Kite Safety
Created | Updated Mar 9, 2005
Of course, you will always fly your kites safely, but we all need reminding sometimes:
-
If your kite is large, or your flying line is thin, wear gloves. Lines can cause burns and deep cuts. It is best to avoid holding the flying line in bare hands at all times, then safe handling of taught lines becomes a habit. - Avoid loose loops of flying line hanging from the reel or winder. A sudden gust can tighten them, causing tangles in the line or around things you would rather not get tangled (like fingers, feet or passing strangers). These loops can cause deep cuts.
- Never fly a kite in wet or stormy weather, or with a wet line, with a metal frame, or with a wire flying line. This is all like flying your own lightning conductor.
- Never fly near overhead cables, substations or antennae. If your kite does get caught up in power lines, or goes behind the fence of a substation leave it there. No kite is worth dying for.
- Never fly in public streets, crowded areas, or over roads.
- Always watch where you are going. Choose a flying area without tripping hazards, and look where you are going if you are walking backwards. Never run backwards.
- Wear a brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Remember, over-exposure to ultra violet light can cause skin cancer and cataracts.
- Remember the law – kites must not be flown more than 60 metres high, and you must not fly the kite where it can be a hazard to aircraft, such as near airports, gliding centres, or areas where others are hang-gliding or para-gliding. Only a fool would fly a kite at an air-show.
