The LONE RANGER!!!

[Guru4tru]

I know Ive been away tooooo long when the OFF TOPICS last post is 27 September 2010 - 09:19 AM…OFF TOPIC is my HOME!!

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The Lone Ranger!!!

Im posting a picture because many of you might not know who this guy was and for sure he probably wasnt a hero in most your lifes as a child, as he was in mine! But, even as a child two things struck me as being odd…one was that all those bullets were flying around and no one ever got killed or even really hurt bad!?!? And the other thing was…why did they call him the LONE Ranger…when Tonto (the brains of the outfit) was always with him?!?! Anyway..........

You want to talk about LONE…come and fly on my field!! THE LONE FLYER! For over a year I havent seen another kite flyer out here…except for the little kids I give cheep Gayla Deltas to, until last weekend!!!

Well…Im not going to bore you with a long story, but a woman came up to me and said, My husband flies Revs. too! I didnt hug her (although I would have liked to-heehee!)….but the next weekend when her husband showed up with his Rev.…I hugged him!! Heehee!!

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TODAY…wind 15 to 20 MPH with gusts up to 25 mph……….TODAY was GREAT!! Me and Windy (JB PRO full vent) had a blast……but, I was a "LONE' ranger. So, I come to this web site to tell others about my day…and I dont know where to put the experiences of a LONE Ranger (and thats without the comfort of Tonto!!)

Its said, A burden shared cut the load in half….and fun shared doubles the joy!

So for us LONE FLIERS out here I request a forum topic heading that says:

Where did you fly today & what were you flying?

Otherwise no one will talk about that stuff, because they think no one is interested and its too small to put on a forum and there is no place to put it anyway without looking foolish!!. Well, as a LONE flyer…Im interested and I also want to talk about my experiences in the field.

So, as a LONE RANGER I request an additional topic to be added to this form!

Where did you fly today & what were you flying?

(Of course, maybe, if I took this silly mask off...more people might come to the field!! heehee!!)

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I had an afterthought to my post above and I'm editing it in...heehee!

Most of us are just normal common kite fliers. We don't have any major questions or concerns...nor are we super technical about things that fly...we just fly our kites. But, we would also like to be part of this kiting community. If you look at the number of members compaired to the number of subscribers that pay for their membership you will see that there is a big "hole"...our needs are not being met...or...better said, we have no way to jump onboard and express ourselves and joining in. Thanks for listening!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

[Jynx]

I was also a Lone Ranger today... flying at a soccer field in San Antonio TX, waiting out the days until my son graduates from BMT at Lackland AFB.

Last night the TV weatherman predicted "High" winds 15-20 mph. (I don't know much about Texas weather, but back home that's not extactly what we call "High" winds!)

Anyway... Good winds, a WINDerFULL day... numerous on-lookers who, I'm guessing, never saw a kite quite like mine, and a cop who showed-up to check out the strange UFO.

Pretty cool flying my Rev and watching the Jets fly over-head!

[Guru4tru]

Hi Jynx,

Sounds like a great day AND I'm glad you had a "Where did you fly today and what were you flying?" place to post it!! heehee!!!!

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You mentioned cops.....I hand out kites to kids at the park!?!?

So you've got this old long haired bearded cigar smoking guy flying kites in a park and handing out "candy" (kites) to little kids!! heehee!! (That's funny!)

But, I knew ahead of time that I would raise their "antennas", so I went around to the cops and the park workers and introduced myself first! Now they all wave at me each day and think of me as just a local harmless excentric crackpot!! heehee! (Which I suppose...that's what I am!! heehee!)

I also introduce myself to cops because I'm mostly deaf. I tell them that if I'm not within 2 or 3 feet from them or can't see them talking I won't be able to hear them or follow there directions. Imagine..."HIT THE GROUND OR I"LL SHOOT!"...heehee!! I'd be a dead man!! heehee!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

[tonycarl60]

I'm out flying every day no matter what the wind is or isn't. Today was a no wind/light wind day so I flew my Horvath Hybrid 200 slk glider, Focus Echo and Fearless sul. I used to give kites away, but no more because I never see the kites/people again. So now I just hold on to the kites and let people fly them if they show interest.

[Guru4tru]

Hi Tony,

Hey....If you would have any picture...I'd like to see those kites!

