mind the special but frequent conditions:
- Congested areas full of others' kites and lines around (don't compass with your lines)
- Foil kites (launch downwind, landing by grabbing a tip)
- limited launch areas where pilot or assistant can't move around much (sometimes pilot can move upwind downwind, sometimes it's the assistant)
- fluky/shadowed winds at launch (launch only "when gust comes")
Also I consider it's safer for assistant to pivot the lower wingtip towards the pilot to slack lines immediately. Would neutralize any pilot's mistake/mishap
A crucial piece of assistance's responsibility is not to mess up lines as kite is being picked up or put down. Some of them manage to throw a line under/over effectively crossing the lines.
Not all assistants know their stuff so often it's less adventurous to self-launch and/or self-land
"Chickenloop only in hand" - we're making the kiter wait to hook in until the kite is in the launch position and full of wind?
I know what you're trying to do here (auto-flagout if kiter lets go), but I won't be taking my eyes off a kite in a launch position to fuss with a donkey dick (or to assemble a rope harness connection). Assistants aren't perfect, presume they could let go at any moment.