Kite
Flyer
December 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 Happy Holidays Welcoming A New Member On-line Magazine Notation Lets Do It Before It Is Really Cold |
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Letter From The Director And/Or AKA News Notes From The Prez Note From The Regional Director |
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This Months Flying
Schedule 12/01/2001 - Saturday Avondale Park Opening And
Fly 12/08/2001 - Saturday – Fly At Plateau Park 12/22/2001 – Saturday – Fly At Jim Jennings Park |
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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 Why Does A Delta Kite
Fly? Indoor Magic Low-Fling Plane Snags Kite Riverview Park In Stadium Crosshairs 14th Annual
International Kite Festival In Gujarat India |
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Flying Tips From The Fly’n Hawaiian Getting Your Dual-Line In The
Air |
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Fun Kite Stuff
– Flying School |
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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
"And
once you have tasted flight
you
will walk the Earth with your eyes
skyward,
for
there you have been and there you long to return...."
--
Leonardo DiVinci
Hey Kiters,
I hope that one and all have had a most GRAND of
Thanksgiving Holidays with friends and family, for we all have much to be
thankful for in these very different of times.
We want to give a very warm and hardy welcome to
our newest member Richard Splain who is an existing AKA member and has just
joined our little band this last 11/24/01 flying event at the Jim Jennings
Park. Rich seems to be a rather happy and fun type of individual who will be a
welcome addition to our tribe of kiters. So seek him out on the flying fields
at the next event, and introduce yourselves, and make him feel right at home as
we do with all of our kiting friends.
I have been reminded that there is an On-line
Kiting Magazine that is available to those that cannot get enough of the Kiting
news, stories, and events. For this you can find it at the following web
address:
http://www.kitelife.com/0901/I
Well we have a
couple more kiting events before the Christmas Holidays, and the really cold weather
sets in. So lets all get out there and get reacquainted, while freshening up
our skills before our hands become numb. And as our Region 12 Director (Glen)
has pointed out, we need to be thankful that we can fly all through the winter
season, where most are letting their skills go stale in our of the cold.
We still have
not had the opportunity to fly at the new park down town at Indian School and
Central Avenues location. (We will
probably call it the Indians School Park since it sits on the old Indian Scholl
grounds.) We need someone to scope it out and find a good place in that park
for the club to congregate. So if someone has the time to check it out and give
us a report back, we will schedule an event and scope out this park for its
kitablity.
So keep your
spirits up and we will be looking forward to seeing you on the fields very
soon. Happy Holidays and....
Keep’em Fly’n
Gadget Man Manson
AKA News Or
Directors Editorial
From The AKA President
Hello Kiters!
This is an exciting and dynamic time for kite enthusiasts. New materials
and designs have opened the skies for our kite artists, sport kite fliers are
having a ball with the new Hot Tricks shows, and kite surfing is bringing kites
to the attention of a whole new (and slightly edgier) community. And of course,
there is kite photography, kite education for kids, traditional kite
"fighting" and *lots* more. We are a diverse group but we all share a
sense of joy in the air.
The AKA is working hard to help enhance that joy - even when the
circumstances are difficult. The “Freedom Flies” following September 11 are one
good example.
Think back to that terrible afternoon and imagine what it was like to be
a Board member and trying to decide the best thing to do. Four large events
were scheduled the following weekend and their organizers called AKA for
advice.
None of us knew what we might face in the next few days. But ultimately,
we decided to urge events to go forward and for members to create new ones.
Flying kites and spending time with friends is what we do, and we resolved that
terrorism would not prevail by forcing us from the sky. Hundreds of impromptu
events sprang up across the country and we received letters from fellow fliers
around the globe who had joined us in a statement of solidarity and fellowship.
In those dark days, I must tell you that I have never been as proud of the
Association.
Another good example is National Kite Month. Last April, our program went
from 175 registered events the previous year to more than 380. Each festival,
fun fly or workshop was an opportunity to bring kiting to a new audience. It
isn’t too early to be thinking about April 2002. Join the fun! If you want to
register a local festival, fun fly, workshop or exhibit, just go to the AKA web
page and sign up. It’s free!
