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Felix

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Blog Entries posted by Felix

  1. Felix
    Some good smooth wind today for 1.5s at Blackheath. Jacob coached some great 4 person repetitions (not practice, just piano scales) with Jade, ATM and I. Both of them, Jade and ATM, are getting the individual control but still learning the challenges of the team environment. There is only one position, for a team flier in the sky, which is the correct one... They were introduced to a number of the regular Decs routine elements.
    Other news is that, in addition to Romney Johnstone re-joining the team this year, David Ellison will be flying with us, as from Berck and Rougham.
  2. Felix
    Another light and variable wind day. No good for Berck training but we did put ATM 'in the middle' for some 3 kite repetitions. There is no point in giving a beginner the easy option.
    Jade and I had earlier flown some 'treacle' moves in line and in parallel. I think that once fliers have grasped the concept, as Jade obviously has, there will be scope for interesting developments in team and mega-team flying.
    At the end of play ATM had the misfortune to catch the leading edge of the staked kite that he was re-positioning on the ground with his foot. The result was a broken leading edge and a string of silent expletives. He will have to call the local supplier of UL 1.5 spars!
    We may go to Dunstable next Friday....
  3. Felix
    Clock change weekend so an early start seemed appropriate given the forecast for gradually reducing wind speed.
    3-5 mph translated to nothing really so it was a bit of a waiting game. Fly when you can and expect to respond to 90 or 180 degree shifts was the order of the day.
    Jacob arrived around midday and we eventually put 4 wrap Rev 1s up. Caught a thermal under a Cumulus cloud at one point simultaneously with both kites on vertical lines. You have to be careful not to pull the kite over the top...
  4. Felix
    Encouraged ATM to work on leading edge down hover. He was making good progress. Suggested walking forwards to get gradual descent, backwards to gain altitude. I will have to suggest the angled hovers next weekend. The visual feedback is critical....
    I then went into reverie mode trying to pin the kite to a position in the sky in horizontal hover with varying wind speed and direction. c20 minutes later I thought it was time to take a break.
    Some good 'treacle' flying with long arm moves to keep the illusion flowing as the breeze dropped away occasionally. Jade was in parallel for some of the time. I will be very interested to see this included in team flying soon. (if not mega team <grins>)
  5. Felix
    An early start today in anticipation of 'afternoon' showers.
    Blustery conditions '18mph plus' provided the opportunity to try some long arm, treacle effect flying with the vented 1.5B. How slow can you go?
    I wonder if we should actively avoid any 'following' team routines. Apart from the line wraps it is not really very interesting IMHO.
    Heavy rain later after rising wind speed justified the early start.
    PS Jade showed me the Prussic knot which could provide incremental adjustment for leaders rather than relying on pre-tied knots. It would be interesting to see if it really stays in place in practice. 09/March/2009
  6. Felix
    Light breeze on Blackheath today. Johnny turned up (by bicycle) and with the help of Jade and ATM we put up 5 of the JMH Rev1s with 4 wrap spars. Precision in turning is where everything seemed to focus for all of the fliers.
    I am very interested in the latest news on the Revolution site:-
    "Also, look for the introduction of the new Blast being flown by Team iQuad at a festival near you."
    I have mentioned my interest in the speed series kites previously.
    I wonder if anyone can remember which team was considering using Super Blast kites for low wind team flying and in which year? I cannot offer a prize but anyone with an idea could start a thread in the forum!
    Felix
  7. Felix
    ATM flew in with Jacob, Jade and I today.
    He had been flying the 'on the spot' 90 degree turns including 'leading edge down' earlier. (following on from last week)
    Jacob called The Decs 'opening manoeuvre' as well as 'ladder-up/down' which call for some focus and space limits. ATM said he could do the moves as long as there was plenty of escape space. My observation would be that it is possible to get an inexperienced flier to do some very cool moves (read that as 'not trivial') so long as the expectation is not for perfection at the outset. The fact that a move is apparently being executed with ease either side of the inexperienced flier is an great incentive for them to 'learn how to do it' without getting bogged down in the 'practice' syndrome or worrying about the specific controls involved.
    I am reminded of the 'not team fliers' who claimed levels of expertise which they thought should qualify them to take part in a team project! <grins>
    A small scale frontal event crossed Blackheath today with shifts in wind direction and speed. The lowered dark edge line of clouds illustrated this very effectively. I wish that I had taken time out to photograph the transition.
    Attached is an image from a few weeks ago instead!
    Felix
  8. Felix
    Today after putting Jade in a close following scenario* we tried 90 degree, on the spot turns. Facing left, down, right, up, left etc. then reversing. MW didn't quite get it and twice careered through threatening to take everyone out. ATM got the idea but wanted to work on the face down hover. I suggested that momentary stopping was the way to go.
    Leading edge up, grounded, stepped rotations proved an interesting consideration of brake/forward set-up. 1/4, wing tip, 3/4 points all need plenty of forward to deliver. It is not possible to throw these moves, lines need to be set with plenty of forward...
    I am still working on finding a way of describing the similarity of long arm flying in both low and high wind situations.
    *PS Jade did brilliantly in staying calm and getting back into position... as necessary! FJM
  9. Felix
    After a string <grins> of high wind days c3-5 mph was on offer at Blackheath today. Jacob turned up and eventually we put up a set of team Rev1's and had Jade and ATM doing some basic moves. The JMH graphics looked great. Too busy for pics!
    Jade and ATM quickly found effective control of the Rev1 with 4 wrap spars!
    5 fliers. 3 1.5JB, 1 Anniversary, 4 JMH Rev1.
  10. Felix
    So, in the pouring rain today I was rotating the kite slowly in the middle of the wind window about a kites width above the ground, and I mean... slowly!
    Flying Rev 1.5B vented, standard spars. My concern is arm span and the angle of the kite to the wind. I have to move back briskly when the kite was face up which gives an indication of the actual wind speed. Face down is less of an issue as we are aware and I was probably moving forwards at that point to compensate. The transition from left arm forward to right arm forward was continuous throughout the rotations. A 'slow march'.
    If I can use an alternating full arm stretch with a Rev 1.5 would it actually be possible to utilise a Rev 1 'fully' in these conditions?
    This is probably a rhetorical question!
  11. Felix
    Blackheath wet and muddy, no clear evidence of Canadian Goose shit today. They were down by the pond!
    Wind N to NE, vented speed to begin with but fading as the front passed.
    ATM had trouble with wet lines sticking with symmetrical twists but having got through that managed to grasp the concept of the 'bow and arrow' position for lateral passes and to hold the kite in a hover and move forwards (downwind).
    We had adjusted lines to assess the 'feel' of the kite and to correct an incorrectly set length on one line by trial and error.
    MW also had issues with settings and we increased 'brake' to give more 'pressure' on the kite.
    Both fliers had been backing up hundreds of yards when the breeze was stronger. I had to rescue both of them from the lee of the roundabout. It is surprising how much a small group of low trees can interrupt the effective wind flow.
    It is not teaching, just observing... They do the learning!
  12. Felix
    One role that needs to be addressed for future events will be a 'field organiser' who would get the fliers lined up and correctly spaced and then keep an eye on the fliers positions on the ground during a performance. (This should probably not be in the callers/leaders remit except for determining the overall configuration)
    Another possible role is for a 'spotter' to home in on any flier who is having difficulties and to guide/advise them accordingly and may also involve relaying a '2nd strike invitation' to land their kite (and move off the field) as has been suggested elsewhere. (The caller/leader may need to initiate the request)
    There may be other 'rules of engagement' that need to be discussed.
    Reminder... Rule number 1. It is supposed to be fun so do not take it too seriously OK?
    The caller/leader may have to be allowed complete discretion to determine the number of fliers and request others to leave the field. The fliers may need to confirm their agreement to this prior to taking part....
    There are many sports where the rules are quite difficult to interpret but where the official has the final say. Given the precarious dynamics that might be involved we will have to give the caller/leader free reign IMHO.
    Felix
  13. Felix
    So if each flier is on 4 x 120ft = 480 ft.
    There are 36 fliers so 480 x 36 = 17,280 ft.
    There are 5,280 ft in a mile if my memory serves me correctly so that make 3.27 miles of line.
    With 54 fliers, 480 x 54 = 25,920 ft which is 4.9 miles.
    With 100 fliers, 480 x 100 = 48,000 ft which is 9.1 miles.
    Quite a lot of string!
  14. Felix
    Oh well, another year! <grins>
    Nothing is confirmed, as yet. 1st January 2012

