Limitations of an SUL kite???

I was out flying on the weekend & winds were light.

I am wondering, are certain tricks not possible with an SUL or an UL, i.e. Feather?

The reason I am asking is that, I was trying to do a Flic Flac but half way through the move (trying to put kite into fade after pancake position) the kite self corrects into normal flight. I can do this move with my Gemini.

So any light wind gurus out there that can help? Are certain kite tricks not possible with an SUL because they are so light?

Thanks, in advance

David G.

ARGH...better tell that to Vanishing Point flyers. That kite LOVES 540's and helicopters. The VP 'flys' thru flat spins, requiring little coercion. And if I recall correctly one of the best segments in 'That Tricktail Feeling' was Martin tricking a UL while standing in a creek [0 wind] including a couple 540's. SUL [and to some extent UL] flight is different, but by no means the poor step child of 'normal' kite flying. In fact, for many flyers SUL/UL flying is as good as it gets.

I teaches you how to fly different. You can then use those skills in normal kites. Helicopters are a natural SUL trick. I do them all the time in normal winds with normal kites.

David,

I have a Feather and have found it nearly impossible to flic-flac (though that could be a testament to my skill - or lack-there-of). I disagree with the comments on momentum. This is a very capable kite and if you can get it to pancake in the middle of the window, it spins one of the nicest 540s you will see. I have had better luck getting a 540 higher in the wind window by starting a downward turn then throwing slack into the line and popping.

This kite will do a beatiful fade and likes to cascade. It pops axels nicely and you can control multiples if you are subtle (the kite does seem to like to self correct). I struggle with the lazy susan with this one - kite does't like to be popped on its back. I did get one back spin with it once, but have not been able to repeat the move (winds aren't that smooth). I fly it on 25' 50#.

<snip>

I'm surprised... no one has mentioned bridles yet, in this thread. I've found that some kites which will not perform tricks like fades and flic-flacs with standard 3-point bridles will undergo a 'personality change' when equipped with Wardley's recipe for turbo or active bridle. It's worth a try, easy to do, and can really make a big difference.

-Mike Dooley

Hi David,

As you have found light wind flying is a lot different than normal wind flying. Typically SUL kites don't like to be 'yanked and cranked' like you can do to the Gemini. There are a lot of tricks you can do with some SUL's but it is more finesse style flying. Typically more graceful 'floaty' type stuff. Not going to be popping out some fast and furious flic flacs. Although flic flacs are possible on some light wind kites, it is again more of a graceful, finesse, slower style.

Although I have done very little indoor flying, the little that I did a few years ago helped me a lot in my light wind outdoor flying. If you can I would highly recommend some indoor flying if only to improve your outdoor skills.

Hope this helps.

See ya, Bill Rogers

You can do just about anything with an ultralight that you can with a standard kite, it's just a question of adjusting your style. All inputs to an ultralight need to be more fluid and finesse-oriented. It's more a question of 'guiding' the kite into the tricks, rather than forcing it.

Trick flying in very light winds can be an immensely satisfying activity, you just have to be more patient and less heavy-handed than you would with a Gemini. Choice of kite is also important; for me the old Jam UL (framed in Skinnies) has always been the epitome of the light wind trick kite, but of course YMMV.

Stick with it and good luck.

-Ron G.

You can do just about anything with an ultralight that you can with a standard kite, it's just a question of adjusting your style. All inputs to an ultralight need to be more fluid and finesse-oriented. It's more a question of 'guiding' the kite into the tricks, rather than forcing it.

Trick flying in very light winds can be an immensely satisfying activity, you just have to be more patient and less heavy-handed than you would with a Gemini. Choice of kite is also important; for me the old Jam UL (framed in Skinnies) has always been the epitome of the light wind trick kite, but of course YMMV.

Stick with it and good luck.

-Ron G.

I can tell you that the Feather will do all kinds of tricks in light wind. It probably is just a matter of touch. But I have always thought light wind flying is just super

The Feather does not rotate around the pitch axis well. This does hurt fade recoveries, flic-flacs, and 540s. You can do 540s, and fade to 540 combinations but you need alot of height above ground so that the kite can rotate the nose away. For outdoor lightwind tricking, try an Ozone, Tricktail SUL/UL, Icon, one of PBSK's UL kites. The Feather is my favorite indoor kite, but others are preferred (not necessarily better) outdoors.

WT

I forgot about the Jam Session UL. It has got to be the best UL for rotating fades.

WT