Fly a Kite
Flying a kite is great fun on a windy day. It's also very relaxing. So ditch those video games, get off the couch, and read the following directions to get you on your way to kite flying with the best of them.
Contents
Steps
Choosing the Right Conditions
- Pick your kite. There are quite a few varieties to choose from and you can even make your own. The standard shapes are easiest to fly, but if you're looking for a challenge, go bigger and fancier.
- Light and medium winds (think 6-15 mph) will serve best the delta, diamond, and dragon shapes. If the wind is strong, however (8-25 mph), use a box or stickless parafoil kite to maintain flight easily.
- Pick the right day. If there's a definite breeze but you don't feel bowled over, it's time to head for the kite-flying hills. The last thing you want to do is go out, spending hours just holding on. With a nice breeze, you can make your kite dance and soar and maybe even loops and tricks.
- If there are leaves on the ground and they're being tossed around gently, that's perfect. {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} is the range you're looking for. Take out a flag or a windsock and test what it does before you spend your afternoon possibly disappointed.
- Only fly in safe conditions -- that means no rain or lightning. There's actually electricity in clouds that is attracted to wet kite lines. Ben Franklin was one foolish kite flier.
- Pick the right space. Don't fly your kite near roads, power lines, or airports. Your best bets are parks, fields, and beaches. When it comes to kite flying, more room = more fun.
- Trees may seem harmless, but the fewer the better. They've been known to eat a few kites in their time.
- Find a buddy to help you get the kite into the air. Flying a kite is much, much easier with two people -- and it stays fun longer.
Flying Your Kite
- Hold the ball of string and have your buddy hold the kite. The kite should be facing you with your back to the wind. If the wind is behind the kite, it will fall.
- Unwind about 20 meters (60 feet) of string. Have your partner back away from you this distance, with a bit of give. Make sure there are no obstacles near where the kite will set off from.
- Signal to your buddy to release the kite. You may want to wait for a gust of wind for the initial takeoff. You should pull on the string to provide a bit of tension and launch your kite into the air.
- Pay attention to the wind direction. If it changes, you'll need to adapt with it. Think of it in the following terms:
- Suppose that you are the "Flier" and the other person holding the kite is the "Launcher."
- Arrange yourselves so that the wind is blowing from the Flier to the Launcher.
- Make sure the wind is going in a straight line from you to the launcher. If you stay aware of this, you'll be able to fly your kite a lot longer.
- Release the length of string to allow the kite to go higher. Be careful to monitor the end of the string - if your kite is shoddily made, the string may come off the bridle entirely, resulting in you losing your kite.
- Simply pull in the string to lower the kite. Wrap the line around the spool, just the way it started.
- Make it interesting. Once your kite is up, you may catch yourself thinking, "Alright...what now?" So with your partner, spice it up a bit.
- See how quickly you can get the flying line to a 45 degree angle from your hand at maximum length.
- See how fast you can get 150 meters (492 feet) of line out, from a hand launch.
- Keep records. See how long you can keep it in the air, to the nearest 5 minutes.
- Bring your kite right down into your hand without letting it touch the ground. Pull in quicker from time to time if needed, to keep it airborne.
- Once you know how to fly a kite, get serious about photographing it from time to time.
Tips
- It is best to fly a kite in an open field, such as a soccer field or a grassy field since it is wide and open. You can even fly kites on terraces. Other open areas include on the beach or near a lake.
- Wind speed is measured relative to your own speed. [citation needed]This means that standing in a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} breeze is equivalent to running at {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} when there is no breeze. If you are out in the open then try running with the reel to fill in gaps during which the breeze stops. Or if it's a windless day, see how high you can get your kite while running in a wide circle - at the very least you'll burn some calories!
- Choose a day when there isn't much wind.
- To prevent a kite from crashing:
- If there is very little wind: run (careful! Watch where you are going), remove kite tails and anything that can cause additional drag on the kite and try to make your kite as light as possible. Also, if your kite is going downwards, make the kite's point in the upper direction (by releasing the string slowly) and pull the string as fast as you can.
- If there is plenty of wind, try the following: Tug the line (string) with a pumping motion and let out more line (this works great if you are in a "dive bomb" and can help to recover from that). If you have already crashed, consider putting a tail or frayed trailing edge or something to create drag on the kite. This will add stability to your kite, especially in high wind.
Warnings
- Do not fly your kite near power lines. Did Louie the Lightning Bug teach you nothing?!
- Avoid flying a kite on a road or anywhere near an electrical wire pole or trees, as a kite needs lots of space and moves around a lot on its way up and down.
- Do not fly kites during lightning storms.
Things You'll Need
- Ball of string (must be over 30 yards long)
- Kite
- 2 friends
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