Category: Kite News

Our Kites Are Multiplying Like Rabbits

Sutton 4s
Sutton 4s

This past week I scored some new kites on Ebay.  Three, new-in-package, Sutton 4 flowforms were up for bids and I won two of them.  Sutton flowforms haven’t been in production since around 2010.  They were made by Air Affairs in Pennsylvania and came in several different sizes.  Though I believe the largest sizes were only made by custom order.  One of the first kites my husband bought was a Sutton 16, a mid-size flowform.  My two Sutton 4s are the smallest of the Sutton family of kites.

Saturday night I made tails for the two Suttons and got them ready for an inaugural fly at the regular weekly kite fly at Fort Macon State Park.  As usual, the wind was low and it was doubtful that the little guys would fly.  But the weather was the best it has been in quite a while so it was a day not to be wasted.  Brett, from the Kites Unlimited kite shop, arrived and together we got them up long enough for me to get some images.  Then I packed them away, put up a Skate and sat back to enjoy the peaceful beach and visit with other kite fliers.

Brett Flying While Took Photos
Brett Flying While I Took Photos

My husband joined me later with a kite he had bought a couple of days before, a Malay Diamond by Into The Wind.  It is a very large diamond kite which comes in two color variations.  John chose the one entitled “Sunrise”.  It should be no surprise that the other one is entitled “Sunset”.  The wind was still low when he got there but this kite went up like a dream and hung in the sky like it was anchored there.  So easy and so beautiful.  In higher winds, we have a rainbow streamer tail to add to it for greater stability.  Not needed today.

Malay Diamond - Sunrise
Malay Diamond – Sunrise

As the afternoon approached, the wind picked up and I was able to fly the Suttons.  They flew very well with a little more wind.  We ended up with quite a nice display in the sky.  All kites flying calm and steady.  And we fliers relaxing on the beach, enjoying the beautiful, beautiful day.

Color In The Sky
Color In The Sky

Fair Winds All

Celebrating The Earth With Color In The Sky

The Carolina Kite Club joined Fort Macon State Park in celebrating Earth Day.  Local groups and organizations set up demonstrations and exhibits concerning ecology, conservation, animals and nature in the visitor center.  The club put up a display of kites and banners on the nearby beach, all of which were easily visible while driving into the park and walking about the Fort.  Quite a few people walked down to the beach to see the kites close up and talk to the fliers.

Earth Day at Fort Macon State Park
Earth Day at Fort Macon State Park

Large flowforms, power sleds and deltas dotted the sky.  Many of which had long tails which added to the display.  Because it was a special occasion, the park ranger brought one of his trucks onto the beach to be used as an anchor for some extremely large inflatable kites.  We were able to launch a large gecko, a smaller trilobite and a large crab.

Flowforms, Deltas, Power Sled, Rokkaku
Flowforms, Deltas, Power Sled, Rokkaku

EarthDay3

Gecko, Trolibite and Crab
Gecko, Trilobite and Crab

All of this was a major feat as the wind was not in our favor.  The weather predictions were for 10 to 15 mile per hour winds.  What we got were 5 to 7 with periods of no wind at all.  I gave up trying to fly my collection of Xelons and flew a couple of  Skates, a Dunston-Taylor box and a Fled.  All low wind kites.  Some stunt kites were up for a while but no one flew anything  for long.

The sky remained cloudy all day and toward the end of the event, it tried to rain a little.  Just enough to make us all take the kites down and pack them away.  As the last of the large kites were being stuffed into their bags, the wind jumped up to around 25 miles per hour.  The sand was swept across the beach with such force it looked like clouds skimming the surface.  We were thankful that there were no kites up, especially the very large ones, as they could have easily broken loose and been lost.

Sand Blowing Across the Beach
Sand Blowing Across the Beach

All in all, it was a good event.  Kites were up and we got to visit and catch up with some of our out-of-town club members who came to add to the “color in the sky”.

Fair Winds All