Keep It Up!

Duane

[tonycarl60]

Hey Duane, if you want to see some of my kites go here: My link

[Guru4tru]

Hey Duane, if you want to see some of my kites go here: My link

Thanks Tony...Nice Link! And beautiful kites!! That "PLUTZ" is sure an interesting looking kite.

You've got a great collection there!! I often remark that, "We all live at the mercy of wind!" ***YOU DON'T!!!***

I never saw those Benson Airbow handles before...I'll have to check them out a little closer.

Thanks again,

Keep It Up!

Duane

[John Barresi]

I know I’ve been away tooooo long when the “OFF TOPIC’S” last post is 27 September 2010 - 09:19 AM…”OFF TOPIC” is my HOME!!

True 'nuff.

General Kite Stuff > http://kitelife.com/forum/forum/133-where-did-you-fly-today-what-were-you-flying/

[Guru4tru]

General Kite Stuff > http://kitelife.com/forum/forum/133-where-did-you-fly-today-what-were-you-flying/

[John Barresi]

The old "Pacific Northwest" area is actually a service provided for what used to be a Yahoo group, so it's not immediately expendable.

It's been really slow there as of late, but for now, this arrangement will have to do.

[kwmf]

I solved the problem of flying alone by getting my girlfriend onto the power kites with me

The only problem is that I now have 2 sets of Revs, lines, etc ... so it's a bit on the costly side, but it means I get to keep flying AND spend time with her.

[RobB]

I can totally relate to being the 'Lone Ranger'.... out there on the beach when it's 10 F ( a few days ago) or at 6-9am to avoid the beach crowd in the summer. Oh, yeah, to avoid the heat and sun, too. I did drive the 5-6 hours to get to Wildwood kite festival last year... what an experience, to actually see & fly with other dual line fliers. I am one of the few if only dual line fliers at local festivals, so it was a real treat. The strange thing is that there aren't even any Rev fliers near me... an occasional ToysRus single line, and kite boarders... that's it. The glory days of kite flying in my area was the 90s, there were groups that met at different beaches every weekend to fly their stuff. I don't know what happened...

~Rob.

[Guru4tru]

Hi Rob,

They put up one of those signs in a park south of me!!

My first responce was...I got a little pissed off...But, then I wondered "WHY" would they ever put up a sign like that...when no one flys kites around here!! heehee!! (I would have taken it personal, but I hadn't flown there yet!)

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"10 degrees F"-----I can't even begin to relate to that!! heehee!

Keep It Up!

Duane

[Reef Runner]

Oh, I can surely relate to that "Lone Ranger" feeling. I rarely get to fly at home, so most of my flying is done, during the summer months, on the sand dunes of Nags Head, NC, which is right in the heart of North Carolina's Outer Banks. There's a really famous place there, called Jockey's Ridge, which just happens to be the tallest sand dune, on the east coast. This place, over the years, has also been host to numerous kiting events, most of which, I manage to somehow, miss. The Rogallo Kite Festival is held there annually, right now, but usually not when I am around. Oh well, at least the winds up on the dune, are always great, no matter which direction they blow, and the view from the top is spectacular. Anyway, back to the Lone Ranger issue! It seems that I am lucky enough, to spend several weeks, on the NC Outer Banks, maybe 4 - 5 trips during the year, beginning in late May, and somewhat spaced out, through mid to late September. When there, I am located very close (within walking distance) to Jockey's Ridge, and I tend to get up there, several times, most every day. I have been flying there since 2002, when I got into dual line kites. In more recent years, say the last 2 or 3, I have changed my focus, more to the quad line kites, and specifically, Revs. I can't tell you the number of times, that I have climbed up that sand dune, where I would fly for hours, and never once, have I run into another Rev flyer. It seems that even back when all my attention was on dualies, I would fly all week, and then, just like clockwork, on Thursday afternoon, or Friday, someone might just show up, and then eventually we would strike up a conversation. But, being near the end of the week, usually, I would be leaving on Saturday morning, so, there was never a chance to plan another fly day, so once again, it was the Lone Ranger on the hill, all over again.