    12-16/04/2012 Berck-Plage, France 21/04-29/05/2012 Cervia, Italy 05-07/05/2012 Weymouth 26-27/05/2012 Exmouth
    25-27/08/2012 Portsmouth Margate
  15. Felix
    David noted in his REVisions : Grid Economics article:-
    'But, Felix Mottram, founder of The Decorators <snip> had an idea one night. Maybe it came to him in a dream, or he looked at something and an idea popped into his head, but he began to try and get some of us to get our head around it. And to be honest it made no sense to me initially, I know I had problems visualizing how it would work. I don’t think I “really” got it until such time as Felix worked a group of us through it in Uchinada earlier this year.'
    and:-
    'And, the first time I got to experience it first hand was in Uchinada Beach where Felix had managed to make his way over to the festival.'
    I had started to try and document the process of getting a large Revolution Team event together by copying all the messages in the Revolution Event 2008 thread into one place but it was too painful.
    I arrived at the idea of the Grid in 1993 and wrote to Revolution at that time.
    Having proposed the Portsmouth/Bristol events it was apparent that all the players would need to be on-side if we were going to attempt the Grid format. Having been at the rained off event at Uchinada in 2004 I had some reason to try and get there again.
    Serendipity comes to mind.
  16. Felix
    Early morning snow followed by rain finally cleared around midday so a late trip to Blackheath.
    Bright sun for a while and then a passing shower with a complete, perfect rainbow.
    Variable breeze, vented 1.5B for me and 10 year old vented for ATM who is getting the hover and 180s with leading edge vertical some of the time.
    Looks like the clock 12:25 on the edit page is on New York time!
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