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WOW This is GREAT!!


Guru4tru
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John..."thank you" so much for the new "Heading"!!

My thinking on "Where did you fly today & what were you flying?" is that this would not only be a great way for us lone flyers (and others) to connect to other flyers, but...for the "new flyers".

A lot of new flyers go out and buy a kite and find it so frustrating, confusing or difficult that they give it up after only a time or two out.

I can remember my beginning with a "Quantum".....right off the bat it headed up in the sky in a heavy wind and the metal line clip broke...what a disaster!! I almost throw it away too and was going to go on to something else.....except for those few seconds of joy!!

For the new flyer, who isn't used to flying or forums, they just keep things like that to themselves. With this heading they will, hopefully, be more open about talking and sharing their experiences about such things and they will be able to get some assistance and support from those who have been through their "first experiences in the air"!

(is that Baloo?)

And maybe that "beginner problems" could be noted under the heading---"And tell us about any problems you're having"...or something like that.

Thanks again!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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BTW--- I got into kiting alone and after the clip on the Quantum broke, and while I was waiting for parts, I knew how to fix the problem. I went to a deep sea fishing store and bought these gihugeic steel swivels and I figured that the ball bearings in them would help to keep the line from twisting too....they cost about $3 or $4 each! Heehee!!

=======

And if it wasn’t for Choccy’s help I might have given up on the Rev. and I even questions her wisdom! She wrote me an e-mail:

“Duane, make sure you put the vertical rods on the back of the Rev.”

“Choccy, are you sure about that? I believe the poles should go on the front?”

“Yes, Duane, I’m sure.....! (that was funny!)

=======

My wife works during the day, so she can’t fly with me. But KWMF, I think you are right!!...”I need a girlfriend!!” But, she’ll have to have her own kites, because I can’t afford another set, for sure!

Hmmmmm...””HEY JYNX!!!”” “Ever think of moving your retirement to Florida????” (you can e-mail me...heehee!)

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When you fly alone lone enough...you get creative....I have a SKYFORM60 (named Sundancer) that I put up in the air and then I take out my Rev. (named Elvira—she’s sexy) and they perform a “Mating Ritual”. Elvira dances around Sundancer, rubbing against him and flying circles around him and playing with his tail a little...then she goes into an inverted hover, and then.....well, you have to see it to appreciate it. Maybe I’ll video tape it some time and post it in the “Adult Section”. It will probably be the first “Kite Porn Movie” ever made!! Heehee!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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Well, I flew a couple days ago on a snowy field with next to no wind. Not enough wind for the Fearless SUL, so I switched to a PBSK Vanishing Point. That gave me my half-hour fix before sunset. The field was Q Gardens in Queens, NY, if anyone knows where that is.

~Rob.

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Hi Rob,

I had to google search "PBSK Vanishing Point" to find out what it was and I came up with this:

If your kite looks anything like this...then you've really got a beautiful kite there!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

Hey Duane...

I know whose kite that used to be, but I don't know who bought it. Lucky person, imagine what that kite must look like backlit by the sun... Mine has a less striking design, but I like it...

VanishingPoint.jpg

~Rob

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Rob...heres another picture of that kite with more light behind it, but I couldn't copy the picture.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1439083294064770744rVDzlM

Your kite is great looking to...and if I was flying in the snow...or white sand--which is more likely...heehee!...I'd prefer yours. The white one would probably just look like a white blur on a white surface!! heehee!!

Hi Tony,

I went back to your link and found that kite. Very interesting looking!! I'd like to try flying one of those sometime.

=================================

When I was at Treasure Island (TISKC) one of my friends was eating lunch and he looked out the window over the field of kites and said, "There's Duane!" without ever seeing me...just my kite. And when I got home my wife and I were going over the photos and she said, "Whose that?" I couldn't see the person very well because of shadows, but saw his kite and said, "Oh, that's MrDenny!" When we recognize people by their kites instead of their person....you know we have an very unusual set of priorities!! heehee!

===========

Damn it though!! I think I know where this is all going. I spent my fly time Thursday trying to keep my Rev. off the ground...which was impossible at times, because of the light to no wind...(and tomorrow's forcast isn't any better)...I'm fighting away and you two are just flying high with your "light weighters"!

