Toby wrote:Very interesting topic!
It will also be a benefit for riders with shorter arms.
It will also help when landing the kite to immediately release, so you will not be connected anymore and you release more times so it can become a reflex, which could save your life.
Exactly Toby!
Where I live I often kite alone or at least come in when no one else is around. I release my kite to the leash to land it almost every session, and I have to assemble to main quick release each time I launch, so I am very confident it works flawlessly and I've trained my mind to go for the release and to know exactly where it is without looking for it.
I have my front lines marked so I know which line will be on the top when I come in to land, pop the safety with kite at 9 o'clock (low) and then yank on the safety/leashed line, kite just sits down LE into the wind almost everytime. If it doesn't it will roll over once or even twice and generally land LE down into the wind. The only time that really happens though is if I were to release too high and not pull on the leashed line enough.
Here is my other backup, and former favourite harness a NP Bomb with modified Dynabar.
I have removed the slider line release pin. I am really against the pin, as I know of people who have had it accidentally release, even after the red ball is removed. The pin is not held in place securely enough and can work its way around to sideways and the elastic bungee holding it in the horizontal plane no long works to retain it. I have fitted a small D-Shackle, cannot come loose.
I've released my QR safety on my kite a few hundred times now, in lowish winds and in strong and well powered conditions, there has never been any issue at all and I feel super confident doing this and self launching/self landing now.