Kite at 45 degrees and steer it toward the ground slightly. I grab both front lines at the same time (depowers the kite) and as the kite begins to fall, grab the uppermost front line and pull it toward you. This will bring the uppermost tip down into the ground. I suggest practicing in lighter winds first and then build up as there is a bit of technique involved, but it does work.

Probably a little easier to do than explain as well, but I hope it helps a little.

I find the 9 rev only 'self lands' using the edge of the window pull the front lines trick in winds up to about 18 kn - this sucks I agree. Most other bow / kite land fine using this technique - I reckon its to do with the fact the Revs dont sit very flat on the their leading edge (good for relaunch). - You could try attaching the leash to the OSH handle and letting the kite fall - though this tends to make the kite spin and wind up the lines - but it might fall softer, cause it will flag out completely. Otherwise throw the bar in the water and retrieve kite, yes you have a wet kite, but no dnager of it scraping on the sand.

Good luck

I find that this problem is with most bow/sle kites, not just a rev or an ion or whatever. I fly airush and they are pigs to self-land if its windy. They just bounce off the wingtip and relaunch, you also can't easily reach a single front line so that option is out too.

My preferred method can unfortunately only be applied on a small handful of beaches in a cross shore wind, ie safety bay (penguins) on a southerly or woodies one on a winter westerly. I try to find a gap in the sand dunes such that there is a wind shadow directly behind it. I bring my kite in low, and as soon as it hits the wind shadow it drops to the ground effortlessly.

In non-metro areas (where self-landing is usually needed the most) you can often land in the pathway onto the beach if it is wide enough.

i just hit the qr and it falls on its back nicely

I've tried a lot of things - I nearly always am self landing.

I sit the kite on it's wingtip, grab the chicken loop above the bar, unhook, and then walk hand over hand on both the front lines moving upwind at the same time. The windier it is, the closer to the kite and the more upwind I go. I then grab the top string and pull the kite over.

I leave the safety attached, and stay upwind of all the lines. If something goes wrong, I can always let go of the lines and let the safety hold the kite. (of course you need to leave enough room downwind for this)

If you don't move upwind, when you pull the top line when it's windy, the leading edge stays high and can catch the wind and cause a flip. Pulling the top line from 45deg upwind makes the kite pivot around the bottom tip with the leading edge near the ground.

I'ts just my opinion, but I'm not a fan of using your safety system to land the kite. Sooner or later it will fail, and your kite will go where it shouldn't. (Particularly with the rev's piece of elastic. I was orignally lead to believe that it had a spectra kite line inside, but it doesn't - it's just elastic. One day it looks fine, the next it comes apart in your hands!)

graceful said...

i hit the qr with kite at edge of window bout two metres off ground....
have never had it try to relaunch or behave bad but maybe im just lucky

^^^^^
Yep, when its too windy I just make sure the top front line is the flagging line and do the above. Works like the flip method Fozzy explained.

Just make sure when you do Fozzy's method to walk upwind a bit as you pull the top front or the damn thing will nearly flop over, lift off the ground and stuff it all up. I usually wont bother trying this when the kite is in its mid to upper wind range, but I might need more parctice.