h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmm. Posted to this place more than a year ago, and it's still empty!!

I'd be glad to discuss any aspects of kite flying, as I am an avid kite flyer as well as a boomerang thrower, paper plane builder, and hell, if it flies, I'm interested!

Well, there's 1 at least, although I'm still very much a beginner. I've got an 8' Alpha + Delta which flies pretty well. I can make it go (more or less) whereever I want it to now (although I did hit the odd tree last week ). Left and right hold no fear for me and as for down, I've really got that nailed .

I don't fly it as much as I'd like (still looking for a nice, open, easy-to-get-to field to fly it in!) but any suggestions on where to go from here would be welcome.

Howdy! The best way to develope some skill at flying stunt kites is to get a book or instructional video. The book I have is called Sport Kite Magic, by David Gomberg. It really got me going, once you pull off an axel, you're hooked. An axel is where the kite stalls, lays forward on its face, then spins around. When I have more time I'll try to explain how to do this, but your best bet is to get a book.

One of the handiest things to learn is how to launch from the ground with the kite in any position(except face down poiunting toward you, which can be done, but only by walking WAY off to one side). It's called a 'leading edge launch'. That too I will try to explain at a later date.

Anyway, thanks for replying here, and good luck finding a good place to fly!!

Thanks. I'll look out for the book. Now it's lighter in the evenings again there's probably more of a chance I'll get out and fly it again
Have tried axels on occasion, but it's always been a sure-fire way to crash rather unglamourishly so far. Need more practice obviously!

A light touchy, that's all it takes. Just moved, so got lagged a couple days in transition, will be here from now on...

New flyer here. Just got a stacker 6 and looking to learn and play. Difficult to find a field nr Swindon though.

Hmm, it must suck to have to travel to fly. I have a nice yard where I rent that's about 150 yards long from end to end. I got this HUGE quad line kite(6.9 square meters) that pulls me on my mountainboard. I can cruise from one end of the lawn to the other. What a trip! Can't wait for winter so I can try it with my skiis! Hope you find a good place to fly, Paul_y3k. I'm not experienced with the 'stackers', this 'NPW5' that I got is similar I think. It's my first sparless stunt kite. It's not much for stunts, but it is easy to control and pulls like a BEAR! In a decent wind it just drags me across the lawn, feet sliding(we call it 'skitching' around here). One day I'll have my website made, where I'll post movies and pics. CHEERS!

I too am a kite flyer - although didn't expect to find any in here!

Fascinated by the science of wind.

Hi Susie, I suspect there's people into most things floating around on here somewhere!
What do you fly?

Speaking of the science of wind, has anyone else been following the exploits of the, self-named, 'Pyramidiots'?
There've been exploring the theory that the ancient Egyptians used kites to raise obelisks and build the pyramids. They've got some video clips of some of the field trial efforts at their website (the URL of which will get moderated if I mention it explicitly but a web search for pyramidiots will soon pick them up). They're already raised a 6,900 pound obelisk with one kite, in a 15-20 mph wind in 25 seconds!

Interesting. I took my NPW5 out last Friday night, the wind was gusting up to around 30 MPH+. I was sitting way back when all of a sudden a big gust came up and flipped me right forward, dragging me across the lawn at a pretty good clip. Scary, but what a rush! Got some nice scrapes on my elbows, but I was drunk enough so nothing really hurt.

I recently obtained a styrofoam glider that floats above your head as you walk along. Called the walkalong glider(URL the same but one word), it works pretty well riding on the updraft created by your body(or a piece of cardboard which I haven't graduated from yet). I think it goes a little fast, but it was still out tonight and I am beginning to get the hang of it. Something to check out, good fun for windless days. CHEERS! (will check out the pyramidiots.)

And here's another one. As it says on my home page I've got a Stacker 6 (black, and I want to get more black ones to stack with it as it's more "striking" than the usual dayglo colours) - or am I just a bit odd? I've also got a soft parafoil that says it's been made by Skibby Airwair but I haven't seen anything else from them. That's a pig to get into the air without help but it can be done and once it's up it pulls well in a good enough breeze. My last main kite is an HQ Vento (German make but widely available in the UK); a beginner level stunt kite. I asked for a Javelin at the kite shop in York; they didn't have any but recommended the Vento and I haven't been disappointed.

I want to have a go at buggying next. The York kiteshop does buggying courses on the Knavesmire (racecourse) so I'll sign up for one of these.

The Leeds/Bradford area has some pretty good places for flying - you get loads of people out on the moors at weekends with kites and model aircraft and we don't seem to get in each other's way.

All in all, I find it a great way to relax, even when being tugged around in a stiff breeze. Have fun y'all

TDMWibble

Hello TDMWibble!

You should really check out the NPW 5, there's a link to a US shop on my page. My 6.9 square meter one pulls like a BEAR! And it was only $300.00. You should be able to find a supplier in the UK. CHEERS!!



cloughie

I've got a dual line kite with a 6' wingspan that litterally lifts my girlfriend off the ground if I don't hold her down. I love it.

Nothing like the winds off of Lake Michigan!

I've got a 5ft Flexifoil, a few dual lines, a couple of box kites (I love box kites) and a couple of hand made kites, a seagull and a pterodactyl (both signed...)
Baildon Moor is about a half hour from here (nr Leeds/Bradford) and is my venue of choice. Mind the RC aircrafts though...
Oh, and my 5 year old daughter has a pocket sled. A chip off the old block.

Pocket Kites rock, but there's nothing like a power kite!!!!

I have a six foot flexifoil.

THere is an open space nearby where I fly but what never ceases to amaze me is how an empty field quickly draws people from every where to view the show.

Every one of the burks standing under or between me and the flexyfoil just waiting to be decapitated by the line or Kite.

Keithhony

Hi there...

I have an eight-year old, 12-foot Flexifoil (do they still make 12 footers?). I also have about a million square kilometres of flat open land, with not a tree in site, and a virtually continual and steady breeze, either from the north (in which case it's cold), the east (warm and moistish), the south (warm and dusty) or the west (HOT and DUSTY).

So what, you may ask, am I complaining about.

Simple. I am in Mongolia, and the kite is in a dusty attic in Sevenoaks, Kent. (Note that the attic dust is a quite differnt dust to that found on Mongolian winds, being all-together more cobwebby and dead waspy.)

One of these days I am actually going to get the Gobi desert and the 12-foot Flexifoil in the same place at the same time. I am of the opinion that it is easier to take the latter to the former.

Oh well. Happy flying, for all those who can...

Toby

Hi Toby

Just to help you outyou understand I could pop in to the said attic to make sure the dust is all blown off the Kite and no doubt drop in to my parents for a cuppa in West Malling while I'm there.

Let me know the contact details.

Keithhony

Hello,

I'm not actually a kite flyer as I have no kite, but since the summer has started, I have been interested in starting kite flying again. Right now I'm actually planning on building my own kite so I'm wondering if there are any tips that I can get about kite building. One thing that I am wondering right now is how long should the string be. Any more advice would be appreciated too.

Hi there ive built a couple of kites now, i would recommend that if you are looking to build a power or traction kite you get good quality kite ripstop and pre made flying lines, also use the plans from a site such as www.thefoolonthehill.co.uk this has plan for simple single skinned npw5 kites these give a lot of power for there size an are extremely easy to make. Happy Flying