How to fly a power kite

[@danny34867]

I’ve been flying kites since I was 4:years old & power kites for about 15years & I have to say this tutorial is excellent for the amateur, very well explained. 👏 I’m now 50yo & yes I’ve had a few,scrapes here & there & 1 scary moment but without those moments I feel you don’t learn to respect the potential power & danger.

[@quedecree]

Cheers Danny! I think I've had this kite kicking around in the back of the car for the last couple of years - it's long overdue for another fly.

[@Matt0]

I have about 15 flights with my 2.5 flexifoil sting and this is the best tutorial. I watched this video a bunch of times between ordering and flying my kite and I can't thank you enough for teaching me. People love watching me fly and I think they owe you some credit for teaching me.

[@quedecree]

Cheers Matt!

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

I've been flying Flexifoils and Revolutions since the 1980s and they are wonderful kites. This video is one of the best tutorials on KZbin; it starts with the basics and includes all the important stuff--including safety. Great job, @quedecree!

[@quedecree]

Many thanks!!

[@stant.m4233]

I bought one quite a few years ago (2006) and I've hardly used it since. But seeing this is inspiring me to get it out and try again.

[@steveco1800]

Same, bought two around then, just got back out yesterday and it was a thrill! Hope you get back into it

[@davey7406]

damn that’s the year i was born

[@mikehussey5682]

Literally brought my kite and buggy yesterday. Thank you for this video. It's very informative.

[@MrGrungeon]

Really nice video. I'm total beginner. And today I've been flying hour for sure. Thanks for hints 😎

[@pocketrocket.9599]

Is it a steep learning curve?

[@rothotborski]

Best kite instruction video i've seen so far...thanks for sharing. Just ordered my first quad line kite, a HQ Beamer, and can't wait delivery.

[@quedecree]

Thanks Roman. The HQ Beamer's an excellent kite (I've had the 2m & 4m) lots of fun to look forward to. Cheers - John

[@MrRadko75]

Roman T hi dude. How yours fun kite time? You ok?

[@kirankumarnarain6601]

Roman T nee of x hf of BJ

[@EduardRitok]

we are waiting for some kite video from you! xD

[@reddog3300]

Awesome Video, like having an instructor looking over my shoulder, and the extra explanation about brake line length in the responses to viewer comments is priceless. I could have saved days of searching and reading by watching this first.

[@quedecree]

Red Dog Many thanks!

[@flcfi]

Just flew my Quattro 2.0 quad kite for the first time today. Thanks for the instruction. I was up and flying in no time! :)

[@westfieldmega]

Wish I’d of watched this first before I flew my kite for the first time. Managed to get it flying ok but made hard work of it getting the girlfriend to hold the kite to launch. Like the idea of the peg and the small bean/sand bags to weight it down. Thanks for taking the time to make this 👍🏼

[@quedecree]

Many thanks! Wait till you get into a kite buggy.....

[@westfieldmega]

quedecree I’ve organised to pick up a mountain board. Now looking at buggies also 😊

[@jcullerton]

Very helpful. I haven't used a quad line kite but I'm very interested in doing so. You showed me something that is so intuitive now that I've seen it in your video but I haven't been doing it. Simply, as you put it, using gravity in your favor. At the edge of the wind, I've been turning the kite upwards to turn it around instead of diving it down. Thanks for a good tip.

[@michelsanders4768]

If your just starting and your setting up your kite for the first time make sure your brakelines are short enough so they actually will work. I've learned the hard way and went for my virgin flight. Did not plan it and scared the ..... out of me. Just set it up with some more knots on your lines and start out with shorter breaklines and find the sweatspot the more you progress. Nobody tells you this and it is not in any manual. Better safe than sorry.

[@ghostrot]

Your are correct i had a very bad crash

[@m3lyc]

Great video thanks for that. Just been flying my dad's new power kite with him today and I want one now!

