self-launch & self-land best practices

stomptricks · Post by **stomptricks** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:16 pm

Super late poster I know but we just added a self landing technique page which has a bunch of useful videos:
http://stomptricks.com/tricks/self-land/

Some really good comments on here but sometimes it's helpful to watch a few videos of people doing it with the different techniques.

Hope that helps someone :)

kitecrazy · Post by **kitecrazy** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:27 am

+1 for static line launch.
I use both static line landing and pull in the front lines when the kite is low landing.
The video that stomptricks just posted the link for is very good at showing the pull in the front line technique.

Frappes · Post by **Frappes** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:42 am

On my North 5-line kites, I will fly the kite down to the ground on the edge of the window, unhook from the chicken loop, and then run upwind a few dozen feet and drop the bar so the kite goes onto the 5th line. It will come to rest nicely on the leading edge into the wind.

Has worked very well for me even in very windy conditions.

See here: http://youtu.be/x1hkMW1EPuw?t=2m50s

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:19 am

I found these vids to be quite ideal for learning to self land ALL types of kites..

All safety systems -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1hkMW1EPuw

Update: Dual-line safety systems -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMDW07rf ... e=youtu.be

jwest21 · Post by **jwest21** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 6:04 pm

Can't speak to self-launching as I've been lucky enough to never need to do that, but I've had some great opportunities to self-land at Alameda. My few practices have been when I came in a little downwind of Shellgate, and the wind had dropped below my kite's desirable range. I'd bet Ocean Beach is a much better practice location for this exercise. Be prepared to run downwind as your kite tumbles and hot-launches, but having a good 5 knots less than desirable wind speed is about perfect that a full sheet out and running downwind will keep you safe. You really just have to figure out what works best for your particular bar and kite, every combination is different.

The key in all of it is: 1) never try this anywhere near other people; 2) NEVER try this anywhere near other people!!!!; 3) be prepared to punch out; 4) try try try until you figure out what works best for your kite and bar. For my last kites (F-One Bandit), it has no single front lines to pull around so I found it far more critical to pull and run downwind on both center lines as soon as I put the kite into the sand, sometimes needing to be harshly tugged versus consistently pulling as I ran.

Connecting to an anchor seems to be the best approach though if possible, then it's just about setting it at the right place and setting up the kite exactly correct. Always connect safety before chicken loop. Stay stoked, stay safe!

cncor · Post by **cncor** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:57 pm

I learned how to self launch and land this year. I had my share of kitemares that went along with it. Don't trust some random cable bike lock that's mounted to a fence. I used this one that was at alameda and it worked great until like the 4th day and the lock broke which released the bar and the kite down the beach.(luckily no civilians and no witnesses) The next kitmare was when I transferred the chicken loop to my harness I failed to put the chicken loop lock in and there I was unhooked and I overcorrected it and ended up getting dragged a little bit once again no witnesses. Now I use a lanyard with a large carabiner on each side I mount it to the fence and the other end to my chicken loop I then open the kite to the wind window and let the wind control the kite you need to not stand in front of the leading edge blocking the air flow. You need to be on alert for civilians and basically make sure that you have enough room in the radius of your kite + 20 feet. once the kite is stable I then leave the kite and walk down to the chicken loop what I do here is I grab the bar and steer the kite into the ground. I then put the chicken loop on to my harness and lock the chicken loop I then look for civilians all clear then I steer the kite up and walk toward the water. The thing to remember here is have a correctly tuned bar and a correctly rigged kite. I saw a self launch go south on someone else who did not set the kite up when he rigged in. Uneven outside lines (he was in a hurry and went 3 knots up on one side and all the way up on the other causing the kite to self launch and self crash)! The other thing to remember when the bar is depowered the kite falls to the ground.

For self landing it can be tricky I usually fly the kite like there is someone to catch the kite and the last 5 feet before the kite hits the ground I grab 1 center line and pull the kite in the position of how you would store the kite on the beach. depending how your bar is configured the center lines are sometimes out of reach. My caution bar is easy to reach the center lines my best bar the center line is almost out of reach.

The only reason I learned to self launch is I would get to the spot before everyone else . I self land when there is no one around or when the wind is dropping . After several successful self launches my confidence is up however I never let down my guard.

ProKite · Post by **ProKite** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:18 pm

self landing should not be a mystery. that's 1st lesson stuff.

clear dw area, release bar and allow the leash system to disable the kite. if you don't use a bar with an effective leash system (like a free traveling single centerline system, like almost every bar now uses) then that might be something to think about. *should note: not all bars have always had what could be considered an "effective leash system". almost all now do: single centerline. this type of leash system will disable all kites effectively. if you don't know what im talking about, stop by a shop or kite school.

there are self landing tricks, and that's probably what your interested in, but a person should know that they are "tricks" and not even necessarily as easy, and definitely not as reliable, as disabling the kite onto (an effective) leash system.

im not going to talk about how to do those tricks, your best bet is to find someone good at them (an instructor, for example) who can not only explain how they work, but also enlighten you as to the most likely things that can go wrong and how to deal with them, so you don't learn those lessons the hard way, by surprise.

akhodakivskiy · Post by **akhodakivskiy** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:20 am

On narrow beaches you can also do reverse launch. But only if the wind is cross shore and not too strong! It's also an excellent way to relaunch kites after crashing.

The method is quite similar to regular self launch. The difference is that initially the kite is positioned downwind from the you along the beach. Begin by stroking one of the steering lines to turn the kite around. When it turns and catches the wind stand your ground, there will be a lot of pull. Be prepared to pull the power lines, or use the safety release. Grab both steering lines past the floaters and pull all the way in. The steering lines are now shorted than power lines. The kite is now reversed, and will start slowly going up. When it's about 5 meters above the ground drop one of the steering lines, and then quickly drop another steering line when the kite rotates 180. Practice on water after crashing!

Also I always self land using one of the most straightforward methods possible. Here it is: I park the kite at 9 or 3, grab the power lines and walk the lines towards the kite. Sure easy, have never had any issues. But now I'm kind of concerned because no one mentioned this method. Are there any hidden dangers about it?

tgautier · Post by **tgautier** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:29 am

In fairly sure only some kites will properly reverse launch. For example the newer obsessions do. I don't believe switchblades will. Though I've never tried so I could be totally wrong! :)

Aloha · Post by **Aloha** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:05 pm

akhodakivskiy wrote:I park the kite at 9 or 3, grab the power lines and walk the lines towards the kite. Sure easy, have never had any issues. But now I'm kind of concerned because no one mentioned this method. Are there any hidden dangers about it?

If you're walking up the lines & slightly upwind without giving them extra pull or tension then the kite shouldn't "feel" any difference on the front lines that it's you or that the chicken loop is back hooked somewhere like in a tethered landing.

This is a great way to get to the Y-split to give your final tug without the kite moving from a parked position. The only thing you might want to add is unhook your chicken loop (but keep kite leash attached to flag loop) so that way if something goes wrong you can let the kite fall away and leash out, vs. have it fall away and be tempted to grab the bar while chicken loop is still attached to you for epic re-power up

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