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You cannot take a stock 21m2 Flysurfer and rig it as a paraglider. It will never pass the tests. Sure you can do it, and it will probably fly, but it will never be certified as a wing, which means you cannot use it as a paraglider legally. There are a bunch of videos of Armin and one of his French friends using modified Speed 3 Kites to soar using paraglide harnesses.

To me it looks like his lines are stock. I cannot say if he has beefed up the attachment points a the kite, but I would have if I were him.

He is not doing any acrobatics and looping his kite when he is at full speed, which says to me that he is being very careful, so he probably is using the stock line setup.

But I would like to remind everyone, that it is printed on every kite (even ours) that you should be using it to fly. Kites are not meant for such extended flying and the forces associated with it.

We do not allow our own teamriders to promote this type of activity and we strongly distance ourselves from all kinds of soaring and flying with kites. Sooner or later someone is going to die doing it, that is for sure.

--
Gunnar

plummet wrote:Gunnar I had an idea in my head that the big speed could be rigged as paragliders? Is this not the case?

---------------((( " NO " ))) -----------------

plummet wrote: I wonder if he is using stock lines/ attachements? it looks stock. I know a guy who glides off mountains with both speed wings and kites. he rigs his kites with 1200kg lines and beefs the attachment points up also.

plummet -- your friend is Wise !!
It's the stock (top-lines) that are most at risk. When i stretch a break-line off
my water kite to match a top-line, by attaching it to the bumper of my van, then lean back ---
i've broken them by just doing that, leaning back.

There suppose to be rated for 600lb each . HA ! -- someone is full of SH*T !!

Next up are the attachment points ; a PG is rated to take MORE G's than
my human-body can take, is your water-kite ?

Bille

gmb13 wrote:You cannot take a stock 21m2 Flysurfer and rig it as a paraglider. It will never pass the tests. ...
...

We do not allow our own teamriders to promote this type of activity and we strongly distance ourselves from all kinds of soaring and flying with kites. Sooner or later someone is going to die doing it, that is for sure.

--
Gunnar

Listen to --Gunnar-- This Guy has a Brain and knows how to use it.
This is NOT suppose to be a Macho thing, like parents telling children
that fire can Burn Ya !!

This is an example of just how strong a PG is :

I was on my Gin-Zulu PG, & i got trapped at 3K AGL,(above ground level)
with a Desert gust front heading straight for me ; Not enough time to
safely descend before being hit with 35+ winds, as the dust was being
lifted a few miles ahead up-wind.

I reached up and pulled the B-risers down to my Balls, (this folds the PG in 1/2)
and Ya descend with a RUSH that's Better then 100 cups of Starbucks espresso !!

I let go of the B-lines at about 100ft AGL, which left just enough room to
recover , and complete a 180 to land into the wind.
We lived to drink another Beer ; the Pot had essentially NO effect. This isn't the first
time i had to use this maneuver to escape weather ; i once found out that
the (Ozone Rush) is just as strong as my Gin Zulu.

Without Ever flying a PG with Gunnar, i'm willing to bet that he also has had
asymmetrical collapses that tent to jerk the pilot with enough force that
holding the sphincter shut can be difficult .

The point here is :
A Water kite isn't even Close to the strength as a PG or a HG !
NOT even in the same category ; making a Kite-boarder realize that
is near impossible. (sigh)

If you Want to fly ; do it with a machine that's built for it (.)

And it should also be obvious that I am Not some overly conservative
fool that holds the PePe , & cry's for Mommy, every time something
makes me scared !
Go read my last Thread : (Looking at my kite)
I bet Most of Ya would-a sheeted out and slowed down the moment
you lost your night-vision ; i Sped-Up and cherished the Rush ; tried
to see if i could handle the situation without crashing. Death Wasn't eminent !!

ALL THAT and------------------ i Wouldn't jump off a mountain with a water-kite ;
i'm Catholic , and suicide is against my religion.

Bille

Don't worry Billy. I have no intention to jump off mountains with a kite.

Though i do admit i'm interested in speed flying and paramotoring. Though not at yet when my kids are still at home. In the future when i have more spare time i will then jump off cliffs using the appropriate gear!...

plummet wrote:Don't worry Billy. I have no intention to jump off mountains with a kite.
...

--plummet-- I'm fairly certain i may have had You convinced that jumping
off a mountain with a water-kite wasn't a very Good idea ; when i wrote This :

Bille wrote:

---------------((( " NO " ))) -----------------


...

I was referring to the Guys that were perhaps "Thinking" about jumping off
the mountain, but haven't yet tried it. The Pear-Pressure can be "Strong" !

AND
On a Lighter note --- ALL my neighbors think i'm Fricken Nuts cause of
how i get my adrenaline fix ; they prefer the TV & maybe a Nascar race
on a Sunday afternoon.

OK -- there's varying degrees of STUPID ; i say some are Worst than others
such as Base-jumping or Cave-diving ... ...

After-all --- most everyone on this forum is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, or
you'd be watching the cars go round the track on TV with my neighbors, instead
of out skipping over the water or snow with a Kite ??

Bille

Flying with kites is not going away. I fly paraglider since 1996 and am now a speed wing pilot. There is a time and place for each. When I first started gliding with kites I was gliding pretty high and backwards. Flying forwards is kinda my preferred method like in this video.
http://vimeo.com/m/57566073
I hope somebody steps up and does the inevitable! Build a kite for flying! Please!

we should close that topic!!!its not about the risks or technology....it's about BALLS

Yes it is about the risks and technology. Sure it takes a set of big balls to completely ignore the saftey warning on your equipment. Just think aboht what you are doing and what happens to the family of the inexperienced rider who copies this and gets himself killed. They will lose a family member. And it will have been the resposubilty of you and others playing down the dangers of this activity.

--Gunnar

Yes it is about the risks and technology. Sure it takes a set of big balls to completely ignore the saftey warning on your equipment. Just think aboht what you are doing and what happens to the family of the inexperienced rider who copies this and gets himself killed. They will lose a family member. And it will have been the resposubilty of you and others playing down the dangers of this activity.

--Gunnar

Yes it is about the risks and technology. Sure it takes a set of big balls to completely ignore the saftey warning on your equipment. Just think aboht what you are doing and what happens to the family of the inexperienced rider who copies this and gets himself killed. They will lose a family member. And it will have been the resposubilty of you and others playing down the dangers of this activity.

--Gunnar