Kite
Flyer
August 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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NEW! The Leading
Edge |
Special Tips and Tricks From The Fly’n Hawaiian NEW! |
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Notes From Our Very Own Kite And Banner Maker |
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New
Name! Flick Flacks |
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
(Just Click On Them And Go!)
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.
Don’t miss the really great Pool Party coming August 26th and
hosted by Lady Hummingbird and the nasty old Gadget Man Manson. This can be
found in the “Upcoming Flying Events” section.
Official thanks from the Parks and Recreation Department, which can be
found in the “Other
News” section. And a special report on the 3rd of July
event that will touch your heart by Doc, which can be found under the “Latest Fly
Reports” section.
Look for the note in the “Other News” section by Surf Doggy. His
inspirational words say it all.
And speaking of inspiration, don’t miss the “Smile Factor” as related to
by our own club expert the Fly’n Hawaiian. This can be found in two places,
(mainly because it is worth repeating), and because he said it best, under his
own section tips and tricks section “The Leading Edge”.
Watch for the updates from Rocky Point Howard and his wayward lady Maddy,
and the flying excursions all over the country. You can find these adventures
detailed in the “Latest Fly Reports” section.
And last but not least, our Route 66 Kite Club web site has finally been
registered with numerous search engines and we should be seeing some hits when
people start looking for Kiters in the Phoenix area.
Keep’em Fly’n
Gadget Man Manson
AKA News Or
Directors Editorial
Treasure Island Convention
Greetings -
Just a quick note to let
all of you know that you can now register for the Treasure Island convention
via our web site at:
http://www.aka.kite.org
See you in October!
Have a breezy day!
Mel Hickman
Executive Director
American Kitefliers
Association
352 Hungerford Drive,
Rockville, MD 20850 USA
(800) 252-2550 (509) 529-9171 xd@aka.kite.org
Event
and Class Changes for the New Season
This update is for members interested in sport kite competition. You are probably
hearing scattered reports about changes in the competitive sport kite world
next year. Actually, "next year" begins August 1 with the start of
the 2000-2001 season.
AKA's KITING magazine remains the official source of information about
the Association. But things are happening quickly now and KITING has already
gone to press. So here are a few important pieces of news relevant to
competitors as the new season approaches.
In early June, I was appointed to Chair the Sport Kite Committee. With
limited time before the start of the new season, I asked the Committee to
review the most pressing issues that have been circulating over the past year
or so. Some were controversial; some were not. One of our options was, of
course, wait and allow more discussion. But waiting even a month meant that the
new season would begin and nothing would be changed for more than a year. So we
proposed, we discussed, and we voted. Here is where we now stand.
1) For purposes of Conference Rankings and Grand National Competition,
the Novice and Intermediate classes have been combined. This becomes effective
in August and will control Convention invitations for 2001 in Billings. We will
call the new class Novice.
This difficult decision was made for several reasons.
First, with the addition of new events and the demand to add even more,
it was felt that running four classes was a luxury we could no longer afford.
Competition time schedules are extremely tight, each event requires more staff,
and trophies are expensive. It was also noted that STACK does not run Intermediate, although that has little bearing
on what we do.
Over the past two years, we have had an *average* of nine Novice fliers
compete at the Grand Nationals. Last year that included both ballet and
precision. So the evidence is that the actual number of people affected by this
decision seems limited. A combined class will show better strength on the field
and better reflect a true champion at that flying level.
And finally, many on the Committee felt there may be more effective ways
to encourage new fliers to enter competition. (See below.)
The bottom line -- with the start of the new season, all "old"
Novices will fly in the "new" Novice Class. Intermediates who
qualified to move up will fly Experienced; other Intermediates will fly in the
new Novice Class. I think it will be a more challenging, more interesting, and
more exciting event for everyone that participates -- even if it is harder to
win.
2) While removing a class, AKA was also looking for better ways to
encourage and support new competitors. Our conclusion was to create a series of
"Beginner" events at sanctioned competitions.
"Beginners" would differ from Novice in that (a) they are not
ranked, (b) they are much less formal, and (c) AKA membership or registration
fees would not be required. The idea behind the proposal was to create a
process that was less intimidating for new fliers, but which introduced them to
the competition arena and did a better job of supporting, teaching, and
encouraging them than Novice does now. The goal is to get more people involved
by trying something different.
I should stress that these are not required activities. The decision to
offer "Beginners" is up to individual organizers. However, AKA will
provide materials and support to any that do.
Here is what one Committee member wrote:
> We need incentives to keep
new competitors coming in to the sport.
When we eliminated >Novice, we did NOT eliminate the need to display
leadership to get new people in to the sport.
I believe that throwing a new flier into the "old" Novice
scenario, with a sound system and audience, a panel of judges, penalties and
rules is intimidating and discouraging. I'm looking for a more positive and
constructive (and fun) experience.
The Beginner events are not so much a "competition" as they are
an "activity". Many events now do a 'learn to fly' field. Beginners
would be a 'learn to compete' field -- one judge, one field director (the two
could be combined), a marked field, and a set of basic maneuvers (square,
circle, figure eight). I also envision a one-page scorecard (with
illustrations) that can be given to the flier and a certificate of completion
they get when they "pass". AKA will make up templates which
organizers duplicate. And of course, we post these materials on the web page
for downloading.
Ideally, the beginner field would also provide more advanced kites for
new fliers to perform with.
The flier gets an introduction to the competition environment, and also
gets feedback on their performance in a post-flight briefing. Then hopefully,
they run over and sign up to compete in the more formal competition. (And of
course they need to join AKA to do that.)
Overall, I'm looking at something informal, un-intimidating, fun, and
free. I want to get new people into the sport. Charging registration fees isn't
the way to do it.
3) The Committee has also voted to rank Precision for Pairs and
Individual Quad next season. Invitations to the 2001 convention will be issued
for these new events.
Precision is already being run in many parts of the country. Adding these
events is seen by the Committee as a logical progression. It also puts us in a
much better competitive position when send fliers for international
championships where these events are run.
4) A final issue that is being discussed but has not yet been voted on
involves combining a competitors performance in ballet and precision to
determine an overall Champion in each class.
Presently we rank fliers, issue invitations, and then present convention
awards in *both* precision and ballet. The suggestion has been made that we
combine scores for ballet and to determine Conference rankings. Similarly we
would combines convention scores in ballet and precision to determine the
winners. In other words, we'd rank the Masters Individual *flier*, rather than
both Masters Individual Precision and Masters Individual Ballet.
There are a number of issues in this simple proposition and good
arguments pro and con.
* The present system rewards more fliers by issuing more trophies.
* Dividing precision and ballet means we issue a *few* more convention
invitations.
* More trophies mean more expense for organizers and the AKA.
* We now recognize a precision and ballet "champion" in each category,
but no overall champion.
* When there are opportunities for rewards based on convention results,
it is difficult to determine who the "best" Masters Individual is
since not all fliers qualify to compete in both categories.
Again, this issue has not yet been decided and will be discussed at
length at the Sport Kite Symposium in during the annual convention.
So these are the current facts. It is regretful that there was not more time
to involve the flying community in these decisions. But as I said before, we've
been talking for several years. Waiting until the new season would mean that
nothing new could be implemented for another year.
The sport kite community is diverse and there is no easy consensus on how
to make improvements. Fliers at different classes often have different wants
and needs, and often these desires conflict with the objectives of organizers,
judges, staff, and even spectators. Here are two quick examples:
We get many requests from fliers to add new events but resistance to
dropping old ones. Meanwhile organizers tell us there simply isn't time, staff,
or money to run them all.
Often we are asked to allow more fliers to compete at Nationals. Three
per conference seems restrictive. But the "Top Three" rule was
developed to cap convention competitors at 18 per discipline. This allows us to
run one flight, instead of two qualifiers and a final. It also allows us to
predict how many competitors are coming so we know how much time to allocate
per discipline.
It is a complex and politically charged mix of decisions. We expect
strong reactions because we want people to care about the sport. And the best
news is that the sport kite community now has a clearer and more direct link to
the decision-makers through their local Sport Kite Commissioners. Previously
those people were simply score collectors. Now they vote!
The job of the Sport Kite Committee is to try and determine the "big
picture" and make decisions, which are beneficial to both individuals, and
to the sport in general. Join us at the annual Sport Kite Symposium and share
your ideas on how we can make things better.
David Gomberg
Chair
Upcoming Flying Events
Note: All flying events will be from
12:00 noon through 4 or 5 p.m. unless otherwise posted.
Club Fly At
The Riverview Park – 07/30/00 – Sunday:
(See web site Kite Field
Recommendations for maps.) Perhaps we will be able to join the Phoenix part
of the Tucson based ArFF Group.
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 |
Club Fly At
The Hippie Man Park – 08/12/00 – Saturday: (See web site Kite Field Recommendations
for maps.) Let’s try to do
dinner and drinks after.
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 |
Club Pool Party @ Gadget Man Manson’s House
– 08/26/00 – Saturday:
Come one and come all to the
Monsoon pool party and Bar-B-Que
@ Gadget Man and Lady Hummingbird's
house.
BYOB, and a 6-Foot Sub along with special hot wings and Garlic Pizza will
be served from Tommy's Pizzeria.
So bring your suits
and a big appetite. (Please hold off on bringing anything other than your own
drinks, a towel, and your trunks), Jane and I want you to eat our food so we
don't have leftover’s for the next three weeks!
This event will start at 3:00pm and
go to 9:00pm on Saturday the 26th of August. The address is:
4422 W. El Camino Dr.
Glendale, AZ
Phone: 623-939-6441
Attached is a map with a drive through liquor store identified for your
convenience. An out door refrigerator is available for storing your drinks. For
your enjoyment squirt guns and a pool volleyball net will be provided for
everyone's entertainment.
This
should be a lot of fun in the hot summer monsoon.
(Please come whether you respond or not, but respond if you can so we can
get a ball park head count. Thanks!)
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 Reports
The Forth Of July Weekend
Special Club Event
Club Fly At
The Paradise Valley Park – 07/03/00 – Monday Forth Of July Weekend Report:
Paradise Valley Forth Of July Celebrations
07/03/00
It was a wondrous evening, with 15 to 20 THOUSAND spectators, and 30 plus
kiters from all over the valley joining in at the Paradise Valley 4th
of July Celebration! It all started
with the Sunday setup at the 40th Street and Union Hills park, which
went smoothly with Doc, Fly'n Ryan, Al-Habib, Lady Hummingbird, and the Gadget
Man staking out the flying area. A very large area was allocated to the Route
66 Kite Club with food and kiddy ride vendors to fill in all around. Perhaps
next year they will allow retail vendors so we can invite Play-it-by-air to
come and sell there wares.
When Monday the 3rd of July came we started setting up at 3pm
with four tents set up by 4pm and numerous banners, single liners, and stunt kites
coloring the field. By the time the event was supposed to be started, 5:30pm,
we had nine camp site setups, 30 plus kiters, even more banners, (see
Al-Habib's new design), and even more single liners up, (and down), in the sky.
Stunters were all over our chunk of the field with food vendors and kiddy rides
all around. The crowds started to trickle in around 6-6:30, and it looked like
we would have lots of spectators, which turned out to be a major
understatement.
Many an old face from the Club was there supporting the event, with even
more new faces from old events making re-appearances. It appears that the Kite
Flyer newsletter has a greater circulation than was realized. Many of them
actually reading the articles! (Wow) And this kind of turnout occurred with
almost half the members working or out of town.
From out of the blue we had about eight new kiters whom mostly showed up
with there own kites asking if they could join the fun. We happily had them
join our ranks and share the entertainment. These unexpected, and un-notified
kiters, enjoyed the fun so much, that we now have five new members getting
their AKA licenses so they can become official members of the R66KC. What a
great surprise!
As the crowd grew, (and boy did it grow), Doc and Fly’n Ryan dazzled the
onlookers with several smoke flares, (one at a time), attached to their Maxima
scrawling messages in the sky. Hippie Man and the Fly’n Hawaiian were sharing
their knowledge and expertise with many a member, and Gadget Man was running
around like a loon re-launching single liners right and left. With the winds so
gusty, both of his Rok’s popped their earthly bonds and took a tour of the
adjoining field.
