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NW. WA noob


67Camaro

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Bought a PPG setup a couple weeks ago, nobody else near me is flying these that I can find so here is my journey..

Learning to kit, I get about an hour after work to play, wind has been really light, like <4mph, after a few evenings Im getting good at reverse launches, but forwards are hard, I always have it either not coming up overhead, or falling to the side.

Here is a little vid a buddy made the other day, critique? I only have a couple hours under my belt so far, most of that time is setting and resetting up the wing from fails, haha.

[youtubevideo]

[/youtubevideo]
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Mate your not planning on teaching yourself all the way through are you?

It's seriously good way to get hurt or worse.

Not trying to preach but you can not beat instruction even if you have to travel. Even at the ground handling stage it can be dangerous. I had bad instruction and got hurt. After better instruction I could have easily avoided it.

Cheers Lee.

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Arms back at just under shoulder level, then as you pull on the A risers/lines lift the arms as the wing rises behind you.

The technique is to 'guide' the wing up keeping tension in the A lines, this pulls the leading edge up into the airstream.

With forward launches you must keep moving forward, if you pause the wing will fall.

Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

If you are trying kiting in strong winds ALWAYS wear a helmet, there have been serious injuries caused by being dragged along. We need all the participants in this sport :D

Cheers, Alan

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Arms back at just under shoulder level, then as you pull on the A risers/lines lift the arms as the wing rises behind you.

The technique is to 'guide' the wing up keeping tension in the A lines, this pulls the leading edge up into the airstream.

With forward launches you must keep moving forward, if you pause the wing will fall.

Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

If you are trying kiting in strong winds ALWAYS wear a helmet, there have been serious injuries caused by being dragged along. We need all the participants in this sport :D

Cheers, Alan

Thanks Alan, that makes sense, appreciate it!

I wouldnt try in strong winds, the other day in 5-6mph winds kiting was so easy, I could do side to side on the runway, and back the wing up to where I started, but my forwards Im just doing wrong. Ill give the tips a try, thanks again!

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Don't beat yourself up loads, including me, struggle with forwards.

It's worth taking time to lay your wing out nicely. And always directly into wind, sometimes it feels like it's still but 15 ft up a slight breeze will turn the wing while your not looking.

I found kiting it in a gentle breeze so it's an easy reverse launch and the walking the wing forward helped get a feel for what it's doing without watching it.

Best of luck.

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Ok, a little more progress today, there was nil wind so I figured Id just work on forward launch practice, the issue I seem to be having is as the wing comes up, it goes to one side or another, and I cant save it, so I try to fix it with brake and it falls to the side before it gets above me.

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Always the most difficult to master.

With nil wind make sure you are EXACTLY into wind. That might sound crazy but more times than not there is a puff of wind at 20 feet, just where the wing is going to be. Don't use the brakes, move sideways a little to centre yourself under the wing.

It takes practice and is easy to overcompensate.

I suffered a long time with the same problem in the early days. Make sure also that both arms are at the same height, as one is always stronger than the other.

Lastly you have to have commitment, it's surprising what advantage the right mindset gives you.

Cheers, Alan

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Always the most difficult to master.

With nil wind make sure you are EXACTLY into wind. That might sound crazy but more times than not there is a puff of wind at 20 feet, just where the wing is going to be. Don't use the brakes, move sideways a little to centre yourself under the wing.

It takes practice and is easy to overcompensate.

I suffered a long time with the same problem in the early days. Make sure also that both arms are at the same height, as one is always stronger than the other.

Lastly you have to have commitment, it's surprising what advantage the right mindset gives you.

Cheers, Alan

Thanks Alan! A buddy also mentioned, that I look back as its coming up, and that could be adjusting the risers also giving me problems.

All good tips to try when the rain stops :)

I should have enough funds saved up in a month or so to start with a trainer and get in the air.

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Great kiting last night, figured out what I was doing wrong with the forwards (not getting under it quickly and letting go of the risers too fast), so after realizing that by watching YT vids, I nailed every forward I tried, 5 for 5!

Wind was about 1-2mph, and I had no problems, really happy!

:dive:

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Still just having fun, getting much better at forwards, the wind here is either too strong, OR light and variable, which makes it hard, going to head to the beach after work to see if its a little more consistent there.

[youtubevideo]

[/youtubevideo]

I did put the motor on my back (left off the prop) just to see how weird it felt, and it was weird, Im way topheavy, my desk job has definately taken my muscles away! Once the wing was up kiting wasnt bad, its pretty weird feeling the weight shift move around.

:fail:

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Learned a little about wings last night, found a local PPG flyer, and he let me kite his wing, it was much easier and I had no problems.. He tried kiting my wing, and had problems, so Im happy to know its not just me, its my wing... His said Muse 3 on the wingtip, mine is an edel power atlas.

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