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New to forum, new Rev on the way...


DonaldLL

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Hello all,

I am new to the forum and just purchased my 1st Rev kite today. It shipped today and I hope it is here on Saturday otherwise I'll have to wait to fly it. I bought the Rev 1.5 SLE. I was advised by Kent at A Wind of Change since I really know nothing about the Rev kites. I do know myself well enough to tell Kent right up front that this is not a "let's add 1 Rev kite to the collection" type purchase. More than likely I'll have 2 or 3 Revs before I'm done. Oh, I should add to this the fact that my S.O. is also into kites. I can't wait to get my new kite. I have a few foils but no Rev. Won't be saying that much longer!

Donald

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Donald ~ Welcome to what many call "the Dark Side!"

You sound like me, some time ago, when stating "maybe 2 or 3 Revs" before you're done!

Good luck! Get a part-time job! As of Saturday... You're HOOKED!

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Welcome to The Dark Side Donald, you will be glad you joined. I hope you can find other Rev pilots to fly with, their experience will help learning the Rev much easier, and more fun as well. We would love to hear about your first flight, and do not be shy about asking questions, forums are famous for all sorts of people giving advice and opinion, and we love to help others out. If you would like, let us know where you are from, it is very possible that you could meet up with someone from this forum to help make your first flights easier.

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Oh, I should add to this the fact that my S.O. is also into kites.

hello,

and before long your S.O. will also be borrowing yours soooooooo.... you know what's gonna happen ;)

"It's more fun with two" says Pooh.

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Welcome Donald!

More than likely I'll have 2 or 3 Revs before I'm done. Oh, I should add to this the fact that my S.O. is also into kites. I can't wait to get my new kite. I have a few foils but no Rev. Won't be saying that much longer!

Revisit this comment in about a year and you will laugh yourself silly! To say Rev Flying is addictive is a understatement! Hee!

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First day would have made a good comedy video. I did everything wrong I am certain of that. I did watch the training video the night before but it didn't stick. After the first fiasco, I went back and watched it again and paid close attention this time. I went out a 2nd time to fly the Rev but not enough wind. I did manage to lauch the kite and hold steady a bit but just not enough wind to give me the feedback or feel I needed.

So now I know enough to say that the foils are rather intuitive but the Revs are not.... they are a different kind of animal.

I have questions but I suppose they are so basic, I'll probably find my answers here on the forum in some of the pinned postings.

More later....

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You will find that once you get used to the finer control Revs are intuative too. Presuming you are used to 4 line foils that is.

If you are used to 2 line you need to forget all you have learnt. Almost strap your wrists together so you cant do the left right pulls like 2 line and get used to the thumbs back, thmbs forward control you need for a Rev. Once you have got that in your head, then you add in a bit of 2 line type movement.

It will come, dont worry.

At least you didnt (hopefully) start off with the vertical rods on the front of the kite? Even the best of us have done that :-)

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Donald

Having read your last post I thought of this (see quote below) I wrote it a while back for somebody on another forum who was having difficulties, He may have been a little further down the line than you are now, I think he was trying to get his head around inverted flight at the time but I believe the advice still stands good for you.

Walt (RS67Man) has already suggested you look out for other Rev fliers to help you on your way, that’s great advice, in hour with an experienced pilot is worth more than a dozen posts in any forum, you can not beat a bit of face to face tuition.

Above all stick with it, this is a great hobby and it does get easier, the trouble is, you then start setting higher goals.

Once again welcome to the Darkside and welcome to the Funny Farm

Crazy and Proud of it.

I have been given a lot of help and advice from other Rev flyers (two of whom have already posted above me, thanks guys), advice such as “be gentle with it” and “don’t fight it,” easier said than done when it feels like the kite has a will of it’s own. That is until you accept that it does.

It is like a young puppy very excitable but, eager to please. It is not your job to learn how to fly it. It’s your job to teach it how to behave, it’s a slow learner but if you stick with it your patience will rewarded.

Whatever you try to do with your kite, if you start to loose control, don’t fight it, go with it and see where it takes you, (if you fight it you will both get frustrated,) once it has had it’s run bring it back and try again eventually it will learn what it is you want it to do.

The thing I can’t get my head around is:- In Gary or Woody’s hands she behaves like a Crufts champion, why won’t she do it for me?

Last autumn my intension was to practice hard through the winter and come out in the spring a half decent flyer, I believe I have achieved that, although I must admit I have had to seriously revise my definition of “half decent flyer”

If you have half as much fun as I have had this last year your Rev will have been a great investment.

ENJOY!

Date of quoted post May 2006

Edited by Stone in Shoe Bob
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Hey Donald, just head out there again in some decent winds, give yourself about a half hour of crashing to really get use to the kite and most of the issues you are having will melt away. Good wind will always make the learning easiest!

