Race Kites

Beginners Guide to Kiting : How To Fly

Copyright racekites.com 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.racekites.com

Beginners Guide to Kiting How To Fly

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Contents Page 3 : Introduction

Page 3 : Experience

Page 4 : Site Evaluation

Page 6 : General Safety

Page 7 : Which Kite

Page 8 : Kite Selection

Page 9 : The Wind

Page 11 : Useful Accessories

Page 13 : Kite Lines

Page 15 : Kite Handles

Page 16 : The Larks Head Knot

Page 18 : Getting the Kite Out

Page 20 : Ready to go

Page 22 : Launching

Page 25: Landing

Page 25: Overflying

Page 25 : Turning

Page 26 : Harnesses

Page 28 : Packing the kite

Page 29 : How to Parapack

Page 38 : Cleaning

Page 39 : Conclusion

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Introduction Kites are cool. No longer are they limited to young children and have pictures of Disney characters plastered upon them. Kites have become extreme. The following guide will try and explain the concepts involved in learning how to fly safely and responsibly. By using this guide, you will hopefully increase your learning curve, develop your skills and increase your enjoyment of the sport. The kites and activities discussed here are potentially dangerous. Respect them or they will hurt you.

Experience There is no substitute to gain experience than to actually spending time stood under a kite. If you are able to join a club or fly with other people, you will learn much faster. Alternatively, taking a few lessons will also speed your learning. If you do choose lessons, make sure that your instructor holds a suitable qualification from either the PKA or BBC.

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Site Evaluation Before you even think about getting out your kite, you need to be sure that you have selected the right location at which to fly. The more space you have available, the more fun it will be. Stay as far away from buildings, roads, trees and electrical power lines as possible. They will either create turbulence and/or eat your kite. No matter how far away that tree is, you can guarantee that your kite will land in it at some point! Getting your kite wrapped around electrical power cables is also not a good idea.

Try and choose a location which has few people. Power kiting has the potential to be dangerous. The general public typically has no understanding of our sport. Most people will not comprehend the most fundamental point, that your kite is attached to lines. When your kite is on the ground, they will try and walk through them, over them and trip up on them every chance they get. While flying, people will walk in front of you, they will walk under your kite and they will find it very amusing that their huge Doberman is chasing you as you buggy down the beach in fear of your life as it snaps its teeth inches from the back of your head. Avoid people at all costs. When someone does trip over your lines, get in your way or let their dog eat your new kite, (it will happen - it's just a matter of time), don't get angry, shout, or threaten to beat them up. Explain the potential dangers and that they should be aware of them. This is good kite etiquette.

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Buggying and boarding is most fun on long expanses of hard packed sandy beaches. It can also be done on other firm flat surfaces, such as grass or tarmac, although these will hurt more as you scrape across them at 20mph. The best place to both fly and buggy is on a large beach with onshore winds. It is definitely worth traveling to the best location possible. When I fly at the weekends I will typically do a 200 mile round trip to the beach to get the best conditions. I also take all of my kit with me. I've found that the kite that best suits the wind conditions is always the one I have left behind. If you decide to travel to a beach to fly, remember to check the tides. There is nothing worse than spending two hours battling through traffic only to find that the tide is coming in and you are going to have to wait for several hours until you can fly. Be aware of any restrictions due to bans, nature reserves etc. Whatever you do, please do not fly or buggy when you are not allowed to. It is likely that if a ban is in place, there will be local flyers who are trying to reverse it and regain access. If you decide to fly regardless you are screwing things up for everyone. If possible, talk to other flyers using the site. Most of them will know much more about the location than you do. They will be able to point out any unseen dangers and where the best places to fly are. They will also have information about the tides and other locations in the area.

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General Safety The most vital piece of equipment you can have when you decide to take up kiting is usually the cheapest. This is of course insurance. There are no excuses for not having it. Many locations will not allow you to fly or buggy without it. Insurance can be obtained from the BBC or the PKA. If you don't have any, stop reading this and go and get some now. Remember, there are NO excuses.

http://www.britishbuggyclub.co.uk

http://www.pka-online.org.uk When you initially start kiting, the learning curve is steep and usually painful. If you are learning to buggy or mountain board, essential equipment is a helmet, eye wear and boots with good ankle support. Other stuff such as body padding is useful but is down to your own discretion, it may limit your freedom of movement. During your initial exploits do not use a harness, this will only cause additional problems. Learn how to competently fly your kite first. We will discuss harnesses later. Your safety and the safety of those around you is your responsibility. If you employ a mild amount of common sense the likelihood of an accident happening will be greatly reduced.

