Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 04:46:24 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Flying Indoors I'd like to try some indoors flying. The only place that I can think of which is big enough and readily available is the Farnborough Recreation Centre. They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton courts). I reckon that sharing the space between 5 people for 10 quid each would be a fair deal, to try it out as a one-off. Interested? drop me some e-mail. Anyone got access to an empty aircraft hanger? Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Car: +44 831 527 614 Interested in kite traction? mail kites@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 08:03:27 -1000 From: sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <1993Nov1.180327.29711@das.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article , andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: >I'd like to try some indoors flying. The only place that I can think of >which is big enough and readily available is the Farnborough Recreation >Centre. They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton >courts). I reckon that sharing the space between 5 people for 10 quid >each would be a fair deal, to try it out as a one-off. Interested? >drop me some e-mail. > >Anyone got access to an empty aircraft hanger? Andrew, and anyone else interested in indoor flying... You might check with the indoor model airplane guys, they might know of places to fly, or might be able to help with the negotiation for use of space. -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 07:32:13 -1000 From: steveth@netcom.com (Steve Thomas) Message-Id: Organization: VisionAire, San Francisco, CA Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: >I'd like to try some indoors flying. The only place that I can think of >which is big enough and readily available is the Farnborough Recreation >Centre. They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton >courts). I reckon that sharing the space between 5 people for 10 quid >each would be a fair deal, to try it out as a one-off. Interested? >drop me some e-mail. > >Anyone got access to an empty aircraft hanger? > You really don't need a place that large. At the convention, we were flying in the lobby of the Seaside Convention Center--which is about 5 meters tall, and about 5m x 5m of floor space. These were difficult conditions to be sure, but you really don't need that much space, if you fly on short enough lines. For beginners, I'd suggest about 12 foot (4 meter) lines. Along with the height of yourself with your arms reached out, 4 meter lines allows you to fly in rooms as low as 6 meters. You'll find that many two story loft areas in buildings are close to this size. When your just starting out, you really need more floor space than anything else. This makes learning indoors a lot easier--for the most part, your first tendancy is to run around a lot, which requires a lot of room (after you learn, though, you find you don't do a lot of running). You'll find that *very* large rooms such as airplane hangers get rather drafty--which is really annoying when you're trying to fly in absolute zero... -- _______ Steve Thomas steveth@netcom.com "I'm doing just fine. I took stock in a Mace company right before society crumbled." -- Selma/Simpson's = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 08:59:36 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Flying Indoors >>Anyone got access to an empty aircraft hanger? > >Andrew, and anyone else interested in indoor flying... > >You might check with the indoor model airplane guys, they might know >of places to fly, or might be able to help with the negotiation for >use of space. Is this the stuff where the planes weigh about nothing and fly at less than walking speed? I saw it once on telly a decade or so ago. I'd love to meet these guys and try it. Is the a UK association? Anyone got a phone number or contact point? Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Car: +44 831 527 614 Interested in kite traction? mail kites@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 08:57:02 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article steveth@netcom.com (Steve Thomas) writes: >>They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton courts). >You really don't need a place that large. At the convention, we were >flying in the lobby of the Seaside Convention Center--which is about 5 meters >tall, and about 5m x 5m of floor space. I can see that you would want a smaller space for Rev flying, but I suppose that I was really thinking about Flexifoils and Liteflites, which I think I would want more space for. I would want to try out: Gaining ground - Launch, fly and then land beyond the launch point (no 360) I think that this may need more line. Ultra light flexifoil - the glide takes room Flexi stack - the stack takes room Lightflite - the glide takes room 5m Peel - not a small kite 15m Peel - I can't even lay this out in 5mx5m :-) Parachute Rev I & II. I know that these are all possibilities because I have done 360's with them all, but I can't wait to gain the experience of real zero. >Steve Thomas What do you prefer fly indoors, Steve? Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Car: +44 831 527 614 Interested in kite traction? mail kites@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 10:08:28 -1000 From: steveth@netcom.com (Steve Thomas) Message-Id: Organization: VisionAire, San Francisco, CA Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: >In article steveth@netcom.com (Steve Thomas) writes: >>>They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton courts). >>You really don't need a place that large. At the convention, we were >>flying in the lobby of the Seaside Convention Center--which is about 5 meters >>tall, and about 5m x 5m of floor space. >I can see that you would want a smaller space for Rev flying, but I suppose >that I was really thinking about Flexifoils and Liteflites, which I think >I would want more space for. I would want to try out: I don't fly Rev's, I fly wings... see below... > >Gaining ground - Launch, fly and then land beyond the launch point (no 360) > I think that this may need more line. >Ultra light flexifoil - the glide takes room >Flexi stack - the stack takes room >Lightflite - the glide takes room >5m Peel - not a small kite >15m Peel - I can't even lay this out in 5mx5m :-) >Parachute >Rev I & II. > >I know that these are all possibilities because I have done 360's with them >all, but I can't wait to gain the experience of real zero. > >>Steve Thomas >What do you prefer fly indoors, Steve? I fly the Streaker-Indoor, by Buena Vista Kite Co., San Francisco. This is a fairly standard (in basic shape, anyhow) 6' 10" dart. The Streaker Indoor is what I was flying at the Convention. I fly it usually on about 12 foot lines, but when we were flying in the lobby, we went down to 8 foot. The Streaker Indoor weighs in at about 4.5 oz., and has termendous lift for its size. Also, since it's a tad smaller and quicker than some of the kites you were talking about, it's much easier to fly in smaller spaces. Anyhow, I've never tried larger non-dart kites like the ones you are talking about, but they sound like a lot of running around (at the Convention, I demonstrated how to keep my Streaker-Indoor flying while actually standing in one place--using entirely arm motion). Have fun... -- _______ Steve Thomas steveth@netcom.com "I'm doing just fine. I took stock in a Mace company right before society crumbled." -- Selma/Simpson's = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:11:44 -1000 From: sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <1993Nov2.221144.13411@das.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article , andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: >Is this the stuff where the planes weigh about nothing and fly at less >than walking speed? I saw it once on telly a decade or so ago. I'd >love to meet these guys and try it. Is the a UK association? Anyone >got a phone number or contact point? Yeah, this is pretty amazing stuff. The international class has a minimum weight limit of 1 gram on a plane with a 65 cm wingspan. To the metrically impaired, a U.S. penny weighs a little more than 3 grams, and 65 cm is a little more than 25.5 inches. There was (and probably is) a group in the UK actively engaged in flying these things. One of the best flying sites in the world was (is?) a dirigible hangar in England somewhere... -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 23:37:21 -1000 From: terryh@ukcsd.uk.sun.com (Terry Heatlie - Sun UK - Tech Support ) Message-Id: <2b7u4h$fd@uk-usenet.uk.sun.com> Subject: Re: Flying Indoors In article <1993Nov2.221144.13411@das.harvard.edu>, sasaki@netop3.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) writes: |> |> In article , andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: |> >Is this the stuff where the planes weigh about nothing and fly at less |> >than walking speed? I saw it once on telly a decade or so ago. I'd |> >love to meet these guys and try it. Is the a UK association? Anyone |> >got a phone number or contact point? |> [...] |> |> There was (and probably is) a group in the UK actively engaged in |> flying these things. One of the best flying sites in the world was |> (is?) a dirigible hangar in England somewhere... The airship sheds at Cardington, Bedfordshire. Regards, Terry Heatlie. terry.heatlie@sun.com (internet). terry.heatlie@sun.co.uk (JANET) ___ Disclaimer: all my own work (except this disclaimer, which I nicked). \ / *** I want to go to 'Frisco bay, drink my liquor and spend my pay *** V = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 20:32:23 -1000 From: brentw@netcom.com (Brent C. Williams) Message-Id: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Subject: Re: Flying Indoors andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: >I'd like to try some indoors flying. The only place that I can think of >which is big enough and readily available is the Farnborough Recreation >Centre. They want 50 quid per hour for their gym (size of 8 badminton >courts). I reckon that sharing the space between 5 people for 10 quid >each would be a fair deal, to try it out as a one-off. Interested? >drop me some e-mail. >Anyone got access to an empty aircraft hanger? This sounds like the sort of thing that would be popular in Japan. In Tokyo, on the Expressway #9, coming in to town from Narita, is a huge indoor ski slope, in a building built especially for the purpose. It looks like it is about 30 stories high -- you can see it for miles. Elsewhere in Tokyo, there is an indoor beach. So the climate seems right for "indoor sky" where you can go fly kites indoors and use their synthetic but variable wind speed to practice with your Hawaiian or Spinoff in the middle of a typhoon. -brent -- -brent williams (brentw@netcom.com) san jose, california "There's a special place for lovers, one we understand, there where neon bends the daylight sky. In that sunny room, she soothes me, cools me with her fan. We're drifting, a thousand years roll by." = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 11:13:18 -1000 From: ar779@YFN.YSU.EDU (Kerry Adams) Message-Id: <2bmcpe$82e@news.ysu.edu> Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net Subject: Re: Flying Indoors Talking of flying indoors, an interesting one tried at the Le Touquet meeting in France last year was flying in a swimming pool. This was using an 8ft kite, the Sandpiper (lightweight) on very short lines. This strange pastime was at the meal on the saturday night in the pool at the Aqualud, the water centre where we eat. if I remember correctly the main culprits were Chris Matterson and Carl Robertshaw (of Airkraft) They were trying to fly it under a waterfall, but never got the timing quite right.. I even have the photos to prove it!! Kerry Adams ------ kda@mail.soton.ac.uk = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =