New guy from Virginia

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[Harvdog]

Greetings everyone. I am new to this forum and relatively new to flying stunt kites. I started off a few years ago with a Trilby single diamond style kite. I just picked up a New Tech Cherry Bomb delta wing kite. Here I am with it:



I am still very much a beginner and was trying to work on landings, tip stabs, and axels...unsuccessfully. I just couldn't do any of them. Basically, I can just do loops, figure eights, and low passes. I need to figure the stall. I removed the tail but that didn't seem to help.

Any thoughts or tips?

[Will S]

Welcome!

The best way will be to meet up with other fliers - there are a few of us from VA on here, where abouts are you in the state?

The Richmond Air Force has a fun fly at Dorey Park the first Sunday of the month, and I believe that the Wings over Washington flies on the mall in DC first sundays as well.

[the*real*stoney]

Welcome, Harvdog
 
Your photo looks as if you might be flying at Virginia Beach. Great beach but it seems to have wind from the west most of the time which is blocked the the motels. Still, there are ways to fly there - (Tip- Fly between the motels).

You might want to sign up for Richmond - Washington Regional Sport Kite Competition which will be at Taylor Park in Ashland, VA  Scheduled for 10 September. The event is tailored for Beginner Competition.

Hope you will find Dorey Park in Henrico County, VA soon - A great Park for kite flying.


See you around soon,

 Stoney

[ndcmpc]

That looks like a Virginia Beach photo.  

Recommendation: September 1st Sunday fly will be down in attendance due to a goodly number of us going to Beech Mtn that weekend.  Come to Taylor Park in Hanover County for the RWRSKC 10 September.  You can find out about sport kite competition plus meet many of us from both the Richmond Air Force and Wings Over Washington.  Plus you will learn quite a bit about sport kite flying as the primary focus of the event is on new flyers.  It is a bit out of the way for us, but you will find it worthwhile.

You can find details here: http://www.richmondairforce.com/RWRSKC/index.htm

[mikenchico]

Welcome to the Forum.

While flying with others is always helpful it just doesn't happen for all of us when we find an hour or two we can steal after work or on a weekend does it?

I would ask what wind speeds are you flying in? A common mistake after spending a time or two where the kite wouldn't fly is only going out when the wind is actually too high. Stalls and many tricks will be difficult or worse when the wind is approaching 10 mph and above.

And while Dodd designed the kite to be trickable the factory bridle may be compromised a bit toward its target market. Entry level kites are not usually tuned exclusively for tricks and are set to fly forward more then for stopping, you can change that.

Try "Setting the kite heavier", what that is is adjusting the bridle to set the nose back a bit more thus decreasing drive and forward speed. Your manual should have instructions on how if you have it, I don't know the kite and couldn't find a manual online at New Tech since Dodd is no longer with them. Usually the "Pigtail" where you attach your lines is adjustable, to go Heavier you would move it toward the tail of the kite. If the marks for the original points are worn off be sure to mark the original setting before moving it. Move the point just a bit - 1/8 - 1/4 inch is more then enough. Some kites have a knotted leader at the upper bridle attachment point, if so move the attachment to lengthen the upper bridle.

Dodd Gross the kites designer and well known instructor has been around the forum lately, you could send him a Private Message (PM) at Doddg, I'm sure he can tell you how to adjust the kite. In fact he's just north of you in PA, you could do worse then running into him. Others here may also pipe in who have first hand experience with your kite.

Hope it helps and maybe you can meet up with some of the local flyers soon, I'm sure any of them could help more easily then online.

[Harvdog]

Thanks for the tips. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to enter in any type of competition but I will definitely try to check out some of the kite events.

BTW stoney - that picture was taken at Myrtle Beach right after I got the kite last year and we just returned from Bethany Beach. The wind at both beaches seemed to be too much for some of the slower tricks. I plan to try out some of the local parks in my area.

[Bob D]

A good park will be relatively open without a lot of obstructions to block the wind and a lot of room to give you space to move forward and back when the wind rises and falls and wide enough to give you room to get to the sides of the wind window. Start testing the side of the wind window to feel what the kite is like as it starts to lose wind and begins to stall. That's the point where you can start to figure out how the axel works.

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