Kite
Flyer
May 2000 Issue Route
66 Kite Club (R66KC)
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Kite Club Phoenix, AZ
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NEW Format Due To Our New Web site
Click Here To Go To Our New Web Site
Table Of Contents
(Just Click On The Left
Item Of Interest. It is recommended that all articles be read)
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Hot Buttons |
Descriptions
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Quick Thoughts From The Editor |
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Letter From The Director And/Or AKA News |
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This Months Flying Schedule |
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What Happened On Last Months Flys |
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Long Term Dates And Plans |
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Other Items Of interest |
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Questions To The Club |
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Unanswered Questions From Before |
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HELP ME! |
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Notes From Our Very Own Kite And Banner Maker |
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Fun Kite Stuff |
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Lost Puppies And Things For Sale |
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Cover My Ass Legal Ease |
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Please Help Yourselves |
Web Site Links
Reminder: I will be publishing anything and
everything that comes my way that relates to kites. If you wish to communicate
with me, and DO NOT want something
used in the Kite Flyer, please indicate what part of your E-mail is private.
Otherwise, everything is fair game. Send me something, come on, I dare
you! In any event, I could really use the help so send your articles to: R66KC@TMSquared.com.
Well it has been a heck of a month. National Kite Month (NKM) that is,
with so many great events and such great wind to fly in. The spectators have been
in awe and new members have been joining in droves. Without an official count,
I believe we have about 23 members as of this posting. The big event in San
Diego is almost upon us, with a low turnout of about 9 people. Hopefully we can
improve on that next year or in the September fly in San Diego this year. After
all, the beach is still the best place to fly with lots of other things for
family to do as well. Our new banners have made a showing and have dazzled the
crowds. The club just keeps getting bigger and better. I should remind you all
that this is the club renewal month so check your AKA Registration to ensure
that it is current, and catch us on the field to renew you membership in the
club. Our club membership is the lowest of any at $5.00/person. This is due to
all of the time donated and the fact that we do all of our news letters etc.
via E-mail. This saves on printing and postage. So don’t forget to renew. I
will look forward to seeing all of you on the fields soon, so pray for wind and
– Keep’em Fly’n
Gadget
Directors
Editorial And/Or AKA News
The famed Ray Bethell has been in contact with the Gadget Man and he wanted to share these correspondents with the troops. If you are unfamiliar with who Ray Bethell is, please refer to the last issue of the AKA magazine or the copied version of the article about Ray in the April Issue of the Kite Flier: http://www.tmsquared.com/R66KC0004.htm
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From: Ray[SMTP:rbethell@istar.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000
7:33 PM
To: thomas.m.manson@boeing.com
Subject: Re: Ray's Guest Book
Hi Tom & Jane:
Thank you for the mail also for the kind words, sorry I have not got back
to you before this, but I just returned yesterday from a full sponsored 6 weeks
in 4 states in Australia. I traveled 25,000 miles with 8 inland flights across
Aussie, they tried very hard to get me to stay 4 more weeks, but I have been
sponsored to Wildwood and France so no could do, but they have booked me for 10
weeks next year. I had an awesome time super festivals, on great beaches and
beautiful 10mph wind off the ocean, in these conditions I could do nothing
wrong.
>We met you at the Washington Long Beach 1999 event. See the photo's under our R66KC web site for some >good shots of you.
Thanks how do I get there, would like to see them?
I am looking forward to seeing you again in WA, in Aug, I am hoping to
pull some stuff off for Prism.
Thanks again for taking the time to write very much appreciated
Your friend
Ray...
When you listen to the Wind...
Remember
Me!
___________________________
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Ray,
Thanks for your response, I know that you are a very
busy guy, and am honored that you would take the time to respond.
You will always be welcome in Phoenix Arizona and with
the Route 66 Kite Club. If you ever have a plane transfer in Phoenix for any
reason, please schedule an extra day and we will wine and dine you. That would
include covering all expenses. We would ask you to come and fly at one of our
events, but our Arizona winds are lack luster at best. Ultra lights are the big
flyer's here when we have wind that is. But to have you here for a visit would
be the high point or our season.
