Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 03:14:00 -1000 From: A.Hawken@qmw.ac.uk (Andrew Hawken) Message-Id: Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Kite Jumping Kite jumping is something that I try to avoid, however, on Sunday I was flying 5 * 6ft flexifoils in a gusty 20mph wind. I was ploughing across my favourite flying site, feet in front, bum bouncing along the ground, kites flying a horisontal track, and wondering if the field had shrunk on me! I was rapidly running out of room, so I pointed the kites straight up in the sky to go for the parked position. However, next thing that I knew, the ground was rapidly falling away. Onlookers said I was a good 10-12 ft in the air, but even if it was half that, it was enough, especially from a sitting position! Strange thoughts went through my head here, like "Damn there goes another point in the Purity Test, Lets hope I don't get it back on landing", "Should I let go ? Too late for that!", "Should I look at the kites or the ground ?" Anyway, the question is.... Is this normal. Can I expect to be flung into the air whilst already doing 15mph forward, or was it just a freak gust at a critical point in the manouver ? It wasn't THAT gusty! If it IS normal, how do the buggies keep on the ground, they seem to use more sail than a measly 5*6ft flexi stack! ____________________________Andrew Hawken______________________________ -- "Don't need no wings to fly" The Lurker, Genesis Home : 0895 420110 QMW : 071 975 5542 AIIT : 0494 677045 Email : A.Hawken@QMW.AC.UK = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 10:43:59 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Kite Jumping A.Hawken@qmw.ac.uk (Andrew Hawken) writes: >[about an unintentional jump with 5 6' flexies.] >"Should I let go ? *NO* Either let go *before* you leave the ground or hang on for dear life. The problem with smaller power-kites is that they tend to have you off the ground before you've noticed. Yesterday I saw a certain Mr Green (one of the Green's Kites family) let go of a kite at an altitude of between 1 & 2 feet when he was accidentally pulled off his feet. I don't think that he broke anything, but he suffered a lot of pain from the resulting fall. >"Should I look at the kites or the ground ?" The ground. That's the bit that's going to hurt you. Steer the kites upwards by feel - the higher they are, the less pain you are likely to suffer. >Anyway, the question is.... >Is this normal. Can I expect to be flung into the air whilst already >doing 15mph forward, or was it just a freak gust at a critical point in >the manouver ? It wasn't THAT gusty! If it IS normal, how do the >buggies keep on the ground, they seem to use more sail than a measly >5*6ft flexi stack! You'll find that you do it less with practice, but a lot of power kiting is about struggling to stay on the ground. Buggies have the advantage that they have very low rolling resistance, so if there is too much power, you can reduce the pull to merely that of your inertia (for some of this, this is still significant) :-) On the other hand, if you are travelling at several times wind-speed and use the kite as a brake, all that momentum-energy has to go somewhere - usually UP! Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Post only stuff of general interest Don't quote more than necessary. Don't send Email via news. Keep lines <80 chara Read the FAQ's. Flame only by Email. Set Distribution: world. Keep sig less than = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 12:37:38 -1000 From: chhowa00@mik.uky.edu (clarice haydon howard) Message-Id: Organization: University of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences Subject: Kite Jumping? Does anyone out there know where you can call a place for a catalog or send custom measurements or information on kite jumping? Also, which kite companies are the best and how are "Coast Kites"? Please reply to chhowa00@mik.uky.edu. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 12:37:38 -1000 From: chhowa00@mik.uky.edu (clarice haydon howard) Message-Id: Organization: University of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences Subject: Kite Jumping? Does anyone out there know where you can call a place for a catalog or send custom measurements or information on kite jumping? Also, which kite companies are the best and how are "Coast Kites"? Please reply to chhowa00@mik.uky.edu. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 01:41:46 -1000 From: rvdp@xs4all.nl (Ronald van der Putten) Message-Id: Organization: XS4ALL, networking for the masses Subject: Re: Kite Jumping? In article , chhowa00@mik.uky.edu (clarice haydon howard) wrote: > Does anyone out there know where you can call a place > for a catalog or send custom measurements or information > on kite jumping? Also, which kite companies are the > best and how are "Coast Kites"? Please reply to > chhowa00@mik.uky.edu. > Are you starting a flame or what? Ronald _______________________________________________________________________________ Ronald van der Putten, Heemstede, The Netherlands rvdp@xs4all.nl DoubleSpace....., Beyond the final frontier, To boldly go where no one has gone before. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 20:26:06 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Kite Jumping? chhowa00@mik.uky.edu (clarice haydon howard) writes: >Does anyone out there know where you can call a place >for a catalog or send custom measurements or information >on kite jumping? Also, which kite companies are the >best and how are "Coast Kites"? Is this a troll? Hmmm... I suspect not. I guess you're just new round here. If you had been around a couple of weeks ago, you would have gathered that most of us think that kite jumping is pretty dumb (mostly due to the fact that you have no way of controlling the landing) . If you want to fly, use a hang-glider, or a paraglider. If you want to travel through the air at high speed safely, try skydiving, bungee or cliff diving. If you want to use your power kite for more than just skidding along on your bum, use a buggy, a kite-sailer, roller-blades, wheels of doom, ice skates, snowskiis, water skiis, grass skiis - all of these will let you go *fast* and/or upwind. Which is best? What does "best" mean? Easiest to learn with? Highest top speed? Fastest round a course? For me, I go for Peels and Sputniks, easiest to learn is a quad - check out the Cobra Skytigers, Highest top speed is likely to go to the fastest kite, by Flexifoil. There is loads more to choose from: Quadrifoil - the original 4-line soft kite, now much improved. Buggy Engine - respectable narrow-cell 4-liner from Texas Force-10 - With gauze leading edge and thin profile for better performance Kite-ski & Banchee - water-ski system capable of wet-launching. Parawing - Control over angle of attack Andrew -- Kite FAQ's: ftp.hawaii.edu:/pub/rec/kites/faq) o /\ Kite Jumping For sale: 10' Flexis with std & UF Spars. |_ \/ is for andrew@tug.com AoXoMoXoA (_\ M O R O N S = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 16:00:22 -1000 From: Hans Schepker Message-Id: Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice) Subject: Re: Kite Jumping? Hello there, I thank you for mentioning the ParaWing. We are the North American ParaWing Co. and the makers of a line of ParaWings from 25 to 156 sqft. Please turn to us with questions about the ParaWing or events, where we will demonstrate and let try out. I would like to draw attention to the 15th Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships from Feb 16 through 19 '95 in Wisconsin. Please do not hesitate to turn to George Theriault at GTheriault@aol.com or myself, Hans Schepker. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 18:20:57 -1000 From: ciuffo@rainbow.rmii.com (Aaron Ciuffo) Message-Id: <3ucof9$jg3@natasha.rmii.com> Organization: Rocky Mountain Internet Inc. Subject: Kite Jumping... I my self have never actual "jumped" with any kite. I have left the ground for a few seconds, and travled several (at most 10 feet) while using my 3.6m peel. I have no problem with kite jumping, I think the people who engage in it are either A) Really stupid, B) don't care what they will look like in five years, C) looking for the ultimate thrill, or D) all of the above. The fanatical responce to jumping is not really called for. Novices, and those new to the idea of jumping should not be lead into beleiving that jumping is a safe sport. But I don't belive that people should be descouraged from trying it. They should just beable to have all the facts presented to them, and then make an decision (hopefully intelegent and informed). If you are an avid kite jumper, or jump in public places, PLEASE warn onlookers of the danger before they go home and whip out their felexies and kill themselves. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 22:29:47 -1000 From: Chuck.van.Eekelen@net-engine.nl (Chuck van Eekelen) Message-Id: Organization: NLnet Subject: Re: Kite Jumping... ciuffo@rainbow.rmii.com (Aaron Ciuffo) wrote: >The fanatical responce to jumping is not really called for. >Novices, and those new to the idea of jumping should not be >lead into beleiving that jumping is a safe sport. But I don't >belive that people should be descouraged from trying it. They >should just beable to have all the facts presented to them, and >then make an decision (hopefully intelegent and informed). Unfortunately enthousiasm and emotion take over the intelligent/informed part of the brain real quick. The intelligent part comes back into the picture only to tell you that in retrospect you are lucky you only broke both of your ankles where you could have broken your neck with just as much effort. >If you are an avid kite jumper, or jump in public places, >PLEASE warn onlookers of the danger before they go home and whip >out their felexies and kill themselves. Ever tried to talk to all the onlookers on a busy day ? What do you do, bring a disclaimer banner and a bullhorn? Since a couple of years the reputation of kite-fliers is deteriorating. It's gotten to the point where (at least in Holland) most major beaches are prohibited for kitefliers (even outside the guarded areas - unlike last year) and buggying is receiving additional banning. Reasons for these measures: people sticking to noisy kites, people thinking it's cool to scale a bystander's head, people who think throwing your buggy into a 180 a feet away from people is hot stuff and people getting frontpage coverage being slapped into a concrete wall, breaking stuff or being pulled into the ocean on an off-shore wind. Sure I can see the thrill of jumping (although a little less after being launched unvoluntarily by a 5 sq. m Quadrifoil - max height 10 feet, max distance 30 feet) while having a kite pulling you for the distance, but there is no doubt that it is the most dangerous form of kiting and thus gives US (kitefliers) a bad name. I'm not gonna talk anybody out of jumping, after all it is a free world and it is your body and soul, but if you do it, make sure you do it where no one can see you (saves you from warning the many onlookers), tell you're family where you are and when you'll be back (so you don't have to lay on the field with broken legs for three days) and most important: DON'T TEACH OTHERS !!! Don't tell your friends it's great and they should come an try it with you. It's save to assume that if they break something (or worse - and that has happened as others have said before me) the guildtrip will be worse than anything you've ever experienced, and the results can't be undone. As kitefliers, if we want kiting to be accepted as a sport/hobby by non-kiters and if we wanna have places where we are allowed to fly, buggy, etc. (especially in smaller, crowded countries like Holland), we will have to behave rational and not give anybody any reason to bitch about kites and their fliers. So for the good of the group, the individual sometimes has to give up something. After all, even without jumping, there is still an awful lot of fun in kite-flying. Greetinx Chuck Go Fly a Kite ! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 10:36:07 -1000 From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Message-Id: Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Subject: Re: Kite Jumping... In article , Chuck.van.Eekelen@net-engine.nl (Chuck van Eekelen) wrote: > ciuffo@rainbow.rmii.com (Aaron Ciuffo) wrote: > > >The fanatical responce to jumping is not really called for. > >Novices, and those new to the idea of jumping should not be > >lead into beleiving that jumping is a safe sport. But I don't > >belive that people should be descouraged from trying it. They > >should just beable to have all the facts presented to them, and > >then make an decision (hopefully intelegent and informed). Hey, I'm all for "novices" getting fully informed. You, know, playing Russian Roulette has an 83hance that nothing will happen (5 of 6 of those chambers have no bullets in them), I'm just not going to choose to do it myself, and I'm not going to "sell" the idea to others. If you, and others, want to continue to espouse this myth that "forewarned is forearmed" go ahead and do it. To everybody else: Dont listen. Oh, and don't jump with kites. It's dangerous. Dave Culp = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =