By Milton Drepaul

In my country Guyana this time of the year is associated with kite making and kite flying. It is so traditional in my country that when I first lived away from it I was taken aback that Easter came and there were no kites.

Recently I tried to find out the origins of this tradition. Asking older people only brought vague responses about it being our way of celebrating the resurrection of Christ. When I began researching the history of kites I found out that in both China and India there were long kite traditions. Something clicked. Maybe the Chinese or Indians brought it to Guyana.

As usual there are different claims about where kites originated. In some accounts it is China. Other stories say it began with societies in the South Pacific. The Balinese have a beautiful story on the origin of kites.

Kite flying symbolizes man’s dream of flying. One of the most powerful Greek myths is that of Icarus who flew with wings but went too near the sun which melted the wax holding his wings together. Kites even have their own museums and festivals.The Kite Museum of Ahmedabad in India gives you a glimpse of the history of man’s joy of flying kites.

Kite flying has not only been a recreation it has played important roles in war and science. There is the story of Hsiang Yü who flew a kite at night to frighten the army of Liu Pang founder of the Han dynasty in China. This is the ancient equivalent of our flying black hawk helicopters to scare the Taliban.

There are accounts from 100 BC to 500 AD of generals using kites to send signals, messages and even weapons. They were used for observation and to measure the distance of enemy camps. A modern version of this is pilotless drones doing similar duties.

Many of us have read about Ben Franklin’s kite experiment in 1752.He sent up a kite in a storm to prove that lightning was of the same electric matter as the one that generated electricity. He attached a projecting metal wire to his kite. This drew lightning when an electrified cloud passed over his kite.

Kites played an important role in the development of aircraft. A major milestone in kite flying was in 1870 when an Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave created box-kites whose stability was the inspiration for power driven aeroplanes. Alexander Graham Bell,Samuel Cody and the Wright brothers experimented with very large man-carrying kites and biplane gliders.

From my research the most popular Kite flying countries are China, Japan, India, and Thailand. I was intrigued to read about 'kite fights'. This is something I remember from my childhood. Kite fighters try to cut opponent’s kites down using various methods. The technique used in Afghanistan ( Gudiparan Baz. ) where the string of the tails of the kites are passed through a mixture of ground glass powder and glue to make them capable of cutting either the tails or the string controlling the kite is very familiar to me. Perhaps my Corentyne cousins had some Afghan ancestry!

Some interesting traditional International Kite Flying festivals I found are in Greece, India and Pakistan. Greeks fly kites on the first Monday of Lent. This is known as Clean Monday. Millions fly kites all over northern India during the Indian festival of Makar Sankranti, a spring festival celebrated every January 14 and a public holiday in Gujarat. In neighboring Pakistan, kite flying is done in Basant -their spring festival.

Today we have competitions for multi-line kite flying,precision flying and for the artistic interpretation of music.The Joy of Kite Flying continues.

By Robert Lee

OK so you have bought yourself a 3 meter kite and a buggy and you’re itching to get out on the beach and ride the wind.

Stop there….leave the buggy at home and buy a 2 meter kite!

Although it’s tempting to go out and do it it’s not pleasant finding yourself dragged sideways a long a beach by a kite with the power of a 250cc outboard motor or even worse lifted into the air to be then smashed heavily down onto the beach smashing both yourself and the buggy in the process.

When starting out you have to learn how to use the kite. That’s where a 2 meter kite is useful. Even a child can control one in light winds and when the wind gets up it will drag a 200 lb adult along.

The basic method of starting off is to lay the kite on the ground and walk backwards into the wind extending the lines. Once fully extended with kite full of wind you give a tug and the kite takes off…..and probably so do you.

A safer initial approach:

When you have your kite down on the beach the first thing is to LEAVE IT IN THE BAG. In any sort of wind as soon as the kite is out you’re fighting with it.

Ask someone to accompany you on your first few flights.

Get them to hold the kite within the bag while you extend the lines ACROSS the wind. At 90 degrees to the wind the point of lowest power you will have much more control of the kite once it starts flying.

Check all lines are clear and ask your helper to remove the kite from the bag. Even at 90 degrees to the wind the kite will “find the wind” and inflate.