AKA is doing good things and we want you to be a part of it -- even if
you don’t choose to join. If you know someone else that would benefit from news
about kiting, you can add the name to our affiliate roster by going to the AKA
web page, http://www.aka.kite.org, and look under Membership in the Table of
Contents pulldown menu.
And remember to have fun out there!
David Gomberg
AKA President
From Our Region 12 Director
OK, It's the 21st & a 1/2 Century, so how about Buggies & Fighter
Kites?
Just a quick note to all of Region 12 that mixed in with the "Holidaze",
we have some Southern California Kite'n going on.
This Saturday the
November 17th, Two guys from Minnesota are arriving @ El Mirage Dry Lake for a
weeks worth of Buggy FEVER. Even if
you've never buggy'd, hop on over for good chat, meet traction folk from all
over & see the comraderie that these people posess. If you're lucky, you may run into Chef Dave
& Company (no pressure Dave)!
December 2nd puts us in Steve Bateman's trusty hands for his monthly
Fighter Fly @ Silver Strand Beach in San Diego. Hey Steve, got a 7-Point Bridle yet?
Whether you can fly or not, please enjoy a happy, heathly, wind friendly
end of the year. REMEMBER, being in
Region 12 (and paying for it) means you can fly all winter long without
breaking out your skis!!!
Best Wishes & Winds,
Glen E. Rothstein
Region 12 Director, American Kitefliers Association -
Come Fly With Us!
www.aka.kite.org
Vice President, Southern California Sport Kite League -
www.scskl.com
Kite Flying hits new heights on the West Coast!...Check it out below:
http://community.webtv.net/OpusFader/VenturaCountyKite
Upcoming Flying Events
Note: All flying events will be from
12:00 noon through 4 or 5 p.m. unless otherwise posted.
12/01/01
– Saturday – Avondale Regional
Park Grand Opening And Kite Fly:
It is the understanding
from the ArFF group that this will be a kite demo, and after that, wind
permitting, open kiting would commence for the remainder of the day. (No
Guarantees Though.)
The Avondale Public Library
Presents
Regional Park Grand Opening
(Located at 12325 W. McDowell Road (just east of
the Agua Fria River), the new community park features
lighted baseball and soccer fields; a
playground; concession building with
restrooms, and a Japanese
gazebo and lanterns)
Saturday, December 1, 2001
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Produced by the Recreation Division of
Community/Recreation Services Dept.
-Tentative Schedule-
Music intro by Bobby Freeman, Arizona
Diamondbacks Organist
10:00 a.m. City Council and City Staff Speeches
10:20 a.m. Soccer ball kick in by Council, or
first ball pitched to
commemorate the Sports Complex Phase 1 opening
10:30 - Noon Kite Demo/lessons by
Arizona Free Flyers (ArFF)
(kite flying and lessons until
noon, main demo at 10:30 a.m.)
11:00 - 11:30 a.m. The Air Major Flying Dog Show
11:30 a.m. Sport demo - Soccer (soccer field)
11:30 a.m. T-ball demo - (softball field)
Noon -- End of Program
Activities and Food Info:
Soccer Demo and play by AYSO
T-ball by Litchfield Little League
Avondale Fire Dept Community
Relations-Valerie/Splash the Clown
Plantation Express for snacks, hotdogs and
hamburgers
Cactus Corn for Kettle Corn
Space Bounce for the kids from Taco Cabana
Balloon Twister Clown
Tour the Japanese area of the Regional Park.
Learn about the
symbolism from our sister city in Kaizu, Japan
(MAKI)
Arts and Crafts from the Avondale Public Library.
