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Stages of progression


Jeepster

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Sailer made a comment this morning in another thread that included this phrase; "... once you have got past the newbie stage ..."

My questions are very simple:

1) When are you past the newbie stage?

2) What are the stages between newbie and expert .. and how do you recognize them?

Puzzled,

Tom

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Newbie - nobody would pay to see you fly

Accomplished - You can charge a modest per day rate to people who want to see you fly

Expert - People pay upto $200 just to have you answer two flying questions.

Now, what's your next question?

;)

Thanks for the answer Sailor ... that resounding quiet my question created left me feeling like I'd told an off-color joke at the ladies church social.

I'm assuming that a "modest per day rate" is more than a free lunch to show up at a festival with some nylon. Thus, that leaves the vast majority of folks in the newbie category. Care to elaborate on a few of the stages of newbie-ism?

Still puzzled,

Tom

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Well, you can be a 0,1 or 2 sandwich rating newbie - being related to how many sandwiches you manage to cadge of other fliers at festivals. The more sandwiches they give you the more you are respected.

If they give you a beer they are trying to impair your judgment, which of course means they are frightened and awed by you. At this stage you are an 'improver'.

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or ...

Your a Newbie as long as you only fly Amateur series B's

Although your point is easily understood and appreciated, the premise needs to be debunked. See Papa Smurf recently pointed out that he doesn't own a single B-series kite ... over 30 kites and not a single B-series!

So, there's hope that I don't have to buy my way out of newbie status.

With regards,

Tom

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a newbie can't even assemble their kite correctly, or the handles & lines need adjustments (sometimes MAJOR!) before the wing is flight worthy

a newbie doesn't understand "neutral" tuning, or when to add "brake/reverse". A newbie wants to add "Forward drive" when conditions dictate more "reverse" instead

A newbie wants to improve their skills as a pilot thru acquisitions on their credit card, instead of practicing

A master helps others at the expense of their own enjoyment,

maybe even at the expense of their own equipment !!!

(Ever give a lesson in big wind?,.. then cringe in pain as your kite takes a serious beating?)

A master holds nothing back in reserve. They share knowledge, techniques and equipment so everyone gains by exposure. Here's how to do that trick,....

here's what I'd change to prevent that problem,....

here's what others I respect do in this set of circumstances.

Everybody outside of these two sets of parameters is the rest of us. Sometimes we all ARE the master(s), sometimes we're not worthy to carry their luggage!

I find it great fun to be the least skillful in a group. That happens less and less as I get older, but it still does happen!

Some of the REV games will really show you how you stack-up against other fliers, do this particularly if competitions aren't for you. It is wildly entertaining and a great way to both learn from and meet/make new friends. Heck a few of us met & fell in love on the kite field too!

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a newbie can't even assemble their kite correctly, or the handles & lines need adjustments (sometimes MAJOR!) before the wing is flight worthy

a newbie doesn't understand "neutral" tuning, or when to add "brake/reverse". A newbie wants to add "Forward drive" when conditions dictate more "reverse" instead

A newbie wants to improve their skills as a pilot thru acquisitions on their credit card, instead of practicing

A master helps others at the expense of their own enjoyment,

maybe even at the expense of their own equipment !!!

(Ever give a lesson in big wind?,.. then cringe in pain as your kite takes a serious beating?)

A master holds nothing back in reserve. They share knowledge, techniques and equipment so everyone gains by exposure. Here's how to do that trick,....

here's what I'd change to prevent that problem,....

here's what others I respect do in this set of circumstances.

Everybody outside of these two sets of parameters is the rest of us. Sometimes we all ARE the master(s), sometimes we're not worthy to carry their luggage!

I find it great fun to be the least skillful in a group. That happens less and less as I get older, but it still does happen!

Some of the REV games will really show you how you stack-up against other fliers, do this particularly if competitions aren't for you. It is wildly entertaining and a great way to both learn from and meet/make new friends. Heck a few of us met & fell in love on the kite field too!

Well said, as always, Paul.

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If you want an answer, send $200 to my PayPal addy, same as my email attached.

If you want two answers, the cost is $100 for the second question, $50 for the third.

For $1000, I will BS, I mean will do Q & A with you for 4 hours via text on iChat. :kid_devlish:

Jim,

But we used to get the master's opinion for free ... that is until he became engaged. Now you hardly see him. Next thing you know he'll be dropping out of festivals and such ... probably Kite Party will be the first to fall. So sad.

Cheers,

Tom

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Guest QuadQrazy

Newbie, Master, Pro

Whats with all the lables, why do you need to put stress of a label on something you enjoy ?

All you need is to have a good time, and enjoy what your doing, and thats the reason your doing it in the first place for the enjoyment, not just to fly, but to meet others who share the same love of flying, and you may learn some new things,

or can teach a new flyer that, the down spars go on the back of the sail.

If you enjoy what you do, and your flying, and someone you never met comes up to you and says

"hay your a good flyer" or "hay can you teach me to do that" or " hay I'm new would you mind helping me"

then why do you need a label, because your a true kite flyer.

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Sorry Melanie. In order to look on the left of a post, while simultaneously reading the post and mentally composing an answer one would have to employ a technique that is clearly alien to all men - multi-tasking.

Do we have to tell you women everything??

Now, where did I leave my computer. Oh! There it is, I'm typing on it.

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I think you're past the newbie stage when you can hold an inverted hover...

<snip>

20 years later... (well actually 18 1/2 or there abouts I think)

I'm still learning and enjoying it.

Last Sunday I found myself doing a very long arm very slow rotation around the centre of the kite with a standard 1.5B with race rods. Basically no change in handle orientation just the push - pull of the arms.

Smooth!

Felix

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If you can have some kind of control and not have your kite thrashing about wildly this means you have the basic understanding of how the kite works and your having fun without being totally nervous to me you have graduated out of newbie status.

The rest is just Bells, Whistles and Showboating. :kid_smartass:

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I believe it's a matter of perspective...

About a week ago, mid-afternoon, I was flying on a grass field adjacent to a local elementay school. When school ended, and the children exited the building, they lined-up on the edge of the black-top playground to watch (the kite, not me). I could hear the adult supervisors telling the children to stay off the field, I guess for fear of injury? Whatever the reason, they did as told, and watched me fly. Later they were joined by some parents who, I'm guessing, were there to pick them up. There had to be 100 or so, kids and adults, standing there to see My kite flying, a first for me. I heard the children lauging and ooowwing as I spun in the air, hovered, and flew to the ground, braking the last foot or so (lucky moves!).

I am a total "newbee" as I've only been flying Revs since June, and I have soooo much to learn, but that day I was a Master Kiter (to them) and I went home with a smile on my face, and in my heart!

It was an awesome experience! I was lucky, I was the best kiter that day (cause none of you real Master kiters were there to show me up!)

It was MY day! :cup_1st: WOW!

Jynx :cat:

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