216. Self Launching and Self Landing

This is a BONUS topic and I do not want you to practice this one. Not yet anyways. And even when you do decide to try this technique, or techniques I should say as there are a few out there, do this with close supervision of a kitesurfing instructor and at your own risk.

Self-launching and self-landing a kite is tricky, potentially dangerous and should be attempted only under supervision of professional kitesurfing instructor.

For self-launching a kite I am using and anchor – a pole, a pillar, a wood log, something that is heavy and stationary yet I must be able to tie a rope around it. I setup my kite next to the anchor the way that I should be able to bring control bar to the anchor without moving the kite, while control bar is connected to the kite.  And this is actually my next move: I connect chicken loop to the anchor. Next step: put the harness on, tighten spreader bar and check safety leash. Looks like I am ready, so I grab the kite and move to the launching spot, walking away from the anchor in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the wind. I keep an eye on the kite lines as I am walking and I turn around to face the anchor and turn the kite to the leading edge is facing the wind and one tip of the kite is up high, when the lines start to get some tension. I keep walking until the lines are fully stretched. At this point kite should be in vertical position and should not create any pull, and the canopy should flap like a flag. Now I start to move downwind looking for that magic sweet spot where kite is no longer falling back downwind and not pushing into the wind yet. It usually feels as if the kite likes this spot and wants to stay there, so, I put it on the ground with one tip down and another one up in the air. All lines should have tension in them at this point. As soon as I see that kite is staying in this sweet spot I rush to the anchor to grab control bar and take control of my kite as soon as possible. On the way to the anchor I walk along the kite lines on the side that is upwind from the kite. I connect safety leash, insert spreader bar hook into the chicken loop, insert the pin and transfer the pull of my kite from anchor to me, and then I disconnect the anchor and start flying the kite. Self-landing a kite is done in the reversed order. First, I de-power the kite. As I stand near the anchor I bring my kite down to the side of the wind window and let it sit on the ground on one wing. Now I hookup my anchor to the chicken loop of my kite or hookup chicken loop to the anchor. Next, I pull the pin out from the chicken loop, unhook from the chicken loop, and detach safety leash. Now it’s time to run up to the kite and take it down as quickly as I can. I run on the upwind side of the kite. As quickly as I can I grab the kite by the leading edge and start walking towards the anchor and slightly upwind to seize the power and to reduce tension in kite lines. When the power is out it’s time to put the kite on the ground with its leading edge down, and we a back to where we started. J