Wayne Dowler

Figured there would be plenty that saw this and groaned a bit. But for those in this area - Come on down11

For those of you not on Facebook or member of the Portland Area Kite Flyers page there - If you are in the area, need a break from the family, and looking for something to do: Come on out to my annual fun fly called the "Black Friday" fly!! We use the indoor soccer center to put this on, 3rd year now. Ya, I know it's on a Friday and during the day, but if you're out and about and looking to break up your day, why not come? Restrooms and vending machines in house, fast food places and a Fred Meyers real close. We use a computer style sound system, so bring any CDs, Ipods, etc, for your own music. Spectators welcome, but I'd suggest bringing plenty of warm clothes as the center is not heated. Most of all - BRING YOU!! Plenty of room on the floor for everyone!! Hours - Just in - 9 am to 3 pm! Come by early!! Address: Oregon Soccer Center 17015 SE 82nd Drive Clackamas OR 97015 Hope to see some of you there!!

Very much a difference between a glider and any multi-line indoor kite. Really isn't an intermediate step, it's a jump in type thing. The easiest to fly are gliders, hands down!! And the variety of them is stunning, from the basic delta shape to more exotic types. Any 2 or 4 line indoor stunt kite requires a lot more movement than a glider. With practice, the amount comes down, you learn to move more efficiently, but you still need to move. You can almost be stationary flying a glider, although most of us don't do that! Learning to let the kite do a lot of the work is one of the toughest things. We want to tell it to do a hundred things, way before it's done doing this first. Slowing it down has been a key for me - I call it the "wait for it moment". Giving the kite a chance to finish something before going to the next. This also bleeds over to my quad indoor flying. Wanting to go on to another move, needs to wait for something being done, to finish. Doesn't mean not to prepare, but to wait for one thing to finish before going on!

Don't forget indoor either!! There's another something different!

In love with Prism? There are many indoor dual lines kites as good or better than a 4-D. 4-D is good outside though, I flew the 3-D for years. While it can be used indoors, there are better options, IMHO!

Here's one way to create a "tab" to pull for adjustment - http://www.revkites.com/forum/topic/5976-line-sleeving/#

"E" string works. Think "T" uses a thin flower wire for hers. I have an old "spleever" from Shanti I still use! I add small pull tabs to my loops that I can pull to adjust my lines with. Or you could make your loops long and tie a little tab knot into that at the end! Both work easy for adjusting or breakdown, I make my own sleeves from 90# bridle line, but it is a tight fit for the "spleever". To use it, just pull the core out!

Try to find and use the thinnest, lightest spars you can. The iFlite is a great example of using compound spars ( 2 different diameter rods spliced together) to achieve the strength and stiffness needed, but keep the weight down on the overall kite! Each one is hand made in Singapore by a gentleman named Patrick Tan. He has setup a network of dealers here in the USA to handle his products. He even has a page on Facebook devoted exclusively to them called -" iFlite - the windless wonder ". https://www.facebook.com/groups/300505349966546/ link included They are for sale at any of the shops he has included, click files and "see more" in the about box over to the right side of the page. Good Luck!!

You mean Spence Watson's video, I'm sure. Have you checked on Kitebuilder.com for any indoor plans? All indoor kites have some mass due to the framing! It's a blend of light weight but enough wing to support it!

No routine, just a bit of fun. Lots of movement needed to keep that bag/sail inflated, If I got the date stamp correct on the pix, this was before I started flying indoors! I'm not sure where this event was held at, it doesn't look like the gym used in the Long Beach Windless festival in Washington State. Usually see a couple of different designs of glider at an indoor event - Skates and/or iFlites are just one type in the delta shape. Also see Plutz styles, Platz styles, and even outdoor gliders like Pterodactyls being used! Some with or without the use of wands. Dual lines I've seen used include - 4-D, INak, Wren, itrix, Echo, Reflection, and a small indoor from Lam Hoac. All used well by people up here in the PNW. Then there are a bunch of us that fly Indoor Revs. I fly mine in conjunction with several gliders to keep from wearing myself out. Age is no deterrent, I didn't start til close to 60! And I have a bunch of medical issues I've overcome, so join in and enjoy the ride!!

Not sure what was being used in those pix, but just a few years ago someone was using a big trash bag and 2 broom sticks for handles! Had to be in motion all the time to keep it filled with air. Most indoor gliders have some spars - LEs, spine, and a spreader. Wing material varies from plastics to Icarex to ripstop nylon. I just haven't seen many/any sparless kites being used by competitors, here on the West Coast. Maybe out East, not here in the PNW. For videos of recent events, type in - Windless Kite Festival (held in Long Beach, WA), WSIKF indoor (also in Long Beach), Milton Indoor, or Lincoln City Indoor - and google that on YouTube.

Back when all I had in the 1.5 size was an SUL, I flew in some higher winds - and stretched my sail out badly. 10 - 13 mph means mid or full vent to me! I dislike too much "pull", so I switch sails pretty fast as wind comes up! When you get up to the X/V though, it seems to handle just about anything thrown at it. One of my "favorites" in the bag, it really extended my ability to fly in pretty stiff wind.

X/V - 4 wraps - 17 mph?? That's it?? 17 mph is when the X/V comes out with either 3 wraps or my green race rods!! Had it flying in 25 mph solid with 30 mph gusts!! BUTTAH!!!!

Fat chance dude!!! The zingers are just starting!!

Me likee!!

Just saw and remembered this! Haven't flown much dualie in the last few years - maybe I ought to try some???

Sometimes I fly to nature, sometimes to music, depends on my mood! Music can give you a certain rhythm to work with, a back beat so to speak!

I agree on the short lines! One time I hooked a Rev 2 on my 120' x 90# and it was tame to fly! I'd try it on 50' - 80' x 50# or at least a short set of 90# for best results! Just seems to lose the "speed" factor on long lines!!

Rod B. loves his Pro Dancer in light wind, but has said it's pretty near untrickable. But it flies when a lot won't Rob B. - your opinion?

It's not that the SLE is hard to find, but that not a lot of SLE midvents were made. Off the top of my head, the one dealer that carried midvents of that model was Dave Shenkman of The Kite Connection. Of course Lolly would have any info on the factory side of things. Plus she might know of other stores that carried that particular sail type!

Took some design cues from my Zen (the initial) and some thoughts from JB's Pros and mixed it together to come up with that! And of course it had to be blue!!

Couldn't tell you - never flown any of the vented B2s yet. Sorry!

OK. lets see: 3-D, 4-D and Vapor from Prism, 3-D and Vapor are no longer being made, got to find them on the used market. Inak from Skyburner. Itrix from ? Airwave Zero from Flying wings. Older Wrens from ? Paul de Bakker's Echo and Reflection ( Echo still made, Reflection used). Very old ID/OD from ? Name says it all. Some are available new, some you have to find used. Some are more "floaty", some require more moving around. I never connected with my indoor dualie - an Inak. The Vapor was Prism's top of the line super light wind kite, out of production, and rare to find used. Most get bought up and put away for use in special times.

Yep, deep, dark, dualie secrets to be exact!! LOL!! Matt - I'll guess you have never seen me fly a dualie, have you?? Flew them a long time before I started on Revs!! Started flying back in '93, my son was only 5 at the time. Bought my first Rev back in '98 and still have it. Just gave him a list of some kites that I've seen or heard of over the years - deep secrets!!

Pm sent!