Heading out in the buggy, how do you launch and land the kite safely?

popeyethewelder.com/facebook questions

 2012

  • Ben Gwynne –  Hot launch, sit in the buggy, shake off the sand, kite up about 4 feet then turn it the way you want to go and off!
  • Kristof Meyssen –  launch the kite, fly it for a couple of minutes to get a good feel for the wind and then sit in the buggy.  Get out of the buggy and then land the kite at the end of the wind window.
  • Ben Gwynne –  You’re doing it wrong bud……you need to go somewhere in the buggy too! LOL!
  • Kristof Meyssen – Ben : I knew I was doing something wrong! Thanks for the heads up. :c)
  • Carlos Fandango –  I always without fail launch and land the kite sat in the buggy, I regard this as by far the safest method….with the buggy pointing directly down wind, on launching, the buggy will roll and take the sting out, on landing, my eyes stay on the kite the whole time, if a freak gust comes, the buggy rolls forward, again taking the power out of the kite
  • Andrew AutoBuddy Jones –  I tried hot launching the kitebike the other day….. As I thought … It didn’t work too well. Hahaha The only way I launch for last year or so.. launch directly down wind…scud with kite till it slows down and reaches zenith. Test kite across window.. then get into the bike and off we go.
  • Andrew AutoBuddy Jones –  I want to see the buggy guys hot launching the bikes..
  • Mark Sherlock –  I almost always launch and land sat in the buggy. Get in buggy, lift kite off the floor while holding it back on the brakes, gently move out of the pit area and away we go. I try to never hot launch as this puts too much stress on the lines, I run the lightest lines I can get to minimise line drag (every little helps :o)) To land I approach the pits on a slight upwind reach to keep the speed down (or come howling in and scrub off speed at the last minute lol) and then turn downwind into my pit area with the kite high to take any remaining power out of the kite, then land kite and get out of buggy. Works for me :o)
  • Adrian Lavelle –  I think the most important thing to learn when launching a 4 line kite on Handles while on a harness is hand position on the handles.
  • Your hands should always be close to the brake end of the handle, this way you can easily stall the kite as it rises up the window stopping the aggressive pull seen when the kite freely fly’s through the centre of the power, most kites will easily over power the brake pleasure you can apply while your top finger is over or near to the power lines.
  • With this method you should be able to launch and land an over powered kite while standing without being pulled forward.
  • If your not on a harness I use the same technique of stalling the kite as it rises up the window, but I put my thumb on back of the handle at the top witch gives you much more power to pull the brakes by pushing your thumb forward.
  • Everyone should be comfortable launching out of the buggy as some times you just have to.
  • Arend Geerlings –  Does not matter how you launche it is a extreme sport…….it is never 100% save. The wind plays with us…..we not with the wind. But just as Carlos said…..in the buggy downwind a bit and the sting is away.
  • Stephen Berry –  I have always launched stood up, I must try sitting in buggy and launching should be fun.
  • Chris Shubotham –  Launch and land sat in the buggy for me.
  • Giacomo Cafaggi –  in really gusty wind..sometimes I already take a small kite than I think I should use, and I try it with no traffic around me;-) then i choose the good one, put the buggy down wind, lock to harness, and move the kite from the low window to the center, feeling th brakes lines. this in gust-strong conditions.
  • David Lees – Normally I launch & land sat in the buggy. It is often difficult to launch from the buggy when the kite goes down in the dunes.  If the kite is behind a dune, I sometimes have to reposition it on a dune crest so that it catches the wind. So…metimes, I’m not in a position to sit in the buggy & launch due to this 3 dimensional terrain. In those cases I launch either sat or standing away from the buggy taking care not to be dragged off the top of a dune.