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http://www.britishbuggyclub.co.uk/

http://www.pka-online.org.uk/



Which Kite If you are interested in traction related activities, then I would recommend a four line traction kite. These ram-air foils typically surpass all other types of kites in terms of ease of use, efficiency, power and are virtually indestructible. Ram-air foils are made entirely of material and generally have no spars to break. They consist of a top and bottom surface which are joined by vertical ribs. They have an opening at the leading edge (the front) which allows the kite to inflate and form an aerofoil shape. A bridle system consisting of an intricate arrangement of lines holds the kites shape once inflated. Modern kites are generally made from Chikara or a similar high grade material. However if you are buying second hand, find out what the kite is made from before you make the purchase. Nylon kites are cheap but will absorb large amounts of water. If it rains or you crash the kite onto a wet beach the kite will become heavy and difficult to fly. Icarex is a polyester based material so will not absorb water, however is prone to abrasion and will not last as long as you would like. Icarex kites also tend to be expensive due to the high cost of the material. The best one to go for is Chikara. The majority of modern kites currently available are made out of high quality material, so if you are looking at getting one of these, you don't have to worry.

The four line traction kite has two lines to the bridle at the front (leading edge) and two lines to the bridle at the rear (trailing edge). The front lines or power lines take the majority of the strain and allow the kite to be steered left and right. The lines to the rear bridle are called the brake lines. These can be used to depower the kite or even fly it in reverse if required. By using a combination of inputs to these four lines the kite can be made to turn much quicker and allow much greater precision in the kite's movements. These four lines generally attach to two handles (we will ignore bar setups). A power line and brake line from the same side of the kite connect to the same handle. Co-ordination of the handles in relation to the kite's movements comes with practice.

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Kite selection The most important decision you need make is which kite is best suited for you and to your chosen activity. It is the kite that provides the traction which will pull you along; there are a large array of makes, types and sizes. Many of the latest kites are reviewed here on this website, www.racekites.com - make sure you read as many as possible. The more knowledge you have, the easier it will be to choose. A few flyers when starting out unfortunately feel that they have to somehow prove themselves and purchase a kite which is wholly inappropriate. Please don't let this be you. Advice can be gained from retail outlets, however, be sure that their recommendations goes along with your research and guidance received from fellow kiters. This guide tries to offer impartial advice from experienced kiters. As you are probably already aware, there are several kite websites which also host message boards. The knowledge base on these sites is usually good; however, an air of caution is always advised. When you are starting out or moving from stunt kites to traction kites just two simple rules you will help you make the best choice when choosing your new kite.

1. Do not buy a high performance race kite. 2. Do not buy a kite which has an area greater than 4m

There are many companies which now make traction kites and I don't really want to recommend any particular one. Some are cheap and cheerful while others are expensive with excellent build quality. As always, you get what you pay for. Many stores stock a variety of makes and models. If possible find a store which will let you try before you buy. Read the reviews on this website, http://www.racekites.com, these reviews are written by the people who fly the kites, not the people that make them. Then make your own decision based upon your budget. As a beginner, you can't go far wrong by getting a kite from either Flexifoil or Ozone. These two companies have excellent build quality, with a substantial range of kites available. For now, avoid high performance kites whilst learning and don't get anything bigger than 4m in area. Even though high performance kites appear attractive, they are much more difficult to fly.

