Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 05:31:17 -1000 From: andrewh@qmw.ac.uk (Andrew Hawken) Message-Id: <2o3tc5$4un@beta.qmw.ac.uk> Organization: Elec. Eng. QMW Uni. of London Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) In article vo@tug.com, andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: > >Final point: Don't develop the wrong attitude: Fly your kite till you >wear it out, patch it up, then fly it more. Also, you arn't ready to enjoy >flying fully until you are prepared to hand it to someone else, watch them >loose it or destroy it and then laugh it off. > >Andrew Thats a cool attitude Andrew, I wish that I quite had it. Wear out and Patch, yes, you should see my original Peter Powels! as for letting others fly, I am happy enough with the flexis, as I fly them in a sensible place, and I will only hand them to friends, or people who seem to know what they are doing, I have also let strangers fly my Spectre X. (Unfortunatly they did not trash it!) But I really would have problems if something serious got trashed or lost. I agree with a destructive attitude towards the kites (and to some extent myself) in power kiting, most Mondays I come to work with a new set of bruises. If they were all in the same place then I would wear padding, but at the current rate, I would have to wear American Football kit! To enjoy power kiting, you have to push everything to the limit. I just wish I had the money to laugh off the destruction of any kite! Instead I have been thinking for some time about making up a set of "Dual Controls", two handles on each line. I often get kids wanting to fly the stack of flexis, and this is clearly out of the question without something. I saw TV coverage of Blackheath last night, and Andy King was using just such an arrangement but I have some reservations about the safety of this setup, and quite how it would work without getting "very friendly" with the novice flyer! At best I think that I would end up trampling on them, at worst, slicing bits of them off with the lines. I think that I would use sleeved line for the interconnect, but even so, I dont know how safe this is, and with other peoples kids, I really want them to go home whole! Any Ideas ? ____________________________Andrew Hawken______________________________ -- "However many ways there may be of being alive, it is certain that there are vastly more ways of being dead" R Dawkins. Home : 0895 420110 QMW : 071 975 5542 AIIT : 0494 677045 Email : A.Hawken@QMW.AC.UK = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 14:53:48 -1000 From: rec@dancer.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Raymond E. Cline) Message-Id: <2o4uas$rho@dancer.ca.sandia.gov> Organization: Sandia National Laboratories Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) As far as allowing (or I prefer helping) others to fly your kites. I always have at least two pairs of handles (homemade so they are cheap). When someone wants to try that I'm not sure about, or I know is not strong enough like my kids, I attach a second pair of handles and use them as a safety set. You can do this with your kids by sitting on the ground and having them sit on your lap, this technique is usually not prefered by friends and strangers. For "non-kids" try the reach around methods until they get the hang of it. If there is nothing, and more importantly no one, to run into then get out that old Spin-off or other "used to be favorite" kite and let them try it. By the way, I have a Texas Wasp that has worn through the nose and I'd like to get the webbing replaced. Any good suggestions out there as where to send it for surgery? Ray = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 09:18:12 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) In article <2o3tc5$4un@beta.qmw.ac.uk> andrewh@qmw.ac.uk writes: >[about methods for letting novices & kids fly stacks of flexies] >Any Ideas ? I have a happy memory of flying my 5m Peel on a hilltop next to Corfe Castle with a [err.. I'll guess] 8 year-old girl. She took one handle and I took the other. All she needed to do was to hold on tight and [try to!] stand still, and "she" could feel the power and "control" the kite through turns and passes. "she" even managed a couple of tip-stands! Andrew -- andrew@tug.com Home phone: +44 256 464 912 Work fax: +44 793 614 297 Snail mail: PO Box 109, Basingstoke, RG22 4SW, UK You can FTP the kite FAQ's from ftp.hawaii.edu (directory /pub/rec/kites/faq) The FAQ's include lists of kite stores, kite books, kite plans. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 02:28:26 -1000 From: dickbell@netcom.com (Dick Bell) Message-Id: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) Raymond E. Cline (rec@dancer.NoSubdomain.NoDomain) wrote: : By the way, I have a Texas Wasp that has worn through the nose and I'd like to get the : webbing replaced. Any good suggestions out there as where to send it for surgery? Ray, The best bet would be to get the original designer to fix it for you. If you have an AKA directory look up Terry Crumpler and call him. He might be able to help you out. I'm not sure what he's doing right now as he has had a recent Heart Attack and I do not know how bad it was. Just got back from the Bluebonnet Fest and they had a special Kite Auction to help with his expenses. If you do need his number let me know and I shall get it for you. Later. P.S.