If your using a four line kite the kite actually flies on the top two lines. The bottom two are “brake line” basically when the kite is in the air if you want to de power the kite or drop it you gently haul back on the bottom lines and the kite stalls and drops.

When your ready ask your helper to release the kite and making sure that the brake lines are slack fly the kite at 45 degrees across the wind until it is directly above you.

In that the position the kite will have maximum lift and almost zero traction. Get a feel for the kite. Pull gently n the brake lines and watch how the kite starts to drop.

Ok lets move the kite:

Pull gently back on the left hand top line. The kite will start to move to the left. Pull back on the right line the kite moves back to the zenith. Try going right.

OK lets land the kite.

Fly the kite slowly at 45 degrees to the location of your helper and as you approach pull back on the brake lines. The kite will settle down to the ground.

Congratulations you can handle a power kite!

Next step a 3 meter kite ..then a 5 then….

By Tim Parish

Riding a wheeled board with a land kite providing the traction is a similar sport to kite surfing. All it really takes to get into kite boarding over land is some open space, a traction kite and a landboard of just about any kind. Oh, and some basic power kite flying skills of course! The idea is to get the kite overhead first. Then, when you are on your board and ready to roll, the kite is brought down to generate some sideways pull like a sail. With the kite moving in the same direction as the board, you are on your way.

Here's some reasons why newcomers to kite sports might prefer boarding with a land kite over kite surfing out on the ocean waves...

* it's a lot easier to learn
* most people get the hang of it in under 2 hours
* the equipment is cheaper
* you don't have to get wet!
* if necessary, power kiting skills can be picked up while you learn

Landboarding has been around since the 90s, and like snowkiting is making use of all the latest traction kite technology. A close relation to the land board is the buggy. It's just a bit bigger and encloses the driver, but the techniques are similar. It's still 4 wheels and a kite. Here some of the names that are used to refer to either one of these variations on the sport:

* kiteboarding
* kite landboarding
* land kiteboarding
* fly boarding
* parakarting
* kite buggying
* land surfing
* kite sailing

The Kites

There are a lot of similarities here with snowkiting. The requirements are so similar. You want a steerable kite with decent pull, crash-proof in case it contacts the ground hard, and packable into a small space for traveling convenience. Also desirable is the ability to re-launch off the ground without having to walk over to it, and the ability to 'depower' the kite during strong gusts of wind.

All that adds up to one particular kind of kite. The parafoil, often abbreviated to just 'foil'. Foils are flexible, with an upper and lower surface when inflated. Openings at the front edge allow air in which pressurizes the kite and makes it behave like an aircraft wing. Most depowerable designs have 4 lines, which allow steering and also the 'angle of attack' to the wind which controls power. Like many modern kites of all types, rip-stop nylon is the most commonly used material for the sail.

Pulling one end of the bar at a time steers the kite. Pulling both ends in towards your body increases the pull of the kite, while letting the bar out decreases the pull of the kite. For emergencies, some land kites have a quick-release mechanism to let you get rid of the kite in a hurry. The people who sell the kites can advise on how to get into the sport with the right gear.

The Boards

Many kite boarders use 'mountain boards' which are basically over-sized skateboards. The wheels are pump-up rather than hard as on traditional roller skates or skate-boards. Since so many people are into these sports, there are many manufacturers all trying to get a piece of the action. That means more different kite board designs than you can poke a stick at!

Even so, it's possible to make some very general statements about all these boards. Here's a few reasons to consider the most expensive boards, if you can afford them...

* these boards are easier to use since they allow turning while traveling at lower speeds
* most of them have 'active suspension', which is handy for doing jumps or going over rough ground
* composite construction is more expensive, but results in much lighter boards - important for kiting

Other Kite Boarding Gear

Did I say all you need is a land kite and a board or buggy? That's not quite true if you want a painless experience! Here's all the other bits of gear that complete the picture.

* a ground-stake to keep the kite tethered when you're not actually using it
* a wind meter so you know exactly what wind strength you are dealing with
* spare parts and repair tape
* tools
* safety equipment such as helmet, kneepads and elbow pads

Conclusion - Where To Do Kite Boarding

The best place to do land kite boarding is any large flat area with constant wind and no obstructions. However, with some care, any open space can be used. You just don't want yourself or the kite to crash into anything. In particular, things to avoid include power cables, buildings and other people.

