12/14 Skyline SilverArrow

[Kenny]

4 kites in the air. Typical SW 10-15 mph wind, 15-20 on Bosco and the Ridge. Snow was 6" of heavy pow over a nice deep base. Not perfect, but plenty good. Spent a lot of time working on gliding. After a lot of lousy jumps, the light finally went on. It is actually more like paragliding. I took a lesson from Steve in order to learn how to speed fly. Gliding with a kite is not the same as jumping. The trick is to get enough speed that you feel the kite lift, then you sheet in and ride off the side of the hill, no pop, no sending the kite. When you are going fast enough you will feel lift and by sheeting in and pulling up your legs you will come right up off the side of the hill. I experimented a lot on the north, center and south side of the hill. I found that I could get excellent glides on the south side even though it is not as steep because the wind flows up the hill generating good lift. I didn't go huge like I did on Saturday, but I went just as far. I found that low, long glides are almost as much fun. Sometimes you touch down for a couple feet and up you go again. No kite looping is required, you just have to keep the kite moving rapidily overhead between 11 and 1. Give it a try the next time you are at Skyline.

[JimSouthwick]

Kenny,

Taking into account the fact that it's very large, how does the SilverArrow compare with Ozones as a snowkite. And how does it compare with tube kites for use on the water?

[Kenny]

Jim,

Good questions.

Due to it's larger size the SilverArrow turns slower than the Ozones. However, due to it's high aspect ratio, you actually ride quite fast. It is a park & ride type of kite. I also like it because I can glide far better with it than smaller kites and it also flies in very little wind due to the light fabric (Skytex 27).

It works very well on the water in light winds. However, it's weakness is gusty conditions. I have never used it at DC for that reason. I find it works great at Rush, Utah Lake, Salt Ponds, and in SoCa. I use my 20M Waroo at DC. The SilverArrow excels at relaunchability and for big floaty jumps. However, it has to be tuned just right for jumping.

Flysurfer is willing to build Speed 2 kites with the same light fabric as the SilverArrow in smaller kite sizes. However, it is a special order deal and the kites are very expensive. I have been trying to talk Rob W. with Ozone to build a kite with the light fabric - (I think he should try a closed-cell because then the expensive kite could be used on snow and water). I am not sure if he will do it or not. I personally think the light fabric makes a huge difference when you are flying in light, inconsistent wind. The wind almost has to shut-off completely before the SilverArrow will backstall or fold. It is a huge difference compared to the foils built with traditional fabrics. I think we really need kites built with lighter weight materials on the snow and plenty of depower so we can use them on the snow and water. Have to say that I am hooked on the ease of setting up and taking down a foil.

The SilverArrow is my favorite and most-used kite because it works for me in 8 - 20 mph wind on the snow and 10 - 20 mph wind on the water. Unfortunately/Fortunately (depends on your perspective) that is the typical wind we experience around here.

Kenny

[Marty Lowe]

think he should try a closed-cell because then the kite could be used on snow and water. I am not sure if he will do it or not.

I don't have the link here at work, but
I saw on Chasta web site,
A new closed cell Ozone.
Named the Vision.
Faster turning, all terrain kite.

I bet we see it at Skyline real soon.

-Marty

[Kenny]

Marty,

I have read that Ozone is making a closed-cell kite.

Vision - good name, should be an awesome kite if it is as good as Ozone's other offerings. I wonder what type of kite it will be Freeride, High Performance, or beginner?

I was talking to Rob W. about the stability of the SilverArrow in Skyline's flukey wind. He said that the closed-cell may be helping even more than the lightweight material. I personally think it is has more to do with the fabric as I have flown closed-cells at Skyline in the past and it was taco time with those in the flukey stuff.

I think it makes good sense for Ozone to build a closed-cell kite. The newer closed-cell kites have as much depower as a bow, inflate quickly, and pack-up nice and small (especially if they are built with skytex 27).

Kenny

[lesvierra]

Kenny, I have asked questions on this subject before and still dont have much of a clue. You said,

No kite looping is required, you just have to keep the kite moving rapidily overhead between 11 and 1.

I understand not "sending" sending the kite. I understand the lift. Does the turning the kite back and forth from 11 to 1 keep you up for a longer time?

What keeps you going down the hill and going upwind while in the air? Is it this back and forth motion, or just the momentum generated from skiing/boarding fast down the hill?

If you just "send" the kite, do you just go up, float down wind (back up hill), not upwind and down the hill? I've wondered why chasta and you guys are going away from the hill upwind and not floating downwind like when you "send it". Is momentum the key, or 11 to 1, or both?

[Marty Lowe]

I don't have the link here at work, but
I saw on Chasta web site,
A new closed cell Ozone.
Named the Vision.

-Marty

Here is the link.


http://www.chasta.info/

Translated

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... uage_tools

-Marty

[Kenny]

Kenny, I have asked questions on this subject before and still dont have much of a clue. You said,

Quote:
No kite looping is required, you just have to keep the kite moving rapidily overhead between 11 and 1.


I understand not "sending" sending the kite. I understand the lift. Does the turning the kite back and forth from 11 to 1 keep you up for a longer time?

What keeps you going down the hill and going upwind while in the air? Is it this back and forth motion, or just the momentum generated from skiing/boarding fast down the hill?

If you just "send" the kite, do you just go up, float down wind (back up hill), not upwind and down the hill? I've wondered why chasta and you guys are going away from the hill upwind and not floating downwind like when you "send it". Is momentum the key, or 11 to 1, or both?

Les,

I was wrong about moving the kite between 11 and 1. If you do a glide that is directly into the wind, you just keep the kite at zenith. I am getting far better glides with the kite planted overhead than I did swinging the kite back and forth.

Here are a review of the steps for gliding:

1. Fly a big kite. I weigh 180 LBS and I use a 17M foil.
2. Check the wind direction. You want to glide where the wind is going directly up the hill or you can fly slightly cross to the wind.
3. Start at the top of a hill with the kite at 11:30 and the bar sheeted-out. Point your board/skis directly downhill/upwind. As you gain speed, you will start feeling lift from the kite.
4. Move the kite to zenith and sheet-in the bar. You should lift off of the hill.
5. Once I am in the air, I like to turn my body 180 degrees so that I am facing the hill. I like this position because I have a better feel for the steering. Rob W. with Ozone likes to face forward, the trick is to steer the kite properly.
6. While you are in the air, you only have to steer your kite if you feel that you are losing altitude rapidly. If this happens a quick pull to either side will put the kite into the power zone and slow your descent. The other control that you have in the air is sheeting the bar in/out. Sheet-in for maximum lift and to slow the descent, sheet-out for more speed. I find that I usually sheet-in to gain initial altitude then I sheet-out during much of the glide, then sheet-in when I am about 10 feet off the deck for landing.
7. As I just mentioned, sheet-out to slow your descent (similar to a flare in paragliding). I also like to steer the kite to 10, this motion powers the kite in the opposite direction of my descent slowing me for landing and keeping the kite from overflying during landing. I sometimes turn my body so that I am facing forward, other times I land switch.

Gliding with a kite is basically the same as flying a small paraglider. The only difference is your body's proximity to the kite. If you are interested in learning more, read up of the basics of paragliding. The priniciples are the same.

Bosco hill at Skyline is excellent for glides. Either from the top of the north side or near the bottom on the south side. The later is probably the best place to learn. PowMow also works, but you have to watch out for trees!

Kenny

[Kenny]

Correction on Step 7 - should say "sheet-in to slow for landing"

I should have also said that the primary difference between a kite and a paraglider is the length of the lines. Obviously the controls are different as well.