[@vf12497439]

I find my self doing more tricks on the left or right edge just above ground. Coin toss or a flip. These foil kites are so stable and fun. Seems like i rarely fly any of my delta twin line kites any more. Nice video

[@quedecree]

Yes. If you have kite killers attached it will stall on the brakes, if not, the kite won't go very far - although that will depend on conditions (and type of kite). I saw a friend accidentally release his 6m depower in moderate conditions - he had to run about 150m to catch it. Always a good idea to allow yourself plenty of downwind room until you're confident in your kite and abilities.

[@mrbjansen84]

I really learned alot of this video! Ive been flying kites for a long time but just bought my first quad liner. Before i make a fool of myself i thought lets watch some videos on youtube, but this video is all i need to watch i think. thanks a lot for this clear explanation on how to fly a quad liner!

[@quedecree]

Thanks Bas! Don't worry, power kites have a habit of making fools out of lots of folks! Me included.

[@busterstyle6902]

Thx for this good Tutorial! I fly till now only with 2 Lines and could not Imagine how it work with 4 Lines. Now i know and i think i will try a 4 line kite.

[@quedecree]

Thanks for the kind words. I tie my brakes so that with the bottom of the handles pointing about 45 degrees towards the kite, there is just a little tension on the brake lines. This allows me to pull on a reasonable amount of brake by turning the handles vertically. If your brake lines are too long, they will hang slack and also make it very hard to reverse launch. Too tight and you won't be able to let the brakes 'off' when flying normally.

[@nominomi5036]

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[@nominomi5036]

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[@nominomi5036]

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[@dennism103]

I've always loved flying kites since I was a kid...

[@quedecree]

Ditto. I used to make them out of garbage bags and bamboo plant stakes. Can't remember if they actually flew.....

[@cottilion]

Thank you for the info. you filled in some blanks I needed last weekend :P I really needed the hint on re-lanching from upside-down position.

[@Zippy247]

brilliant video talking all the way through nice and clear all the manoeuvres you can do easy to understand just brilliant well put together thanks.

[@neo1979]

Thanks for sharing. Got my Pansh kites delivered today and cant wait to have a go.

[@a610412]

Best kite instruction. Thank you!

[@SwimBikeRunFastest]

This video was perfect for me to get going flying today for the first time. Ace. Thanks.

[@quedecree]

Thanks Chris!

[@HarlowKiteFlying]

Great to see the video is still getting hits on it.

[@quedecree]

I think I said exactly the same thing when looking at the channel's metrics yesterday!

[@korpa12]

I've been trying the what you said to untwist the lines worked a treat thanks for the help mate (imp 2.5)

[@raymondharries7188]

Just bought my first quad line kite this video is just what i need to make the transition from 2 to 4 lines thanks

[@korpa12]

Great vids mate cheers. Learnt a lot from them.

[@balooa7133]

Great and clear explanation and demonstration how to fly a 4 line kite.

[@DieserLukas]

I love power kite flying! Greetings from Germany

[@boomchancre]

great video.. simple to understand watching u explain it with the head cam following the kite and bars,,,, better than some of the pro videos tbh.....cheers for helping me on my way to kitesurfing.

[@moonfish1967]

Great video thanks! Super helpful. You're a master at it. Cheers will take mine out soon. 😎

[@stephaniet1389]

Thank you for the kite lesson. Made me less scared to buy my first power kite. :)

[@quedecree]

Cheers, Stephanie. PKF (powerkiteforum) in the U.S. has a lot of friendly people with good advice plus some bargains in the 'for sale' section. A good place to ask lots of questions.

[@PhilipCarle]

Your vid is the best out there.... made me buy my first kite. Thank you!

[@bodisatva75]

thanks for your effort in putting this together

[@quedecree]

Don't know too much about the Radsail but Blades and Twisters seem to be regarded as lifty kites and good for jumping. I'd be thinking 5-6 meters minimum for jumping. Don't try it in gusty winds - have a look through all the jumping disasters on youtube - there's a shirtload! A beach sea breeze and a nice soft dune to land on! Look up 'how to do a pendulum jump'. Helmet and pads and strong boots. Be very careful as it's the most dangerous thing you can do with a kite.

