American Kitefliers Association

The right tool for the job depends on the size of the kite and the strength of the wind.  As well as a variety of other factors like how much room you have to bring it down in. 

Most of the time for what I fly, a pulley hooked over the line with a length of strap attached as a handle will allow an anchored kite to be walked down.  With bigger kites and stronger winds you may need additional straps to the pulley for more people holding the kite down.  I've been part of a group of 8 burly guys struggling to bring down a big kite.  Sometimes it's best to get the kite down before the wind builds.

Tell us more:
What kind of kite are you trying to bring down?

Size?

Anchored or hand flown?

Large open field or small patch to fly from?

How do you get the pully over the line. Could you post a picture. I've seen other fliers use a strap with a carabiner to bring the kite down. Multiple haul downs wear a grove in the carabiner. I do a hand over hand but my single line kites are not that large.

Hello guys, Permalink asked about the type of kite. You can imagine any lifter that becomes too much for one to handle easily. Imagine also that the kite is flown over "unfriendly" territory. Therefore a full walkdown of the kite may not work.  What method of walking down the kite to a point, catching and hauling in line seems to work. I've a vision of catching and locking the line and walking it back to the stake or bag, but the details escape me.

Reynolds5520. Gomberg kite accessories has the split ring pully you seek. They work.
Cpt. A.

Hey Gumby,
Making bigger fighters :-)
Use a snatch block. Kind I use for big kites. Opens up so you can put line on the roller.
http://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/grap … k_30mm.jpg

Some use ones similar to this, put a carabiner through the holes after putting it on the line.
http://www.chicagoyachtrigging.com/wp-c … 113730.jpg

I have pulleys like the ones Vaino linked to above.  Advantages are that they are light weight and it's easy to blow sand out of the open bearing.  Disadvantages are relatively high cost and it is easy to get sand in the open bearing, I don't fly at the beach much so the sand hasn't been a problem for me.

I also have this style:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/s … asl%3B2-in

This type is very strong but heavier, it is also much less expensive.  On this style, you drill out the rivet that holds the two cheeks of the block together and use a carabiner in the hole to attach your strap.  When it is time to use it, remove the carabiner, swivel the cheeks on the axle shaft to open a gap for inserting the line, and hook it over the line.  Then swivel the cheeks back into alignment and clip in with the 'biner.  Additional straps can clip to your carabiner.

Here is a picture from Simon Crafts that show this type on a strap, with a different clip in place of the carabiner.


I could provide a picture of the pulley being opened and hooked over a line.  First I would have to find one to photograph, on my last trip they weren't in the bag where they belong.


To Captain Aether's situation with no room to walk the kite down.  Sometimes you can walk down to the side or back and hook the line to another anchor, either one that is already there, or one you put there for this.  Repeat until the line is all strung between the anchors.  In a strong wind you may need a lot of help to make this work.  Wait until the kite is down and safely put away before you worry about putting the line away, the line will be much easier to handle once the tension is off.

You could also use a winch at your anchor point to haul the line in.  Be very careful of any winch design that spools the line under tension.  The spool may collapse under the increasing pressure with each wrap.  The crushing force can also damage the line.


edited to properly name the parts of a pulley block - the side plates are cheeks

Nice rig.Good advice. The struggle is how to pack lightly and yet have contingency management. I suppose experience and experienced AKA pilots are going to be key here.
Cpt.A.

I found my straps hiding under a folded tarp that I thought was the bottom of the pile of stuff.


Here is the strap I use to pull down big kites.





This scrap of rubber water hose slipped over the strap during assembly makes a much more comfortable handle than the bare strap. Even one inch webbing will dig into your gloved hand with a big kite.





The pulley has been removed from the carabiner, allowing the cheeks to swivel open to be placed over the line.





Here the cheeks have been swiveled closed over the line and secured by the carabiner.





You can see here that this pulley has a simple lubricated bushing in the sheave rather than ball bearings. Keep it clean and it will work great for a very long time.





In this close up you can see how the two cheeks are fastened together by peening over (rivet like) part of one cheek in a hole through the other. Drill this hole out to allow the cheeks to swivel. Smooth or chamfer the drilled edge to prevent wear on your carabiner.





On this pulley (modified by Barry Ogletree and the Whatakite crew) the axle pin has been welded to one cheek to reduce the number of loose parts that could be dropped on the field. The other side still has the original cotter key to allow disassembly for cleaning.





Barry (Whatakite) Ogletree likes to use this clip in place of a carabiner. No loose parts to get lost.





Pull the spring loaded pin to open the clip. I sometimes struggle to close this clip with a heavy load on the line. One hand to hold the pulley on the line, one to swing the clip closed, and one more to push the pin so the clip can latch. A carabiner never requires more than two hands.





I like this light duty strap for smaller kites. I also keep it in my pocket for emergencies on the field. It isn't as easy to hold as the heavy duty strap, but it works great when you need something quick.

You have my sincere thanks. That is about as complete an answer as a man could want. I did not know about the second type of clip, nor the light duty pully. I also like the hose on strap solution. When I travel to the city next time, I'll search them out.
Cpt.A.

Captain Aether wrote:

Hello, has anyone had the experience for having their kite "stuck" in a strong wind? What tools do you know of that would permit a single flyer to haul down the kite?

My first preference is not to use anything.  Pulleys are an additional source of risk - they can collide with fingers, they are nasty on a "twanged" line.

They tend to be an indicator.  If a team spontaneously assembles to tackle a big kite issue, the guy who turns up with a pulley is often the one that you need to watch out for - the dangerous one who thinks he knows what he is doing but doesn't.

That said, sometimes a pulley is invaluable.  We use a high quality tendem pulley with bearings:  http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/transpo … dem-speed.  Attach it to a strap and to a vehicle and drive slowly to the kite.  It is particularly useful when you need to walk the kite down in a direction *other* than straight towards the kite.

When you reach the end, turn the vehicle to one side and land the kite to the other.

And watch out for the end of the line!  It seems obvious but it is *very* easy to go to far.  If you do, you stand a good chance of breaking something (or tightening your knots so that you can't undo them...)

The weak point with this pulley system is the carabiner.  Always think through what will happen if it breaks.

Andrew