- I hope this posting wasn't in bad taste considering the recent events with Terry but then again He may need something like this to help him along??? Just trying to help. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dick Bell dickbell@netcom.com Dallas, Texas = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 13:56:25 -1000 From: chris@sound.demon.co.uk (Chris Lamb) Message-Id: <766133785snx@Sound.demon.co.uk> Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) In article <2o3tc5$4un@beta.qmw.ac.uk> andrewh@qmw.ac.uk writes: > > I just wish I had the money to laugh off the destruction of any kite! Instead > I have been thinking for some time about making up a set of "Dual Controls", two > handles on each line. I often get kids wanting to fly the stack of flexis, > and this is clearly out of the question without something. I saw TV coverage > of Blackheath last night, and Andy King was using just such an arrangement but I have > some reservations about the safety of this setup, and quite how it would work without > getting "very friendly" with the novice flyer! At best I think that I would end > up trampling on them, at worst, slicing bits of them off with the lines. > > I think that I would use sleeved line for the interconnect, but even so, I dont > know how safe this is, and with other peoples kids, I really want them to go > home whole! > > Any Ideas ? I've tried this using about 10 foot of mountainering rope between the handles, two of us had a ball trying to fly infinitys in a strong wind with a 7.5m2 peel. NOTE: this is not safe, we were sitting down and when one of us (usually the front person) got pulled to the side and lost there grip we would both end up sliding down the field, until we could "park" overhead, fun yes, but I hate to move without 3 (or 4) wheels and a couple o' bits of stainless steel tubing underneath me. We also had a much lighter 13 year old on the front handles, he was just thrown side to side and lifted i.e. I was flying him AND the kite. DON'T do it with hard pulling kites. If someone wants to fly give them a SINGLE flexi, break that and I'll be impressed. Chris Lamb O--------------------------------------------------------------------------O | "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." | | - Inigo Montoya "The Princess Bride" | O--------------------------------------------------------------------------O | Anytime I see something screech across a room and latch onto someones | | neck, and the guy screams and tries to get it off, I have to laugh, | | because what is that thing. | O--------------------------------------------------------------------------O | Duct tape is like the Force: | | It has a light side and a dark side and it holds the Universe together. | O----------------------------------O----------------------------O----------O |InterNet - Chris@Sound.Demon.Co.Uk| QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM |Chris Lamb| O----------------------------------O----------------------------O----------O = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 00:47:49 -1000 From: mikec@micromuse.co.uk (Mike Carden) Message-Id: <2odu8l$jm4@jake.micromuse.co.uk> Organization: MicroMuse Ltd, London, England Subject: Re: Advice on proper care (of others!) Andrew Hawken (andrewh@qmw.ac.uk) wrote: : Thats a cool attitude Andrew, I wish that I quite had it. Wear out and : Patch, yes, you should see my original Peter Powels! as for letting others : fly, I am happy enough with the flexis, as I fly them in a sensible place, : and I will only hand them to friends, or people who seem to know what they : are doing, I have also let strangers fly my Spectre X. Perhaps Andrew should also have said that he normally flies two of my flexis as well as his own. I find that people tend to treat others kites just as the would their own ... when they are all in the same stack! There was a point when we didn't have a clue as to which kite was whose. (Probably still don't) As for dual-pilot flying, I think this is fine in low winds/ with low pull kites, however I wouldn't even consider it in a decent wind. (Of course, you could always buy a tandem sky diving harness if you really want to do this sort of thing! :-) ) (Andy H. will testify that it can be quite painful even when just holding onto the person flying! I managed to kick him in the face on one occasion during take-off ... not the kites, but mine. ) If you can not handle the kite, go for something smaller or more sedate. I think Andy actually takes my kites out of the stack! Soft landings. -- |\ /|*| __ | MicroMuse PLC. | ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN, SAD AS THEY MAY BE! | \ / |||_/ |__ | T 081 875 9500 |"His mouth started to speak, but his brain | \/ ||| \ | | F 081 875 9995 | decided it hadn't got anything to say yet | ||| \|__ | H 0895 854 743 | and shut it again." THHGTTG Douglas Adams = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =