Kite
Flyer
April 2001 Issue Route
66 Kite Club (R66KC)
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Kite Club Phoenix, AZ
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To Visit Our Web Site Click Here!
Or go to: www.tmsquared.com/R66KC.htm
(Please note that R66KC is in capital letters.)
Table Of Contents
Please note that there are several Hot Links usually in
blue and underlined for your convenience. To access these simply click on them and
they will take you there. (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 Are: Rocky Point Howard’s Rocky Point Update Tempe Town Lakes Park NKM Project New ArFF Logo Kite Festival Safety
Tips Flying On A
"Busy" Flying Field Tips Airline Travel Tube For Less |
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Questions To The
Club |
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Special Tips and
Tricks From The Fly’n Hawaiian |
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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 |
Click
Here For The
Web Site Links
(Just Click On Them And Go!)
Editor’s Notes
Hey Kiters,
National Kite Month (NKM)
Is Here!!!
We have had some great events this month thanks to Brian and JoAnne along
with ArFF Dave, so lets all take a little time to thank them for the efforts.
So read more about the events of March go to the Latest Fly Reports section.
As for the NKM events coming up
please take the time to review the Upcoming
Flying Events
section with special attention to the 22nd of April, the Second
Annual Plateau Park Fun Fly. This will include another wonderful Beer Permit
and BBQ event so bring some beer, some burgers with extras, and some kites to
have a great time on this wind loft of a park in the North Phoenix area.
Special note should be taken of the Second Annual Sister Club Fly in San
Diego on May 12th. This is getting to be bigger and better than ever
with big time support from our Region 12 Director Glen Rothstein. Glen is also
pushing attendance by the Southern California Sport Kite League (SCSKL). So
this should be a grand event that you will not want to miss. For more info see:
Future
& Annual Events
So lets make this a really great NKM for the Arizona flyers and all of
the spectators that will come to see the COLOR IN THE SKY. See you all on the
field and don’t forget to wear your R66KC shirts to show the spectators who we
are.
Keep’em Fly’n
Gadget Man Manson
AKA News Or
Directors Editorial
Notes From The President
RAFFLE WINNER! Congratulations to Benjamin Ng of Pennsylvania who
bought three tickets for the February raffle and won himself a 28 foot spinning
Crown valued at $1000. Our next drawing is scheduled for the Smithsonian Kite
Festival where the prize will be a $3000 traction package from Active People
including a PL competition buggy and three power kites. Log onto the web page
at www.aka.kite.org and click on the raffle link. Don't miss a chance at our
biggest prize yet!
Our newest package was loaded into the web site last night. Register to
win two 24 stacks of Dyna Kites!! You get 48 kites in your choice of colors,
two phantom frames, lines, and carry bags -- all for a five dollar investment!!
Other prizes currently online include a flock of ten Joel Sholz Flamingos and a
set of eight great feather banners from Get in the Wind.
***
NATIONAL KITE MONTH TAKES OFF! National Kite Month starts in just two
weeks (a couple of days now). We have over 200 events scheduled, from big
festivals like the new Free To Breathe Kite Festival in Huntington Beach, CA,
to smaller programs like a presentation on "Kites and the Far East"
at Pickering Middle School in Lynn, MA.
Ogden Utah? Hampton Beach, New Hampshire? Who knew these werehotbeds of
kiteflying? And if you're in Washington State, make sure to grab a meal at any
of the Shari's Restaurants, all of which have kite displays through April.
There are club events like the WACKOS 3rd Annual NKM Fun Fly near
Charlotte, NC, and competitions like the KBXR Columbia Festival of Kites in
Missouri. We've even got events in New Zealand, China, and France.
Check out the entire calendar on the NKM web page link at
www.aka.kite.org. And remember that there is still time to register just about
anything kite related as an official Kite Month activity.
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I GOT THREE!! Do you have your three yet?? Three new AKA members that is.
Recruit three people into the Association and earn special recognition and a
limited edition pin at the end of the year. Three is easy! And remember,
as members you get insurance, store discounts, and the only kite magazine
still being mailed in North America. Get your three now! They will thank you!!
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BILLINGS NEWS! Plan some extra time in Montana to visit the Sioux/Custer
Battlefield or Yellowstone Park in Wyoming -- all within a hour or so of our
October convention. AKA is promising an exciting, well organized, fun event
that you won't want to miss. Hotel details are in the next issue of Kiting
(being mailed this week).
Don't forget to bring along a donation to the Great Kite Auction. We are
looking for anything kite related, from large show kites to pins, puzzles, and
posters. Dust off your kite kitche and help out the AKA! If you can't make it
to Billings, ship your donations to AKA Auction, c/o Charm Lindner, 5633
Carlton, High Ridge MO 63049 or email
charon@nightowl.net. All donations are tax deductible.
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That's all for now, except to add a very special thank you to everyone
who has already responded to AKA's pressing financial crunch. Your support is
both gratifying and humbling. More details are in the upcoming Kiting, but the
message is clear that this Association will survive and prosper because of
people like you. What an amazing and wonderful group the AKA is!