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http://www.racekites.com/



The Wind If you are just starting out with power kites, or are just interested in recreational flying, a basic understanding of the wind and wind speeds may be enough to get by. However, if you're interested in buggying or landboarding then a little more knowledge will be needed. Wind strength changes depending on weather conditions, location, direction and time of year. I have flown in conditions ranging from near hurricane to almost dead calm. An unfortunate fact of kiting and buggying is that a single kite will not be appropriate for all conditions. The majority of people when starting out think that bigger is better. Quite the opposite is true. I have a set of traction kites which range from 2m to 9m. The fastest I have ever been in my buggy is while using my 2m kite. The kite I use the most is probably my 4m. The 9m kite hardly gets used at all. The size of kite you use on any particular day is determined by your weight and the wind conditions; smaller kites for windy days, larger kites for light winds on lazy summer days. When you're learning, stick with small kites and light winds. An important concept that will aid your learning curve is the wind window. The wind window can be imagined to be a virtual region of air space directly in front of the flyer when the flyer has their back to the wind. It extends in front of and to the sides of the flyer and its radius is given by the length of the lines.

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Your kite will develop maximum lift at the center of the wind window and



minimum lift around its edges. This size of the arrow indicates the power generated by the kite in the diagram below.

If you try and take your kite outside of the wind window, either too far to the side or too far overhead, it will tend to fold and drop out of the sky.

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Useful Accessories We have already discussed safety equipment, however just to reiterate, the first item that you need is insurance. The BBC [ http://www.britishbuggyclub.co.uk ] or the PKA [ http://www.pka-online.org.uk ] will help you out here. If buggying or boarding, a helmet, eye wear and boots with good ankle support are also required. These items are not negotiable. You need them. Do not go out without them. A ground stake is the next thing you need to get. This is used to secure your kite while it is on the ground. This is useful while you are setting up, or just having a rest. Your handles should have loops on the opposite side to where the brake lines are attached. Put the stake through these loops and make sure that it is secure. When these loops are staked out, the brakes are applied to the kite. The kite will usually sit on the ground. If it flaps around or tries to take off, you will need to adjust how you are staking it out or weight the bottom of the kite (the trailing edge) with small rounded stones or sand. Make sure you peg out the loops on the brakes.

The majority of handles have a length of cord behind the power lines for connecting a harness strop, don't attach these to the stake, if you do your kite will

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http://www.britishbuggyclub.co.uk/

http://www.pka-online.org.uk/



launch without warning. Large tent pegs or "dog screwers" can be used as stakes. Tying ribbon to the top of the stake will make it much easier to spot and help stop people from tripping over it. Kite killers are becoming more common, these are Velcro straps which go around each wrist and have a cord which connects to the brake lines. In the event that you lose control or let go of your kite the brakes will be applied which is meant to bring your kite fluttering down to earth. I have never used these so cannot comment on their effectiveness however, some people like them. However they can get in the way. I believe that it's important to stay in control of your kite and if you need to let go for any reason, maybe you shouldn't be flying.

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Kite Lines Before you start, make sure that you have chosen a suitable location and that it is not too windy. You will be surprised how many beginners set up in conditions that are not appropriate. On days when they thought it was reasonably windy, many have been pulled into the air or worse. Your kite is very powerful even in light winds. Don't let this be you. New kites have not been pre-flown to check that everything is set up correctly. Therefore this is your first task. You need to check that your kite is tuned. Check that the flying lines are of equal length. The two power lines should be the same and the two brake lines should be the same. Do not be too concerned at this stage if the brake lines and power lines are not the same length, on the majority of kites they will not be. The power lines tend to be heavier and thicker than the brake lines. Some line sets will be colour coded. It is important that you know which are which.

To check the line lengths, securely stake out one end of both power lines and walk downwind, away from the stake while holding the other two ends. Hopefully when taught, both lines are the same length. If not, you will need to adjust them until they are. Do not cut them at this stage, just move the looped knot and the sleving of the longer one until they both match. Then repeat this with the brake lines. Remember, do not cut anything until you are sure that you have matched the lines correctly. When you are sure, you can remove the excess, however it's a good idea to leave 2 - 3cm of excess.

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If not already done, you need to attach your lines to the kite. Attaching lines for the first time can be confusing. Separate all four lines and lay them on the ground in a downwind direction from where you are currently standing. Downwind is the direction in which the wind is blowing. Turn so the wind is blowing directly onto your back and walk forwards until the lines are out. Take a single power line and a single brake line to the right hand side and the other power line and brake line to the left hand side of where you are standing. Now walk back upwind because we need to attach the handles to the other end of the lines. As you walk back try and separate the lines as to match the way you laid them out with a power and brake line together, one on the right and one on the left. Make sure there are no tangles.

