American Kitefliers Association

The last comment was very good in handling a too small of a field situation but I had to read it several times to make sure what he was saying.  IF you have 400 feet of line out and the kites is over the trees on a 300 foot field the first thing to ask is how did you let that happen. We have all been there and learned to be more proactive.. After you finish mumbling to yourself you can set another anchor to the side of your current one and then walk the line down and work your way to the anchor. You can then tie it off ( clip in to another anchor strap and carabiner then walk it down more moving to the other side of the field and doing the same thing. If you have fifty feet to either side you can shorten the line by 150 foot if you go to both sides. Correct me if im off base but I think that is more detail as to what Tug was saying.

Remember that pulling increases the load so do it slowly and also be away of the heat from the friction on the carabiner for the same reason. If you clip it in to the 2nd anchor you can let the line float over its entire length to absorb the loads as the kite pulls before you ground it.

The biggest thing to remember is don't panic and think things out. Its better to loose the kite before you get to the point of hurting someone.

Hello all. Here's the thing. If my kite is stuck in the sky, I can walk it down with a pully in the direction of the kite, or side to side. But, what if I walk it down 100 feet and I want to bring that part of the line back to my ground stake, tie it off and then get another hundred feet and so on until the kite is brought in? I do not want to wrap the flight line around my hand. Is there not something which for lack of a better name could be called a grab hook? Couldn't this hook be used to secure a line under tension, letting the pilot walk back that length of line to a staking point?
Cpt.A.

Hi Capt'n, I'm havin a little difficulty understanding the process.  You have a kite up and it's pulling so hard that you need a pulley to walk it down ,but then you want to shorten the line,I think I got it right.  Pulling hard and wrapping the line around your hands isn't a good thing so another method is needed. Normally when a kite is pulling so hard and you need a pulley putting a device on the line to bring it back to the anchor point ain't gonna work. It's already pulling so hard you can't haul in the line from the point of anchor. My suggestion is to ask for help, or bring the kite to the ground, shorten the fly line and re-launch. Depending on the kind of kite maybe a AOA adjustment might help to reduce sail wind load.  MHO

CLIFFORD

The "grab hook" you're looking for are rock climbing tools called jumars. They're designed to fit onto a rope, slide upward, then clamp down when pulled backward, allowing you to climb up the rope. I suppose they'd work for kites, providing the line was a big enough diameter. You could use your pulley to walk the kite down, then affix a jumar, pull it back to your anchor, and tie it off. As always, standard safety precautions about hard-pulling kites apply.

Captain Aether wrote:

...what if I walk it down 100 feet and I want to bring that part of the line back to my ground stake, tie it off and then get another hundred feet and so on until the kite is brought in?

... Is there not something which for lack of a better name could be called a grab hook? Couldn't this hook be used to secure a line under tension, letting the pilot walk back that length of line to a staking point?

Like everything else, the best answer will vary with the size of the kite and the pull on the line.

One way to hook to the line the way you suggest would be with a length of line tied around the flying line in a Prussic Hitch and then used as a handle or clipped to a strap for a handle (maybe even the same strap as used for a walk down pulley.  I have been thinking about adding something like this to my "always in my pocket" gear.  It isn't unusual to need a handle to safely take the tension off a line temporarily while making some adjustment.

The device that Phil is talking about is used with larger climbing line and I would not suggest that its used with light line. It has a cam and a rounded surface to capture the line designed for . Checking the catalogs the Ascenders are about $80.00 and designed for 8-13 mm. line. I have found some flat jaw clams used to pull wire fencing but it can damage the line.

A neat trick is to use a carabiner and when you want to tie it off you can twist it several times to lock it on the line then open the jaw and make several loops around the carabiner to  (tie) the line to it then walk it back.

I have a favorite high load knot that we use to tie up barges under a several thousand pound load.
You start by having the line cross under itself on a post or open gate of a carabiner. Then you bring the line around the loaded part of the line and put it next to ( matched up ) to the standing part. In simple terms its looped over the flying line then clipped back in the carabiner. You can now do the same thing again from the other side. I know its confusing and I will try to add photos later. The end result is you have loops from each side that put opposing force on the line. If you have it right the you have a flying line with several loops from alternating sides. You always loop it from underneath and then match them up so when you release it under load it lets you release one wrap at a time until it slips in a controlled manner.

The comment to get help and pull it down then shorten the line and relaunch or use a smaller kite is actually the best way to handle the situation.

I too looked at the jumar and appreciate its usefulness with big lines. I am most eager to see you photos of this other method of line management. I agree that a team could be gathered to haul down a stuck kite, but I think of it as a personal responsibility. This is why I am interested in what other skilled flyers can teach me. I've read many excellent suggestions so far. I appreciate every one of them.
Cpt.A.

Captain Aether,

I like the small pulleys that can be opened to fit over kite line and then closed and sealed with a carabiner.  Good climbing stores carry several sizes, carabiners and straps.   Or you can make your own strap for pulling down your kite.  Pulleys come in range of strengths too.   This method is light wt., strong and efficient. 

I'm gonna hang with 5520 on this one.  (a) a mini pulley or equivalent for walking down and  (b) a keep it simple approach such as some line with a Prussic to attach to the line and pull it back to take up length.  This method can also prove useful if you've decided to add some line laundry and attach it with a carabiner after your kite is already up.  On even smaller kites pulling enough slack to attach the carabiner can be a chore. 
Most of the time I am flying “single hand” and I realize that the winds can build quickly.  That being said, I'd have to say that perhaps even more important than “bring down” equipment is not finding yourself in that situation in the first place.  Big kites in strong winds can be dangerous.  Don't mean to preach, just sayin'.