Go fly a kite
Although I have flown kites pretty much all throughout my life, it wasn't until the spring of 1995 that my passing interest grew into an obsession. Currently, I own nearly a dozen sets of kites, and fly some of them every time I go to the coast.Cellular kites, such as my five-point star, are a form of box kite with a little bit of flashiness added to them. My star kite, for instance, tumbles when you let out the line, and then loops back into flying position when you apply tension. Unfortunately, box kites are heavy, and require brisk winds (at least 8mph) to fly. On the up-side, they are considerably more stable in strong winds (15 mph and up).
This picture of two of my delta conynes was taken while the kite was
200 feet in the air. The tails behind them
are just over 40 feet long and most of them are not in the frame. The delta
conyne is probably one of the best "beginner" kites in the world, as it
combines the high stability of a box kite with the lifting ability
of a delta. It will fly in 3-30mph winds (hold on tight in high
winds!), and can be stacked into a train as shown. The strong pull of
the delta conyne makes it ideal for hanging "sky junk", such as spinners,
wind socks, and tails, off the line and kite proper. My delta conynes
are my favorite single-line kites.
The trlby (no, that's not a typo) is a
two-line diamond "stunt"
kite that is ideal for those wanting to learn two-line flying. It's
also one of the most attractive kites in the sky when stacked; the
world record for a trlby train is somewhere around 140 kites. My
stack is more modest at nine kites, three red, three orange, and
three yellow, which is almost too much for one person to hold on
to. Show at the left are six of my nine kites, being flown by my
fiancee'. The winds were 20-25 mph that day, gusting to 30-- her
feet were digging trenches in the sand as she struggled to keep
them from dragging her across the beach.
I have had my stack of nine kites out in 20 mph winds before; twice, I have managed to snap the link lines in the first triplet, crashing the whole stack into the sand. It's time for an upgrade in line strength. With their diamond shape, the trlby requires a modest 7mph+ wind to fly.
This is my Triangulation, a limited edition kite created
by award winning kite designer Joel K. Scholz. It has just over a 6-foot
wing span and flies in light to moderate winds, about 5-25mph. Like the
delta conyne stacks, this kite will stop passers-by every time and is
guaranteed to get people to talk to you on the beach. I purchased it
on something of a whim, and it has yet to disappoint. There's a
smaller version called the Triangulation II, but this one is a lot
more fun.