Our web site is: www.tmsquared.com/R66KC.htm
- please note that the R66KC is capitalized. Or simpler still, just go to www.tmsquared.com
and drill down to the club from there. You will find a Photos section and your
photo's will be found under the Washington Long Beach Festival 1999. I might
mention that our club is the first to use the Internet exclusively to
communicate with its members. Newsletters etc. are all handled through e-mail.
You can find copies of the newsletters on our web site as well. You might want
to take a quick look at the April issue. You are prominently feature on page
two.
I envy the countries and times you must be having
traveling all over the world and meeting all of the people. So do me a personal
favor and ENJOY!!!!
If you put out any kind of flying report on places you
have been, the people you have met, and the sights that you have seen, (maybe
an good idea if you don't already, "The Bethell Report" or
"Ray's Kite Tales"), could you please include us on your distribution
list. This would be something the kiting world would love to read about. And
would not have to be on any timetable, just when you had the time to throw some
thoughts down. If so, please send them to both of the following addresses:
r66kc@tmsquared.com
thomas.m.manson@boeing.com
Thanks again for the correspondents, you have made my
day!
Keep'em Fly'n,
Gadget Man Manson
Thomas
M. Manson
Rapid Applications Development Team
Leader
Boeing Rotorcraft Of Mesa
Work: 480-891-8042
Cellular:
602-376-9164
Fax: 480-891-7958
E-Mail: thomas.m.manson@boeing.com
Schedule:
Tuesday - Friday / 07:00am - 05:30pm
,,,,,,,
___________,,,,_{ô¿ô}_,,,,______________
You don't stop playing because you get
old,
you get old because you stop playing!
_________________________________________
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Upcoming
Flying Events
Note: All flying events will be from 12:00
noon through 4 or 5 p.m. unless otherwise posted.
Willis Jr. High Aviation Fair
– 05/04/00 – Thursday: We have been invited to talk about the
history of kites, show off our kites, and explain how kites are made. This was
requested with only five days in advance. The workshop is this Thursday from
9:00 to 10:30 with a follow up from 12:00 to 3:20. Spectra Mike has generously
offered his time and the Gadget Man may burn a vacation day to assist this
school function. The next day, Friday would be a follow up when the kids
actually start to build kites. And the big Aviation Fair will be Saturday
05/13/00 with several different events. With any luck, those of you that cannot
attend the San Diego Sister Club fly in San Diego, will be able to attend this
Aviation Fair. Hopefully we will get enough volunteers to make this Thursday’s
showing, and the Aviation Fair on Saturday a success.
Club Fly – 05/07/00 –
Saturday: How about the Riverview Park. (See web site Kite Field Recommendations
for additional directions). Since we have been flying up on the north end of
town for the majority of National Kite Month (NKM), it was decided that we
would jump back down to the south. (Jane and I may not make this flight due to
the pending San Diego Sister Kite event the following weekend.) So enjoy!
Riverview Park (Southeast) This Park is located approximately one quarter
of a mile south of Highway 202 on Dobson Road. Take the 202 to the Dobson Road
turnoff and head south. The park is on the west side of the road.
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Rating: |
Good |
Restrooms: |
South Side |
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Kiters That Can Fly: |
30 |
Drinking Fountains: |
South Side |
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Non-Kiter Visibility: |
Medium |
Park Benches: |
No |
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Distance To Amenities: |
3 Miles |
Shade Available: |
Lots |
Recommended Fly With Willis Jr. High’s Aviation Fair – 05/13/00 –
Saturday: For those of you not attending the San Diego Sister Club Fly
On the Beach, please look into attending the Aviation Fair with Willis Jr.
High....................
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Club Fly With Our Sister Club In San Diego – 05/13/00 – Saturday:
This is a Region 12 Sister Club fly in San Diego. (We would invite them here
but we thought it would be better to invite ourselves over there to take
advantage of their great winds). The
plan is to depart on Friday and regroup in San Diego at The “Beach Cottages” hotel (858) 483-7440 which is on Mission Boulevard
right on the beach. Rooms there can be had for $73/night so get you
reservations now. And bring the family, there is lots to do in San Diego so if
the family does not want to fly, they will have lots of other things to do as
well.