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Kite Handles Each handle will have an attachment for a power line and a brake line. The power line attachment is at the top, the brake line at the bottom. You need to attach the right hand handle to the two lines which go off to the right and the left hand handle to the line which go to the left.

Attach the power line first to the power lead, and then attach a brake line to the brake lead on the same handle. To attach the lines use a Larks Head knot.

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The Larks Head Knot The Larks Head knot is the single most useful knot in power kiting. The Larks Head is a slip knot, therefore the more you pull the tighter it becomes, so there is no chance of it coming loose while the kite is in the air. As soon as the tension is released (after landing the kite) the knot is easy to pull loose and undo.

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More detailed images can be found on http://www.racekites.com

You should now be in a situation as shown in the diagram below.

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http://www.racekites.com/



Getting the Kite Out Once the lines are correctly attached to both handles, stake out the handles as previously described by inserting your stake though the loops on the brake lines. Make sure that the stake is secure. If its not, your kite will not be stable and will be likely to fly away.

Head off to the other end of the lines and unpack the kite from its bag and lay it on the ground so the bridle is facing upwards and the front of the kite is furthest away from the handles. The leading edge should be further away from you than the trailing edge. Weight the kite down to stop it from flying away. You should now observe that there are four bridle attachment points, two power and two brakes. The power will have lots attachment points all over the kite. The brake bridle will only attach to the trailing edge.

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You should now be in a position to attach the right hand lines you have previously laid out to the right hand bridle. Again, using the Larks Head Knot, attach the power line to the power bridle lead and the brake line to the brake line lead. Repeat this with the other two lines. Important : Make sure you have connected the correct lines to the correct bridle attachment points. Your kite will not fly if you have got it wrong and will be potentially dangerous. When you have checked it, check it again. If in doubt ask someone who will know. With your kite still weighted down, walk back along the lines to the handles. Check that there are no twists or knots. If there is you need to remove them.

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Ready to go Finally you are almost ready to go. If you have done everything correctly, the lines should be attached to both the kite and the handles (this does help during flying), there are no twists or tangles and everything looks as it’s meant to. If in doubt ask someone who will know. They will be very happy to help you. Don't struggle and don't be too proud to ask for assistance. After staking out the handles, go and stand behind the kite. You should now be looking over the kite, down the lines to the handles in the distance. Hold the kite with one hand and remove whatever you used to weight the kite down. Gently lift the leading edge (the front of the kite, or the end closet to you at this point). Don't lift it so much as to make the kite leave the ground. The kite should now gently inflate. Ideally, the kite will sit on the ground without trying to climb into the air and the brake lines should be taught. The amount of strain will depend on how windy it is. If the kite does try to take off by itself, then the brake lines are too long and you need to shorten them both by the same amount. Weight down the kite again and shorten the brake lines.

There are several ways to shorten lines but the best way is NOT to tie additional knots in the handle leaders, but to adjust the length of the lines themselves. Be patient when doing any adjustment to the lines. Shorten a little at a time. Don't cut the line until you are sure that you have it right. If the brake lines are too short, the kite will not sit in an upright position and you will find it hard to launch. If this is the case then shorten the power lines until you

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are in a position where the kite will happily sit on the ground when the handles are staked, not trying to take off and not blowing around. When the lines are correctly setup you are ready to launch. Note : it can be very frustrating to find that you have to set the lines, sometimes it can take a long time. All you want to do is play with your new toy. However, this is something you must do. If you spend time and care doing it correctly you kite will fly perfectly. If you don't bother your kite will not fly properly and will be potentially dangerous. Take the time to do it properly. If possible ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing.

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Launching Carefully pick up the handles and keep the tops of the handles pointing towards the kite. This keeps the brakes on and prevents the kite taking off before you are ready. Ensure that you have the handles the correct way around. The handle whose lines connect to the right hand side of the kite should be held in your right hand. Make sure that the lines are not twisted or crossed. If they are, replace the handles to the stake and fix the problem.

You are now ready to launch. With the handles in your hands, make sure you are holding them correctly. The main power line attachment cord should be between your index and middle finger. Check that you still have plenty of space and that no one is down wind of you. Gently rotate the handles so the tops tilt towards you. As you rotate the handles, you will see the kite inflate and begin to lift. Before the kite leaves the ground apply the brakes by rotating the handles the opposite way and see how the kite settles back.