Learn the
ancient art of Origami (paper folding)
Climbing Wall
Holiday Craft Sale by the Avondale Senior
Community Center
Free to everyone! (except food items)
****
If you would like to do a "kite-demo"
please contact Jo-Anne jagwalker@qwest.net or Dave
azkitefest@aol.com
Directions:
1. Begin at Phoenix, AZ
on N Central Ave and go North for 0.2 miles
2. Turn left on W
Fillmore St and go West for 0.5 miles
3. Turn right on N 7th
Ave and go North for 0.4 miles
4. Turn left on ramp at
sign reading "I-10 W to Los Angeles" and go West for 0.4 miles
5. Continue on
I-10,Papago Fwy and go West for 12 miles
6. Exit I-10,Papago Fwy
via ramp at sign reading "Exit 131 115th Ave to Cashion" and go West
for 0.3 miles
7. Turn right on N 115th
Ave and go North for 0.3 miles
8. Turn left on W
McDowell Rd and go West for 0.5 miles
9. Turn left on N 119th
Ave and go South for 0.2 miles
10. Turn right on Mobile
Home Park and go West for 600 feet
MAP:
12/08/01 – Saturday – Fly At Plateau Park: (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.
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. 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 |
12/22/01 – Saturday – Fly At Jim
Jennings Park: (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.
Please note that this park is hard to find so please
bring the instructions with you!
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. OR North on
I-17 to the Bell Rd. exit. Then left on Bell Rd. to 29th Ave. which
is a light. Then left on 29th Ave. down to Grandview. (Be careful this
street can pass you by.) And the right on Grandview to the park.
(Note: This park may
have other activities so keep an eye out for us flying on either side of this
field.)
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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: 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
11/11/01 – Sunday – Fly At Riverview
Report: No report
available. (We could use some help writing up some of the articles. Just a
paragraph or two about what happened and what fun times that were noted.
Thanks,
The Editor (Gadget Man Manson)
11/24/01 – Saturday – Fly At Jim
Jennings Park Report: This began as a
slow moving day with lots of kids and friends appearing for the day. The wind
was not cooperating and we flew the ultra-lights much of the day. When they
would not fly, we resorted to boomerangs, flying disks, and one remote
controlled plane. Gadgets Grandaughter had fun when for about 30 minutes we
actually had some real wind and she was able to fly a single liner for the
whole time. And when not otherwise occupied with Grandma she was running a RC
Truck. We had a new AKA flyer join the field, and then join the club. His name
is Richard Slain and we should all give him a big hardy R66KC welcome when next
we see him on the field. We want to also welcome Johnathan Delmars nephew to
our little group as he is making himself a regular fixture at our events. (I’d
tell you his name but I have the damnedest time remembering it.) So look for
these flyers as well as our normal membership in the next few coming flys in
the next couple of weeks.
(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
Nothing left for the rest of this
year.
- - - Ideas For New Events - - -
We need help with these so if you have any ideas
that will support this event, please let us know by dropping us a line at: r66kc@tmsquared.com
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.
Well you guessed it, I finally came up with an idea. With
all of the events that enjoy having us signal their events with a kite, would
could request donations to our charity on our behalf for our efforts! (yea like
right, what effort... ha ha). So keep this in mind and perhaps we can get more
big event planned, and some real monies for the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home.
We still need
ideas for this Charity Event!
Any thoughts
anyone?
- - - Next Year - - -
01/01/2002
Tuesday - New Years Day Fun Fly (For those of us that can function that is.)
04/14/2002 - 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'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!
05/11/2002 –Third Annual Sister Club Fly In San Diego (This may be moved)
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 hosted by
R66KC. 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!
09/20-22/2002 – September
San Diego Sister Club Fly in San Diego w/ the TMF Social Club Event
More information to follow when available. See the May event below for
lodging information.
10/05/2002
– Pacific Beach Festival – Major Event For The San Diego Kite Club
10/06/2002 – One Sky One World (OSOW) Annual kite event for world
piece. More to follow as information becomes
available.
10/18-20/02 – Hardyville Days/Art In The Sky Kite
Fly – BullHead City
Note: Any ideas for events, please
contact the Gadget Man at: R66KC@TMSquared.com.
Other News
Why
Does A Delta Kite Fly?
My friend Sean has a
photo in his office that shows him, his girlfriend and her daughter. The amusing thing about the photo is that
his girlfriend isn't looking at you, she isn't looking at him, and she's not
even looking at her daughter. His
girlfriend is holding a spool of string and looking up at a kite. So is her daughter.
