Date: Sun, 21 Aug 1994 19:00:58 -1000 From: gaffer@ibmpcug.co.uk (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organiszation Subject: Andrew gets airborne deliberately... I've been pretty fierce round these parts in putting forward the views "Kite jumping is for morons" and "If you want to fly, get a hangglider". This weekend, thanks to Steve and Anne Rock, I had a chance to get airborne with the proper equipment. A previous weekend, I had a chance to learn ground handling on Steve's paraglider. Experience with the Peel meant that I had some idea about how it would move and react, but there is a whole load more to learn. For a start, there is no dead-man release, you start by strapping yorself into a seat, hooked onto a canopy that makes the 10m Peel look pathetic. You need to know how to depower this thing in a hurry to stop getting dragged around. Unlike a kite, the normal flying position is with you facing away from the canopy, so you start off with everything twisted over so that you can see what you are doing, then you inflate and start manipulating the lines to try to control it. If you ever thought that 4 lines were confusing, try this - on each side, you have 4 main risers, plus brake-lines going to the trailing edge, a total of 10 different things to pull on! You pull on the front risers (connected to the leading edge to pull the thing up and forward, and pull on the rear risers or brake to stall it, steer it or bring it back. With no long kite-line for the thing to climb up on, this all seems to happen pretty fast. Although you can steer right and left on the ground, the bulk of the stabalising control is done not so much by moving the canopy, but rather by moving yourself underneath where the canopy happens to be. When you feel that you have a semblance of control, you turn round, so that you are facing in the right direction, and grapple to find the controls as you stumble around. You now lean well forward, staying under the canopy by sense of feel and run forward, down the hill into the wind. My solo flights were at Berkeley, little more than a hop to get the feel of it, (but still a pleanty long way to look down...), but at the coast, I took a tandem ride with an instructor in the steady updraft of a coastal cliff. I felt no fear or trepidation at the launch, the *huge* tandem canopy was smooth and powerful, solid as a rock. After a couple of introductory passes, I took over the controls and found it sweet, easy and mostly intuitive. Pull right to go right, left to go left (sound familiar?). You could also steer gently by simply shifting your body weight from one side to the other (this is better, as it losses less lift). Take the brakes right off and the thing would slide down a little and pick up speed. Hook them back on and the wind would pull off as you turned the speed into a gain in altitude. Do it again and you really start swooping, pendulum style, until the instructor points out that it may be worth proving that you can keep the canopy above you before you start playing about too much. The earlier coaching meant that we could have more fun and we went out over the sea, buzzed Steve and Anne and flew a 360 (If you screw up a 360 with a kite, you just look silly - if you mess it up with a paraglider, you eat the cliff...), before coming in for a gentle landing. Dear Joanne, I think I'd like to spend a little money... Andrew -- This is not the account that I usually Email from. Please continue to use my usual addresses, thankyou: Work -> gaffer@rec.com Play -> andrew@tug.com The Kite FAQs are at ftp.hawaii.edu:/pub/rec/kites/faq/* "Kite Jumping fucks more knees than the IRA" (Lynn) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 14:55:04 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <33bhd8$kgk@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Andrew gets airborne deliberately... In article , gaffer@ibmpcug.co.uk (Andrew Beattie) writes: About having even more fun while working over here, man am i jealous, Anne & Steve, i'll be back! oxo = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 23 Aug 1994 01:53:01 -1000 From: "savage allan"@a1.meoc02.sno.mts.dec.com (Allan Savage) Message-Id: <21653032804991_606370@MEOC02> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: RE: Andrew gets airborne deliberately... Hah! SO ... I'm not so crazy after all. Andrew, I share your enthusiasm for Paragliding. I got hooked into it about 2 years ago. My goal in life is to fly off Mt Buffalo (in the Victorian Alps - Australia) - has a fraction over 3000' vertical above the valley, and great thermalling country. I've still a way to go before I have enough experience to do that, but one day ... 8-)) As far as initial experience, I agree that having flown kites for many years, especially dual/quad-line, gives you a good feel for the canopy and what it's doing. The start you described --- twisting under the risers to get the glider flying, then twisting back when you're ready to roll --- is not normally taught to beginners, at least not here in OZ. The scramble to get your hands on the correct brake lines can be a little disconcerting if you're new to the sport, although some of the newer gliders are now coming with a plastic handgrip on the brake that is much easier to locate by feel. As long as you learn under competent supervision it probably doesn't matter too much, I guess. One of the great things about combining kiting and paragliding is that if it's too windy to fly, you can always pull out the kites ;-) Any dual rec.kiters/paragliders coming to Oz are welcome to call with me. I can point you to one of the acknowledged best flying sites in Australia (Mystic Bowl at Bright). Cheers, BigAl (allan.savage@meo.mts.dec.com) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 24 Aug 1994 03:47:18 -1000 From: fredu@enterprise.america.com (Frederick Ungewitter) Message-Id: <33fj16$gvo@enterprise.america.com> Organization: PSS Internet Services, InterNet in Fl 904 253 7100 Subject: Re: Andrew gets airborne deliberately... ******** end lurk mode ******* I am also one of those who enjoy kiting and paragliding. I was pleased to see the development of the quadrafoil (sp?) kites as it appeared they were just smaller paragliders! As a revolution owner, I am used to snappy handling and was a little disappointed at the response of a quad I flew. To be fair, I was in the middle of the daytona beach kite fest and flying someone else's kite and afraid that I was going to snag one of the hundred lines around me, or get it caught in a four wheeler (powered) zipping down the beach, so I didn't get to play with it as much as I wanted. : The start you described --- twisting under the risers to get the glider : flying, then twisting back when you're ready to roll --- is not : normally taught to beginners, at least not here in OZ. The scramble to : get your hands on the correct brake lines can be a little disconcerting Allan, I was a beginning student in the world of paragliding and the first thing we learned was how to reverse inflate. The winds in Utah, where I took lessons are usually strong and smooth and if you cannot reverse inflate, you cannot fly. I think most of the US schools will teach reverse inflations to beginners for that reason. On those days when the winds were just too strong or not too smooth, I pulled out my Flexifoils and had the omnipresent hill dogs chase them around the launch. Unfortunately one of them managed to snag one and tear a hole in it, but it still flies. Why is it always the dog that doesn't bark that causes the most damage! fyi, there is a hang gliding and paragliding mailing list, no usenet group, however. I can post here, or email, let me know. fredu@america.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =