Trainer tips.
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:32 pm
I flew my trainer kite today and believe I learned some things that might be useful for others in the trainer stage.
You will find many posts on this or other forums talking about things to practice with your trainer. One that always got me was flying with your eyes closed. I've been able to fly the kite without looking directly at it, watching an object, discussing something with a friend, riding a skateboard, keeping an eye on the red tailed hawk circling overhead looking at my kite with a big flying fish logo on it, etc. What I was never really able to do was fly "with my eyes closed".
It may have been due to impatience, but I found if the kite was not doing something I expected it to I would open my eyes and look for the kite. I believe this is because I was basically still devoting all my attention to flying the kite, but removing sight from the picture.
I was at BoardSports last weekend and was playing around on the balance board, or whatever it was -- skate deck with an inner rail that tracks on a grooved wheel, and tried to replicate by standing on a chunk of concrete that was in the field I usually practice at. So after doing that for awhile, I went looking for another one with the kite still in the air -- walking around scouting underneath tufts of grass looking for another rock or piece of concrete.
It kind of registered at this point that by devoting attention to some task at hand, I was flying the kite entirely by feel, letting instinct, muscle memory, or whatever takeover. I believe this is a better simulation than flying blind.
So next time you're out flying your trainer, try to simulate something you might experience after launching your kite. Keep an eye on the ground watching for your board, or other peopleís lines. Scan the area looking for hazards that might need some attention. Try to focus on something other than your kite.
Maybe I'm describing some of this poorly or wrong, but I believe it was a helpful experience today.
Cheers,
Josh
You will find many posts on this or other forums talking about things to practice with your trainer. One that always got me was flying with your eyes closed. I've been able to fly the kite without looking directly at it, watching an object, discussing something with a friend, riding a skateboard, keeping an eye on the red tailed hawk circling overhead looking at my kite with a big flying fish logo on it, etc. What I was never really able to do was fly "with my eyes closed".
It may have been due to impatience, but I found if the kite was not doing something I expected it to I would open my eyes and look for the kite. I believe this is because I was basically still devoting all my attention to flying the kite, but removing sight from the picture.
I was at BoardSports last weekend and was playing around on the balance board, or whatever it was -- skate deck with an inner rail that tracks on a grooved wheel, and tried to replicate by standing on a chunk of concrete that was in the field I usually practice at. So after doing that for awhile, I went looking for another one with the kite still in the air -- walking around scouting underneath tufts of grass looking for another rock or piece of concrete.
It kind of registered at this point that by devoting attention to some task at hand, I was flying the kite entirely by feel, letting instinct, muscle memory, or whatever takeover. I believe this is a better simulation than flying blind.
So next time you're out flying your trainer, try to simulate something you might experience after launching your kite. Keep an eye on the ground watching for your board, or other peopleís lines. Scan the area looking for hazards that might need some attention. Try to focus on something other than your kite.
Maybe I'm describing some of this poorly or wrong, but I believe it was a helpful experience today.
Cheers,
Josh
