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A few clips and shorts to enjoy from the Weekend..

Sigh. Still buffing out a couple of build details, we’re probably more anxious than y’all are at this point.

Many thanks to Kitelife! Both of these will work well in my area - Southwest Georgia. Just moved to the area a couple of years ago and continue looking for suitable fields. I'll post a notice about the next kite festival her.e I got with a local nature preserve to sponsor one this year. Maybe I can generate some local interest in a more regular activity. Atlanta has a group that looks active. Cheers to all!

I recently finished my first kite build, and I wanted to throw a public "Thank You!!" out to my kite making mentor: Elliot Shook, who allowed me to follow in his design footsteps, gave me guidance, techniques and encouragement. Without Elliot's generous mentorship this kite would likely still be flying only in my imagination. Holding my kite up to Elliot's work I still have a bit of fine tuning to do, but hey I still need an xtra vent, so I will get better. Elliot's eye for detail and build quality is definitely masterpiece material. I finished it just in time to take it to JB's OBX quad clinic and got to show it off to Elliot and all my best flying buddies. When the wind let up a bit (should have made an xtra vent for that weekend!!) I got to put it up with the sun behind it and it sparkled in the sun beautifully, and seemed to fly just fine. Nothing like seeing your own work flying and keeping up with the others in the sky. it flew just like a Shook should fly: smooth and un-phased by the bumps, in higher winds than I should have put it up in, and pretty as a can be. Also, Thank you to all of the folks who have pulled out kites to let me examine and photograph them, lent me your sails, and answered my questions about sewing and techniques - many of you were generous with your time and knowledge. The generosity of this community never fails to warm my heart and add lift to my efforts. To anyone thinking about taking the sewing plunge....I encourage it. I learned a ton, and kite making materials are not forgiving, so give yourself plenty of practice scraps and time. Oh the joy of flying a kite I built can not be described adequately. Thanks Again Elliot!

My wife and I flew the dual line kite today for the first time. I'm not afraid to say she was the first to taste success. The lessons learned included: -Wind direction -Choice of flying location -Wind forecast It was fun though. We scouted out a few places locally. With the good weather the parks were packed. We found one with space and decided to try it. Unfortunately, the wind direction was tough to decipher. The field is bordered by woodlands on 2 sides. That made the direction change and gust.

Also "Old Pros' Knowledge".

Your best bet, since you're in Washington DC, is to get together with Paul LeMasters. He's over in Germantown and flies near and in DC all the time. He'll probably pop in here and say hi to you since he is quite active on this forum. You may have to wait until Monday cause he's usually out flying on weekends. The best low-wind kites to be found in your area are in his bag and those of some of the guys with whom he flies. Definitely get together with him as he can advise you better because he has so much experience with the "no wind all summer" conditions in your area. The SUL model that Rev made is the go-to production model for low-wind flying. I'm not sure if it is still being made. The best kites for low-wind flying are made by the people who fly them -- in other words, home-made. Low wind flying is quite difficult if you don't have a lot of experience, but flying in it is the best way to learn, so go for it. The Supersonic is a Speed Series kite, and will not leave the ground in wind less than 4mph. At 5mph it is difficult for a pro to keep airborne. When the wind is fast enough it is a total hoot to fly and will do a couple or three things that a standard Rev can't. The Reflex will fly in wind less than 2mph with a lot of footwork and a ton more experience. If you have a ton of time on the lines you can do it. I have home-made kites in my bag that come in at less than 4.5 ounces in weight. They will fly if someone farts. Production kites are no match, so don't expect too much from them. It would be good to sit down and discuss this with an experienced pilot, so that's why I recommend you get together with Paul and the rest of the DC crew. Good luck. Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe. P.S. -- The DC guys will insist that you try all their kites before you decide what to get. Don't argue, just do it. It will make them feel good.

A bit of team training and Mega Fly Prep from the Corolla quad clinic 2018

Sacrificial bridle loop pictorial. Create a 2 to 2.5" loop using single overhand knot. Trim and flame end. Put bridle leg loop, the one at the end of the bridle, through endcap. Attach sacrificial loop to bridle loop. (square knot ) Tighten and pull square knot through endcap. Loop sacrificial around endcap as you would normally the bridle loop. Tuck that ugly knot into the hole if you don't like the way it looks. It's gonna be a little tight in there, but that's ok because it will reduce movement and, therefore, wear. I have not done this on any of my kites, but going by Paul's description, this should work fine. I wouldn't bother extending the center frame loop. Just replace that shorty as necessary. This will put your bridle about 1-1/2" further out from the sail. If you don't like the feel or performance you can tie a knot(s) in the bridle loop to shorten it to the original lengths, or just shorten the bottom ones to improve axels. You knew about shortening the bottom of the bridle to make axels easier, didn't you? P.S. -- You guys owe me 9" of bridle line that I wasted on this picture shoot and a million dollars for the pics 'cause they're priceless, or 6000 words because that's what six pictures are worth.

I had a friend make a special winder that lets you bunjii the handles down, then wind to the kite. He actually put 2 bunjiis on it - one for handles, one for lines. Works great at festivals for clearing the field fast, then setting it back up to fly for performances. I only uae it as a temporary thing, I like regular winding at the end of the day. These were the basis, my friend expanded on the idea. Never did like the handle wrap myself....