rexracer

John B, on another note - I have got to say - a huge thank you for all your tutorials on Kitelife (and youtube) - namely assembly/disassembly, line management (I unravelled and hooked up my lines today when setting up and there literally wasn't a single twist in them!), equalizing, setting up the bridles (something I needed to do when I got the kite second hand after the previous guy had it all knotted up), hovers (which I'm currently enjoying learning), flat relaunching (reduces the embarassment of the walk of shame, and increases the flying time) to name a few. They really have been incredibly useful to a solo learner/flyer like me, every one of them (as no instructions came with the kite). As well as your inspirational flying vids which almost single-handedly got me into Revs after stumbling upon them. We salute you!

I have to second this.

 

I see a lot of parallels between us, Moggy. I've always flown solo...not by choice, but location. I'm also completely self taught, except for some great video lessons... Another parallel that I think we might have in the future. After flying my full sail SLE for about 2 hours total, and getting a pretty good handle on it, I ordered a B series vented. I see many more Revs in my future.

I'm pretty new to quads, too. I bought my first Rev last year about this time. I had some 2 line experience, mostly just ripping around the sky since I'm self taught and have never had a better flyer to learn from. That Rev probably cost me more than I've spent on all the other kites I've owned combined. I flew that kite (full sail SLE) for about 2 hours and ordered a B series vented that week. Watch some of Johns videos, get it streight in your head how to go forward, turn and stop, then go fly your kite. Whats the worse thing that could happen? If you're low to the ground, a crash shouldn't do any major damage, and if you're high up and see a big crash coming, run toward the kite. When you give to the kite you take all of the power out of the sail and the speed, and the hit, will be less.

I didn't know any of this when I started, and I never did more than bounce the kite off of the ground a few times. No damage.

 I say go for it!

Lots of good advice, but I think the best was "have fun". I'm sure as you gain confidence you'll find lots of ways to practice your skills. I, like many, struggled to get the inverted hover. I kept "falling out" of it. The kite would start rocking and the next thing I'd spin out of the hover. I found it much easier to hover facing 5:00 or 7:00 for some reason. Once I realized that I just crept up on the 6:00 position and it worked.

Maybe one day I'll get to fly with someone who has real skill and I can take a big jump in skill level myself. I seem to live in a dead zone for kiting. If you get a chance to fly with other Rev fliers, it can only accelerate your learning curve.

It took a few minutes, and a couple times flying into the ground, but I got a handle on flying this thing. The winds around here suck, being inland Connecticut. It was variable from 2-8 mph with the wind out of the west, southwest south and southeast.
The reason I'm upset? After flying my 1.5 SLE I realized that I need to get a vented B with race rods so that I can fly my 1.5 in lighter winds, and go to the beach to fly the vented. I don't have that kind of money to spend on kites right now. Anyone want to buy a GP Super Stearman with a Saito 1.80? If I can sell this RC plane I can get the vented B and some new line. Maybe another set of handles... did I mention that in the hour and a half of lousy wind that I had I got it to hover in 8 directions? Holding steady in variable winds really makes you work. I can't wait to get some practice in better wind.