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Cutting the line (Was: Walk down device)

pat@cs.strath.ac.uk (Patrick Prosser) writes:

>It still hurts .... I have a 120 sq foot parafoil in Loch
>Lomond, along with 300ft of line, and ground anchors. 
>Cutting the line as a last resort is not a good idea, as

[stuff deleted, because there is nothing to say, but commisserations]

>I also agree with Simo, 300ft of line dragging about is VERY
>dangerous, not just because it can cut, but because someone
>can get caught up in it (I believe someone was nearly killed
>in the USA recently due to this, some wee girl playing with
>the bridle of a parafoil). 

At an Australian Championship at Cairns, a girl who played with 
someone's parafoil on the ground was lifted a considerable distance
into the air when a gust filled the foil and launched it. She
survived, but it could have killed her. However, this is a different
situation. I agree; a fast-moving line is both a noose and a 
flying knife.

>I tried putting a control line onto my 132 sq foot flow form.
>Essentially this line was at the FRONT of the kite, and

I have flown a flowform with control lines. I fitted two, one on
each rear corner. With the flying line tethered, I could steer the kite
around the sky - sort of (it's a _big_ flowform). When the wind got 
worryingly strong, I steered the flowform to the ground with one of the
control lines. It worked like a charm, and I recommend it.

This was done at a festival with a friend's ff. Mine, under construction
and about 120 square feet, will have tabs sewn all along the trailing edge.
I rather like the idea of permanently fitting two control lines to the
trailing edge corners, and running them to the tow point on the bridle.
Then, I can (or not, depending on the weather) fit a pair of control lines
that run up the flying line. That will keep them neat, and out of the way
of running children, dogs, and straying adults.

So that's the plan, and the reason. I hope it works :-)


Allan Charlton
allanc@syacus.acus.oz.au



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