We talked about the photo and somehow he asked me about attaching a kite
to the rear bumper of his car. I told
him about many of the dangers involved and I also mentioned that you'd have to
drive relatively slowly because most kites stop flying at about 25 mph. That seemed to interest him so he asked me
the inevitable question, "Why?"
At first I explained that kites maintain a particular angle of attack to
the wind and the tail of the kite often provides the drag necessary to keep the
kite pointed into the wind. When the
wind increases, the drag is no longer enough to do the job.
Later, I thought about it more and I gave another answer that's based on
air pressure pushing against the sail.
In heavier wind you need to increase the dihedral, but the angle found
on most kites is fixed.
Is it possible to have a kite fly with it's wings open in light wind,
then have the wings fold back to relieve the higher pressure? Yes.
But it's already been done.
Francis M. Rogallo invented the first flex-kite in 1948! It is the
forerunner of the delta kite that could adapt to the wind.
The delta is not a flat kite.
It's sail forms a "w" shape in flight so that it can dump the
wind at the bottom. Most people add
tails to improve performance in heavy wind.
A shorter or more flexible spreader might also do the trick.
Glenn Davison
Vice President AKA
Kites Over New England
INDOOR
MAGIC
(Truly An Inspirational
Tail.)
Indoor flying is magical. Anyone who has never seen it will not believe
it. Way back in the early days when I was trying to book a gym, the most common
question was: “Do you use big fans?” Of course not, it is magic!
When one has got beyond the point where you need to think about what to
do, the kite becomes an extension of yourself. I tell people it is my only
opportunity to be graceful. When there is no wind, you are free. The window
widens to a hemisphere. The kite and you react to one another more intimately
than ever before. Your movements become more suggestions than orders.
When you return to the flying fields in the outside world you find skills
have developed and the wind range of all your kites seems to have expanded. You
have learned to trust yourself and the kite. You may even feel the air as a
fluid the kite floats in. I’ve tried to explain that the kite doesn’t care if
the air is passing over it because the air or the kite is moving. The only
difference between indoor and outdoor flying is the source of the energy: you
or Nature. But these statements of the obvious don’t come close to what it
feels like. It is magic.
You learn very quickly that you must be gentle. You need to work with the
kite and it takes a lot less energy than you ever imagined. The thrill of your
first 360 indoors brings you back to the day you first looped that Trilby.
Doing something so off the wall brings friends closer. Only the young can
fly indoors for extended periods. That means everyone who wants to gets a
chance to fly. We also gather to talk and hug and share the latest joke. These
people who came to the gym are your friends. We share our toys.
When I fly it doesn’t matter who is watching. The music starts and the
kite and I dance. The only reason I see the room at all is to keep flying. The
world compresses to the area around you and the kite. I float with the kite and
ride the music. It is a dance of subtle movements that link the kite to the
music through my soul.
John Ruggiero
From AKA
Low-Fling
Plane Snags Kite
By John Swinconeck, York County Coast Star-Kennebunk, ME
OGUNQUIT - Conrad
Gagne got the surprise of his life around noon on Nov. 15 when a low-flying
plane snagged the kite he was flying out of his hands.
Gagne said he was flying his kite at the Beachmere Inn on Marginal Way,
when a low-wing airplane buzzed overhead.
"It was low, very very low," said Gagne, 59, from his
Goffstown, N.H. home. "People walking on Marginal Way actually
ducked."
Gagne said he thought the plane, which he estimated was flying at an
altitude of 250 to 300 feet, was "coming in to strafe me."
His kite, said Gagne, got caught either in the landing gear or on the
wing.
"I had to maneuver my hands out of the string and spool," he
said, "and all of a sudden, the kite and spool yanked themselves out of my
hand. I released them just in time."
The spool, he said, was about the size of a Frisbee and, "shot out
like a cannonball, like a bullet."
Gagne said the spool missed hitting people on Marginal Way by two or
three inches.
"They have no idea how close they were to getting hit by spool or
caught with string," he said.