New people to the valley, who have been following the Kite Flyer, joined
us as well. Reggie and Sheena, who I believe are from Main, joined in the fray,
with their son John who wants to go into law enforcement when he grows up.
Reggie can fly to beat the band, and had a new trick to share with the experts.
Sheena was a joy to chat with and helped Christina the Tent Makers lady, (man
we have got to get her a nickname), and Lady Hummingbird answer questions from
the growing crowds. They also handed out info on the club web site to the
growing number of enthusiasts. (Did I mention the growing crowd?) Another new guy to our sky is Christopher
Green a surf bum from California, whom we have already dubbed “Surf Doggy”. He
and his family loved the group and have already provided us with a new
signature line for the web site.
“May God’s Breath Fill Your Sails”
Surf Doggy has already provided us verse that will appear in the next
newsletter, and will have a permanent place on the web site as well. I suspect
that Surf Doggy may be a regular contributor to our news letter so keep an eye
out for his fly reports etc. (Who knows what these California types might
conjure up for a new letter.)
Well back to the growing crowd, (did I mention the growing crowd?). As
the evening went on, the people kept coming. As the time for the fireworks grew
near, more and more people just kept arriving. It got to a point where this
huge field was darn near standing room only. The line to the blow up kiddy
slide next to our field grew so long that is ran half way across the front side
of our field. This was all that the Fly’n Hawaiian needed. A captive audience
waiting in line. All gawking at his stunts in awe. The grin on his face grew as
he and Hippie Man plied their skills for the people. Taunting them with tip
stands and axles just of the ground, and a few feet from the spectators. A
light pool made the corner of our field and Romey could not help but paste his
kite against it like it was hung there with a hook. Just to pop it away with a
follow up axle just as the crowd thought it was stuck. As the Hawaiian says, he
flys for the smile factor. And boy was it paying off today.
As the dusk settled on the field, Al-Habib broke out numerous glow
sticks, which were scattered about, on the kiters and the camps. Numerous kite
lights were setup on stunt kites and began dancing in the sky. Lady
Hummingbird, normally to shy to fly in a crowd, could not resist her passion
for night flying, and grabbed her lighted Prophecy and took to the sky. Some of
the glow sticks even made it high into the night sky on some of the single
liners as if beacons beckoning even more people to come and watch the show.
(Did I mention the 15 to 20 THOUSAND people?).
And then..............................
all at once............................... the lights went out to the cheers of the crowds!!!!!!!!!!!! And the
only lights that remained were the dancing Stunters and the beacons in the sky.
It was awesome, and at the same time inspiring. And I could feel at once the
reason Lady Hummingbird could not resist the lure of a night fly.
We sadly realized that we had better get these fire flies down from the
sky in the event God’s Breath were to blow some sparks on our fragile fabric.
And as the last one came down, the show began!
And once again we all were
reminded of the freedom we share in this great nation of ours.
A Special Report For The Event
By Doc
Hi Tom,
I wanted to officially pass on several things we have already talked
about. First a story from the 4th of July fly at PV Park.
I was taking a break from flying, getting a cold drink and sitting down
for a rest when 3 small boys, about 8 years old came up to the barrier tape and
shouted at me "Hey mister! What kind of kite is that big purple one?"
They were referring to Gadget Man's Big Bertha with all of the spinners
and line laundry.
They had lots of questions about the kite and if they could fly it. It
was the last question they asked that makes the whole story though.
"Who does it belong to " they asked. When I pointed Gadget out
to them their response was one of awe and the final question... " Do you
think we could get his autograph?"
I chuckled and said I'm sure he would be delighted to give you his
autograph. I went to get Gadget Man but
before I could reach him I looked back and all 3 boys were gone.
For one minute Tom was a hero to those boys! And our club for having presented the kites to them. I have a
feeling that we have not seen the last of those guys. Someday we might see a
Big Bertha in the sky with 3 boys trying desperately to keep it from pulling
them all over the field.
Or even in a few years when one of them is out flying their own Big
Bertha as an adult and a group of boys walks up and asks them, "Hey
mister! What kind of kite is that big purple one?"........................................
Doc
(Edited by Gadget)
The Forth Of July Weekend
Special
Tubac Event
Fly At
Tubac South Of Tucson Report – 07/04/00 – Saturday:
Fellow Kiters,
I just returned from the Fourth of July fireworks display and kite exhibition in Tubac, Arizona.
Tubac is a small town between
Tucson and Nogales. The kite exhibition
and fireworks display was held on the
local golf course. Entering the area is
like entering a little green paradise in the middle of the desert. There are lots of beautiful homes
surrounding this golf course setting.
The golf course itself is surrounded by huge Arizona Cottonwood trees
and is divided in half by the Santa Cruz river (the Santa Cruz river is the
only northern flowing river in the State).
There is a long vehicle/cart bridge that connects the two sides of the
course. Sometimes when the Santa Cruz
is raging, it completely floods the backside of the course. This little
paradise has been around for forty years and I never knew it existed until a
couple of years ago when I first visited on the Fourth.
I arrived around five o’clock (a
three hour trip from Glendale). Brian
and Joanne from “Play-It-By- Air” and Dave and Kay from Mesa were already there
along with several of their fellow kiters from the Tucson area. We had to wait about a half an hour for the
golfers to finish their rounds for the day before we could hit the links with
kites. The early birds looking for the
best spots to watch the fireworks display were also beginning to arrive.
The first person in the air was
Dave, flying Hugh’s huge cellular flow-form kite. There was just enough wind to keep this giant kite flying. It was flown with 1100lb. test line and tied
off to one of the fence posts surrounding the course. There was a large drag cone attached about ten feet behind the
kite to give it stability. A couple of ROKS were quickly put into the air
because our winds were quickly deserting us.
I got out my Pro Wren, Brian got his Jam Millennium Ultra-light, Dave
got his Tori-Tako out and we proceeded to get some flying time in.