The more you fly the easier things will get. Just have fun learning and it will all come together. If something is happening that just doesn't seem right or if you are struggling on a certain thing, let us know. I am sure someone (if not all of us) has experienced the same thing at one time during our learning process. :) :)

Most of all, have fun and enjoy your new kite. :)

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Well... I felt like a little kid staring thru the patio doors with my kite in hand, watching the raindrops hit the ground. No flying today for me but tomorrow is another day.

Kitelife you asked "Donald, did your handles come with longer leaders on the top with a series of knots on them for adjustment?" No, my handles have leaders on top and bottom that are identical in length with no knots.

Thanks or all the support. I'll report back once I get back out there. I am confident it'll come to me. I am just anxious to get back out on a good day and give it a go!

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Well... I felt like a little kid staring thru the patio doors with my kite in hand, watching the raindrops hit the ground. No flying today for me but tomorrow is another day.

Ohhhhh that is Soooo the New Kite Curse! It happens to all of us, my friend.

Adjusting those leaders will help your flying immensely:

Why?

http://www.revkites.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=1205&st=0

http://kitelife.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1305

How to do it...

http://www.kitelife.com/magazine/issue43/r...s43/content.php

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Donald, I'd strongly suggest you experiment with some longer leaders on the top of your handles.

Same length leaders on top and bottom make the kite want to fly forward all the time, and makes it much harder to control.

50 cents worth of string will give it a lot better performance.

Try searching this forum for "brake settings" to find more info on this.

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SUCCESS :P It's ALIVE!!!! IT's ALIVE!!!!

The winds we better today not great but better. They were on the light side with some dead spots but every 10 minutes or so a wave of 8mph wind would come along. It was enough that I could work with it.... just had to be patient (not one of my qualities). Anyway the Rev was poised and ready, then with a sharp tug on the top of the handles and HALLELUJAH!!!! it went right up just like a puppy who learned his first command. It just went right up!!! All in all I flew the Rev for about an hour with occasional pauses to wait for better wind. I had a few times where I lost it and had to go untwist the kite and fix the lines but not too many. I did learn to do the inverted take off; that was encouraging. I did 90's left and 90s right, did 180s, did some figure 8s. I even tried hover in the vertical position but there didn't seem to be enough wind to hold it. Gravity was wining that battle. I did pull back on the handle controling the high side and it worked sometimes but felt like it was going to loose it. I landed and launched and landed an launched. No major crashes... a few 'controlled' crashes, hence the practice doing the inverted takeoffs.

It was the first day really flying the Rev. It's technical flying... that's the way I describe it when asked. I like it. It is a envigorating and relaxing at the same time. I enjoy having the option to fly my foils or my Rev.... makes a great combination. Now, I am ready for the next day! I must get to the beach though and see what smooth, continuous wind is like..... hopefully this weekend.

maybe I should start another post but I'll ask it here. As I was cutting across the window, the kite at times makes its buzzing sound as it cuts the wind. Sometimes the buzz was nice and tight but other times it was a looser sound like a flapping instead of the buzz. I couldn't see any rhyme or reason for why this difference in sound. Is it just "as the wind blows" or do you think it is something I may be doing unknowingly with my hand position?

John, I will surely take your suggestion about the leaders. I'm going to do my research now. I'll get back to you.... thx

Thank you!!!

Edited by DonaldLL
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The leaders will reduce the buzzing. ;)

Think of a sail that is sheeting all it's wind... There's pressure to make it move, but most of it is being spilled out.

Same dynamic at work here... Lengthen the top lines, and voila, more sail pressure, less buzz.

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To the darkside another innocent has been brought. 10.gif

Your next mission, should you accept, is to find other Rev pilots near you to fly with. It will help greatly with the learning curve, and will make learning how to fly much easier. It also is a lot of fun flying with others, and it will open a whole new world to you. :sign_kitelife:

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Hi Donald

Your last post was a pleasure to read, I was a bit worried that you came across as a little despondent in your earlier post but I think it’s fair to say that now you have had a bit of success you are well and truly hooked. Congratulations, from what you say you appear to have made very good progress.

You talk about trying to find a stable hover, a couple of tips,

1. you may find it easier to hold the kite stable with the leading edge vertical, fly slowly across the window gently increasing break until the kite stops. Try to stop centre window and practice from both side equally, otherwise you could be setting yourself up for problems down the line.

2. though inverted flight is a bit difficult to get your head around, left is right and right is left, once you have got your head around it, it is actually easier to hold an inverted hover stable than it is to do it l/e up. I really don’t want to upset the feminists here but it does feel like she’s never happier than when she’s on her back. :)

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