In the last few years, there has been a proliferation of new
tricks that can be performed with dual-line sportkites. However, learning the
wide variety of maneuvers may seem like a confusing and daunting task. To this
end, welcome to Wing Tips - a new instructional series dedicated to flying
techniques. Wing Tips is geared towards those dual-line flyers who already know
the basics of control, but would now like to progress to a higher level. In
essence, the goal of this series is to take the mystery out of performing the
various maneuvers, introduce new flying challenges and (most importantly)
maximize your kiting enjoyment.
Wing Tips will take a progressive approach with each issue's
lesson building up to more complex maneuvers. Often, new flyers will start by
attempting a trick that is too difficult (like the axel for example) without
first learning the less complicated moves. The old adage "You have to learn
to walk before you can run" comes to mind!
For this first installment, lets examine an often overlooked
but important area of kite handling and that is flying to the extreme edges of
the wind window. So, why is edge control so important? Not only will it allow
you to expand the usable wind window and fly in lighter winds, but you can also
attain a higher level of kite control for performing difficult tricks.
First time flyers often receive this warning from their
instructor: "Don't fly too far to the sides or you will lose control and
crash!". Of course if they were lucky enough to be learning in strong and
steady coastal breezes, the kite would simply hover at the edges. However, in
our typical light and turbulent inland conditions the kite will stall out and
flutter to the ground. Here are three techniques to avoid the frustration of
losing control and to boldly go where few kites have gone before:
1. Push and Tuck Turn.
As your kite approaches the
edge, it barely has enough lift to support its own weight let alone having the
extra drive to turn upwards and back into the power zone. So, instead of
fighting gravity, let it provide the momentum for you! Start by making a
horizontal pass about 30 feet off the ground. As the kite slows but before it
completely stalls, let the kite's nose turn down and fall with gravity. Do this
by executing a push turn (push the right line at the left edge and vice versa)
which results in a tighter and more pivotal arc than the traditional pull turn.
Once comfortable with the push turn, start making your setup passes lower and
lower until you exit the 180 degree tuck with the kite's wingtip only a foot or
so off the ground. The kite can then smoothly transition into a ground hugging
pass - a surefire way to receive admiration from all bystanders!
2. Pull/Pull Power Turn.
This maneuver will provide an
extra boost of lift to the kite so it doesn't stall out when turning upwards at
the edge. As the kite slows, execute a normal pull turn and then a split second
later also pull back with the opposite hand. As both hands pull back, the hand
that initiated the turn should remain further offset to let the kite continue
turning as its "powered up". (Note: If pulling your hands back to you
chest does not provide enough lift to complete the turn, supplement that with
taking a quick step or two backwards. Just remember to walk forward once the
kite is back in the power zone or you will quickly loose flying field!). The
power turn works great in light winds. Unlike the push and tuck turn that
results in the kite losing altitude, the power turn enables the kite to ascend
with each horizontal pass. Your kite will soon be at the top of the wind window
in lighter winds than you ever thought possible!
3. Stall Recovery.
For our last maneuver, we will
purposely stall the kite and then recover. Besides being a lot of fun, stalling
provides the basis for learning slack line tricks (such as the axel) wherein the
kite must first be completely stalled. To begin a stall at the edge, execute a
sharp pull turn upwards and then quickly return that hand to neutral. The kite
should now be hovering nose up. (If the kite did not stall out, try flying a
little further to the edge on the next pass and/or feed both hands forward after
completing the turn.) Once hovering, try to balance the kite nose up for as long
as possible. If a wingtip starts to dip down, immediately give a short sharp tug
to the line on that side. This will result in that wingtip rising to again
restore a level hover. It's even OK to let the kite descend backwards tail first
like a quad-liner. Just keep in mind that like a stalled airplane, a stalled
kite will not respond to your steering inputs in the same manner. To recover
from the stall, perform the pull/pull power turn described above. This will put
extra air pressure on the sail and enable you to once again regain normal flight
control by turning the kite back into the power zone. Remember stalling does not
have to mean crashing - a simple tug on both lines to add power is all that
needed!
In conclusion, try and take advantage of the great Spring
weather and longer days by practicing all three of the above edge techniques.
In
the next issue, we will expand on the push and tuck turn to describe the classic
side slide.