Saturday we will join the San Diego Kite Club (SDKC) for their
Memorial Fly Saturday the 13th from 10am to 4pm. This memorial fly
is in memory of any and all flyers that have passed away. This is a potluck
event and we have been invited to join the fun. We have been asked to bring
chips, dips, and ice since we are traveling from Phoenix.
That evening the R66KC will be
hosting a Bar-B-Queue at the Beach Cottages, we have a front row cottage right
on the Beach. This is a BYOB and Bring Your Own Meat event. There is a grocery
store across the street from the Beach Cottages, and the Bar-B-Queue will be
fired up and chips and dips will be available. After the food feast, a night
fly on the breach will be the order of the night, so bring your lights and
enjoy the light show. This usually brings people from up and down the beach
(including the police) to see what the UFO’s are all about. Even if you do not
have a light set, this is something to see.
For those that are not interested
in running back to Phoenix on Sunday, the Gadget Man and the Hummingbird, (Tom
and Jane), are planning on staying for the rest of the week. So feel free to
make this and extra long weekend and join us for some special time (and flying)
in the great winds of San Diego.
To date we only have nine people going, so feel free to join in. The
drive to San Diego is six hours, so this can easily be done after work on
Friday, with a Sunday afternoon return drive for a nice weekend romp on the
beach.
Hope to see you all there!
Club Fly – 05/21/00 –
Sunday: How about the Original Hippie Park. (See web site Kite Field Recommendations
for additional directions). (Jane and I may not make this flight either since
we will just be returning from San Diego this very weekend.)
Original Hippie Park (North)
Was the “Jim Jennings Park”, and can be located by going north on I-17 to Bell
Rd., west on Bell to 29th Ave., then south on 29th to
Grandview, and finally west again on Grandview for two blocks.
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Rating: |
Great |
Restrooms: |
None |
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Kiters That Can Fly: |
30 |
Drinking Fountains: |
None |
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Non-Kiter Visibility: |
Poor |
Park Benches: |
Yes |
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Distance To Amenities: |
1 Mile |
Shade Available: |
Lots |
Note: By popular demand and the desire
to socialize after a fly with a meal and possibly drinks, the club flying
events will be moving, periodically,
to SATURDAYS!!! Stay tuned as to when
this will start. Park selection will be
alternated so that no single group of individuals will have to drive a long way
all of the time.
Special
Note: Jane
and I have purposely bought three
indestructible Beetles for guests! Please
do not hesitate to ask for them when you have a guest attending our events.
Latest Fly
Report
NKM Anthem Fun Fly Report For – 04/08/00 – Saturday: Was at
the Dell Webb Anthem Park, (see web site Kite Field Recommendations
for directions).
The
Big Event Of The Season!
Serif Joe’s Tank was present next
to the field with Dave and his Butterfly Kite. Quite a contrast eh?
Photo By Oren The Milkman
People from all over came
and joined the fun. New members joined from all over including a group from
Washington State.
Photo By Oren The Milkman
It’s been a great
month for flying in Arizona; at least it was for me. I had the privilege of flying next to some big names in the
kiting world! At the Anthem Days kite
fly sponsored by Play It By Air and the Anthem community. I battled Rokkakus with Scott Skinner, Ron
Reich, and Randy Shannon. Scott is one
of the founders of The Drachen Foundation that educates people and preserves
the art and history of kites. He
brought out some spectacular large flyers like his impressive tetrahedral
kite. Ron, a master kite flyer, author
and former captain of the 3-time world champion Team Top of the Line, lives in
Tucson and demonstrated his multiple-kite routine. Randy Shannon, a master kite maker and founder of the original
Route 66 Kite Club, demonstrated single-line precision with some of his own
fighter kite designs.
With all this single-line kite influence around, I tried my hand at a
fighter kite I borrowed from Dave Evans.
As I flew the fighter around I stole some technique from Randy Shannon
who was flying next to me. The kite
was actually very maneuverable for a single line kite. These fighters usually spin clockwise or counter-clockwise
if no pressure is on the sail or bridle.
But when you take the line in, the kite will fly straight as an
arrow. This technique allows you to
position your kite line under or over your opponent for a line touch. The correct line touch in a fighter battle
earns you points.
In a fighter kite demonstration at Anthem I was paired up with Ken Imoehl
of Tucson. It was dubbed a Phoenix vs.
Tucson battle. We both flew our kites
to a neutral height and commenced fighting.
The crowd was cheering and called out our names as we tried desperately
to keep our kite flying in the right direction. When the dust settled, I had two points and Ken had two points
for each line touch. The next point
would decide the winner of this match.
The objective of this round was “overs” and I had to get my line over
Ken’s. I had my kite higher than his so
I turned my kite to fly over him. As I
started to fly my kite on a horizontal path Ken was able to regain his
composure and sneaked his kite above mine.
Now I was in the checkmate position and all he had to do was point his
kite down and reel in his line. Which
he did. And won.
I wasn’t disappointed because that was my first battle of single-line
fighters I had ever done. But the
feeling of people cheering you on sure made the adrenaline flow! I have decided to add single-line fighting
to my stunt kite gig. And maybe, with
some initiative, start building my own fighters!
Hope you guys had fun celebrating National Kite Month. It was great to experience all the
events. Congratulations to our club for
the first NKM fun fly!
Roman Gabriel Trugillo
“The Flyin’ Hawaiian”
And R66KC Stunt Kite Expert
Second Annual Peoria Sports Complex Easter Fly Report For – 04/22/00
– Sunday: This was held at the Peoria Sports Complex. (See web site Kite Field Recommendations
for directions).
Second
Annual!
This turned out to be a great
little fly with lots of Easter spectators. The winds were typical for Arizona
and the event was divided between single lines, then dual liners, and lastly
demonstrations. This was setup by Dave Evans and the
I-Maginations/Play-it-by-air Kite store from Tucson who successfully enticed
the spectators to by their wares. The wind co-operated enough to get the single
liners up for a while, and then right back down again with loads of kids flying
on the other half of the field. The dual line flying was a bit problematic with
the wind being it’s fickle self, and finally co-operating when the demo’s
started.
Dave and Bryan who have formed a
team were the center of attention, with our own expert the Fly’n Hawaiian
throwing in on some fun stunt competition. The final part of the demo brought
out a 16ft. Para-sail power kite from our new member Mike from Albuquerque.
With the winds picking up a bit this kite promptly dragged everyone that tried
it all over the field and dropping the Gadget Man on his rump as he attempted
to keep it from lifting his 200lbs off the ground. All the while in the center
of the ball field, a steel drum band played melodies that seemed to be synced
to the dancing of the kites.
When all was packed and put away,
the majority of the crew, including several new members, all went to Famous
Sam’s for dinner and drinks. What a great way to spend a Sunday. With any luck,
we will all be back to the Peoria Sports Complex for the 4th of July
event. So pray for wind and......
Keep’em Fly’n
Easter Ascension Tradition Report For – 04/23/00 – Sunday:
This was not a scheduled fly but the tradition of some cultures to raise a kite
to the sky on this day, as a symbol of Jesus’s resurrection to the Father, was
an event worth noting. This will cultural event will remain on our calendars in
the future. (Any other cultural traditions involving kites are eagerly wanted
for nostalgia reasons.)
Architects Display Their Designs Fly Report For – 04/28/00 – Friday:
the Architectural Firm canceled This event due to lack of interest. This
started out as a great idea, but no one followed through with the construction
of a kite, and so the event was terminated.
NKM R66KC Plateau Park Fun Fly Report For – 04/30/00 – Sunday:
Was at the Plateau Park, (see web site Kite Field Recommendations
for directions).
Our
Own NKM Event!
There was a great “Meeting Of The
Minds” that went on with our Club Expert the Fly’n Hawaiian.
Well this event that was
scheduled from 12:00 noon through 5:00pm started out with a whimper and ended
with a bang. Jane and I made it out to the Plateau at 11:00am and set
everything up for the expected crowd that was to appear at 12:00 noon. By
1:00pm only our club expert the Fly’n Hawaiian had shown up, and by 1:45pm we
began to wonder if anyone else would even show. We had a major wind burst that
stripped the banners off of two poles and snapped another pole in half. The
lack of people had us debating the need to set things back up when a few people
showed up at 2:00pm and by 2:30 we had about 30 people at the event for a
wonderful fly.
