Scary stuff at coyote

Post general kiteboarding discussion topics here!
User avatar
baypirate
Regular
Regular
Posts:310
Joined:Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:07 pm
Location:San Francisco
Contact:
Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by baypirate » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:09 pm

Wingtip vortices for sure. They are a byproduct of wing (and fuselage) lift, NOTengine thrust / "displaced air" / downwash etc. (which all are ALSO hazards but nothing like wingtip vortices). They sink behind the airplane and/or drift with the wind (I think FAA says 700ft/min "normal" sink rate). They are a serious hazard even to a "heavy" airplane, for instance in taking-off behind another "heavy", a pilot has to explicitly waive the "wake turbulence" waiting period. Even light airplane can generate significant wake turbulence (one funny instance is that in certain aerobatic figures, if well executed, you end up flying through your own wake turbulence)

I think kites generate wingtip vortices too, anybody who experienced a tight racing start at Crissy can vouch to that.

I always assume that at 3rd/Coyote is too windy to hit a vortex intact. Probably you were just in the sweet spot for it (wind direction/strenght, height under approach, air stability etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0hgG2pkUs

knyfe
Resident
Resident
Posts:709
Joined:Sun Apr 18, 2004 11:49 am
Location:PTV
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by knyfe » Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:37 pm

next time I take a photo for you guys. Yes they can be really big, especially considering that I see them from far out there. G

User avatar
le noun
Old School
Old School
Posts:1645
Joined:Sat May 21, 2011 11:12 am
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by le noun » Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:15 am

baypirate wrote:
I always assume that at 3rd/Coyote is too windy to hit a vortex intact. Probably you were just in the sweet spot for it (wind direction/strenght, height under approach, air stability etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0hgG2pkUs
:shock:

Seeing the impact on the smoke, makes me wonder if there is anything I could have done to save my ass.
Maybe crash your kite in the water on purpose and seat in the water waiting for the phenomenon to pass? (and that's in the best case scenario if you look upwind and see it coming)
Kites: 2020 F-One Bandit: 10m.
Board: 2018 F-One Slice 5'1 Surf/Foil convertible
Harness: Manera Union.
Wetsuit: Manera 5/4 X10D

knyfe
Resident
Resident
Posts:709
Joined:Sun Apr 18, 2004 11:49 am
Location:PTV
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by knyfe » Wed Oct 10, 2012 8:52 pm

I would have released to my 5th line. Ass saver ...

User avatar
le noun
Old School
Old School
Posts:1645
Joined:Sat May 21, 2011 11:12 am
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by le noun » Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:58 am

knyfe wrote:I would have released to my 5th line. Ass saver ...
Didn't even have time for that.
Keep in mind that I didn't know about wingtip vortex until I got hit by one.
I was under powered and all of a sudden my kite threw me in the air and dropped me like a stone.
As I said, by the violence of the pull, I thought that the lines snapped when I dropped back in the water.
Kites: 2020 F-One Bandit: 10m.
Board: 2018 F-One Slice 5'1 Surf/Foil convertible
Harness: Manera Union.
Wetsuit: Manera 5/4 X10D

Greg
Old School
Old School
Posts:3516
Joined:Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:45 pm
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by Greg » Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:26 am

thats why small aircraft dont fly with the big dogs... the turbulance extends back MILES, yet another reason they stagger landings.. LOVE the video!

BeniciaWind
Contributor
Contributor
Posts:10
Joined:Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:26 pm
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by BeniciaWind » Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:55 am

I've been nailed on my windsurfer there too. I saw it coming. First I got way overpowered - then backwind slammed into the water. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I was attached to a kite.

User avatar
le noun
Old School
Old School
Posts:1645
Joined:Sat May 21, 2011 11:12 am
Contact:

Re: Scary stuff at coyote

Post by le noun » Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:16 pm

Pretty scary.
I definitely got lucky that I wasn't in the air boosting or something like that.
The kite just basically got bent backward and followed that vortex spiral up and then down.
Kites: 2020 F-One Bandit: 10m.
Board: 2018 F-One Slice 5'1 Surf/Foil convertible
Harness: Manera Union.
Wetsuit: Manera 5/4 X10D


Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 51 guests