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frob

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frob last won the day on September 15 2022

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About frob

  • Birthday April 18

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    https://bryanwagstaff.com/index.php/calendar/kite-flying-calendar/

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  • Favorite Kite(s)
    Like asking me to choose my favorite child.
  • Flying Since
    1984
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    Austin Texas
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    United States

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  1. The site used to also host kitemap.org with exactly what you described, but it has been gone for a few years. This post has some details.
  2. I am not sure it's a good idea. I know it can be done, and has been discussed a few times over the years, but it is also not common. Tails can be whatever lengths work for the condition. Many tube tails are built to be attached end-to-end, last week I saw 300 feet of tail on a sport kite. But that's on individual kites. Tails are a source of drag, brakes if you need them in higher wind. The drag is also variable. As for the stack, it complicates things. On the flip side to tails, stacks add sail area increasing pull. Stacks need to stay together, stay coherent, otherwise they fly terribly, but that is the opposite of what tails would do. Catching the tail on another kite down the stack would be another concern. Single line would work for tails on a train, but on a sport kite you can twist around the tail if you are not careful. With a single kite wind blows it away, but with a stack, it will depend on speed and the shapes you fly. Tails at the end of the stack wouldn't snag down the line, but would slow the individual kite, pulling it behind the stack a bit losing coherence. It can work, especially with slow and steady flying, but the longer the tail or the faster or more erratic the flight, the bigger the risk. It could be fun, but I won't want to untangle the mess after the tail takes out the stack with a wingtip wrap.
  3. View Advert Revolution Reflex 1.5 RX for sale. Purple. About 28 hours of use. Asking $175 I'm selling a Rev Reflex that doesn't get out of the bag often enough. The parallel post on Facebook Marketplace (Stunt Kites Garage Sale) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/210302702426394/posts/6276187439171193/ It was purchased April 2017 when they were "the next new thing", but it never became one of my primary kites. Includes two additional Reflex spars, one with the spring for the verticals, and the other without for the leading edge, both in original bags. The purple bag isn't silkscreened but it's the one Revolution sent it in. Some wear on the center bridle line, the white bridle line core is exposed but doesn't affect flight. No issues with leading edge mesh, in addition to the attached photos there is a closeup video here showing leading edge, and both front and back of the kite. New kite with one spar would be $246, extra spar is $20, so would be $266 plus shipping if you purchased new from the company. I'm asking $175 which includes US lower-48 shipping in everybody's favorite triangle box priority mail packaging. Here's from the flight log. Flight times are approximate. It's possible days weren't written down, I try to keep everything logged and usually round up in time. 4/19/2017 2h Old Settler's Park (OSP) 5/07/2017 1h OSP 5/27/2017 1h OSP 7/03/2017 1.5h OSP 7/07/2017 1.5h OSP 9/30/2017 3h Apache Pass 11/24/2017 1.5h OSP 11/28/2017 1h Work park 12/9/2017 1.5h OSP 1/13/2018 1h OSP 2/03/2018 0.5h South Padre Island Kite Festival (SPI) 3/14/2018 1.5h West Bountiful Park 6/15/2018 1h OSP 7/09/2018 1h Snowcrest HS Field 8/09/2018 0.5h OSP 2/02/2019 3.5h SPI 2/03/2019 4h SPI 7/02/2020 1h OSP This is the kite only (with spars, bag, etc) and not handles and lines. If you don't have them yet, I'd recommend getting those from Kite Forge, or similar solid aluminum handles and quality lines from other reputable stores like Ocean Shores Kites or A Wind of Change that also have non-snag solid aluminum handles. Advertiser frob Date 09/06/2023 Price $175 Category Kites (Quad Line) Brand Revolution Model Reflex 1.5 RX  
  4. This advert is COMPLETED!

    • FOR SALE
    • USED

    I'm selling a Rev Reflex that doesn't get out of the bag often enough. The parallel post on Facebook Marketplace (Stunt Kites Garage Sale) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/210302702426394/posts/6276187439171193/ It was purchased April 2017 when they were "the next new thing", but it never became one of my primary kites. Includes two additional Reflex spars, one with the spring for the verticals, and the other without for the leading edge, both in original bags. The purple bag isn't silkscreened but it's the one Revolution sent it in. Some wear on the center bridle line, the white bridle line core is exposed but doesn't affect flight. No issues with leading edge mesh, in addition to the attached photos there is a closeup video here showing leading edge, and both front and back of the kite. New kite with one spar would be $246, extra spar is $20, so would be $266 plus shipping if you purchased new from the company. I'm asking $175 which includes US lower-48 shipping in everybody's favorite triangle box priority mail packaging. Here's from the flight log. Flight times are approximate. It's possible days weren't written down, I try to keep everything logged and usually round up in time. 4/19/2017 2h Old Settler's Park (OSP) 5/07/2017 1h OSP 5/27/2017 1h OSP 7/03/2017 1.5h OSP 7/07/2017 1.5h OSP 9/30/2017 3h Apache Pass 11/24/2017 1.5h OSP 11/28/2017 1h Work park 12/9/2017 1.5h OSP 1/13/2018 1h OSP 2/03/2018 0.5h South Padre Island Kite Festival (SPI) 3/14/2018 1.5h West Bountiful Park 6/15/2018 1h OSP 7/09/2018 1h Snowcrest HS Field 8/09/2018 0.5h OSP 2/02/2019 3.5h SPI 2/03/2019 4h SPI 7/02/2020 1h OSP This is the kite only (with spars, bag, etc) and not handles and lines. If you don't have them yet, I'd recommend getting those from Kite Forge, or similar solid aluminum handles and quality lines from other reputable stores like Ocean Shores Kites or A Wind of Change that also have non-snag solid aluminum handles.