When the wind deserted us and the
single-liners fell to earth, it was time to get the golf cart out and make our
own wind by having two kiters sit in the back of the cart while Joanne drove us
round and round while we practiced our pairs flying (trying not to crash into
each other). Brian and Dave put on an
exhibition of what pairs flying is all about with their Tori-Tako’s. I even got a chance to fly with Brian in the
cart. What a blast!!
As it got dark, the wind
completely deserted us and Joanne and Dave handed out sponsor tickets so we
could all get a free hot-dog and drink meal. There were lots of hot-dogs so
they gave you as many as you wanted.
There was a D.J. on the premises who played all the old favorites from
the 60’s and 70’s. You could dance, sing-along, or just enjoy all the
festivities.
The fireworks came on around
eight-thirty and kept us spellbound for about an hour. It’s really great to be able to park your
butt on the grass and lay back and watch fireworks that are being shot off
about a hundred yards from where you’re sitting. The moon was almost missing from the sky and the sky completely
dark with the absence of any city lights.
All-in-all this was a great trip
and well worth the drive. Hopefully,
next year, a greater number of us will be able to travel to this paradise in
Southern Arizona. This was the eighth year that Brian and Joanne have been putting
on this exhibition and the over two thousand people in attendance really
enjoyed having us there.
Enjoy the experience,
Bill Dines, Member/Director Route 66 Kite Club
Summit
Visit & Meeting An Icon Report – 07/10/00 – Monday:
A visit to the Summit
And a meeting with
an Icon
07/10/00
By: Howard and Madeline Israel
Talk about kite heaven, today I
was there! The day was planned strictly with kites in mind. In the morning, Maddy and I were to visit
Prism Design for a quick tour of the plant and then on to Magnuson Park to fly
our kites on the world famous Kite Hill. For those of you who have seen the
Prism videos The Way to fly, and Advanced Way to Fly, you’ve seen Kite
Hill. This is where Mark Reed demonstrates his slick moves on the videos and
it’s also the test area for all new Prism kite designs.
Kite hill is located in Warren
Magnuson Park; a public park located about 25 minutes from downtown Seattle.
The hill is about 100 acres in size and is bordered on three sides by beautiful
Lake Washington. It gradually ascends from the shoreline to a height of about
100 feet. The entire hill is covered with clover and is quite kite friendly.
There is a constant breeze blowing, coming up around noon, after the ever-
present morning clouds dissipate.
We e-mailed our tour request to
Prism several weeks before. Matt McGee,
Prisms customer-service representative, responded that he would be delighted to
show us around. We arrived at the Prism factory around 11:00 AM. The factory is
located in an old two-story house on the shore of Lake Union. It is most
unassuming, considering it is the birthplace of Prism kites. Rebecca, Prism’s receptionist, sales
administrator and apparently the gal that runs the place warmly greeted us.
The bad news was, Matt was out.
The good news was, she would round up Mark Reed to give us the tour. Thee Mark
Reed,; Wow, what an unexpected surprise. Shortly, Mark came out from the
factory and after introductions, asked if we could come back after lunch for
the tour. He was taking care of a hot problem and would really appreciate our
understanding. We told him we were
headed for Kite Hill and he gave us detailed instructions on how to get
there.
When we arrived at the hill, we
were surprised to discover that we were the only folks there. Not another flyer
was in sight. (Of course, being a workday explained why). There was still a
gray overcast and practically no wind. We wandered around the shoreline and
noted at the base of the hill a pattern of 25 submarine dorsal fins protruding
from the ground depicting the beating of weapons of war into plowshares. It was a very interesting and emotional
display. At about 12:30, the sky
cleared, a breeze came up and it was time to fly. Breaking out the Fanatic, the
flying was great. We visualized the videos and tried to fly in the same spots
that Mark had flown. We had a blast. Then it was back to Prism for the tour.
Mark spent about an hour with us
touring the plant. Several things became evident during the tour: quality and
cost reduction. While this may appear to be a contradiction in terms, Mark is
proud of the fact that he is not interested in fancy offices, makes most of the
production equipment from store bought parts, and tries every way possible to
cut costs while maintaining the highest quality product. The quality was
evident in the painstaking process of virtually hand making every single kite
manufactured. He made it clear that the kite business is a very low profit
business and is quite competitive. He cited an interesting statistic; there are
only about six major quality kite manufacturers in business today, down from
400 ten years ago. He explained that the kite market is growing very slowly,
certainly not enough to support a host of low cost competitors. He appreciated
the fact that both Route 66 and AFF are encouraging newcomers to the
hobby. He is aware of several clubs who
actively discourage new membership.
Mark has been in business for 10
years, which we found hard to believe, because he looks about 17 years
old. It must be the flying that keeps
him young! When the tour ended, we mentioned that we were headed to Long Beach,
WA for more flying. He quickly recommended several great restaurants in the
area. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Mark is a warm, friendly individual who
obviously enjoys what he does. He is truly an icon in the kiting community.
Rocky Point Howard and Maddy
Flagstaff
Fly Report – 07/10/00 – Monday:
Hey Tom,
Just thought I'd drop a line on a little flight excursion I had in
Flagstaff this week.
Date: Monday, July 10, 2000 Time:
11:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Location: NAU Campus. (South end of the campus on a lawn immediately
North of the old observatory (immediately West of an old cemetery. This is a grassy area on the campus that has nice
shade trees to the North and West. Near a couple dorms. To the East are some
power lines that were never a problem flying only one dual line and one single line. This lawn is only (approx. 150
x 150 feet) but nice for one or two (tight fit) flyers.
Conditions: Fair skies to partly cloudy. Wind: North/Northeast 8-12
(gusts 15-16).
Non-flying observation/visibility: High traffic. Lots of nice comments.
I was on a "working" vacation and brought the bag of kites with
me. My wife and the kids had fun with a single line sled (I think they had more
fun climbing trees and sleeping in the shade) while I flew for about two hours.
There is a bit of a wind shadow created by a small observatory dome, but it
wasn't really bad. I think finding wide-open grass WITHOUT pine trees is nearly
impossible in Flagstaff! Lots and lots of kite eaters there!