[@davejentsch824]

Very nicely done tutorial - thanks!

[@quedecree]

Yep, a bit of brake on one side will send it around in a loop pretty quick. Can depend on the kite though - some high aspect kites don't like too much brake input and respond better to steering with the power lines.

[@polehammer]

I used to have a 12m Liquidforce plus harness etc that i bought 2nd hand from ebay and after nearly killing myself several times thought id downsize lol

[@FlyingPetschman]

thank you - made my first 4 liner flight today... with your help :)

[@hubsonekka]

Sir, when I was watching video I was holding kite with You :D Very nice to watch.

[@СергейКовзиков-е1о]

Hi Johnn! How are you? The kite aerobatics on 2.4 sq.m flies well! I think that in a strong wind he will even be able to ride you on a buggy cart!

[@quedecree]

I think 150lb would be ok for static flying in lightish winds. For buggying and when the wind picks up, I would be looking at 300-400 lb. I have found the Ozone dyneema lines to be very good. (dacron would be too thick at that strength).

[@ronaldoaguiar7136]

thanks for the feedback. If you need any information here from my country, I will be at your disposal. Thank you.

[@quedecree]

We weren't far away this weekend - down at Sandy Point. There's usually someone down there every few weeks having a fly. Keep an eye on the ExtremeKites forum under the Victorian section. One of us will put up a post when we're going that way. If you get the 4m moving fast enough or you get a gust, it will lift you. Trouble is, once the gust is gone or the kite slows down, it will drop you on your #ss very quick. Caution and lots of research!! Pads and helmet too. Google 'Pendulum Jump'

[@mrtibbs5543]

invaluable tutorial thanks for sharing!.i used to have a 3 Sqm ozone Haka it was a great kite but eventually sold it to a chap in belgium. thumed and subbed.

[@quedecree]

Thanks Mike! Good winds to ya.

[@0DannyB0]

Very instructive video, Thanks!!

[@tcjrod]

I just purchased a Prism Snapshot 2.5, and the main power lines are 300 lb test. I'm using 130 lb test for the brake lines.

[@bearbow8529]

Thanks duce very informative.. im waiting for my beamer 3.6 to arrive and now I know how to start up.. eventually im looking for rec kite to be able to get air with, do you have any advice on this about minimal size for a softer come down and make/model.. been advised about blades but have been looking into radsail savages also.. cheers mate

[@martinhaswell9671]

Great video, full of well thought out tips, thanks

[@balikugatmovement9171]

Best video for Getting an idea how it is.... Thnx

[@keagan_201]

great tutorial for beginners,you seem like you know what your doing after looking at your style I would recommend a peter lynn 6.2 trainer.Nice video.

[@quedecree]

Cheers! I like the smaller sizes for static flying and find the Flysurfer Peak 2's and Born Kite Nasa Star 3's are my favorite buggy engines.

[@keagan_201]

Ok,so what's your personal favourite kite

[@quedecree]

The 6m Peak 2 is probably the most versatile buggy engine I've tried so far and for static flying I really liked the ozone method 3m. Love the look of the Born Kite Long Stars too - also really nice to static fly but a little slow in the buggy. If I could only keep one kite, it would be the 3.2m Nasa Star 3 in XK colors.

[@keagan_201]

+quedecree nice choices.lol

[@keagan_201]

+quedecree nice choices.lol

[@polehammer]

G'day mate, you're not flying down near Toora are you? Im from Gatha and have a 2m single bar and a 4m twin handle kite. Im trying to suss out the proper tequnique on how to get airborne with the 4m although i may be a tad heavy at 100kg?

[@snowboarduk]

Excellent video, thankyou very much for taking the time to make it, very helpful.