The sudden pull of the sting, which Gagne said was a 30-pound-test line,
caused lacerations on his fingers. Gagne said he almost lost a finger on his
right hand, and suffered a cut on his thumb. As of Monday, Gagne said he hasn't
seen a doctor, although he has complained of numbness in his injured finger.
"It's the most bizarre thing we ever heard of," said Gagne's
wife, Frances, who was with him when the incident occurred. "It happened
so quickly. It was a beautiful day. I was sitting in sun, and I heard the
plane. . . It's as if that plane came from behind. My eyes bulged open, and I
said, 'There's the plane!'"
"I really don't know where he came from," she said, "I
really don't."
Frances said the pilot was pulling stunts left and right as he flew by
the beaches, heading north.
Police are looking for a red, mono-winged aircraft with tan or beige
trim. Johnson said the aircraft was not an ultra-light. The plane's
identification number could not be read by witnesses, he said.
According to Johnson, Ogun-quit's ordinance prohibits aircraft from
flying below 500 feet over the town.
As for the fate of his kite, Gagne said he last saw it fall off the plane
and into the ocean. The line, he said, may or may not still be attached to the
plane.
"It could have snagged anyone on the shore," said Gagne.
Gagne said the pilot actually acknowledged him by tipping the plane's
wings, and was almost flying sideways.
"The guy had to be on something," he said. "Police told me
catching the wing or the propeller with 30 pound test could have brought the
plane down . . . it could have pulled my arm off, no problem."
Gagne, a retired car salesman, said he has been visiting Ogunquit for the
past six or seven years, and that he usually enjoys staying at the Beachmere
because it's "very, very quiet."
He is an avid kite flyer.
"I've been flying kites all my life," he said. "I know how
to maneuver, I can tell where the breeze is coming from."
Gagne said he always flies over the ocean, and makes a point to avoid
power lines, but he's never had anything like this happen before.
"You tell that to someone, and they say you're crazy," he said.
Riverview
Park In Stadium Crosshairs
By Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 21, 2001 11:00:00
The Mesa City Council
unanimously agreed this morning to submit two and possibly four sites for an
Arizona Cardinals stadium to the state Tourism and Sports Authority, even
offering to sacrifice one of its only two municipal golf courses.
Council members said they wanted to seize the opportunity to offer economic
development opportunities that could benefit the entire East Valley. And
although several members noted that it's a tight budget year, they didn't seem
to flinch at the possibility of spending some taxpayer money, such as $12,000
to $15,000 to drill soil testing holes at each site. Mesa voters two years ago
rejected a half-cent sale tax to build a convention center and stadium.
The council's first choice is the 250-acre, Hurley farm property
northeast of Dobson Road and Eighth Street because it is right on the Red
Mountain Freeway and ready to develop, although the owners have expressed some
reluctance.
"It is a jewel in the metropolitan Valley," said Mayor Keno
Hawker. "I don't think you will find a cleaner site. It's a cotton
field."
In second place is a 67-acre site north of Eighth Street and east of
Price Road that contains the nine-hole Riverview Golf Course. Council member
Claudia Walters, who represents northwest Mesa, said she expects residents to
strongly object to giving up the affordable course. Also, officials said it
might not have enough parking spaces.
The city is mailing its "expression of interest'' letter today since
city offices are closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. In the letter,
Mesa also offers as a footnote a joint Mesa-Tempe site southeast of the Red
Mountain (Loop 202) and Price (Loop 101) Freeways and a gravel pit near the
Salt River and Alma School Road. Those sites would only be considered if the
Tourism and Sports Authority agreed to allow more time, perhaps a year, to let
cities explore those options.
Collected By The Fly'n Hawaiian
14th
Annual International Kite Festival In Gujarat India
From 11th to 14th of January 2002
Where:
1/11/2002: Jamnagar
1/12/2002: Rajkot
1/13/2002: Ahmedabad.
1/14/2002: Ahmedabad
sightseeing.
Every Year a large
number of foreign as well as Indian Kite Flyers participate and make this
festival a grand success. We had
participants from various countries participating in previous years and they brought a most fascinating array of
different varieties of kites with them.
The festival is organized in Gujarat during this period because this
coincides with the Hindu festival of "Makarsankranti" which is traditionally celebrated with the flying of kites in India.
This letter is to invite you and
your friends, interested in our kite festival , to attend the above
festival. I request you to kindly
indicate whether you , your kite flying association , or any of your
friends would like to participate in
January 2002 International Kite Festival. Please let me know immediately along
with the details regarding the names, age and
address/ e-mail etc. of the participants who are interested in participating in this
festival and also what kind of assistance you would require from us.
As usual, we will be providing accommodation and local transportation in
Gujarat and to and fro air fare between Delhi/Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Since this event requires a lot of prior preparation. I, would be
grateful for an early response so that we can make the event a colorful
success.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
B.Joseph
Sr.Manager-Marketing
Gujarat Tourism, HK House, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad-380 009 Gujarat
India.
Fax: 079-6582183
E-mail:>ahmedabad@gujarattourism.com<
Tips
and Tricks from our own club expert, Roman (The Fly’n Hawaiian) Trugillo.
The Smile Factor
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
The Leading Edge
(Anyone
Want To Provide Some Tips? Please Contact The Gadget Man With Your Ideas.)
Getting Your Dual-Line In The Air
Aloha,
Kite Flyers! In this installment of
“The Leading Edge” I will discuss several ways of getting your dual-line sport
kite in the air. I will briefly go over
beginner, intermediate, and advanced techniques in launching your sport kite
with style as well as safety. Although
some of these methods can take a novel to explain in words I’ll give you the
basic idea and then you can ask an experienced flyer to show you how to do the
move when you’re on the flying field.
Beginners
2 Person Launch – Ask a friend to help you launch by having him stand
downwind with the kite. Always be sure
you have enough room behind you to back up if the wind isn’t strong
enough. Give the signal to let the kite
go and pull back on the handles.
Staked Kite – Stake your lines at the handles then walk to the other end to attach your sport kite. Make sure that the kite is nose up and leaning away from the handles. This prevents the kite from “self-launching”. Pickup the handles from the stake and you are in launch position.
Intermediate
Leading Edge Launch – Kite is near the edge of the wind window, one
leading edge on the ground and the other in the air with the nose pointing away
from the “power zone”. Let the upper
leading edge fall towards you and walk backwards. As kite starts to move forward pull both handles and steer kite
safely into wind window.
Pop-Up Launch – Kite is on its belly, nose away and slightly angled
from the pilot. Pull hard on the handle
that the nose is angled towards. The
kite should “pop-up” into launch position or it should be flying.
Advanced
Coin Toss – Start with the kite in a “tip stand” position. Pull handle of the upper wing to initiate a
half-axle move. Be sure to slack the
lower wing to get a smooth looking coin toss.
When kite catches the wind steer it into your next trick.
Pop-Up to Fade – Kite is belly down, nose directly away from the
pilot. Pull both handles equally and
then release to allow the kite to pop-up and then fall into the Fade
position. Walk backwards to sustain the
maneuver.
Fade Launch – Kite is belly up, nose towards the pilot. Rock the kite back and forth with lines to
allow air to flow underneath the kite.
Carefully tend to the position of the kite as it lifts in the air. Rise the Fade high and then recover to
normal flying position.
Dead Launch – Kite is belly down, nose towards the pilot. While taking steps backwards, tug on the
handles two or three times to ease the nose up and to let the wind under the
kite. Let the kite right itself into launch
position and fly away. Warning: This launch can only be
accomplished on kites with short spines or “trick tails” and will cause spine
damage to other styles of sport kites.
Well,
those are some different ways of getting your dual-line sport kite off the
ground. Always be sure to put safety
first before launching your kite. I’ll
see you next time on “The Leading Edge”!
Straighten
up and fly right!
The Flyin’ Hawaiian
Note:
Please feel free to give Roman holly hell the next time you see him. He has
reported that he will be spending the New Year celebration in Hawaii!!! And he
has indicated that he does not need a manservant to carry his bags for him,
(boo hoo).
Flick Flacks
And Other Fun Stuff!
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.
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.
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!