BigDavey

The Siebert's Sweety, Level One Amazing and L'Atelier 00 (double zero) would be good trickable indoor/light wind kites. The Amazing does tend to get overpowered outdoors though - It's really an out-and-out indoor kite. Another option is the HQ Breeze, not too dear and pretty capable - nice to fly and gives out lovely flat spins. As to Precision / Freestyle flying... Precision is very much about very fine control of the kite - Large graceful arcing turns, crisp angular turns, stall control etc. Freestyle is a style of trick flying - Getting the kite to move from one trick maneuver to another - It's less 'defined' than precision kiting, but still requires very fine control of the kite. To a degree it does (or did) require different kites with precision kites being more stable, slower in the air than the less stable trick kites - But all-round kites like the Nirvana / Hellfire and Fury are blurring the lines quite a bit. HTH Davey

I've recently taken ownership of one - Still haven't quite reached the mind-altered state required to fly it well... but there's something lurking just beneath the surface on this one - I just know it. Do agree that it's mental - I just need a few more hours on it to gel with it.

A, I'd always recommend that you give Richard at http://www.tradewind-kites.com a call, or Keith at http://www.kiteworks.co.uk HTH

If you have the bandwidth/time - Get the Addiction Fun Flying video from here... http://www.drageportal.dk/video/side2.asp It'll give you an idea of what the kite can do.

Premier Addiction - Meant to be really really capable and cheap as chips. Pyro's a capable kite too - Good package (same as the Addiction - ready to fly) and does pretty well every trick in the book. I just have a preference for the sail graphic and the colour schemes on the Addiction. As for the Rhombus - they don't really get my interest at all - the HQ kites are solid, but I'd probably suggest stretching to the Phoenix from HQ (albeit a bit dearer though) If you can stretch to the top end 70 (and just above) there's a good deal to be had with the New Jam / E2 / Phoenix - all more than capable, and good packages.

As Desciple says - Reason for the diff between the Skyshark and Aerostuff versions is: Aerostuff spars are really expensive - but supposedly really really durable (one application is in gun barrels!) and Carl will have you at the studio to set up and tune the kite for your individual flying style.

I would second that - Gemini's still my favourite kite overall - Just a bit dear when venturing into trick flying for the first time (£130-£140 rrp)

Good grief I'm no trick master - Nowhere near it m8y - Give it 'til the end of the summer and you'll probably be way past me. It's not that the Stranger is a bad kite - It's a classic design and a landmark in trick flying. It's just that the 'newer' series of trick kites open up more possibilities trick-wise.

Miniac, AFAIK the biggest sport kite available (at least the biggest off-the-shelf one that I know of) is the Level One Thors Hammer. 13ft wingspan - And really trickable to boot. Bill Rogers has a cracking vid on his site... http://kiteaddict.home.comcast.net/ Also try http://www.levelonekites.com there's a couple more vids there. Other ones in and around that size mark would include the NewTech Firestorm (10ft) and PBSK (I think) Centurion. Oh, the Stranger is a good, albeit old trick kite - If you're not wanting to spend too much but get a full-size trick kite (7-8ft) then consider the NewTech New Jam, Prism E2, or HQ Phoenix - Same presense in the air, but capable of so much more trick-wise than the Stranger.

I'll plump for the Airbow. It was the first quad that I'd ever flown and I really felt that I connected with it. I kept switching (completely unintentionally - remember it's my first attempt at quads) between wristy movements that quad's need, and the push/pull movements of dual line flying - Kite seemed to switch between these two modes - One minute it was behaving like a dualie, the next it would dive-stop, propellor spin, reverse etc. Had a *huge* grin when I was flying it - Just ask Dougz. Ultimately I'd still like to get a play with a Rev and will probably end up with both in the bag. For me though the Airbow's definitely higher on the list.