[@demonetizedhistory5806]

I just bought a 3.5m flexifoil kite the other day and gotta say it's pretty confusing stuff and scary to start off with 😂

[@quedecree]

Yep. I remember how awestruck I was by the power of the Imp Quattro I used in this video. Some years later I flew it from the buggy and thought - geez, this thing wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding!!! After a few sessions in various conditions, you'll start feeling more comfortable. Having said that, keep an eye on conditions - gusty wind and small power kites can do us serious damage. Keep to gentle/mild conditions while you learn what it can do.

[@scottsassafraz1980]

Great vids! More tutorials please!

[@jmanwarham6069]

Great instructional vid.. Never flown an imp with quad lines:)

[@ABESuperKiteDay]

1 million views! Nice one dude !

[@quedecree]

Cheers!

[@quedecree]

Possibly...I've never seen it done though. Best if you use spectra or dyneema lines made specifically for power kites (Ozone, Flexifoil, PL & HQ all make good lines) Dacron is a bit too thick and nylon string will stretch too much.

[@lucusinfabula]

Hi Fellow, what happens if the strings are twice as long?

[@sohan-dh4wq]

Good job

[@jamesnickel4748]

Hey, thanks a MILLION. I have been wondering if 4 liners can have the lines crossed again and again. You showed it can! I have only ever flown 2 line kites...waiting to try my new 4 line power kite in Spain soon! Thanks for the Vid!

[@BastHoen]

Great instruction video, love it!

[@mohammedrinas6956]

Hello friend. I am from Kerala.i want a kite.can you send me one.here big price

[@quedecree]

There is an excellent article about setting up handles and lines at Angus Campbell's Coastalwindsports site.

[@paulwolstenholme1673]

Thanks for your vids and for the putting us onto the Coastalwindsports articles..together as a new powerkite flyer they are are proving very valuable (i.e. I'm really enjoying it and I'm still alive).

[@quedecree]

@@paulwolstenholme1673 Cheers Paul.

[@Romantles]

Great tutorial

[@brandenlawson9465]

Great video!

[@ehvlullo]

Thanks! Had to run about 100m after my kite myself today.

[@dottysworld6317]

What a cool video!

[@arfilms4561]

Thanks for teaching me how to fly a power kite

[@michaelturner8810]

Hay great vid man nice one. thanks!!!

[@arrystgeorge1]

great video. nice view. peaceful

[@Zeisslermusic]

Great video and instruction and wiev and hill :-)

[@wordreet]

You'll be happy to know that your video was preceded by an advertisment for a bidet. :¬D

[@quedecree]

LOL! Sounds about right. Although you should know that Google's advertising is based on what sites you've been to......!!

[@wordreet]

quedecree LMAO! I can't imagine the connection. . . My bro's birthday. I typed happy bidet? They read our emails? I guess it's no surprise.

[@dzakitaufiqurrahman4416]

quedecree tyuighnbsf

[@jordanwalker1184]

Great Commentary, Thanks

[@ianjohnson4987]

Very helpful - thanks

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Great video 😊👍

[@Miserableplace]

Great Vid. Where is that? looks like a dreary part of england. Were you worried about getting shot, hence the high vis jacket?

[@k4zzt]

just the info I needed, thanks cheerio!

[@brianwurtz9033]

Two things missing are what wind speed is safe to fly, and what to do if you want to bring it down but your spike is way out of reach, been flying a hydra 300 3 line foil for years, stepped up to a rev which i have flown a dozen times, just bought a skydog 5 meter four line power kite, flew it for the first time in about 9 mph wind, and let me tell you, i am completely humbled, and i have got a bunch of untangling to do!

[@quedecree]

The speed thing is tricky - depends on the size of the kite and the skill of the operator and also how dense the air mass is. I like buggying in 12 - 15 knots best but static flying below 12 knots with a 2 - 3m kite. A 5m kite is hard work to fly static - as you've found out! - in anything other than a gentle breeze. Bigger kites are great for the buggy but tiring and relatively slow if you're just flying them static (ie: no wheels / board under you). A friend of mine loves 25 knots plus so he can go for 100kph in a kite buggy - I'm usually packing up when he's getting ready to go. It's all relative. If you need to put it down, pull both brakes hard or release the safety if you have one and find something to wrap the brake lines around - fence post, rucksack - anything. One time on the buggy I went too far into a wet claypan - couldn't steer and had nowhere to put the kite down so I had to keep it above me until I could trudge over to fence a few hundred yards away to land the kite and go back and pull the buggy out of the ooze.

