Jeepster Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Since I finished my latest foil kite two days ago, the new-kite terrible weather patterns have been hanging around central Illinois. Last night's storm left town during the night and the result was a blue sky, 10 to 16 mph winds and 33 degree temps. So off to the flying field I went the new kite. The winds were high enough that I should have had tube tails on it ... they're on order, but not here yet. I added the banner tails instead ... they don't add much drag, but they were close enough for pictures. The kite measures approximately 90 sq ft. With Kite Party around the corner and spring festivals soon after that, the building table will remain empty for a couple of months. Cheers, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru4tru Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hey Red Jeepster, (I'll call you “RJ” for short...heehee!!) Hey "RJ"....I've got some questions on this one!! It was like just "yesterday" that you showed a “mini foil” you had made and you were talking about making a 100 sq. footer....Did you make this kite since then??? (If so that's unbelievable to me!) Or did you buy it...if so...from who?? Whatever....””IT"S BEAUTIFUL!!”” I love it!! (If you made it yourself...send me your price on a copy! heehee!!) If you keep this up...by the next Treasure Island Kite Festival (TISKC) you’ll be giving “What a Kite—Barry” some serious competition!! heehee!! I’ll help you set up too!! heehee!! Keep It Up! Duane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Ooooo, purty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Yes, I made this one also. Took about a week of part time work. Wasn't going to start on it until after vacation, but ... You haven't seen some of the big kites that Barry has in his fleet! He has a 2200 sq ft kite called Pee Wee. And a 500 sq ft self designed kite that has the same cross color pattern as my 20 sq footer. Barry has a 5000 sq ft shop - designed for commercial use - that is his hobby shop. He builds, repairs and cleans kites full time as a hobby. He simply loves big kites and helping folks get big kites in the air. So, couldn't beat out Barry in two life times. Thanks for the compliments ... Cheers, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Tom, Completely sweet kite. Pops out in the sky. I don't know about you in Central IL, but here in St. Louis we had a tornado last night. I went out at 5 am to catch the last of the winds, after the rain and flying debris was over. How did you get that big thing down to the ground again? Is there a Kite Party locally that I could get to from here, or are you going to strut your stuff at Huntington Beach? I can't seem to find much kite action here in the Midwest. Any hints? Congrats on the kite. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Tom, Completely sweet kite. Pops out in the sky. I don't know about you in Central IL, but here in St. Louis we had a tornado last night. I went out at 5 am to catch the last of the winds, after the rain and flying debris was over. How did you get that big thing down to the ground again? Is there a Kite Party locally that I could get to from here, or are you going to strut your stuff at Huntington Beach? I can't seem to find much kite action here in the Midwest. Any hints? Congrats on the kite. Mitch Mitch, Thanks for the compliment ... I have pulley on a strap to bring down the larger kites. Some folks use a carabiner on a strap ... put either of them over the line and walk the line down. The third way is to simply walk the line down hand-over-hand. Go visit the IKE website for info on local festivals. In the forum pages you'll find write-ups from various members about most of the festivals. Kite Party is a unique situation where Dave Shankman, owner of The Kite Connection, runs the weekend like a get together amongst friends rather than a festival. However locally(?), you might check out the Grand Haven festival in late May, the Milwaukee festivals during the summer (one on July 4th and one in September I think), and also look at Kites Over Lake Michigan up in Two Rivers, WI (it's usually the week end before the Milwaukee festival. Sign up as a member of IKE ... no dues, no meetings, just a group of like minded folks from around the world ... plus, the forum to communicate quickly with each other on current events. The main group is in northern Illinois, but Ahmayzon is a member and lives in the St Louis area. A quick PM to her might get you hooked up with others in your area. Cheers, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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