As far as holding onto a kite while flying your own... what about larger kites? My usual kite is a 12m and I've noticed that a lot of smaller people struggle to hold it in position during launch. Because of their short stature, they end up holding it too far below the center strut and the kite tries to bend. I can only imagine the difficulty they would have with an even bigger kite or trying to hold my kite while flying theirs.

What tautologies said. I have noticed that large riders know how to launch my 19 fine, it's not because they are taller (what is a foot or two of height compared to a 20 foot long kite, right?) but that they are used to handling large kites. They understand that for a large kite, even when you are holding by the tip you have to "fly" the kite.

Smaller riders, especially those that never ride a kite larger than 9 meters are used to grabbing their kite by the tip and moving it around as if it were a sword. Little kites are so rigid that they don't have to worry about where the kite is in relation to the wind very much.

As for the main topic, I dont know much about launching a kite while you are flying your own kite. Seems sketch but I've never actually seen it fail, so who knows, maybe it's a decent technique.

No it doesn't, one if our beaches has major wind shadows and its never happened. The kite can move about but never finds its own way into the power zone, it isn't physically possible for a kite to steer itself into the power zone!!

In gusty conditions the kite will drop back and forth but still not into the power zone, the kite will drop back as wind drops then push forward towards the edge of the window when the wind strength picks up.

There is the theoretical situation that you are talking about where the wind could possibly drop off enough so that the kite can not fly and will the roll back straight downwind and then if the winds pick up could power up but if you depower the kite then not much will happen, also in this situation I would suggest not kiting at all or using your safety, if the wind shadows are bad enough to make tethered landing unsafe then assisted landing would also be unsafe!

Yes indeed it can happen. It also depends on the kite. my old 09 edge loved to roll backward and the dart into the powerzone. That was a kite not suitable for teathered launch. Plus when it a super gusty location. the kite can catch a wing tip when drifting in the lulls roll back and slam through the powerzone.

Don't believe it wont happen.!

Yes indeed it can happen. It also depends on the kite. my old 09 edge loved to roll backward and the dart into the powerzone. That was a kite not suitable for teathered launch. Plus when it a super gusty location. the kite can catch a wing tip when drifting in the lulls roll back and slam through the powerzone.

(Don't try to convince them not to risk their asses! They will do it anyway, and some may perish, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Let Darwin sort them out!)

Do it! Launch and land each other while flying! One kiter with a kite in the air can hold a chicken loop in each hand, and fly his kite with a foot! The kites are very weak and docile, and all of them are exactly the same and will always be predictable! You can do it!