Hello KiteSchool... Five questions. Feel free to answer just one or
two--don't need to try to answer all 5!

1) What is the maximum LEI kite size that is safe to fly on land?
I'd like to do some land practice and it's not always easy for me to
get to the beach for practice. I weigh 195 lbs (about 87 kilos) and
wind where I'm looking at doing this in has winds ranging from 8 to
18 miles per hour, with wind spending most of the time in the 9 to 14
mph range, but potential gusts up to 20 mph on some days.

I took a land-based class with a 2004 Cabrinha CO2 5m kite with winds
ranging from 12 to 18 mph and I felt like I was not in any danger of
being lofted. When I took the kite into the power zone during gusts,
it did pull me long the ground a little bit until I dug in my feet,
so in a stronger gust or if I were not prepared, the 5m CO2 could
have pulled me off my feet. In this case the sheeting system was
pulled all the way in (max depower) but I was not hooked in (more
power). Could I safely use a 7m or 9m LEI kite on land in 8 to 18mph
wind (not hooked in), or is that too big to fool around with on land?


2) What is a good "larger" trainer kite, I have been using a T-foil 1-
meter trainer kite and want a larger foil trainer. My options seem
to be the T-foil 4-meter kite, the Slingshot Wasp 2, or the Slingshot
B2 or B3. Again, normal wind range 8 to 18 miles per hour where I
like to practice.

3)Are some trainers significantly better than others? The 1m T-foil
is a lot of fun to fly but luffs badly during lulls, sometimes
inverting and doing a "falling leaf" imitation until either the wind
picks up again or I yank on the bar to fill it up again. Do all foil
trainers do this in lulls?

4) Can 2-line foil trainers be re-launched on land if they crash
leading-edge down? I generally cannot re-launch my 2-line T-foil
this way, though if it crashes on trailing edge or side, sometimes I
can relaunch it. Can any 2-line trainers be re-launched from the LE-
down position or does this always require a 3rd (or 5th) line?

5) Can a LEI be re-launched on smooth land (parking lot or grass)
when it crashes leading edge down? It seems that if you swim towards
the kite in the water with enough wind (possibly pulling on the front
lines), the friction and/or surface tension of the water will hold
the LE so the kite can flip on it's back, then you can roll it up on
its side, work it to the edge of the wind window, and re-launch. But
on smooth land, wouldn't the kite just stay on its LE and keep
sliding away from you instead of flipping onto its back?

--John Kim