Now go out there and enjoy Kite Month! Buy a raffle ticket! And remember
to have fun!!!!
David Gomberg
President
Club Liaison’s Notes
Hi again, Kite Clubs!
Are any of you out there planning or thinking about doing kite workshops
for National Kite Month? I have, and am, a good source for kite string.
The nice folks at Gayla Industries, in Houston, have been making me a
"special deal" on kite string for some years, with no increase in
price. (yet) They give me 75-100 feet of cotton string, wound on a
4" plastic tube, for 17 cents each. (I buy 40 cases at a time--220
per case.)
I have been reselling these for 20 cents each; the 3 cent markup covers
shipping costs. I would be happy to supply you with some if you have been
looking for a source. I would "prefer" to ship whole cases, 220
per case for $44.00, but would be willing to send lesser amounts if you only
need 50 or 100.
The string is not super-strong, but quite adequate for most children's
workshop kites. If you are making plastic or Tyvek sleds, the tube comes
in handy as a holder for the rolled-up kite.
If you've been thinking about doing a kite workshop for kids, now is the
time! Let me know if you would like any string. I can also give you
some advice on sails, sticks, etc. if you are interested.
Get your workshop(s) registered with National Kite Month!
Good winds,
Richard Dermer, AKA Club Liaison
Region 12 Director’s Note
I spoke to a woman today
who handles events at the San Diego Intl. Airport. They are in the midst of planning a isplay of all types kites,
including local San Diego handmades.
Stay Tuned, this will turn into something that will definitely peak your
interest.
Best Wishes & Winds,
Glen E. Rothstein
Region 12 Director - American Kitefliers
Association -
Come Fly With Us! www.aka.kite.org
Upcoming Flying Events
Note: All flying events will be from
12:00 noon through 4 or 5 p.m. unless otherwise posted.
This Is
National Kite Month (NKM)
04/01/01
Sunday – April Fools Day Fly At Riverview:
(See web site Kite Field
Recommendations for maps.) As per usual the fly times are from 12 noon to
about 5pm in the afternoon. Let’s try to do dinner and drinks after.
Time to rest up from the
"Anthem event" with a laid back "April Fools-Fools Fly" at
Riverview Park on Sunday April 1st. Wear a goofy hat, just for the fun of it!
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 |
04/07/2001 Saturday – First Annual Jim Jennings Park Fun Fly (Club
Event): (See web site Kite Field Recommendations
for maps.) As per usual the fly times are from 12 noon to about 5pm in the
afternoon. Let’s try to do
dinner and drinks after.
Should be loads of fun with lots
of new NKM kites being shown off. Possibly the new 20ft Delta Raptor's daybeau.
Jim Jennings Park (North)
Was the “Original Hippie 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 |
04/15/2001 Sunday – Easter Assention Tradition: 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’
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 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!
This Is The Route 66 Kite Club’s Big
(NKM) Event
04/22/2001 Saturday – Club Sponsored Second Annual Plateau Park Fun Fly: (See
web site Kite Field
Recommendations for maps.) As per usual the fly times are from 12 noon to
about 5pm in the afternoon. Let’s try to do dinner and drinks after.
This should be a great
time with a BBQ and Beer Permit. So please bring your own beer and burgers, buns,
and relishes, or hot dogs as the case may be and lets all have a great day
flying and Feasting!
Plateau Park (Northeast) This park is located approximately 100 Yards
north of Union Hills on 16th Street. Take I-17 north to Union Hills,
and go east to 16th Street (not Avenue). Then go north on 16th
Street to Wescott and turn east. Parking can be found about 100 yards east of
16th Street on Wescott. We fly at the northern most ball field.
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Rating: |
Fantastic |
Restrooms: |
Yes |
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Kiters That Can Fly: |
30 |
Drinking Fountains: |
Yes |
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Non-Kiter Visibility: |
Great |
Park Benches: |
No |
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Distance To Amenities: |
2 Miles |
Shade Available: |
Limited |
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: Lady
Hummingbird and the Gadget Man 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
03/11/01
Sunday – Club Fly At Riverview Report
No Report Avaliable.
03/17/2001 Saturday – Club Supported St. Patricks Day Fun Fly Report
The "Fountain Hills Fly" really ROK'ed......
This Arizona Free Flyer event turned out to be a SINGLE LINE SHOWCASE and
any worry about the Fountain's on going construction, was soon put to
rest....... The Fountain is still, a very spectacular place for kite flying and
can only get better as the construction is finalized in the next few months. We
will be enjoying this flying location through out the summer with more fly's.
The wind was good, though a little up and down, but the flyers still
filled the skies with color and the gathered crowd of spectators, at times
sounded like a hive of bees, with all their camera's shutters clicking amid a
sea of smiling up-turned faces.
The turn-out was simply fantastic.
Single-liners ruled the day and what a great collection there was to see.
Randy Shannon from Flagstaff flew some of his latest kite creations (his kites
are amazing, look for them at Anthem). The Tucson gang really had some show
stoppers, Giant ROK's, Genki's, ships, fighter kites, delta's, and Ken's
"Teddy Bear Dropper" line climber which was a big hit with the kids.
Route 66 Kite Club had their big delta's up too, filling up the sky with huge
spinners, banners, and some neat new "line poppers" sailing up the
kites line.
Seems like the local flyers have caught the ROK bug.....(a good
thing)....as there were many impromptu ROK battles, and shoulder to shoulder
flying going on, much to the amusement of the gathered crowd... Only one kite
went into the water! Burt's Genki took a swim during a mock battle and was
recovered quickly and re-launched dripping wet to much applause from the crowd.
Stunt kites came out on short lines at times, but it was the
Single-liners that seemed to rule the day. No doubt a "practice"
session for the up coming Anthem Fly.......
All in all a great Arizona Free Flyer event, many thanks must go out to
one and all who made it, THANK YOU!
-Dave From ArFF
03/18/2001 Sunday – 9th Annual Spring Kite Fiesta In Tucson
Report
From The Shermanator
Last Sunday, I drove
down to Tucson with my wife, daughter, and one of her friends for the Ninth
Annual Spring Kite Fiesta at Arthur Pack Park.
The drive down to Tucson was beautiful, with so many of the desert
flowers still in full bloom. We arrived
In Tucson at around 10:30 in the morning, just as things were getting under
way.
There were just a few fliers there from Phoenix: Dave & Kay, Reggie,
Hugh, the Van Haperns (spelling?), and myself.
From Tucson there were Bryan & Jo Anne, Ken, Bert, and several otrs
whose names I don't yet know. (I apologize
to those folks whose names I might have missed here). Unfortunately, Ron Reich
couldn't make it due to other commitments.
A lot of non-fliers also gathered around the field throughout the day to
take in all the action. A craft fair
was going on at the park that day, which helped to attract many onlookers to
the kiting events.
The Kite Fiesta included all the activities and events that help to make
it so much fun. There was plenty of
time and room for both dual and single line kite flying, and for numerous
kiting demonstrations throughout the day. Some of the highlights included the
3-round Rok battle, the two-line trick demonstrations, a boomerang
demonstration, and Bryan's ballet routine.
Bert had many of his beautiful single-line kites flying, and Hugh's big
Sutton graced the sky for a short time.
I think two of the best parts, though, were the candy drop (which is
always a crowd pleaser), and the kid's kite workshop. It was cool to see the kite field filled with the smiling faces
of so many kids as they flew their new creations. Maybe some new kite flyers were "born" that day!
We left late in the afternoon, just as the winds were finally starting to
cook. Bryan, Jo Anne, and the Coyote
Kite Club did a great job in putting together a very enjoyable kiting
event. If you haven't been down to
Tucson yet for one of their kite fests, I highly recommend that you make the
trip.
Chris Schermann
From The ArFF Group
The 9th Annual Spring Kite Fiesta in Tucson was another great event, sponsored
by the Coyote Kite Club of Tucson, the Arizona Free Flyers, and the Tucson
Parks and Rec.
What a weekend this was for Arizona kite flyers!
The kite following down in Tucson continues to amaze me in the support
the spectators give to the kite flyers there! It's amazing to see the same
spectators, families, groups, picnickers and such, each and every time they
hold a kite event in Tucson. Year after year they camp, picnic, applaud and
enjoy the kite show! Loyal? You bet. Also plenty of kite flyers made the trip
from Phoenix, many thanks to you all!
The wind was up and down, but allowed for a full schedule of events, with
a final afternoon blast of 10-15 mph punctuating the events ending....
With TWO kite fields to choose from, single line and stunt, there was a
lot going on for people to experience as well as a great kite building workshop
for the kids, boomerang demonstrations, candy drops, stunt kite demos, raffles,
and a nice sound system providing all the music.
One of the highlights of the day was seeing all the kids out on the field
flying their "Workshop" kites that they had made and another was the
"Candy Drop"... When they announced the candy drop over the PA, kids
seemed to come out of the woodwork from all directions flooding the field. A
great scene.
Another highlight were
the "ROK" battles!!!!!! Oh
what fun these were. This time "Cutting" was allowed in the battles,
and many a ROK was cut loose to the joy of the spectators applause! Kay and I
have never been in a ROK battle where cutting was allowed, so this was our
first time, flying the "His" and "Hers" ROK's in battle
together. In the first battle I somehow cut Kay's "Hers" ROK outt'a
the sky by mistake (sorry honey) and almost had to spend the night on the
couch! Chris Sherman in his first ROK battle managed to WIN! Way to go. Ken
Iomel was flying his "ILLEGAL
ROK" and soon became the target of the day! (Should we let him fly
this smaller, to a great advantage in battle, kite at the Anthem ROK battles?)
and Steve Van Erpin found out that "Black Death" line can really cut.
Anthem is gonna' be a ROK battle royal.....
Special thanks go out to Jo Anne and Bryan for your investment in making
this, and other events happen year after year! Also, hats off the Tucson
spectators for being so loyal, and to all the flyers from Phoenix who made the
trip down!
-Dave From ArFF