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Guillotine lesson by Cramayailes

A spectacular trick that combines the hand catch and the hand throw: the kite passes just above the pilot's head and is caught again on the other side. You see why momentum, not the brakes, lays it flat, and how to practise it step by step.

From the series Guillotine. Transcript and translation by QuadKites.org.

Guillotine lesson by Cramayailes

Key takeaways from this video

  • The figure combines the hand catch and the hand throw: the kite passes right over the pilot’s head, and the pilot catches it in flight on the other side.
  • It is the momentum that puts the kite flat, not the brakes. Moving back with the hands as vertical as possible keeps the lines from tangling in the handles.
  • Practice in steps: first make the kite pass well above your head, then pull it lower and lower.

Transcript

  1. A simple but spectacular figure

    0:00

    The guillotine is a simple but spectacular figure, which combines the hand catch and the hand throw.

  2. The principle

    0:30

    Starting from a position on the ground, the kite describes a straight line passing over the pilot’s head. The pilot catches it in flight as it arrives on the other side.

  3. Passing just over the head

    0:52

    For a spectacular effect, you have to make the kite pass as low as possible, right over the pilot’s head.

  4. The critical moment: resuming flight

    1:00

    The critical moment is putting the kite back into flight, which you can miss because the lines are tangled around the handles.

    Or else throwing too low, or with the brakes pulled: the kite does not straighten up fast enough.

  5. Do not pull on the brakes

    1:37

    The mistake is believing you have to pull on the brakes to put the kite flat. That is wrong. It is the momentum that puts the kite flat.

    You must move back while keeping your hands as vertical as possible, so that the lines do not tangle in the handles.

    […] I pull too hard on the brakes while moving back, the climb is going to be immediate.

  6. Practicing step by step

    2:25

    Start by practicing with the kite passing well above your head first. The first step is to learn to move back and put the kite back into flight.

    You also learn to position your hands as vertically as possible, to avoid tangling the lines.

    Then, little by little, you pull the kite lower and lower, until it passes just at head level.

Keep going

In the series Guillotine: sending the kite behind the pilot

  1. Guillotine lesson — you are here

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