But this location had fairly consistent wind and it was a casual time for
the four of us. A sunbathing co-ed made it that much more interesting until my
wife asked, "Do you think you know her... is that why you keep
staring?" Hmm.... enough said.
I'll just keep all eyes on the kites!
Stopped off at the Kite Factory in Sedona on the way home. I think I was
expecting a little more by way of inventory. I needed a card winder and Ron
didn't have one (Hmm?). Lots and lots of wind toys and decorations... quite a
few single lines, but not much by way of dual lines. My wife was relieved when
we got out of there under $10. I was bummed.
Heading off to Newport and Huntington Beach next week. Looking forward to
that on-shore ocean wind! We'll let you know about it when I get back.
May God's breath be in your sails,
Christopher "Surf Doggy"
Green
Golden
Valley Fly Report – 07/10/00 – Monday:
(What the heck is with
this Monday the 10th? Everybody is out in the countryside flying
this day!)
Hey Tom!
Just want to report
that last week I had the opportunity to meet Rusty at the Dream Merchant kite store
in Golden Valley, AZ. I stopped on the way to Las Vegas and purchased an
Alpha+. Rusty was great! Not only did I
get a great price on the kite but he set it up for me and I was able to fly it
on his private field. I was really impressed with Rusty's love of kiting.
Despite being mostly blind he hasn't let that slow him down.
As you are aware, the flying field is just dirt but Rusty has hopes of
turning it into a grassy field where everyone in the Kingman area could come
and fly. I think R66KC should consider taking on as a project, helping Rusty
make his dream come true. If there is
enough interest in this project we will have to discuss details at a future
fly. The basic needs as I see them are a sprinkler system and planting grass
(either sod or seed). Also a riding lawn mower would be necessary. Lets put the
idea out to the group and see what they think. I have not spoken to Rusty about
this.
Thanks
Doc
Long Beach
Washington Fly Report – 07/14/00 – Friday:
Kite Flying in
Long Beach, Washington
By: Howard & Maddy Israel
On Friday, July 14, we left
Olympic National Park destined to Long Beach, WA. After a 4-hour drive, we
arrived at Thousand Trails Resort at about 2:00 PM. After a quick lunch, we
headed to the center of town and discovered why they call this place the Kite
Capital of the World. Within a two-block area, there are THREE KITE SHOPS,
Ocean Kites, Devotion to Motion and Stormin Norman’s. The relatively small
downtown area is festooned with kites, banners and windsocks. We walked the downtown
area, checking in great detail each kite shop; making a mental note of all the
things we just had to have to round out our kite inventory. Then we visited the
World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame, a small single family frame dwelling on a
side street. The museum contains pictures and stories of notable kite people,
with emphasis on the yearly Washington State International Kite Festival held
here in Long Beach. Additionally, there are many different kites displayed from
all over the world.
From there, we headed back to the
motor home. After dinner, I took out the new Prophecy -- which had never been
flown -- and took the short walk to the Worlds Longest Beach. As we walked
through the dunes toward the beach, a beautiful young doe crossed our path within
a few feet of us. In a few minutes, we arrived at the most spectacular beach
we’ve ever been on. (No wonder the world’s most famous kite festival is held
here). A wide, hard packed shoreline and not a single solitary sole on the
beach in front of us. Yet in both directions, we could see single and dual
kites flying in the distance up and down the beach. A steady on-shore breeze
was blowing at about 18 miles per hour. Broke out the Prophecy and she flew
like a dream. Whatever the reviewers say about this kite, they’re much too
conservative. Suddenly, it got dark. I
didn’t realize that we’d been flying for over three hours. Checked my watch and
it was 9:15 PM, the sun was just dipping below the horizon; and the wind was
now a constant 20 miles per hour. What a place to fly.
An interesting fact about the
beach is that it’s considered a state highway. The speed limit is 25 miles per
hour and police vehicles patrol it.
There’s little traffic on the beach so it causes no problems for kite
flyers. I was tempted to take the Saturn and drive the approximately 26 miles
from the top of the peninsula to Ft. Canby State Park on the southern end, but
thought better about it after looking at four pretty bald tires.
Today, we flew several kites in
the bag. Checked the wind speed several times with the Kestral Wind Meter and
discovered that during mid-day, it blows at between 10-15 mph. Late in the
afternoon, the wind picks up to between 18-22 mph. I could not believe how
constant the wind blew, no gusts, just a steady blow. And, to top it off, the
temperature is about 70 degrees mid-day, dropping to 55-60 at sundown. We turn the heat on in the motor home each
night. Toto, this is definitely not Arizona.
We plan to stay for 4 more days
and I’ve got my eye on a Prism Elixir, so we’ll keep you posted.
Regards to all,
Howard & Maddy
Club Fly At
The Original Hippie (Jim Jennings) Park – 07/15/00 – Saturday:
This was a fun event
with Mad Dog Dines, Gadget Man, Doc, Fly’n Ryan, Surf Doggy / Preacher Man,
Sheena, Reggie and Wile E. Coyote Jonathan, and others. It was very hot and the
wind was great for the most part, with a few lulls here and there. Mad Dog and
Reggie were going at it hot and heavy comparing notes and sharing tricks.
Reggie is a bit of an expert in his own right and is a great new addition to
our club. So please seek him out along with several of the other experts in the
club for advise. You will find that they all are anxious to assist anyone that
is interested in improving their talents. Of which, Preacher Man was taking
notes from the experts and test flying several of his California rocks (and I
don’t me Roks) in our Arizona winds. Preacher Man has been reviewing several
kites that we carry and is planning to purchase a few low-wind Arizona kites in
the near future. Hopefully we will be able to get his family to join us once
the weather cools off a bit. Young Jonathan (AKA the Wile E. Coyote) and the
Gadget Man took to some horse play by the end of the day, which gave them both
a case of the chuckles as well as wearing them both out. Well Grandpa Gadget
anyway.
All in all many were
missed, but many a new member was there and we enjoyed a hot summer day doing
what we love. Flying Kites!!!
Club Fly At
The Riverview Park – 07/30/00 – Sunday:
The report for this event will
follow in the next issue of the Kite Flyer.
SPECIAL Fly Report From
Preacher Man (or Surf Doggy) On His California Trip
(It’s ok every body, you can drool when you are done reading this. Just
keep it off of the keyboard.)
Dear Kiters,
Here's the scoop on my week in California...
Spent 7 glorious days on the sand of Newport Beach. We stayed in a
friend's guest house on 58th Street and Seashore (just down the street from
Dennis Rodman's crib -- no, we didn't see him... only a bunch of high $$
vehicles). We were only 10 paces off the sand... awesome! When I wasn't in the
water (old surfers never die, the just get bigger boards), I was either eating
or flying.
July 16-23, 2000 58th Street Report
is a follows:
Location: Wide-open beach -- 250 feet from surf to turf. (well... look
out for the kite eating volleyball net.... did you know 100ft. lines are
exactly 20 feet longer than 80ft. lines? Oops... put a nice blue mark on my
brand new HQ Pulse.)
Number of possible flyers: as many as you want.
Wind: 8 - 12 mph virtually every day from 3 PM to sundown.
Visibility to non-kite flyers: Huge (got several nice comments).
I found flying in sand for the first time is kind of messy... dirt dulls
the sail colors a bit and sand is a little rough on leading edges and seemingly
gets EVERYWHERE in the folds and hems... but the wind/sun/fun combination can't
be beat! I carefully gave everything a good cleaning with water and paper
towels. Do you need to do anything special to line sets after flying in salt
air? Any input would be appreciated.
This was a neat thing... A little 11 or 12 year-old boy from next door at
the beachhouse watched my kites for two days in total awe. Then on the third
day, he drags out this really cheap two liner. After watching him struggle to
keep this thing in the air for more than 30 seconds at a time, I couldn't stand
it any more. I went in and rigged up the Beetle and let him fly it. After a few
tips, he was doing great. It wasn't long before his sister was flying it. Then
next thing I know, his Aunt was flying it. After the aunt, out came Mom and she
gave it a try. Within in no time we were on a first name basis and they were
all "a-buzz" over this cool kite that actually STAYS in the air!
Later that afternoon, the boy's sister was lying on her back in the sand,
flying the Beetle. She was just fascinated by it and wouldn't put it down.
Finally realizing she was keeping me from going to dinner, she surrendered the
kite. It was great to see such joy on their faces.
Before I left on Sunday, I gave little Andy an Into The Wind catalogue
and he was drooling! He's already determined to take all his birthday money and
buy a Beetle. Ah, another Kiter is born! We are planning to return next summer
and they have rented every year for 14 straight years. So, perhaps our paths
will cross again... only with bigger and better kites in tow and more
accomplished skills in the hands?
July 24, 2000
San Diego -- Mission Bay
Location: Grassy park just West of I-5 (across the bay from Fiesta
Island).
Number of possible flyers: 2 (on the grassy portion I was on).
Wind: 19-24 mph (stayed consistently on the high side).
Visibility to non-kiters: high
Had to put the straps around my wrists for the first time in my flying experience.
It was really something to have the Pulse up with mandatory 100lb Spectra.
Full-on power flying (non-stop) for about an hour. My shoulders and triceps let
me know a little bit about the fun we had
this morning. Nothing serious, but just enough tightness to remind me we
flew "hard" yesterday!
In another part of the park, several "senior flyers" were
having a ball with Revolutions. They were easily in their late sixties or early
seventies and were MASTERS of the quads. I was very impressed with what I saw.
Such incredible low altitude control...very, very cool. It gave me strong hope
that it's never too late to learn!
Other interesting stuff...
Went to the Kite Connection located on the Huntington Beach Pier. Dave
Shenkman and Scott Metz run the shop out of a trailer located right on the
North side of the pier. It is surprisingly well stocked and Dave gave me some
pretty good deals on a new kite and a couple line sets. I told him about R66KC
and he gave me the "local" treatment rather than seeing me merely as
a "tourist." They are having a competition in late September (I think
it's the 23rd) on Huntington Beach (at Brookhurst Street). I bought an HQ Pulse
(distributed by Buena Vista) and am having fun with it.
In San Diego, I dropped into Kite Country. Man... these guys are great. I
know I'm new to kiting and all, but I'm guess this is maybe the best
retail-kiting store in the Southwest. What a wonderful store in a great
location (Horton Plaza -- 5th level, next to Marie Calendars). Additionally,
these guys have some of the BEST prices I've found... even better than some
locations on the net (and you don't have to pay shipping and sit around and
wait like a kid on Christmas morning!). Here's a couple examples:
The Alpha (w/ Spectra line
set, straps and winder) $79!
50 lb. Dyneema @ 80ft.
with straps and winder $12.95!
100 lb. Dyneema @ 80ft.
with straps and winder $19.95!
12.5 ft. Rainbow Delta
single line for $24.95
(If memory serves correctly... I may have dreamed this one, but I think
that's correct. The rest I know are accurate).
Needless to say... I couldn't afford ALL the good deals in the store, but
they did tap me for a few extra line sets and some toys. My wife is being SO
PATIENT with my new addiction! She's the best!
Another cool thing about my So. Cal. experience was watching the kite
boarders. I think we are really going to see this "take-off" (pardon
the pun) in the next couple years. Off the coast in Newport, I saw about four
different kite boarders through the week riding as far as 1/2 mile off shore.
All flying nice, full traction kites. Then, in San Diego, I saw several kite
boarders going off in the bay. These guys weren't catching the air we've seen
on the videos or in the magazines (no waves in the bay, obviously), but the
rooster tails they were kicking up behind them were impressive enough. Very
Cool! As an old California surfer, it definitely got some "vibe"
going for me.
Well... those are the highlights of the trip. Had a great time. We will
try to make it out to Riverview on Sunday, but the church schedule is looking
pretty tight this week.
May God's breath be in your sails,
Christopher "Preacher
Man" Green
(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 & Annual 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.
We still need
ideas for this Charity Event!
Any thoughts
anyone?
Rocky Point
Kite Festival – 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
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 May event below for lodging information.
10/08/2000 – One Sky One World (OSOW) Annual kite event for world
piece. More to follow as information becomes
available.
