Jump to content

Kiting - Wing flip and dives to the ground


Recommended Posts

Hey,

Kinda embarrassed to ask since I'm already a year old ppg pilot but haven't figured this one out.

I like to pre kite every time before setting up my wing and every now and I still get the annoying "wing flip and nose down to the ground" scenario. I'm sure all pilots are familiar with this.  

I haven't really figure out what I'm doing wrong here. I'm centered to the wing and the wing is towards the wind. No amount of correction ever fixes it. When it starts going, it's gone.  Granted, my reactions, or rather reading the wing isn't the best yet. Still need to work on that.  But yeah, it's annoying as hell to always start flipping it back and and most importantly smacking the leading edge to the ground isn't good for the wing.

So, what causes this almost violent flip of the wing?        

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, alan_k said:

Wing towards the wind?

Do you mean the wind is towards the wing? If one tip is climbing then you need to pull the brake on that side.

Sorry, english isn't my first language. What I mean is the wing is setup into the wind, as you would normally launch as opposed to say 90 degrees which would cause it to roll.

When im kiting (not clipped in) I hold A's and D's and controll it that way. Works just fine but with these "flips' it doesn't do much as it so violent.

 

 

8

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like wind gusting to me. Do you have a wind sock or streamer?

I have a streamer with 3 metres of ribbon that shows gust and direction change very well.

With A's and D's you need to move the D's away from the tip that is climbing, not just towards you. If the left tip is climbing move the D's smartly to the right and vice versa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, alan_k said:

Sounds like wind gusting to me. Do you have a wind sock or streamer?

I have a streamer with 3 metres of ribbon that shows gust and direction change very well.

With A's and D's you need to move the D's away from the tip that is climbing, not just towards you. If the left tip is climbing move the D's smartly to the right and vice versa.

Yes, I always have a fishing pole with streamers on it. Too many down wind launch attemps that I"ve learned it's a must. On calm days its impossible to tell what the wind is doing without streamers. 

Yes, thats what Im doing with the D's. A's I pull to the opposite side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so you are talking about reverse launching?

In stronger winds (ie enough wind that the wing will easily stay overhead), try the cobra technique . My hadron used to do the flip every time when I tried to launch the usual way, but just using one A to launch stops that behaviour every time. If the wind isnt strong enough for the cobra, do the normal straight launch with both A's but be ready with a finger on the brake line to check the spin (mine always spins to the right so my left hand pinky is ready on the brakeline on left side to arrest that). The cobra is a great technique to try, best with a kiting harness at the park, or at a beach if possible

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, simonhunny said:

so you are talking about reverse launching?

Just kiting, not launching. Basically a reverse with out being clipped in and holding the riser in my hands. I do this every time to check the lines and setup the wing. 

Ever since I started ground handling to this very day I get the flip from time to time and every time I ask myself "Why, what am I doing wrong?" :)

I get my mistake if it just falls to the side, stalls, overshoots etc, but never figured out the "flip". 

Could it be just a case of sudden wind direction change / gust? I've had this happen so many times I don't think it's likely.  As I said, I always have streamers with me so I shouldn't be off more than 10-15 degrees at most to the prevailing wind.

Edited by SamiK
Link to comment
Share on other sites

does it flip the same way every time? If so, then favour the A riser on one side, eg if it flips left wingtip over to the right (as you are facing it), then try just using the right A & let the left A just find its own way up, you need a delay on the left side to stop the left side overtaking & flipping

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, simonhunny said:

does it flip the same way every time? If so, then favour the A riser on one side, eg if it flips left wingtip over to the right (as you are facing it), then try just using the right A & let the left A just find its own way up, you need a delay on the left side to stop the left side overtaking & flipping

Don't remember which side it flips to.  Something is off center, but not sure what.

7 hours ago, asquaddie said:

Best option is to take a video of your wing flipping!

Thousand words and all that

Yeah thats true. If I had a video of it, I think I'd figure it out myself. 

I'll put a camera up sometime and see what I get.  I'm a new pilot so my priority is always getting off the ground every chance I get and everything else is just a distraction at this point :)  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 03/02/2020 at 13:27, SamiK said:

Just kiting, not launching. Basically a reverse with out being clipped in and holding the riser in my hands. I do this every time to check the lines and setup the wing. 

Ever since I started ground handling to this very day I get the flip from time to time and every time I ask myself "Why, what am I doing wrong?" :)

I get my mistake if it just falls to the side, stalls, overshoots etc, but never figured out the "flip". 

Could it be just a case of sudden wind direction change / gust? I've had this happen so many times I don't think it's likely.  As I said, I always have streamers with me so I shouldn't be off more than 10-15 degrees at most to the prevailing wind.

 Check all the lines are free, as in something could be pulling to that side causing the wing to always turn.  Otherwise it may be changing wind conditions, are you in an area without many obstructions?  When I started I went to parks and the local school football field and it was so difficult then once I started practicing at an air field and another large field things got way easier and more consistent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know what you mean, when you pull the wing up you want to hold the A's in one hand and and the D's /brakes in the other, pull the wing up with the A's gently, if it start to go to the left move your A hand to the right and the brake hand to the left, basically your trying to pull the front away from the turn and brake the high side, be gentle with no big movements and you'll soon stop it flipping, make sure your trims are equal 

Good luck 👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Upcoming Events

    No upcoming events found
×
×
  • Create New...