Finally, after several months of missed opportunities and calm days, I was able to get my kite out for the first time and test my mettle against Mother Nature’s breezes. After doing some work around the house on Saturday, I loaded my kite into the car and headed to the park. It was a slightly overcast day with a few sprinkles here and there but nothing that was serious enough to discourage my attempt at flying the largest kite I’ve ever owned.
After some awkward time spent getting everything laid out and connecting all the cables, I gave the control bar a tug. In the blink of an eye the three meters worth of material was racing to the sky and I was pretending that I had a clue as to what I was doing. My plan was to try and fly the kite around and get a feel for how strong it would pull at certain points in the wind window.
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to fly the kite; pull a little on the left and it goes left. Pull a little on the right and it goes right. The part that was a touch tricky was keeping the kite in certain areas of the sky without it trying to return to a more neutral position. One thing that amazed me the most was how strong the kite pulled. I expected it to have some force but there were several occasions when I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold on and I could feel myself starting to get dragged across the field. Fortunately, I was able to keep it under control enough to take some of the power out of the kite and recover.
I spent about an hour getting acquainted with the beginning stages of my new hobby and it was all kinds of fun. I realize there is a significant learning curve and I’m looking forward to moving up to bigger and better kites. Of course, Mother Nature decided to bring about eight inches of snow on Sunday so I might not get another opportunity to practice anytime soon.
After some awkward time spent getting everything laid out and connecting all the cables, I gave the control bar a tug. In the blink of an eye the three meters worth of material was racing to the sky and I was pretending that I had a clue as to what I was doing. My plan was to try and fly the kite around and get a feel for how strong it would pull at certain points in the wind window.
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to fly the kite; pull a little on the left and it goes left. Pull a little on the right and it goes right. The part that was a touch tricky was keeping the kite in certain areas of the sky without it trying to return to a more neutral position. One thing that amazed me the most was how strong the kite pulled. I expected it to have some force but there were several occasions when I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold on and I could feel myself starting to get dragged across the field. Fortunately, I was able to keep it under control enough to take some of the power out of the kite and recover.
I spent about an hour getting acquainted with the beginning stages of my new hobby and it was all kinds of fun. I realize there is a significant learning curve and I’m looking forward to moving up to bigger and better kites. Of course, Mother Nature decided to bring about eight inches of snow on Sunday so I might not get another opportunity to practice anytime soon.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment