kite.flyer

Did you ever get a copy of the manual for your Deca? I have one I can e-mail if you still want it.

Hi, I found a source for mylar tail material that will work very well on any kite. I happened to be looking for mylar tape to keep the Canada Geese out of my yard. One of the solutions was mylar tape with certain characteristics such as one side gold, one side silver or one side silver, one side red or holographic reflections. The tapes are available in 1/2", 1" and 1 1/4" widths. Check out Visual Bird Control at Sutton Ag Enterprises. Strung across fence posts, it kept the geese off the lawn. I bought a couple extra rolls for the kites.

Hi, Kris, You can keep the magnets from getting lost if you tape them to the sail with a piece of duck tape or masking tape. It may not hold on a dive-stop that doesn't, but it should keep them on for "gentle" maneuvers. I've used the finger lights with good success and have some electroluminescent wire I want to try next. We didn't have the wind at Holden Beach, but maybe Beech Mountain will be better.

Hi, Don, Reluctant is a key word. These things are almost like hockey tickets in Toronto - you've got to inherit them because they rarely show up for sale. And when they do show up, they can be pricey. Last year a friend stumbled across one for sale and he and I bought up the whole collection. Some folks never click with them, others prefer the Revs, some folks just want one to fly occasionally or just to "have" and others need to have 'em all and fly them frequently. They are a challenge to fly and can be a little finicky but fun when you get it just right. And they are beautiful to behold. You could also ask Marc at Guildworks to build you one. Good luck in your search. Marty G. Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society,

I'm going to the 2nd Annual Mile High Kite Fly at Beech Mountain, NC over the Labor Day weekend, along with a bunch of WACKOS and some rif-RAF from Va. We all had a great time last year, despite the lack of wind and excess of rain and everyone is looking forward to going again. I'm guessing it will be a bigger show with more flyers and spectators than last year. There has been a call for help as a shadow judge to assist Charlie Dunton on Saturday. I'd like to help out but I've never judged anything, except my own work, and I'm not sure where I can learn what's involved. Can anyone enlighten me on what shadow judging is and how I can go about learning more about it? If there's something I could print and take with me, that would work, too. Oh, yeah. If you're interested in the 2nd Annual Mile High Kite Fly at Beech Mountain, NC, see Mile High Kite Fly

I think I found the picture Doug was looking for. It's not referenced on the Gone With The Wind site, but I found it awhile back kept the address. The url is: http://www.gwtw-kites.com/revhandles/page1.asp The 15" Rev I SUL handles are about 13.5" point to point, are made using the steel or aluminum tubing but are not in the photo. I use the standard 1.5 handles for the Rev 2, the SUL extended handles for my 1.5's and the Rev 1. I haven't tried the 15" handles yet. The Rev 2 handles with the mushy foam serve mostly as paperweights. I keep the EXP handles (with the mushy foam) in the EXP bag for teaching purposes.

Penny, If you ever get to stack the three of them indoors, please post a picture somewhere. That would be something to see! But it's given me an idea to try outdoors. We have enough Revs in the WACKOS now that several of us could do that as a team --- Team Macrame!

I briefly tried flying a Rev II about 10 years ago, but I was so new to both dual and quad line flying I gave up the Rev to concentrate on dual lines. Now I'm relearning quadline and just figuring out the difference in handles and 1.5 vs II and soon the Rev 1. I'm beginning to understand your handle preferences. I might try extending the Rev II handles and see how that works. I'm really having a blast (pun intended and future purchase) and it's all Doug's fault. He came out to fly with the WACKOS a couple times and four-line fever struck. There's at least 4 of us new to quads and 2 with renewed interests. We've probably bought about 8 - 10 new & used Revs in the last 2 months, plus some quad foils and NASA wings. Next up, shoulder to shoulder quad flying - Twice the Fun, Team Macrame!

Doug, If we meet at JMR on Sunday, take a turn on my Rev II. I'll even put the short handles together and you can fly those. I actually like the "standard" handles that came with the 1.5 better. I found out last weekend, the extended (SUL) handles are way too squirrelly with the Rev II. Then again, the kite was possessed Sunday. From a nose down position, it would lay down on it's face with the wings pointing toward me, and periodically pop back up, ready to fly. Until I grabbed the handles. then it was face down again. So I put it away and flew the 1.5 instead. Might as well try before you buy. Marty