Leaderboard

Stepped outside to do some chores this morning & heard that magic sound, the wind chimes in the gazebo. If the wind is blowing down in the little hollow where I live it is usually flyable over in a nearby hay field. Down in the dungeon I grabbed a few more kites to put in the truck with the everyday carry selection that lives on the back floorboard. Sun shining, temperatures in the fifties, wind measured at 8 to 10 mph. Flew the Nirvana standard for a bit to get the feel of the sky so to speak. Then attempted a session with the Rev 1.5 three stack but the gusty changing wind was not too good for smooth flying. So out came the Riff modded Symphony as I fly it on the same lines & handles as the stack. I flew it for a long time. I am really beginning to develop a relationship with the little foil. This kite really excels in gusty inland conditions. Nothing seems to phase it. I continue to improve my flying of the kite as I get more of a feel for what it likes. One thing I tried today seems to be useful. If you give the handles repeated short pumps, (whumps?), the kite's cells fill firmly & it moves forward gaining speed & the apparent wind effect sends you on your way again. The wind picked up & turned into a extra vent Tekken kind of day so I flew the pretty blue kite for some time. I heard the roar of a couple low flying jets above me & looked up to see two A-10 Warthogs fly over. Ah yes, what a sight to see on Veteran's Day. We salute you, SHBKF

Believe it or not .... Wala and Wala XL What most people don't realise is that if you use or have a movable tow point then you flare the tail out and let the kite skip on top of the wind instead of taking the full force. Brassington kites are cleaver in that the 2 point bridle is actually a single point with the second point being a restrictor to prevent the tail going too far and having the nose dip into a dive. His trains are all like that and I have flown them in big wind in Cape Town. Another option is a single point bridled Tri-D, or any single point kite for that matter. I have also seen and used a locally made kite called a Sky Master that can take double (or more) what you're asking and be used as a lifter. It's crazy what it can do. It's a delta with a middle sled like section. Granted, winds of 60km/h are going to be hard on the fabric and the edges are going to thrash, but it will take it in it's stride.