The wind was great the day
before, but was up and down a lot for our Sunday event so very few single
liners were up. A Rokkaku was the big exception with Charlie “The Rok” at the
helm keeping the faith with a single liner up all day. Stunt kites were
everywhere and even Lady Hummingbird flew all day long. Al-Habib had a
Para-sail style kite, modeled after the Nasa-Wing, that he made that was
dragging him around the field when we had gusts of wind. Numerous Beetles
scattered the field with lots of kids and adults taking turns flying them.
Several of us spent most of the day teaching the new people how to keep a dual
liner in the air. Doc had a new extra large dual line kite that i believe was a
Maxima, that was pulling Fly’n Ryan all over the field with his new friend.
(See pictures coming soon on the web). All in all we had a great turnout with
several old faces that we had not seen in months joining us once again.
As we all tore down the site and
disbursed, about seven of us opted for the local Famous Sam’s for dinner and
drinks. Which was a beautiful end to a beautiful day. While we were waiting for
our dinner, and in deep discussion over flying experiences, the Fly’n Hawaiian
managed to assault the waitress while explaining something with his hands. We
all died laughing, (including the waitress), who loved leveraging our guilt
into a big tip. Next time we will have to tie Roman’s hands to the chair. (I
think that maybe he likes that kind of thing.) Well pray for wind, and
hopefully we will see you all in San Diego. And of course.......
Keep’em Fly’n
(Special Note: We need to find more
parks with an audience to introduce more non-fliers to the sport. Some
discussion at the last fly was made of parks that might fit the bill. Please
send in your recommendations ASAP so that we can start trying them out. R66KC@TMSquared.com.)
Future Events
Sunshine Acres Children’s Home/Orphanage Charity Event – We
need help in coming up with ideas for this charity. I have raised $10,000/year for this Children’s home through the
Harley Owners Group (HOG), but do not have a clue as to how the R66KC can raise
money for these needy kids. Please send your ideas to r66kc@tmsquared.com Thanks.
(NEW) Rocky Point Kite
Festival (NEW) – Is currently being worked on by our
newest member Rocky Point Howard, along with Mad Dog Billy Dines. Anyone
interested in this event should contact R66KC at: r66kc@tmsquared.com Here is what Howard
has found:
Hi Tom,
Just got back from
Rocky Point, Mexico and I've got something interesting to propose. The week was
terrific for kite flying. I met several flyers from all parts of the country
staying at different campgrounds.
I happen to know some very influential people in RP (Mayor, Congressman
and news media people) and mentioned that an International Kite Festival in
town sometime in the fall would be a terrific event. They all agreed. My
contacts indicated they could probably get several sponsors including Tecate
and local American and Mexican business folk. I also spoke to Pablo (The kite
shop owner) and he was very interested.
So what do you think? If this idea sounds reasonable, how would we go
about putting this together? Let me know your thoughts.
Regards,
Howard
Easter Assention Tradition Next
Year
One of our members,
Juan, states that he has a tradition in the country that he is from, Guyana,
which is to fly kites during Easter, especially Easter Sunday. Actually, this
is the only time kites are flown in Guyana he states. The reason being that
sending a kite up into the skies is significant of Jesus's resurrection and
ascension to the Father. He keeps this tradition with his family and plans on
flying Easter Sunday. We may or may not plan a fly on Easter each year, mainly
because lots of us plan on being together with family on this special day, but
we will all be with Juan in spirit. If you remember this tradition from Guyana
on Easter, try to get a kite up and think of this tradition.
If anyone has or knows
about traditions such as this, please send them in so that we can share them
all with the rest of the club. And let’s all join Juan and Guyana in this
wonderful Easter Ascension tradition!
05/12-05/14/2000 – Route 66 Kite
Club Fly With Our Sister Club the San Diego Kite Club (SDKC). Come and tryout some really great winds with
loads of fun for the whole family. Sea World, Old Down, Seaport Village,
Mission Bay, Mission beach, the ocean, shopping, and a myriad of other things
for the family to do. We will be joining the SDKC, (http://www.sdkc.net) at their Mission Bay Park for a Sister
club fly on Saturday, with a night fly on the beach Saturday evening. A
Saturday evening barbecue will be promoted as well. We would like to have
everyone stay at the same hotel if possible for easier logistics. The “Beach
Cottages” hotel is on Mission Boulevard (858) 483-7440 and right on the beach
for everyone’s enjoyment with lots of shops and restaurants within easy walking
distance. The rooms run from $75-$85/night for hotel rooms through $250/night
for a two-bedroom cottage. Jane and I
have a one-bedroom cottage that we all can congregate at, so my recommendation
is the cheaper rooms. Everyone should
get their reservations in early because this is a popular place. Hope to see
you all there!
09/22-09/24/2000 – September
San Diego Sister Club in San Diego w/ the San Diego Kite Club Event.
More information to follow when available. See the 05/12/2000 event for lodging
information.
10/08/2000 – One Sky One World
(OSOW) Annual kite event for world piece. More to follow as information
becomes available.
Note: Any ideas for events, please
contact the Gadget Man at: R66KC@TMSquared.com.
Other News
The Lure Of
Kiting And Learning To Axle (Article by Rocky Point Howard. Minor edits by
Gadget.)
So it’s another beautiful sunset on the beach at Rocky Point. And you’re enjoying that long awaited ice-cold Margarita that helps put the cap on another glorious day of sun and fun down Mexico way. Suddenly, from the corner of your eye, you notice an insect like object flitting and darting about like a beautiful bird. It’s a kite, -- a two line stunt kite -- in the hands of a young man who seems to be a totally connected to this colorful thing of beauty by two hair thin lines. He loops, twists and twirls the kite as if he were dancing with a graceful ballerina. After awhile, the young flier lands his kite and you strike up a conversation. Within a few minutes, you are experiencing the thrill of stunt kite flying.
Way cool.
So, you are hooked! Within a few days, you’ve figured out nine ways from Sunday to use every key word on the web you can think of relative to kites. You’ve found every search engine available to bring you to a host of kite sites. The Into-The-Wind catalog becomes your bible. Every waking moment is spent studying the kite sites, trying to make the right choice. Beetle, Beetle, Beetle, until the name is burned into your brain. So you go for it. You order the Beetle, with case, lines and a book on how to fly. It’s a Friday when the package arrives. Next day, the wind is blowing like crazy so you take the grandkids as a support group to the local park. You are gonna fly. Unwind the lines, have the kids hold the kite against the wind, and pull. Oh my gosh, you’re flying, -- for about 30 seconds -- and the kite noses into the ground with a sickening thud. Try again, and again, and again. You discover that you really don’t need a helper and you’re self-launching on your own and flying for longer than 30 seconds.
Way cool.
So this is fun, schlepping the kite around the sky? Wait a minute, how about that graceful stuff you saw at the beach. How come when you try it, all you get are sickening thuds. (Bless the indestructible Beetle). And another thing, what happened to the wind that was so plentiful on that first date with kite destiny. “Hey man, this is Arizona” from the old hands you’ve met in the kiting community. You intended to practice every day but discover that the wind blows rather infrequently in your neighborhood. So what’s a windless Kiter to do? Study videos, of course. Wow, can that Mark Reed fly. And holy mackerel, that Dodd Gross is something else.
Way cool.
So, you figure, “I can fly like that, all I need is a better kite, right”?) Wrong! A new Fanatic, 3-D, Ozone, and Easy Lite, and you’re still flying like a klutz, but getting much better at making sickening thuds. Didn’t you remember back in art class when the teacher told you, it’s not the brushes that make a great artist, it’s not the camera that makes a great photographer, and it’s not the kite that makes a great flyer.
Not so way cool.
So you study the videos morning, noon and night. But when a breeze comes up, and you rush out to fly, it’s like everything you’ve studied about flying has flown the coop. You’re still schlepping around the skies and making more thuds. Darn it, why can’t you do an axle! And then, one fine Sunday, at a Route 66 fly-in, you express your frustration to all who will