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This time you are going to launch properly. Before you launch the kite, try and understand what it is going to do. When the kite takes off, it will head to the top of the wind window. Do your best to keep it there, don't try to steer it or move it around too much at the moment.

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Rotate the handles so the tops move closer towards you and the bottoms move towards the kite. Again and you will see the kite start to lift. You may need to walk backwards and pull gently depending on the wind conditions. Continue this rotation until the kite lifts. As the kite lifts it will quickly accelerate and generate a large amount of power. Be prepared for this. Try to lean backwards and away from the kite to counter the forwards pull. Try not to learn forward and go with the kite as you will be off balance and will likely be pulled over. Try to keep the kite at the top of the window, you will probably need to provide small inputs to the handles - pull the right handle to move the kite to the right, the left handle to move the kite to the left. If your kite doesn't fly to the top or zenith, your brake lines may be too short. If you pull the brake on by rotating the handles so the bottoms move downwards and the kite doesn't respond by gently reversing and coming down to the ground your brake lines may be too long. If either is true, land the kite and make small adjustments to rectify the problem. Then launch again and continue adjusting until you are happy that your kite is flying correctly. When the kite is at the very top of the window or the zenith, move your hands together. Hopefully the handles will be almost horizontal. If the kite moves to the left when your hands are together, the left power line is probably shorter than the right. If the kite pulls towards the right then the right power line is shorter than the left.

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Landing Landing your kite is very straight forward, from the top centre of the wind window, gently apply the brakes with equal pressure. The kite will begin to reverse down to the ground. When the kite does land, ensure you keep the brakes on, otherwise the kite may relaunch. When applying the brakes to land a kite, the majority of kites will become unstable if too much brake is applied. Depending on wind conditions, you may find that you need to make small adjustments to either handle to bring the kite down without it turning. If the kite does begin to turn, gently compensate. If you are flying in windy conditions, help reduce the apparent wind speed by walking towards the kite (ie. downwind) while applying the brakes will help the kite land. Once the kite is on the ground, keep the brakes applied and put the handle loops over the ground stake. Overflying Some kites, especially the high performance race kites are prone to overflying the zenith of the wind window and continue over your head. When this occurs, the kites angle of attack changes so much that it no longer produces enough lift to hold the kite in the air. This is referred to as "luffing" and the kite will start to descend. To counter this, walk backwards (upwind) and gently apply the brakes. Turning Maneuvering the kite is relatively straight forward, however will required practice. Initially, practice moving the kite while it is at the top of the wind window. If you try to fly the kite through the power zone at the centre of the wind window, then maximum pull is created, so be aware. With the kite at the top of the wind window, steer it left and right. Practice this until you are confident and you are able to position the kite accurately. Steadily increase the distance by which the kite moves from the centre. You will find that you can steer the kite to each edge of the window until it is almost touching the ground. Practice this and understand how to control the kite in this situation, you will be positioning the kite here when you are in the buggy. You can also turn the kite using the brake lines. With the kite at the top of the window, pull the brakes on one side only. The kite will now start to turn. A combination of pulling the power line and braking will allow you complete control

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over your kite. It will enable you to make sharp turns and position the kite anywhere in the wind window. Harnesses Quad line traction kites generate huge amounts of pull. If you take all this pull through your arms, they will quickly become tired. A harness is designed to redistribute the forces generated by the kite, while still allowing you full control. A kite harness is a development from the windsurfing harness and is typically worn around the waist with a hook or roller attached to the front. However, harnesses are not for the beginner and should only be used by the experienced kiter. If things go wrong and you're wearing a harness you cannot just let go.

There are almost as many harnesses to choose from as kites. Some are designed for buggying, buggying and surfing or surfing only. There is the seat harness, waist harness, back harness, all of which can have either a roller or hook attachment. I currently have two seat harnesses, one with a roller for buggying and one with a hook for kitesurfing. A harness should only be used when the pilot is completely comfortable when flying their kite. They should be proficient, and know how to control their kite at all positions within the wind window. The handles for the kite usually have two cords coming from the back of the power line connection. An additional piece of cord (usually called strop line) is

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required to join these together using the Larks Head knot. The length of this cord is down to the personal preference of the pilot, however should not be too long as to stop the pilot having full control of the kite. I have found that a length of around 40cm is good for me. This stop line then loops around the hook or roller and transfers a huge amount of pull from your arms to your lower body, therefore allowing you to fly for much longer periods without becoming tired.

