Kitebuilder.com

[mhartzel]

We've all seen fabulous pictures our creations on a blue (or grey) backdrop... Now how about some pictures of where you fly or test your creations???
_________________
Mark
Sand, Street or Sky... I love to fly.
- Take back the web.

[woodpekr]

I go most of my flying here. Here's another shot.

I'm a lucky guy.
_________________
Rich Durant
Portland, Oregon

[knotronda]

Woodpekr, just think how gorgeous it is when it is sunny! Yes, my flying area looks like this also but without the two big rocks in the middle.

knot(ty)ronda

Lincoln City, Oregon
45th parallel straight to the ocean.

[revflyer]

I generally test fly first, right by my residence. Sometimes depending on the intended wind range, I'm out front in the intersection, even in the living room checking float characteristics by throwing my creation around the furniture. My bride loves when I do these tests <HA!>

After I'm confident enough, I'll drag my sorry-looking prototype out to Lake Fairfax Park in Reston Virginia. It's a great big area allocated to cricket players and occasionally "ultimate fresbie teams" show up. Our kite club has a twice monthly permit to use the cricket fields also. Everyone knows me ("some even like you", in the words of Barbara!), so the rangers open up the locked gates or give us permission to fly in the parking lots, if the grounds are closed for flooding or icy conditions.

There are about 10 or 12 football field-sized areas up on top of hill, with the trees surrounding it far enough away to prevent turbulence. Since the location is several hours distance from the coast, it's also probably not windy there either. So our modifications are generally targets at Super Ultra light or indoor-worthy kites.

My fellow members will want a turn on anything set-up in front of them. Sharing kites is so cool, . . . many of us play with modifications or jump around on each others wings. The question comes down to "does the flyer have enough experience to feel the difference in my modification efforts?". We'll see newbies occasionally out there too, or little kids of the others using the grounds. I wonder if I can teach them to fly quad? Can my prototype survive a newbie's hard landings? What did my friends think of my efforts? Do they have valuable input to affect forward progress, or is this another dead-end street I've driving down for the last two weeks? As disturbing as this sounds, I'd rather they be honest (And they ARE!) than to keep wasting my time and resources. A new, fresh opinion can be very beneficial with design problems.

The longer I fly kites the more important "location" becomes. A crappy kite will fly if the conditions are perfect, whereas the ultimate wing is useless if the location is wholly inadequate.

The worst thing about my flying/testing field is that when you get the kite perfect there, it's probably too delicate for competition locations by the sea. I have several kites that now feature cigar-burned holes across the sails in an effort to make emergency vents appropriate to conditions on the beach. I'm embarrassed to tell you, I pray for no-wind whenever I compete. Those are my local conditions and my kites perform perfectly at Lake Fairfax. All that darn wind is ruining everything for me! I see no reason to work on music or a routine, nothing will be as I want it when it's crunch time anyway. Why bother, just put something on and I'll fly to it, . . . Too bad those five folks holding clipboards can't see me back home HA!

[KiteSquid]

my tesing field looks like my front yard, kite cave or the local high school football field.

My Thomas Jefferson Edo took his first flight at a church in Harrisonburg VA, over 2 hours away....
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[kitepoor]

I will always remember that...
I've never seen a kite so carefully thought out and executed
and it flew
boy did it fly
what a weekend
_________________
Randy
a kite a nice thing
kite in the air a beautiful thing
kites to share the coolest thing

[mhartzel]

Here I am at the 'bridle test location' The 'flight characteristic field' is out back behind the complex.
_________________
Mark
Sand, Street or Sky... I love to fly.
- Take back the web.

[KiteSquid]

[Stan]

I fly on a lawn by Mission Bay, surrounded by palm trees. It's about four miles from my house, but the gang is there, and the fetch from the bay gives us a steady 7mph breeze. This was taken last month.



Jim, one of my fellow kitemakers holds his handiwork.

Stan

[woodpekr]