at the time (more often than not
straight down!). Start by flying high up away from that last inch above the ground that
causes all the damage!
When you are happy with this you can try push turns.
Push your right hand away
from you and the kite will
turn to the left...yes left.
Push the left hand and the
kite will turn to the right
......yes that's to the right!
Small movements are best to start with and
remember straight flight requires your hands (assuming that's what you are flying the kite
with?) are together.
It is impossible to
keep the lines together and fly straight if your hands are performing semaphore messaging
over your head... not only will you crash the kite but you will look as
stupid as you imagine & may inadvertently insult passing sailors!
Keep your hands low and in front of you.
If you are flying in a circle DON'T stop
pulling on the same line as the kite flies towards the ground. Keep the same pull on the
same line to finish the circle.
Should
your circle be too large and you are heading for the ground increase the
pull on the line to tighten the turn then bring hands back level as the kite flies up.
If you pull with your other hand as the kite flies down you WILL crash into the ground!
The same applies to push turns... hold the lines in position till you have completed the manoeuvre and then return hands together to fly straight once more.
What if the lines get twisted?
They will...one twist for each circle flown. Decent kite line will enable you to fly with the lines twisted many times. If you want to untwist just fly circles in the opposite direction till they straighten out! The more the lines twist the more resistance is felt when pulling one line against the other. If the resistance is increasing you're adding more twists, if it's decreasing you're untwisting.
Fly the kite as far as it will go to the left or right side
and walk towards it... it will drop gently to the ground. Alternatively fly into the
ground at either the extreme right or left. At the edge of the wind the kite shouldn't
have enough speed to cause significant damage.
Please note no liability will be accepted for any damage caused by trusting this
statement! [see wind window]
How do I set-up my kite & launch?
Use a ground stake and attach the handles or straps to it.
Run the lines down wind and then attach the kite to the lines using a larks head hitch. Set the kite on the ground leaning back (nose away) with the lines taught so that it doesn't self launch.
Walk back to the handles and gently pick them up in the correct hands (left line in left
hand, right line in right hand). Step back and at the same time pull both lines back to
launch bringing both hands together in front of you to fly straight to the top of the wind window. In higher wind you may only need to step back or use a
gentle steady pull on both lines.
Pull the knot tight and it will not slide past the knot on the bridle attachment point... in fact the harder you pull the tighter it will get. When you finish simply loosen the knot and remove the line from the kite.
This is the area of the sky in which your kite will fly.
Facing directly down wind this is roughly equivalent to the area defined between an arc
drawn from ground level the same distance away as the length of your lines directly to
your right... through directly overhead... to directly to your left, and the ground. This
forms a shape approximate to 1/4 of the surface of a sphere. Note that in lower wind
conditions the area of sky your kite will fly in may be smaller and it may not reach
directly overhead.
Your kite will fly slower and pull less towards the edges of the window, faster and with
stronger pull low in the centre. At the very edges there may not be enough wind pressure
in the sail to keep the kite in the sky!
In general it is easier to learn in light winds as the kite is slower & therefore less
likely to break when crashed. 5-10mph (a steady breeze) would be ideal for most kites. As
a beginner you will soon realise that modern lightweight kites need less wind to fly than
you would think.
How do I tell if the wind is right for flying?
Look around... if large branches on trees are swaying the wind roars in your ears & it's an effort to walk into the wind its probably too strong to learn to fly. If you can just about feel the wind on your face but walking downwind feels completely calm there's probably not enough wind to fly.
Quad Line Beginners Guide
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP FOR POWER
KITE FLYING!
Never try to fly a power kite that is too big for the wind strength... too much
pull means you will not have control and is dangerous for both you and others
Whatever sort of 4 line kite you fly there are some basic questions and answers that will help you get started.
There are not as many 4 line sport kites as dual line kites so there is less choice for the beginner. A couple of suggestions would be the M-Quad from HQ and the Revolution EXP. Both these kites will perform all the usual 4 line moves and tricks. Power & traction kites are more a matter of size and pulling power required though in general the single skin framed power kites (like C-Quads) fly more like a sport 4 line kite and the soft foils (like Skytigers and Predators) tend to be a little less responsive, in general whatever the type, the larger the kite the more it pulls and the slower the response.
What sort of lines should I start with?