- - - Next Year - - -
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!
05/18-05/20/2001 – 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!
Note: Any ideas for events, please
contact the Gadget Man at: R66KC@TMSquared.com.
Other News
Letter From
The City Of Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department
Dear Route 66 Kite Club,
On behalf of the City of Phoenix Parks,
Recreation and Library Department’s Northeast District, we would like to extend
our sincere thanks for your participation at the “Independence Celebration
2000”. We appreciate all the time, energy and hard work that went into the
scheduling and set-up of your display area.
It was another successful year
for this event, with a crowd of approximately 25,000 in attendance. Everyone
enjoyed the music, displays, food and fireworks. Unfortunately, this may be the
last year for this event at Paradise Valley Park, due to the freeway expansion.
Once again, thank you for your
support with the “Independence Celebration 2000”. It was great to work with you
and your club. The kite display was very well received! What a great addition
to the event, thanks for helping make the event a success. Please extend our
thanks to you club members and feel free to contact us in January 201, at (602)
495-3777 for the status of next year’s event.
Have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Brenda Smith
Recreation Coordinator II
New Member
Surf Doggy / Preacher Man Has Something To Say
Dear Tom,
This is Christopher
Green here... I'm the guy in the black shades that found his way onto the field
at the 07-03-00 fly at Paradise Valley Park. We talked for a few minutes after
I spent about an hour with Jim Jennings (learning my lessons from a cool
master).
Man... I've only been pursuing kiting for four weeks and in those four
weeks I've been grabbing every crumb of information I can find and buying every
kite I can (almost) afford! But the hour or so I spent with you guys was better
than the two books and all the internet articles I've read. Being out there was
so much fun! MAN... I felt like a little kid again! It's so much more enjoyable
flying with other people than only by yourself!
I'm a former So. Cal surfer, and although there were those times when you
needed a "soul session" (surfing by yourself), hanging with my
"surf buds" was some of the BEST time! Watching Jim Jennings and the
Flyin' Hawaiian and the rest of R66KC do their thing was just inspiring and
reminded me of how it used to be on the beach... guys cutting up, laughing and
cheering each other on! It's all good. You have a great thing goin'.
I may wear my new Beetle out by the end of summer... except the little
thing is virtually indestructible!
I just wanted to thank you again and ask if you could put me on the
mailing list. I'm going to register with AKA right now and will catch up with
you guys on the field next time around (to pay my dues and learn some more
lessons!).
Next wind, I'm going to start practicing "fades" and
"stalls" and "axles." More fun is on the horizon...
Thanks again!
May God's breath fill your sails,
Christopher (Surf Doggy) Green
P.S. I ran across this
little verse and thought you might use it in the newsletter...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KITE
Who flies the kite? "I,"
said the boy, "it is my joy. I fly the kite".
Who flies the kite? "I,"
said the wind, "it is my whim. I fly the kite".
Who flies the kite? "I,"
said the string. "I am the thing that flies the kite".
Who flies the kite? "I,"
said the tail. "I make it sail. I fly the kite".
Who flies the kite? All are wrong.
All are right. All fly the kite".
By: G. Osborn Gregory
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Question
Worth Asking And The Smile Factor
From the local ArFF Bulletin
Board
------------------------------------------------------------
Was just thinking, and
thought I'd post this question.... Here's my thoughts....
"I" fly simply
for the "Freedom" it brings... Nothing more, nothing less.....
A few years ago, my
answer would have much different, because it took awhile to realize that my
reasons for flying kites quickly "evolved", finally to come full
circle right back to the basic initial
interest....the
Freedom...
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------
I fly to get away from
the stress, all I do is have fun!!!
You just have to be
careful, if you compete, not to let it take the fun out of it!!
Ken
------------------------------------------------------------
I fly for the smiles :)
The smiles I get when I pull off a double axle
with practically no wind....
The smiles I see on a kid when he sees a colorful
kite in the air....
The smiles that go around when meeting new kiters
for the first time....
The smiles that go around when you meet up with
long, lost kiters....
The smiles that are anticipating the next kite
you pull out of your bag....
The smiles that are brought to a special kiting
event....
Start racking up some frequent flyer smiles!!! Go
and fly a kite!!
Aloha
Roman
------------------------------------------------------------
Being a newbie, I fly
for the challenge.
Thing 1
------------------------------------------------------------
Stress removal. Even
though I have learned quite a few tricks, and I love to ballet with people, I
refuse to compete because that puts the stress into something I want to use to
remove the stress from my life. Because of this, I find that flying single
liners is as much fun as flying stunt kites. Maybe more, because of Roman's
smile factor.
Keep'em Fly'n, and I
hope to see you all on the fields,
Gadget Man Manson
------------------------------------------------------------
A Limerick
From Saint Maddy
(The Lady That Supports Our Rocky
Point Howard On The Road!)
Hi, Tom--
Howard suggested I pass
this limerick on to you. I wrote it
while watching him try out yet another new kite purchased in Long Beach.
There once was a man who loved kites
They kept him from getting uptight
When he wasn't flying
New kites he was buying
This hobby he took to new heights!
Enjoy, and looking
forward to getting together with you when we return.
Maddy
Another Letter
From A New Member
Gadget Man,
I would like to thank
you for allowing me to fly with your club on July 3 at the Independence Day
gathering at PV park. I rarely get an
opportunity to fly with other kite enthusiasts and see other equipment and techniques. I was the guy that wandered up with my 3
kids in tow and asked if I could come out and play. I typically can be found flying alone near my home at a pretty
nice sized field three blocks west of Tatum and a half a block south of
Pathfinder. Lots of space and clean
exposure to the wind.
It seems to me that the people at the event were very friendly. I am considering joining the club though I
normally don't go in for the club thing.
I do however enjoy flying and seeing others fly. I was wondering if I could maybe attend an
event or two to get a feel for things and sign up. If it is no a bother could you let me know when and where I might
be able to do so.
Thanks Again,
Ricard
A Report On
The Gone With The Wind Kite Store
I visited Gone With the
Wind Kites while we were on our trip. I
had a great time talking with Dan Whitney.