Your choice of harness will ultimately come down to your own personal preference. Try on as many as you can and try them under load. Get someone to hold the roller / hook pull upwards as you lean backwards. A harness will feel very different when there is a kite attached. The most important point when purchasing a new harness is to make sure that the straps which are used for adjusting the harness are secure under load. I have a harness which is comfy and appears to fasten properly, however when under load the clasps which hold the straps pop open. Not good when you are fully powered up in the buggy only to find your harness is about to come off.

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Packing the kite As I was initially starting out with four line traction kites, packing the kite away was something I could never quite get the hang of. I found that no matter how careful I was when packing, the next time I came to get the kite out it would be in such a mess and the lines would be so tangled it would take a huge amount of time to get the kite ready to fly. If you are experiencing this, don't worry. It happens to everyone. Packing the kite is easy. After landing, carefully fold and place into its bag. We will sort the lines after the kite is away so leave them attached to the ground stake at present. Once the kite is away, the hard part comes. The best possible advice I can give regarding lines is have a set for each kite you own. Never take them off. It may work out a little more expensive but is definitely worth it. There are many different ways of packing the lines. Find one that best suits you. I have tried everything from individually wrapping each line onto its own winder, wrapping the lines around the handles to parapacking and just literally stuffing the lines in the kite bag. My preference is to parapack. Its very easy once mastered and is very quickly to pack and unpack with no tangles. It does take a little practice though. The advantage of parapacking is when you come to get the kite out all you need to do is take the handles from the bag, attach them to the stake and walk downwind. The lines should just come out of the bag as you walk. You can then set you kite out and you are ready to fly.

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How to Parapack 1. Lay the kite out.

2. Fold the wing tip of the kite to the middle.

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3. Fold the other side in.

4. Fold the sides in again until you get the shape below.

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5. Fold in half.

6. And in half again.

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7. Fold until the kite will fit in the bag.

8. Put kite in bag.

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9. Make a hole in the folds into which we will put the lines.

10. Wonder off back to the handles with kite in the bag.

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11. Back at the handle end, make sure the hole is a nice size...

12. Grab the lines.

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13. And stuff them into the hole in the folds.

14. Keep grabbing and stuffing...

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15. Until the lines are in the bag. Don't worry if it looks messy in there...

16. Grab the handles from the stake.

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17. And put them in the bag.

18. Tuck in the loose bit of line.

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19. Fasten your bag and you're finished.

To unpack, simply take out the handles, attach them to the stake and walk down wind helping the lines from the bag and shaking any tangles. Easy !! Other methods involve folding the kite and putting it in the bag then putting your handles together and wrapping the lines around them as you walk from the stake to the kite bag. Try the different methods and to see which you prefer. Cleaning If you get your kite wet and dirty, it can be packed away at the flying site, but should be cleaned and dried at the earliest opportunity. To dry a kite, hang it out in a well ventilated area to allow air to circulate. To clean, a wet sponge will usually remove mud and sand. A few shakes or the use of a soft brush will remove sand when dry. Avoid the use of soaps and detergents as they will damage the water resistant coating applied to the kite material.

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Conclusion Our sport is becoming increasingly popular. As more people join the kiting world, it is imperative that safety and ability is our main concern. Not only our own safety, but the safety of those around us. Hopefully you will be aware that many people are getting hurt, some seriously on a regular basis. The majority of these injuries are the result of people doing stupid things and exceeding their abilities. There have also been several recent incidents which have proved to be fatal. If in doubt, don't fly. It’s better to come back another day than to not come back at all.

There is no substitute to actually getting out there and trying these techniques yourself. There's a lot more to flying than can be described with a textual guide. You'll only find this out with experience. Joining a kite group is probably the best thing you can do initially. Kite groups usually consist of people of all abilities, and experienced members are usually happy to help out people just starting. Just watching these guys will help a great deal. The wind can be a powerful force. Respect it. But have fun doing so.

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