kites are not aircraft.

[scotts]

Recently I have seen a lot of postings of videos of people flying their kites as if they were aircraft. I feel I at least have to have my say about what a terribly unsafe idea this. It is not "cool" or "epic" it is just stupid and unsafe. I have been flying hang gliders and teaching hang gliding for more than 20 years, and it often turns my stomach to see these videos. Some of the really bad things:

The stall behavior of your kite is unknown, untested, and probably not good. Aircraft have known and placarded stall behavior.

It is well established that you need to be properly connected to your aircraft. It took hang gliders surprisingly long to figure the out, and a lot of people died in the process. Your kite attachment point is (properly) designed to allow you to release. This is not what you
need in an aircraft.

Flying is dangerous, hard, and unforgiving. You need to learn how to do it carefully.

Off of soapbox now..

-scott

[Aloha]

Seriously why glide down a mountain facing backwards hanging by a bar that can QR when you can do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWLnaME0CI[/video]

[tomerp]

Seriously why glide down a mountain facing backwards hanging by a bar that can QR when you can do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWLnaME0CI[/video]

wow nice... ill wait for the IMAX 3D version :)

[jrg]

it is just stupid and unsafe

I saw an interview with a snow kiter who does that crazy gliding stuff. They do take precautions - double lines, extra climbing harness, bridle pulleys replaced with rings, extra attachment to the center lines...Still dangerous but not as bad as it looks.

[The111]

it is just stupid and unsafe

I saw an interview with a snow kiter who does that crazy gliding stuff. They do take precautions - double lines, extra climbing harness, bridle pulleys replaced with rings, extra attachment to the center lines...Still dangerous but not as bad as it looks.

Yeah, the guy in the videos below obviously has heavily modified his entire setup, I remember reading him talk about it somewhere. He knows what risks he is taking.

I think what he is doing is beautiful and makes me feel the way I felt watching my first kitesurf video. There is a large difference between an educated pioneer like this, and somebody dangling from a chicken loop 300 feet above the snow. However beautiful it may be though, and however educated he may be, he's still a pioneer and a test pilot, for sure. But pioneers are what make fun sports a reality for the rest of us. I have no desire to try to fly anything that hasn't been proven by others before me... but who knows? Maybe videos like this will inspire the development of a product intended for such a use...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FOpKD1wPQ[/video]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-CLFNtIZAA[/video]

[kief]

Kites are not __ but they sure can __
Those vids are very cool!! =- Some pioneering for sure.
Scotts your concerns are true and valid,but you might be surprised
how many snowkite-gliders come from paragliding backgrounds.
Youtube is full of people doing stupid crazy things that can kill you
And are not so pretty to look at {_
V
This glide is NUTS,jerome(paraglider)is wearing a reserve chute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11im4Ehg ... re=related[/video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzOCEDm73tM[/video]

[scotts]

I think I probably did not make myself very well understood. There are videos of people who are flying modified gear and are obviously trained pilots pioneering a new thing. I am cool with that, However, there a lot more ones of people flying unmodified kites with a standard bar, and are pretty clearly not trained pilots based on their bad flying.

We have been very lucky to escaped regulation so far in the bay area, and I think that is partially due to a culture of safety in the local community. Just trying to add to that.

As far a hybrid, it is certainly possible. Since Ozone makes both kites and very good paragldiers am quite sure someone has thought about it. Most experiments with inflatable paragliders have not produced good results. That could change.