[@steed5000]

THAT was brilliant video, thanks very much.

[@chomdaim3542]

this is very informative. thank you sir!

[@chrisjarrold]

Super video, thanks.

[@maspiyo4318]

Amazing kite...hy im from indonesia and i have to traditional kite

[@sjeyram]

Thanks for the info

[@mannatuu]

brilliant buddy ! ..just what I,ve been looking for...you know your stuff and how to communicate it ..;-)

[@umc1310]

Bravo My friend... considering getting me one soon ;-)

[@steveco1800]

What’s the benefit of attaching the handles together? I have a 4m kite and sometimes spreading my arms apart and lifting the side I want to turn helps get out of a tricky position a the edge of the window.

[@quedecree]

The handles aren't physically connected - It's just economy of movement - there's nothing I need to do that I can't do with the handles together. Spreading the arms and waving them around a bit will give you a better workout, though it can look a little....er.....odd :)

[@steveco1800]

@@quedecree Looked like you had a rope connecting the tops. Thinking about it, I should probably just do the round and under to recover from the edge of the window like you showed. I have been avoiding twisting the lines, and with a 3m Blade I started on it was not so tricky but this 4m Twister can begin to luff and then spiral. The technique I mentioned definitely helps but yeah, better flight planning and I wouldn’t need it. Thanks

[@quedecree]

@@steveco1800Steve - you're right about the rope connecting the tops - I forgot all about this. This is the strop which allows you to connect it to a pulley or carabiner on your harness to take all the weight. I have very rarely flown/buggied this way as I usually use a bar when I'm in the buggy rather than handles and don't often fly with a harness when standing as I'm doing here (known as static flying as opposed to buggying / kite surfing / landboarding etc). For what I'm doing in the vid, the strop is not doing anything at all and would be a little too restrictive for stunt kite flying.

[@misterg1157]

Hi. Could you give me some advice please? I’ve flown a 2-line kite once. That’s all. I’m looking to buy one. I was assuming that I should buy a 2-line kite instead of 4, as a 4 is more advanced. However does the ability to slam on the brakes mean that a 4-line is actually safer than a 2-line? What scares me is the possibility of making a mistake and being hoisted into the air. I assume that that is less likely with a 4-line as you have the brakes. I don’t intend to learn to kitesurf etc. Thanks.

[@quedecree]

Learning a 4 line kite is only a little harder than a 2 line - but the 4 line gives you the major advantage of being able to launch when you stack your kite and it's upside down - just pull both brakes and it will launch when it's upside down which is very, very difficult to do with a 2 line kite. The exception is Born Kite's Nasa Stars which you can launch with a swift tug even if they're upside down (when rigged as a two line kite). All the major manufacturers have entry level 4 line foils. Stick with 1.5m to 2.5m - much bigger and they just get too slow and physically tiring to be fun to static fly for any length of time. Avoid flying in gusty conditions - if the trees are waving violently back and forth - don't fly! If they're just bent over a bit in the wind but not moving too much - that's a nice steady wind to fly in.

[@polluxblaze]

Great introduction to power kites. I know this video has been here for a long while but could someone recommend a kite or brand that is good enough for beginners? I bought a cheap one and I'm not expecting it to fly as smoothly as the one in the video lol. Also, it doesn't have this nice breaking system.

[@quedecree]

Most of the main manufacturers have a basic 4 line kite like this one. If you stick with brands like Ozone, HQ, Peter Lynn, Zebra kites, PKD, Flexifoil and Born Kites Nasa Stars - all make really excellent kites and can also be sourced s/h from sites like Powerkiteforum.

[@polluxblaze]

@@quedecree thank you so much!