Jeff, 25kg is getting a bit light - I'd tend to use that with an UL, rather than a full-size kite. The Climax Pro-Tec lines are coramid - similar to the spectra/dyneema of other lines - just in a funky orange The lines I would use on the stranger and similar kites would be 15m to 25m and 36kg to 70kg. Works a treat for me - Hope you would get the same mileage.

I've tended to buy my stuff from Richard at Tradewind Kites. Also got some from Keith at Kiteworks. You can either buy them as presleeved sets in whatever length / strength you like, or you can buy spools or line and cut them to whatever length you like. It's pretty much of a muchness - probably find it a lot more convenient to buy a pre-cut set.

Nice subtle bump there Jim Hope you get it moved on soon m8.

Aye - he's a tricky one to get away from Adam J/K M8 - We luv ya loads!

Jeff, There's a few options... wel more than a few but here's my take on it. I've got a couple of sets of 2 lengths depending on wind conditions... 35kg in both 15m and 25m lengths 70kg in both 15m and 25m lengths Lighter lines for lighter winds. Longer lines give you a larger window to fly in and it'll be a shadow slower too given the extra drag from the lines. The short lineset makes things happen a bit quicker, but can be easier to learn some tricks on given that the kite's a bit closer and you can see what's happening that bit clearer. Hope this helps.

...Sign should read 'Do not feed the Troll'

...You could always invest in an E2 - Then you'd have both DVDs

I'm covered by STACK membership - That said I don't require any 'extra' personal insurance from power kiting / buggying as I've no intention to endanger myself in such a reckless fashion As mentioned - Ask the BBC...

Trickery Flickery would be a bit less up-to-date than either Dodds Flight School or the Prism Freestyle Pilot. TBH I don't think it would be as 'instructional' as either of the latter. As between the two (Dodd & Prism) I'd recommend Dodd's - They both cover the same 'trick' flying aspects, but Dodd's is better structured as an instructional tool. Also covers the basics well - Which is always nice to get back to to get stall control and precision figures under control before flopping the kite about again.

As Desciple suggested, get your hands on the Flight School DVD - Practice the basics...then practice...and practice some more. The Challenge is a very capable kite, but does need to be tended properly - It really punishes poor technique, meaning that tricks may take a bit longer to learn on it that other, more error-friendly kites (E2, New Jam, Gemini etc.) As for buggying - No! The Challenge doesn't generate enough pull for buggying, and the temptation to take it out in winds over it's suggested wind-range will probably end up with you vapourising the kite Check the specs on Level One Kites, I think the Challenge is still listed - you can get specs etc. there.

Might need the DivX codec - Grab it from >> here As to pancaking the foil - probably guarantee it'll fold - The tricks I'm chatting about are meant to be carried out on framed kites - I always play on the far end of the lines

Sorry - Stand corrected Lam's only flying in the last sequence (according to the original post on GWTW) Neat flying tho (but I do prefer the original music behind it - Linkin Park - Session)

Soz - here's a direct link to the >> video Only 7 Mb and well worth the download. Pancake... Kite flying towards the ground - push both lines forward (lots in high wind) and the kite flattens out belly down, nose away from you. Alternatively they're nice toasted with a dab of butter

GWTW Video Thread Have a look there for a load of videos as to what trick kites *can* do. I'd recommend the skymaster video - Some amazing flying from Lam Hoac from Canada.

Not sure if it's necessarily the 'too much effort' aspect of the power kiting setup as much as a genuine interest in what stunt kites can do. When I coordinated the Ireland FlightSchool we had a number of 'crossover' power kiters who really wanted to see what could be done with a trick kite. Some of them admitted to having stunt kites, but it seemed that they tended to come out when there was too much wind for the power kites. Probably no small wonder that there wasn't an opportunity to learn tricks on them Thas said, there's a growing number (still small overall) of stunt fliers here in Norn Iron, noth dedicated stunters and foil fliers wanting to extend their sport. There is the problem of patience. To really get the best out of a dualie takes ages - So I can appreciate the quick-fix of the power kites. Appreciate it - but given my self-preservation nature I'll avoid it