Let's see, I have a birthday in September and Christmas isn't all that far away..."right"?!?! heehee!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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Duane,

Loved watching the SLK at TI ... the only improvement would be to run the warm colors side to side on the kite. That color pattern is on my to-do list.

Cheers,

Tom

OK Jeepster...What's an SLK...I know what an SLE is, I know TI is Treasure Island! It isn't "Super Leading Kite"??? That doesn't make any sense...OK...I give!

I remember when I first came to the kite forums...All these initials..."What the hell are these people talking about??" And I still go blank at times on some of them!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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Hi Tony,

I went back to your link and found that kite. Very interesting looking!! I'd like to try flying one of those sometime.

Out of all the glider kites that I have, the Horvath Hybrides are my favorite.

Damn it though!! I think I know where this is all going. I spent my fly time Thursday trying to keep my Rev. off the ground...which was impossible at times, because of the light to no wind...(and tomorrow's forcast isn't any better)...I'm fighting away and you two are just flying high with your "light weighters"!

Duane, have you ever thought about putting a small electric motor and propeller on your rev? ;)

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Hey Duane...

Funny thing I've found about darker color kites... they're hard to keep track of when they're low to the ground with a dark backround like trees, bushes, or the cliffs that we have on some of our beaches. Also, in the winter when the sun is at a low angle (up here) a light colored kite is easier to track. Some of my kites are all black, or mostly dark, and when you're tricking them it's sometimes difficult to tell which way they're pointing...

As far as low wind flying, doesn't Rev make an SUL ? Or is that strictly for indoor ?

~Rob.

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Duane,

Loved watching the SLK at TI ... the only improvement would be to run the warm colors side to side on the kite. That color pattern is on my to-do list.

Cheers,

Tom

OK Jeepster...What's an SLK...I know what an SLE is, I know TI is Treasure Island! It isn't "Super Leading Kite"??? That doesn't make any sense...OK...I give!

I remember when I first came to the kite forums...All these initials..."What the hell are these people talking about??" And I still go blank at times on some of them!

Keep It Up!

Duane

A SLK is the foil kite you were flying at TI ... it stands for "Single Line Kite".

Cheers,

Tom

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Heehee!! Thanks Tom...I guess I should have been able to figure that one out!!

Well, I'm off to fly my DLK and my QLK. I like to wait till about 11:00am because the wind starts moving best around then usually and the temp. should be in the mid 60's by then. EYHO (eat your heart out) Pacific Northwest!!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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Here I am complaining because of the low wind (in my book--anything under 5mph is low).

But, I got all my kites out to make a new Avatar and I remembered my "Prism 3D". I bought that just after I bought my first real kite, the Quantum, but I wasn't able to fly it well, so I just threw it in my "parts tube" and basically forgot about it. (Of course I wasn't able to fly anything well during those days.)

This mornings wind was like 0 to 4mph, and I would normally just sit it out, but I took my 3D (her name is Dee Dee) out and flew her. She flys pretty good...and loves to float aroung. I suppose my years of flying has improved my ability enough to start including her in my normal flying routine for 2 to 5mph winds. Now I'm covered, wind wise, down to about 2mph!! (Which is probably good, because I have to mow the grass once in awhile! heehee!)

Keep It Up!

Duane

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... I got all my kites out to make a new Avatar ...

Well Duane, got to say that I like your new avatar ... I'm partial to the warm colors too. But, that fuzzy kite in the center looks a little too heavy to fly well. What kind of a bridle do you use? And, is it a SLK, DLK or QLK?

The only kite flying I'm doing right now is in my mind. Less than 40 days and sand will be under my feet again though ... Huntington Beach is calling.

Cheers,

Tom

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... I got all my kites out to make a new Avatar ...

Well Duane, got to say that I like your new avatar ... I'm partial to the warm colors too. But, that fuzzy kite in the center looks a little too heavy to fly well. What kind of a bridle do you use? And, is it a SLK, DLK or QLK?

The only kite flying I'm doing right now is in my mind. Less than 40 days and sand will be under my feet again though ... Huntington Beach is calling.

Cheers,

Tom

Kite in the middle...kite in the middle...kite in the middle!!

OK, it took me longer then average to figure it out...That's not a kite, "THAT'S ME" (and my cat)!! As for the bridle...I don't know...you'll have to ask my wife...she bought it!! heehee!

Where is Huntington Beach?

Keep It Up!

Duane

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... Where is Huntington Beach?

Keep It Up!

Duane

Huntington Beach, California is along the coast just below Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Kite Connection, on the Huntington Beach Pier, has sponsored Kite Party in the early spring for the last eight years ... this year is Kite Party 9. At Kite Party, festival is considered a dirty word. Folks simply come to Kite Party to hang out and fly kites with others of like mind. Several of us (mainly IKE members) turn it into a six day event. During the week you have to contend with the surfers and sun bathers, but on the weekend there are several huge areas roped off for "official" Kite Party participants. There are some demos ... iQuad, To Much Fun, Ron Desperado, and others ... but, for the most part it is simply what heaven should be like.

Cheers,

Tom

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Hi Jeepster,

That sounds GREAT!! I'd sure love to be there!!

But, Why do all the really good kiting get togethers seem to be on the west coast!! Hell the east coast is a great place to fly too!! Yeah...yeah...I know...pot isn't legal over here...but, that never stopped anyone!! (just kidding!! heehee!!)

Keep It Up!

"Naturally"

Duane

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Hi Jeepster,

That sounds GREAT!! I'd sure love to be there!!

But, Why do all the really good kiting get togethers seem to be on the west coast!! Hell the east coast is a great place to fly too!! Yeah...yeah...I know...pot isn't legal over here...but, that never stopped anyone!! (just kidding!! heehee!!)

Keep It Up!

"Naturally"

Duane

I absolutely will not put up with your whining!!!!

How would you like to live in the mid-west where kiting is an oddity? And beaches, well, there is Lake Michigan, but only about two festivals that take advantage of the beaches. The winter weather around here is simply rotten ... IKE hasn't gotten together for a club fly in over three months. Mumble, mumble ...

Grumpy,

Tom

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Yeah....BUT---You've got lots of wind!!

It seems like everyplace has some good and some lousy in it. The thing to do is to be rich enough to move from one house to another as the weather changes...or have a job like JB's......what a life!! heehee!!

Keep It Up!

Duane

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I was out flying today. I’m trying to learn how to do summersaults back and forth across the wind tunnel with my Rev. I get about half way across and then (most of the time) the Rev. heads toward the ground like a screw driver! heehee!

But, as I was practicing a truck pulled up in the parking lot and they were watching me. So, I took her high in the air and headed her toward the ground at a thousand miles per hour and stopped her just before impact. Then I did a few spins and an inverted slide...AND...and then I realized that there is something GOOD “too”, about flying alone!

If I had an audience watching me, I’d never get to practice the stuff I don’t know how to do...I’d just spend all my time doing what I knew, so I could “Show Off”!! heehee!! ;)

Keep It Up!

Duane

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I absolutely will not put up with your whining!!!!

How would you like to live in the mid-west where kiting is an oddity? And beaches, well, there is Lake Michigan, but only about two festivals that take advantage of the beaches. The winter weather around here is simply rotten ... IKE hasn't gotten together for a club fly in over three months. Mumble, mumble ...

Grumpy,

Tom

======================================

OK...Grumpy, ;)

76 °F

(24 °C) Humidity: 67 %

Wind Speed: SE 14 MPH

Barometer: 30.03" (1017.0 mb)

Dewpoint: 64 °F (18 °C)

Heat Index: 78 °F (26 °C)

Visibility: 10.00 mi

I won't complain today!!

But, remember you have all your "IKE" friends to talk to and fly with...Kitelife is all I have...and about my only contact with the outside kitting world!!!! heehee!! (Of course I talk to Dee Dee, Goldilocks, Elvira, Windy, Sundancer, Destiny, Serenity, and Wild Fire....but, they don't always talk with me!) :)

Keep It Up!

Duane

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