VIDEO: Jon Modica Demonstrates A Novel Solo Landing Technique For SB III Kites

[ricki]

Repeating,

Originally Posted by RickI

... I am not recommending anything. I am telling people about something novel that I saw. If they want to try it I am advising substantial cautions and to tell us how things went...

Riders choice on landing using the leash. I can recall one case of a guy in Palm Beach trying to do a "spin the kite" landing with a flat kite a couple of years back. He may have tangled a wing tip, the kite powered up spinning downwind and smashed him into that nasty 10 ft. high retaining wall, up, over A1A and on to the hood of a rental car on the far side and up into a tree. The word I got from that was to disconnect your kite leash before doing that type of landing. This doesn't happen all that often but as I said, riders choice.


The retaining/seawall in a nearby area

Solo landing with flat kites can be tricky. Used to be easy with traditional C kites but in getting something you often have to give something up.

[jon modica]

hmmm...
im not sure im getting across my point of safety very well.

I will be back in Florida in a few weeks and i will put together something in more detail.

THE ONLY THING I RECOMMEND
is that you teach yourself a method that works for you in a bad situation

This method works extremely well for me

at the end of the day, for me, i dont like having any kind of releasing gizmo's and gadgets. no 5th lines, no leashes, no releases, just pure knowledge of how to control my kite safely in up to 30+ knots.

I LIKE KNOWING THAT I CAN PULL ON MY CENTERLINES and knowing that my kite WILL NOT DO anything unexpected.

-Jon

[linhster]

I am not sure why the debate is as vigorous as it is on this topic.

What I got out of this is a new approach to self landing a kite. I know for me that self landing has always been a difficult thing. There has not been to many different way to do this. So when an experienced kiter offer a reasonable method to do a self landing, I try to learn from the experience.

As Rick mentioned that this is a technique that is demo on SBIII, it might or might not work with other brands. With this in mind, I will take extreme caution in attempting this with Cabrinha SB or any other brand.

The video did demonstrate a method that seem to be a lot easier and safer than some of the technique I have been using. So, I am glad that it was shared with many (including myself). I have not have the opportunity to exercise this method. I hope there will have that chance soon. Once I have a chance to try it and see the effectiveness of the method, and if it apply to my kite, then I will use it.

I think the safety message did come across. Any skill that teaches me about the behavior of a kite is a good one. Even watching someone NOT doing something right will teach me what NOT to do.

Thanks for the video. It was very informative.

[Galego]

because i am new to kiting im very interested in seeing and learning safe and alternative methods of self launching and self landings. thanks for the video.

[jon modica]

GLAD IT HELPED!

hopefully me and Rick can team up again and do more!

thanks
-Jon Modica

If you do another video, I'd like to see it done in solid 25-30mph if it can really be done safely. Standing there hooked in with the bar tangled on the ground and one line wrapped around my hands hands is ok in 15 but above that it's sketchy.

Keep in mind I am speaking from experience here because I've used this method for close to a year now, so it's not new to me.

BUT, having said all that I am certainly not dismissing the method. I agree it is best to know how you land your kite via many different methods... suppose your leash broke or you just forgot it...

So I'll practice this method a bit more with some other (bow) kites and see how they react. There is always the possibility that my technique was not as good as it could have been.

Not challenging Jon or anything... he is absolutely correct that we should refine our kite control and practice different methods of self sufficiency!