He is a very easy-going and likeable guy. He loves to tell stories about his many varied kite
customers. I was expecting to find a
huge shop filled with lots of kites on display. Instead, he is tucked into a
tiny shoebox of a place in an industrial park. Except for the street address,
his shop is not even identified on the outside. The place is jammed with all kinds of kites and related stuff.
It's hard to even walk through there without tripping over something. Virtually
all of his business is internet-based.
The guy does sell a TON of kites!
Too bad he's located 800 miles away. His internet address is:
Thanks again for the invitation.
I'll be looking forward to the pool party.
Chris
Fun New Web
Site Found By Doc
Click the following URL and see what you find!
http://www.kiteman.co.uk/
New Shirt Order To Go In
The club currently has an order for five(5) additional shirts. We have a
deal with the shirt maker that will allow us to submit small orders with no
penalty. We will be ordering these 5 shirts and want to know if there are any
additional shirt orders that should be added. Please contact Gadget Man Manson
(thamas.m.manson@boeing.com)
as soon as possible so we can save some time, effort and money.
Reminder: Renewal Registration For
R66KC Is Now Due!!!
It has been determined
that it would be too difficult to track and contact each one of you
individually, as to when your Club dues become due. Due to this, the May
timeframe has been selected as the date for club membership renewal. Also, dues
collected at any other time of year from new members will not be pro-rated. Our
intent is to keep the process simple, and keep the dues down to
$5.00/person/year, which is cheep compared to some clubs that charge as much as
$25.00/person/year. If anyone has any problems with this please contact me at
your earliest convenience.
New Questions
New Shirt Order To Go In
The club currently has an order for five(5) additional shirts. We have a deal
with the shirt maker that will allow us to submit small orders with no penalty.
We will be ordering these 5 shirts and want to know if there are any additional
shirt orders that should be added. Please contact Gadget Man Manson (thamas.m.manson@boeing.com) as soon as possible so we can save some
time, effort and money.
Reminder: Renewal Registration For
R66KC Is Now Due!!!
It has been determined
that it would be too difficult to track and contact each one of you
individually, as to when your Club dues become due. Due to this, the May
timeframe has been selected as the date for club membership renewal. Also, dues
collected at any other time of year from new members will not be pro-rated. Our
intent is to keep the process simple, and keep the dues down to
$5.00/person/year, which is cheep compared to some clubs that charge as much as
$25.00/person/year. If anyone has any problems with this please contact me at
your earliest convenience.
Warning: We need responses to the following questions in a
timely manor, from all of the
membership. If we cannot get the needed responses, we may have to call an
actual meeting, eeeeeeuuuuuuuuwwwwwwwww.
:-(
No new questions at this time.
Tips
and Tricks from our own club expert, Roman (The Fly’n Hawaiian) Trugillo.
The Smile Factor
(Definitely Worth
Repeating!)
I fly
for the smiles :)
The smiles
I get when I pull off a double axle with practically no wind....
The
smiles I see on a kid when he sees a colorful kite in the air....
The
smiles that go around when meeting new kiters for the first time....
The
smiles that go around when you meet up with long, lost kiters....
The
smiles that are anticipating the next kite you pull out of your bag....
The
smiles that are brought to a special kiting event....
Start
racking up some frequent flyer smiles!!! Go and fly a kite!!
Aloha
Roman
Aloha,
Kite Flyers! This month I would like to
talk about “punch turns”. If you ever
wonder how your local kite expert can carve out square and precise turns
without skipping a beat, this is the move you would use. It’s impressive because it not only exacts
the kite to do perfect corners but it also speeds through the turns faster then
a pull turn.
Punch
turns start out with a good wind at your back.
This is the perfect time to practice precision maneuvers. The hands are at neutral position. For those unsure of where the neutral
position is, it’s usually elbows down and bent at a 90-degree angle and
forearms forward. The position allows
you to give or take in slack. Place the
kite in launch position on the ground.
Launch the kite for a vertical path (straight up). The punch turn is then initiated when you
“punch” with the opposite hand you want the kite to turn. Confused?
To turn right, you must punch with your left hand. To turn left, you must punch with your right
hand. It is the exact opposite of the
pull turn.
Now
the kite makes the turn and the recovery portion of the turn needs to be
initiated. This is achieved by bringing
your hands back to neutral position.
But not so fast! Snap the
“turning” hand back about 80 percent of the way back to neutral and then ease
it in the rest of the way. This allows
the kite not to overcompensate in the turn.
All of this must happen within a fraction of a second!
With
the punch turn you can practice squares, hexagons, stair steps, and other advanced
precision kite figures. Try mixing
square turns with big loops and advanced stunts like axles or half-axles. As you perfect the move it will look like
you’re the local kite expert!
Until
next time, I’ll see you on “The Leading Edge”!
Straighten
up and fly right!
The Flyin’ Hawaiian
Al-Habib
The Tent Maker
Al-Habib now
has his own web site so please go there and see what he can teach you about
Kite Making. Simply click his Icon below. Al-Habib has promised to show off
some new banners for the 3rd Of July Event. So come and see what he
has come up with this time.
Flick Flacks
And Other Fun Stuff!
Used Kites For Sale And Lost Kite Listing
No
Kites For Sale At This Time
Disclaimer
The Route 66 Kite Club (R66KC), the editors of the “Route 66 Kite Club - Kite Flyer” (currently Thomas Gadget Man Manson), the American Kitefliers Association (AKA), and any contributors to this editorial, make no claims concerning the accuracy of materials appearing in this publication. Any and all information relating to kiting, rumors or otherwise, will be published without efforts in authentication or verification of the source. Efforts will be made to screen out items of malicious intent, without any guarantee of the success of these efforts. Updates or clarifications of previously posted information or rumors, are requested, and will gladly be posted in the following edition.
Copyright
NON-Restrictions
Reprints or redistribution of
this publication ARE permitted.
Notification of the editor is required, and the “by line” or “photo by” required
for all reprints. Default to: “Reprinted from Route 66 Kite Club-Kite Flyer By
Tom Gadget Man Manson” unless otherwise specified. So help yourself!