Well, last summer, as chance would have it, one day I took the binocs, and looked over on the dune, and low and behold, there was a guy flying a "Rev". Well, holy Toledo, let's go ! This is the only flying Rev, that I have every laid eyes on, in person, other than my own. Hey, maybe I'm not alone in this thing, after all. There really are, other Rev flyers out there, somewhere. So, I quickly grabbed up a couple of my favorite Revs, my kite spikes, my lines, my wind meter, etc, threw everything into my quick fly bag, put on my flying hat, and began the trek across to, and up on, the dune. As I crested the top of the hill, sure enough, there is a guy flying a Rev. Well, as I headed over his way, I see him take a pretty hard landing, and I thought, maybe I better stay back, for a minute or so. I don't want to crowd him, and the wind was cooking, about 15 - 16 mph, and I surely didn't want to get in this guys way, but I did want to make sure, that he wasn't a mirage, or something, and actually a real live Rev flyer. Anyway, after a few minutes of watching him struggle with the grounded Rev (after that hard landing), I realized that he was having some kind of problem, and wasn't going to get back into the air, immediately, so I figured, this would at least give me a chance to get mine set up. Boy was he going to be surprised, when I whipped out a Rev, or maybe not. I proceeded with setting up my kite, temporarily topping it off with a little sand (15 - 16 mph), then I connected my lines, and believe it or not, they unwound perfectly, thanks to a certain video that I had recently watched (thanks JB). Man, I was doing good, so far. So now I've got everything laid out, and now all I've got to do, is connect my handles and stake them out, and I'll be rea............ "oh no - my handles !!!". Where are my handles ? Yep, in my haste to get to the hill, I forgot to grab a set of handles. Talk about a walk of shame. What was I going to do ? My kite was laid out, my lines were attached and stretched out on the sand, my spike was in my hand, and now what ? Man, how can this be happening, and about this same time, you know how you can kind of sense, when someone is looking at your, or maybe coming up behind you. Yep, the guy that had been flying the other Rev, unknowing to me, had walked over to where I am setting up. He greets me, we shook hands, and then he asked, if just by chance, I might have an extra 3-wrap, leading edge rod, in my bag, and if so, could he possibly buy it, or borrow for a while. It seems that during that hard landing, which was actually a very fast rotation, a little bit too close to the ground, he had snapped an outer rod. Well, in this case, fortunately for me, I did not have a spare rod, and as much as I wanted to finally fly, with at least one other Rev, in sight, it wasn't going to happen that day, for more than one reason. Without the spare rod, this guy's day was done, and as I said, fortunately for me, with him now leaving, it gave me a moment of solitude, to gracefully gather up my "handle-less" Rev & lines, and exit, stage right, without the embarrassment, that I had been dreading. I'll have to admit, that I have done this before, but with a dualie. Fortunately, though, that time the winds were very light, and I was able to proceed without the straps, but I don't think I could have faked it this time, with the Rev. Moral of the story - "Never leave home without your handles !" I suppose that I'm going to have to make a check list..............talk about a major "senior moment".

You know, being the Lone Ranger in the sky, is much better, than taking a "major", walk of shame, or staying on the ground..............

Hey, what can I say

[Guru4tru]

HI Reef Runner!

Great story!.....Maybe.....just maybe......we'll get to fly together. Rhonda and I didn't make it to the Kitty Hawk Kite Festival (OBSKC) last year, although we wanted to....maybe, this year we might be in your area....I'll keep in touch!

Keep It Up!

Duane

[--Pete]

...

. Yep, the guy that had been flying the other Rev, unknowing to me, had walked over to where I am setting up. He greets me, we shook hands, and then he asked, if just by chance, I might have an extra 3-wrap, leading edge rod, in my bag, and if so, could he possibly buy it, or borrow for a while. It seems that during that hard landing, which was actually a very fast rotation, a little bit too close to the ground, he had snapped an outer rod. Well, in this case, fortunately for me, I did not have a spare rod, and as much as I wanted to finally fly, with at least one other Rev, in sight, it wasn't going to happen that day, for more than one reason. Without the spare rod, this guy's day was done, and as I said, fortunately for me, with him now leaving, it gave me a moment of solitude, to gracefully gather up my "handle-less" Rev & lines, and exit, stage right, without the embarrassment, that I had been dreading.....

Now that was the opportunity to make up a flyable Rev with a full complement of spars and handles, and TAKE TURNS FLYING.

What better chance to get to know another Rev flyer?

If all it would have cost me was the admission that i had forgot my handles, I'd have GIVEN him a spar set, to go flying with another rev flyer. (I expect that he'd have given his handles to you for the same reason.)

Think seriously to many of my other posts. I normally USED to fly with Kevlar™ linesets. Do you think this says anything about whether I usually fly alone? I'm currently setting up with every length of LPG lineset I can think of, so I can fly with ANYBODY (if I ever happen to meet anybody flying Revs).

I actually sat in my car for an hour and a half today, just hoping someone would show up with a Rev, just so i could ADMIT that I had come out without any handles, and fly with another Rev flyer.

Off to the online kitestore to get even more different linesets and handles. I WILL NEVER BE WITHOUT THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AGAIN! (Think of Scarlett's many shouted declarations in GWTW. Or don't. It's not pretty. Wine, wine, wine; cursed by the fumes of wine. But I love it so.)

[--Pete]

Did I REALLY say that?

[plod]

I only started flying the back end of last year,, so with the weather our way I have had very little flying oppurtunity

Yesterday was a "Better Flying Day" at our local field so took my son and persuaded my father to accompany me

I was the only rev flyer there for a while, and was struggling as per usual - I'm extremely guilty of putting far too much input into the kite and over doing things, then over correcting, well you get the picture - this way and that

Another rev flyer arrives, and I had dragged my father there to get him to experience the rev, and I ask that flyer if he would instruct my father for a few seconds

I listen to him instructing my father, and at the same time get a better understanding of the kite myself

My father doesn't get on well - old dog and new tricks eh?

He sets up with his "Night" rev half vent

I already had my Black Rainbow half vent out

After a while, he reccomends we go to the full sail

When he was speaking to my dad he mentioned trying to get the rev in a fixed position in the sky

I was practising this, and he gradually worked his way over

Next thing I know he has me doing rev pairs

I got such a buzz from it

I'd say a similar buzz as I got from flying a rev for the first time

I think I learnt more yesterday than I have in the last few months

Really forced me to concentrate on what I was doing instead of just standing there and trying stuff, and because I was overdoing stuff, not really knowing "exactly" what was causing it and thus not learning from it

We have the first kite festival of the year next weekend, at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire ( U.K.) and I can't wait to get out there and hopefully try a bit more of flying with another rev flyer again

[Reef Runner]

1. If all it would have cost me was the admission that i had forgot my handles, I'd have GIVEN him a spar set, to go flying with another rev flyer.

2. Off to the online kitestore to get even more different linesets and handles. I WILL NEVER BE WITHOUT THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AGAIN!

3. (Think of Scarlett's many shouted declarations in GWTW. Or don't. It's not pretty. Wine, wine, wine; cursed by the fumes of wine. But I love it so.)

1. There was some kind of compatiblity problem, can't remember exactly what, but I think he had an SLE, and I had 1/4", or it may have been Rev I vs. 1.5

2. But no matter how many your've got, you've still got to remember to take them with you

3. Did you really say that ?

[Wayne Dowler]

Youse guyses stories are too funny!!!

[--Pete]

3) I'm afraid I DID say that. I recognize the story AND the style. Somewhere, I am (self-)described as a bon vivant and raconteur which really just means that I like to enjoy myself and tell stories. It shows.

2) As with tools, if you keep getting more until you have a copy of everything in every location where you might need it, eventually it doesn't matter whether you can remember things. Now -- a complete flying set in every vehicle seem about right.

[Reef Runner]

Now -- a complete flying set in every vehicle seem about right.

That seems just about "perfect". As for myself, I just try to keep everything in one bag, that way, if I forget the bag, well, I have forgotten the , well, let's don't even go there

I think you should have it covered now.................

[Guru4tru]

I made a wooden box for my Revs. Each line set has it's own compartment (9 total) and there is a place for additional rods and handles...with a spare parts section. This is a picture of my old box:

I made one slightly larger recently when I got my last Rev. and put a mahogany stain on it. It holds 4 Revs. and all that goes with it. I need a strong wooden box so I can slam tail gates and doors on it without fear! heehee!!

Keep It Up!

Duane