[@dhaferalharthi6803]

Great video I like it

[@StuartCF]

Great video. Cant wait to put some of your tips into practice. I have a Flexifoil 2.7 four line with 18 metre lines. Sometimes I feel the lines should be longer. Should I change to 25 metre lines. Thanks, Stuart

[@quedecree]

Some of my lines are the std Ozone 18m lines and they're fine although personally I do prefer 20-25m lines. Shorter lines will give you sharper response times and a slightly more nimble kite, longer lines will give you more time in the power zone and a wider window - great for buggying in lighter winds. You could even just buy a set of 10m lines (or extension lines) and add them to your current lines when space permits - either join with larksfoot or use some pigtails. Cheers - John

[@berlengas2009]

longer lines increase the stability but reduce the speed of reaction

[@Blacknight-1111]

Nice.. thank-you

[@kevinlong2460]

this is very helpful, thanks mate*~

[@zackarybillings4402]

Thanks I learned so much!

[@alexissandy5095]

Super!! Thank you!!

[@luckeyee5139]

Took my 5.5 bullet out today in 20mph. Brutal

[@samyelalem]

hats off to you sir. professional

[@1313neoos]

thanks buddy good advice

congratulations on b 1k subs ;) great videoź!

[@quedecree]

+ŹÈÚŠ Many thanks!

[@trevorh6438]

I'm interested in learning how kite-sail. That is, be lifted up, and sail with the kite under the wind's power alone. No motor, just wind, and kite, like a paraglider only without base-jumping or sky-diving. Where can i learn to do this? Any suggestions?

[@quedecree]

Hi Trevor. Unfortunately, if you read through the PKF forum posts on this subject going back through the years, you will find that using a kite to jump, on land - with no wheels or skis underneath you is a pretty much sure fire way to injure yourself. You can minimize the risks by using a big (12m and up) kite in light winds over something soft like a sand dune - although you need to be a competent flyer to start with before buying the 12m - otherwise, all sorts of things are going to go wrong. Best thing to do is to either take up kite surfing - where you can jump over water, or landboarding - start small and work your way up. Or snowkiting - at least that way, if you land with a lot of forward momentum, you've got wheels/skis/board underneath you to carry the speed. Buggy jumping is another way to hurt yourself. Every person I know (personally and internet) of that uses buggies to jump with has injured themselves at some point . Even a small 2m kite can lift you in the wrong wind, but they just dont have enough size/float/canopy area to consistently let you down softly. If you're not keen on the kite surfing, then either learn landboarding and work your way up to jumps and bigger kites or take some paraglider lessons. Cheers - John.

[@trevorh6438]

John, Thank so much for your response. I'm not interested in "jumping" so much as getting in the air and staying in the air, and traveling around while air-born. After I had posted that comment, I discovered some paragliding videos, where the guy uses the wind alone to get up, and just glides around in the air, at various heights, up and down, as he pleases, without needing to land until he chooses to, and doing it all under only wind power alone, no motor, no nothing but him, the parachuteglider, the harness, and controls. This is what I was trying to say I wanted to do, but I didn't know about that potential of the sport until them, or the proper terminology. I had before thought it was not done to kite round untethered to anything like that. And that paragliders needed to start out very high in order glide sustainably.

[@quedecree]

Paragliding definitely sounds like what you're after. Lots of videos on here and there's a good paragliding forum on the web too. You should be able to find an introductory course somewhere that you can dip your toe into first without needing to spend up on gear. Lots of guys do it at my local beach spot - they get a 15 knot seabreeze going up the face of the dune and they can just soar back and forth along the dune for hours - looks great!

[@dustonc1]

Good instinct: letting the kite drop to kite killers when a gust pulls you over... bad instinct: flying on the loose brake knot in higher winds. But hey, lesson learned, and I won't be afraid of the kite forever right? :P

[@quedecree]

A bit of fear at the start is no bad thing - the worst thing is becoming complacent and not respecting how much power they can have in the wrong conditions! It took me a lot of hours for me to start feeling confident and realize I was flying the kite, not the other way around....:)