Spectra or dyneema lines (sleeved) 16-25+ metres long at 50Kg - 70kg strength for sport kites. Power/traction kites may need lines as strong as 300kg for the top lines and 200kg for the bottom or brake lines. It depends on the size of the kite and the wind conditions. If your lines are different strengths or thickness the stronger, thicker lines should always connect to the top of the kite.
What sort of handles should I use?
Quad line sport kites can generally be flown with shorter lighter handles with a smaller diameter to the grip. Power kites require handles that are stronger and slightly longer, with a comfortable padded grip to enable you to hold on when the kite is pulling your arms out.
TIP: Make a series of 3 or 4 knots in the attachment lines at the
handles, attach the lines half way along each one to start with (if you need to adjust the
lines I find it's easier to adjust the bottom or brake lines than the top lines, which
should only need attention if one stretches more than the other).
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Use two ground stakes, one for each handle |
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The lines should be in 2 pairs with some way of identifying them i.e. different coloured sleeving so that you can tell top from bottom line on each side |
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On power kites the top line will usually be the thicker or stronger line as this takes most of the strain... on 4 line sport kites the lines are usually the same strength unless you are flying a stack! |
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Before you try and fly take the lines and unwind them, attaching the ends to a hook or stake make sure that the two top lines are the same length as each other and likewise for the two bottom lines... give them a good pull to make sure they don't stretch in flight |
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The lines should be all the same length to start with |
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If you have the lines tied in two pairs on a single winder unwind all the lines to the end and pull apart to separate tangles DON'T try to untangle them as you go along |
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Attach the flying lines to the handles with the larks head hitch as shown in the dual line section |
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Attach the other end of the lines to the bridle points on the kite with a larks head hitch |
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Make sure the lines are untangled and run straight and untwisted to the kite |
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Set the kite up as for the two line sport kite directly down wind (more critical with a 4-line kite) with the bottom of the kite closer to the handles than the top so it leans back and doesn't self launch. The handles can be held by a friend or hooked over a stake. |
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Take up the handles and making sure the lines are not twisted tilt the top of the handles back and pull to launch keeping the handles tilted back and your hands level |
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If the kite veers off to one side
and crashes either you were not launching directly down wind, your hands were not level,
or the lines were not the same length EQUAL LINE LENGTH IS EXTREMELY CRITICAL FOR 4 LINE KITES! Even big power foils will be very hard to fly if the left and right lines are only a few inches different!... Assuming your arms are the same length! |
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For large power kites and foils you may need to get a friend to hold the kite down till you are ready to launch & use really strong ground stakes (like a screw in dog stake) to hold the handles while you set up the kite. |
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Once the kite is in the air pull
the bottom of the right handle back to turn right and vice versa to turn left, keeping the
other handle tilted top backwards to keep the kite in the air. |
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If the kite is level pull the bottom of both handles back to reverse or descend to the ground |
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Do not try and fly a quad line like a two line kite... pulling one handle will result in a sideways slide rather than a turn (though very large foils will often turn this way this is an inefficient method of turning the kite and requires much more effort) |
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In light wind slightly lengthening the brake lines will allow forward flight but hamper backward flight and will reduce pull |
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If your kite will not fly backwards despite pulling the bottom of both handles back the lower/brake lines are too long (or top lines too short) |
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If the kite will not take off despite keeping the top of the handles tilted well back either there is not enough wind or the bottom lines are too short (or top lines too long) |
The easiest way is to fly to the centre of the window
directly down wind and turn the kite so that it is upright ready to fly straight up. Pull
the bottom of both handles back together till the kite starts to descend and maintain this
degree of pull to create a slow descent down to the ground.
How do I stop it blowing away?
To prevent unwanted self launches while you start to pack up, position yourself close to your ground stakes, land the kite on its trailing edge and hook the attachment lines on the bottom of the handles over a stake leaving the top lines longer and the kite leaning away from you so that the wind keeps it pressed to the ground. Alternatively land the kite upside down and hook the top attachment lines over the stake.
If you find the wind is too strong and you will not be able to hold on or control the kite let go of ONE handle. The kite will cease pulling and flutter in the wind till it hits the ground. If you let go both handles your kite will blow away and the trailing handles may well injure someone or cause damage.
Thanks to Charlie's Action Man for
"helping hands" with the graphics!
The first Time Flyers Guide & graphics may not be reproduced in any form
without the prior consent of Dr Mike Armstrong ©1999