    $175

    Austin, Texas - US

  5. That's fine with non-cutting line. This year at Zilker I know three people were caught with cutting line and given a police escort out of the park. One of them, a kid and his non-English-speaking mother, brought their manja line fighter into the kids competition and pro flying area. He cut at least one kid's kite and a quad's line before he was forced to bring down the kite. The mom needed a phone call to her husband to help her understand, and they didn't leave the area until payment for damage was worked out. They were a few steps away from shifting to about $150 in damage to easily hitting a thousand in damage. Again, there is a time and place where cutting line is acceptable. The Zilker Park Kite Festival is NOT one of those. Cutting line and fighter kites at events specific to them is fine if every scrap is cleaned up. Otherwise it is vandalism and litter, neither reflect well on the community.
  6. Location matters for that. If you are in a location where the cheap fighter kites are flown, go for it. People flying inexpensive (nearly free) kites with the expectations that they will be cut, that's understandable and part of the culture. If you are in a location where more expensive gear is used, don't even think about bringing it to the site. Cutting line can do thousands of dollars of damage in seconds. Expect to be detained by people on the field, have banking information shared (demanded, really) before being allowed to leave, and possibly even police called to remove you, or to press charges and document the damage. Know which location and group you are in.
  7. I got my hands on the team kites at SPI. 🙂 I would say it feels like a good kite. Since I've already got a bag full of what was just described above as "boutique" kites I probably won't buy one, but it was certainly fun to fly and it was able to do all I wanted and more. It felt similar to my various other mid-range kites, responsive and quick to follow inputs. It seemed priced about right relative to it's abilities. The Gaze was nowhere near as floaty as the Sky Devil I had up, but it did handle quite nicely. I watched others use it to do slackline tricks beyond my skills, and it was smooth for straight flying as a team kite.
  8. I would recommend against it. There are tethers and harnesses, but they always include multiple safety devices and break-away clips for the pilot to engage. With something that is held in hand, when there is a gust the kite breaks free from their grip. With something attached to their body a strong gust could drag the kid across the field into danger, a sudden gust could break a bone, or worse. If you are worried about a single line kite getting free, use a ground stake. A large dog stake can work well for small kites, get the spiral style you screw into the ground. Securely anchor the stake, then use a lark's head or other simple easily-released knot to attach the line to the stake.
  9. I think this is the crux. All outdoor sports have seen a drop over the past 30 years, while kiting is included it is by no way unique. The US Soccer Federation said in 2018 that it was seeing about a 15% drop in recent years, American Football participation by nearly 20% reduction in youth participation from 2008 to 2019. If you account for transition to sports (a few like martial arts have seen small growth) there is a rather comprehensive report that 2020 saw participation in outdoor sports increased for the first time in two decades due to pandemic changes, jumping 17% over 2019 levels in 2020 as people went to outdoor sports, and yet still with that enormous boost in 2020 was down 5% overall from 2010 to 2020. Number of outings per participant dropped 16% in 8 years, and even for those who participate at least twice a week, intensity dropped by 5% over the same time. So it's no wonder that kiting popularity fit the same broad pattern. Fewer participants, fewer spectators, less money for funding and sponsorships and business participants. Events are hard to organize. It is hard even for established events to maintain their population. There are fewer fliers, certainly not enough for competition and often there is barely enough for demos. I have two events across the year that take place within a 7 hour drive (each way). One of those events has announced they're ending, the other is barely able to maintain itself despite it being a major branding event for the city. I worry that there won't be any significant events to participate in over the coming years without flying across the country. When I moved to my current city there were the remains of an occasionally meeting group, and a mostly retiring kite team. Lots of people who used to fly, who are interested in flying, but they just don't get out. I've been trying to build something, inviting about 20 local people with personal invites every month, and getting about 10 "sorry I can't make it again but keep inviting me", and still usually it's just me alone each month. I'll drive 4 hours each way to single-line gatherings at Surfside (that just won an AKA award for being a great club) and yet at the events there are still only 3-4 fliers there putting up several show kites, most retired years ago from sport kites and instead sit under the easy-up and cheer me on. At my local park I do what I can to get people to come talk with me, and I'll chat up anybody who will care to listen and even give out cards with web pages and YouTube channels and contact information, yet people are disinterested beyond a one-time curiosity or oddity. Even a "kite party" model, pulling people from a full day drive away from me would still only bring about 5 active sport kite fliers, and maybe 20 former sport kite fliers who could put up some show kites and displays. There are going to be a few additional people who have flown the kites and who might own a Prism Jazz or an inexpensive dual line that they've flown a handful of times, but not active pilots who can control their kites with any kind of precision or demo skill. There doesn't seem to be enough active interest to reach critical mass.
  10. Two more days ... ish. I'm so looking forward to this one. If someone who doesn't fly indoors wins, it could be great to throw it back into the pot. Or to someone else who is really looking forward to a Djinndoor. Just sayin'. 🙂
  11. Wow! That will be a great Christmas surprise for someone.
  12. Oh, just noticed that's the part of the site it's in. Yeah, of course. Sorry about that.
  13. A gift certificate for what? Generally, you'd contact the vendor, store, shop, or company that issued the gift certificate and tell them the order number.
  14. Getting excited for this. New lines always feel so good. Come on random number generator, choose me!
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