Friday, October 5, 2012

How to Fly a kite

Flying a kite is great fun on a windy day. It's also very relaxing. The following directions will teach you how to fly a kite with a friend.




Steps 

 1.) Find a buddy to help you get the kite into the air.

2.) You should hold the ball of string called the bridle and have your buddy hold the kite or a light framework. The kite should be facing you and the wind. 

3.) Unwind about 15 to 23 meters (16 to 30 yards) of string.

4.)  Signal to your buddy to release the kite. You should pull on the string to launch your kite into the air. 

5.) Pay attention to the wind direction, here is a diagram:

  • Suppose that "I" is you and "U" is the other person holding the kite
    Wind is blowing this direction: I ------------------------------------> U
  •  "I" stands one end (with the string) ------> "U" stands other end ( with the kite)
  
 6.) Make sure the wind is going in a straight line from you to the other person.
7.) To allow the kite to go higher, release length of string. 
8.) To lower the kite, simply pull in the string.


Warnings

  • Avoid flying a kite on a road or anywhere near an electrical wire pole or trees, as a kite needs lots of space and moves around a lot on its way up and down.
  • Do not fly kites during lightning storms.
  • Do not fly your kite near power lines.

 

 

Tips

  • It is best to fly a kite in an open field, such as a soccer field or a grassy field since it is wide and open.
  • The best place to do this is on the beach/standing near a lake. Since out on the ocean there is nothing to block or divert the wind, it would make a better kite flying area.
  • To prevent a kite from crashing:
    • If there is very little wind: run (careful, watch where you are going), remove kite tails and anything that can cause additional drag on the kite and try to make your kite as light as possible. Also, if your kite is going downwards, make the kite's point in the upper direction(by releasing the string slowly) and pull the string as fast as you can.
    • If there is plenty of wind the try the following: tug the line(string) with a pumping motion and let out more line... this works great if you are in a "dive bomb" and can help to recover from that, and if you have already crashed or consider putting a tail or frayed trailing edge or something to create drag on the kite. This will add stability to your kite especially in high wind.



     

 

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