Premier Vision

[thebbqguy]

My wife and I flew the dual line kite today for the first time. I'm not afraid to say she was the first to taste success.

The lessons learned included:

-Wind direction

-Choice of flying location

-Wind forecast

It was fun though.

We scouted out a few places locally. With the good weather the parks were packed. We found one with space and decided to try it.

Unfortunately, the wind direction was tough to decipher. The field is bordered by woodlands on 2 sides. That made the direction change and gust.

[whtmtn]

persistence, and creativity... i flew on the roof of building the other day.

[Kansas Flier]

7 hours ago, thebbqguy said:

We scouted out a few places locally.

You might look at the local schools, elementary to college. Lakes, too. 

7 hours ago, thebbqguy said:

The field is bordered by woodlands on 2 sides.

My usual park has a similar issue. You could go to that park when the winds are blowing in the "right" (N-S as opposed to E-W, for example) direction for the layout of the area. Find another park right for different wind directions. Depending on the types of trees, the wind may act different during different seasons.  One of the nice things about SLK's, is once you get above the trees, you are usually good to go- Trees are not as much of a concern.

7 hours ago, thebbqguy said:

That made the direction change and gust.

Here is Kansas, you can be on the top of the flattest, no-tree-havin' "hill" and the wind will still "direction change and gust". I have also used Up and Down to describe the wind direction. 

[makatakam]

That wind that keeps changing direction is what the weatherman describes as "variable". Sometimes the winds blow from two or three directions and come together at or near where you are flying. Depending on which direction is moving/gusting faster at the moment is the direction that prevails, although only momentarily, and is the direction you feel. Then it changes. Sometimes it changes direction very quickly, sometimes it may take a few minutes -- variable! Sometimes there is no wind, absolute calm. Then suddenly it blows from the west. Then nothing. Then east, etc. This usually happens after 11 am on bright, sunny and calm days. What you experience in that case is a thermal (bubble of air warmed by dark ground that absorbs the sunlight and gets really hot) that rises and air rushes in from all sides surrounding it. If the dark ground surface is large and you are surrounded by it there will be multiple bubbles rising together or alternately, which accounts for the change of direction. Realize that one bubble may be a mile or more in diameter, or as small as an asphalt tennis court. Wind is weird stuff; once you begin investigating its behavior it gets weirder. If you feel or your kite reacts to vertical air movement, either up or down, you are exactly at the center of the bubble (up), or just outside its edge (down). Strange critter, this wind thing. There are a few other (dozens of) possibilities that explain the direction in which the wind moves and the reason for it, I just don't want to type 80 thousand words tonight.

[Breezin]

Would have appreciated at least 60,000 words. Had a long night babysitting my new American Buff goose. Born Friday.Cute little turd bomb.Wouldv'e been a good read. Yesterday flew my vented with average at 20 mph dipped lower more than higher. 2 1/2 hours in winds started dropping a bit. All the sudden wind went to near zero. Kite was coming down and a wind gust came from the opposite direction. Pushed kite went to ground and 5 minutes later wind was blowing from the north again. Went back up back with winds into the low 20's. About 10 minutes in a big gust hit at 25 + and broke a line. Should have not been using 90# sigh. Broke at the kite sleeved end. Best place for a break if there is such a thing. 20 minutes later winds shifted about  1/4 turn,dropped between 10 and 15 and stayed stable for the rest of the day. Switched kites and continued having fun. Only flown in 1 spot on the open prairie. Look at the wind reports every day and it seems about 25% of the time they're off. Conclusion after 6 months in the same place I still don't 100% know what the wind will do from moment to moment.More like 70%.Part of the fun but part of the paranoia too.

[makatakam]

Google "wind map" and you can see how the wind is constant flux and how many different directions are happening at the same time. Now imagine that the map of the country you are looking at is only the county you are in. Well, there won't be quite as much variation locally, but obstructions like moutains, buildings, wooded areas, depressions, river valleys, cold and hot areas of ground will all affect the wind a bit. It never all comes from just one direction except from off the ocean. Too many variables to "pin" it down.