Here's a summary of the types of areas kite boarders can be seen at.

* parks
* sports fields
* farmers' fields
* large outdoor parking lots
* hard-packed sandy beaches
* school grounds
* dry lake beds

Here in Australia you could probably add clay pans and salt lakes as well!

By Tim Parish

An RC kite is pretty much what it sounds like. That is, a kite-like aircraft fitted with RC (radio control) receiver and pulled through the air with a propeller. In structure, it has a lot in common with kites and yet it is flown around like an RC plane. The man behind the concept is Mr Michael Lim from Singapore. Mr Lim was formerly a jewelry designer but now finds it hard to drag himself away from further research and development of these amazing little flying machines!

Singapore is a crowded city-state-island in South-East Asia, with an enthusiastic and growing crowd of RC kite fliers. In typical Singapore fashion, the scene is very organized with simulator training, a ranking system for fliers and scheduled events.

So what exactly can a radio controlled kite do? It can...

* float around like a glider, with the motor idling
* perform all the basic aerobatic maneuvers like a light aircraft
* 'hang on the prop' in hovering or very slow flight, nose high in the air
* zip around pylons like the Red Bull racers

I should add, only a well-trained pilot can do all the above!

The Best RC Kites Are Made In Singapore

That's right, as of 2008, the good ones are the originals made in Singapore. The original and the best as they say. The first design was named the FireFly and emerged onto the market in the year 2000. This kite featured LED lights around its rim for night flying. The effect gave a lot of pleasure to both the fliers and those looking on.

2001 saw the next generation of kites, named Golden Ingot. But Mr Lim didn't rest, finally bringing out the popular Pro III which is the current entry-level kite. The original colored-LED lights idea has persisted, making night flying a big part of the RC kite phenomenon.

Other kites have been developed too, for specific characteristics. For example, the Scorpion pylon racer.

The frame and RC housing of the kites are made from carbon fiber. That's the same material that is used for the very best spars in ordinary kites. Strong and yet very light. The sails use polyester canvas which resists scratches and tears quite well.

In 2008, people's video of flying events and gatherings are increasing awareness of the RC kite. It's fascinating to watch real precision aerobatics and also the very slow flight capability of RC kites.

To give you some idea of the size and weight of these kites, here's a few basic specs on the Pro III:

* 680mm x 540mm x 55mm in size
* kite itself weighs 45 grams
* kite ready-to-fly weighs 260 grams

Some Thoughts On The RC Kite Scene

My first reaction to reading about this whole scene, and seeing some video? That really looks like fun! With miniaturization as advanced as it is now, something like this had to happen sooner or later. Also, flying indoors takes away a lot of the limitations that the weather imposes on outdoor RC flying.

An RC kite works fine outdoors too, as long as there is not too much wind.

I guess for some successful RC fliers, used to the noise and speed of powerful fuel-driven RC planes, these kites could seem a bit tame. A floating kite just doesn't re-create the feeling of 'flying an aircraft' like a fuel-powered RC plane does.

At $600 for the starter kit, these are not toys. However, a remote control kite does appear flimsy and toy-like at first. Only after looking into it a bit more do you appreciate the achievements of those involved in developing this unique technology.

Kite or RC Plane?

The R C kite seems to have more in common with R C model aircraft than with normal tethered kites.

The construction is very kite-like on most designs, with the sail fabric stretched between a surrounding frame. This isn't much like the well-known diamond kite in the West, but it does have something in common with a particular class of traditional Chinese kite. I'm talking about those kites that have molded bamboo spars and hard edges.

On the other hand, the vertical fin of the Pro III does look more like a model plane fin than the flexible keel of a kite.

In any case, everybody is calling these things RC kites, or air kites so kites they are!

By Tim Parish

Just about any decent sized kite can be used to snow kite. We all know there isn't much friction out there on the snow or ice, particularly if you're wearing skis or skates! So in theory, just about anything with a bit of pull that's hooked up to a kite harness will get you moving. However, from a practical point of view, some kites are much more suited than others.

In fact, some traction kites are made specifically for powering across snow and ice. It's a popular activity too! Just search on YouTube and it's not hard to find a good snowkite video where someone's gliding swiftly across a powdery white landscape.

What Makes A Good Snow Kite?

As a general rule, depowerable 4-line parafoils are ideal for snow kiting. This kind of setup takes care of the 4 most important aspects of a snow kite:

* steerable - of course!
* soft, flexible construction
* reverse launchable
* variable power

It's pretty obvious that you need some sort of steering ability. Just like the mainsail of a sailing boat, you need to position the kite according to whether you are running downwind, crosswind or trying to make progress upwind. On top of that, if you're more adventurous, you might be into getting 'big air' off the ground. This involves flying the kite high and piling on the power.

Like any aerial hobby where you fly something into the air, it's going to hit the ground hard once in a while. It would be frustrating and expensive to always be replacing spars, so a soft flexible design makes the best snowkite. They are easy to pack away and carry too! Parafoil designs are ideal, although even these vary in how much punishment they can take.

What happens if you make a mistake and the kite ends up on the snow? That would be really inconvenient if the kite wasn't reverse launchable. That means you can get the kite into the air again, from where you are, a huge bonus. Just lift off trailing edge first, before you spin it around and start flying leading-edge first as usual.

Conditions on the snow can change every day. For many years, skiers had to own several kites if they wanted to kite ski in a wide range of wind strengths. But now there are kites designed to deliver variable power. The control bar is pushed away from your body to reduce the pull, and pulled in again whenever you need more power. These kites cover the wind strength range of 2 or 3 traction kite sizes.

Parafoils aren't the only type of kite used as a snow kite. A 'C' kite or 'Leading Edge Inflatable' is a style of kite that is mainly used over water. Tubular spars pumped tight with air hold the kite's shape. These are depowerable too. However, you are in trouble if an inflatable spar springs a leak.

Depowerable Or Not?

What's the difference between ordinary 4-line foils and the depowerable variety? The ordinary type have 2 steering lines which hold nearly all the tension most of the time. The other 2 lines are rigged to the rear edges of the kite, which act as brakes. Brakes are a good safety measure, since they can be used to slow the kite down or even stop it flying altogether.

A depowerable kite is flown on all 4 lines at once, so it's angle to the wind can be altered. 'Sheet' the back edge of the kite in, and it slows down and pulls like crazy. 'Sheet' the back edge away from you, and the kite speeds up but has less tension in the lines. Hence some people call them sheetable foils.

In Conclusion, A General Grouping Of Traction Kites

One day, I did quite a bit of research on more than 70 specific traction or power kites of all kinds. Interestingly, they fell into some noticeable categories. Here's what I saw...

* 2-line stunt kites for flying in the park, with steering ability but little power as a snow kite
* bigger stunt kites, with more useful amounts of power
* small 4-line traction kites that could be used for snow kiting
* low-end depowerable snow kites, tough and ideal for beginners
* more expensive 4-liners, quite good to snowkite with
* mid-range depowerable foils, perfect for snow kiting
* most expensive kites, stable with smoothly controllable power over a very wide wind range

By Tim Parish

Of all the great variety of traditional Chinese kites, the Chinese butterfly kite is one of the best known in the West. Before mass production of these kites began, no two of them were exactly the same. Children turned out simple designs with the help of their parents. Skillful Chinese kite makers crafted beautiful works of art that flew very well too. The methods of selecting and forming the bamboo spars and fitting sails of silk or paper were passed down through many generations.

As in ancient times, Chinese butterfly kites are still used to decorate homes and work places. It's entirely up to the owner whether to fly or just display the kite. Many of the kites available from China come with a hand-made winder with red string, and are packaged in a decorative box which compliments the kite.

Materials

Most ancient Chinese butterfly kites were made from carefully chosen bamboo and silk cloth. However, light-weight paper or tissue is sometimes used as a sail material. Also, the stems of a palm called rattan is sometimes used for curved spars, like a lot of the kites from South East Asia. Rattan is solid, unlike bamboo which is hollow and needs to be cut into strips.

Construction

Butterfly kites and other Chinese kites were and continue to be made by artisans from all over the country. However some areas are particularly well known for their Chinese kite making. An example is Weifang, sometimes referred to as the 'City of Kites'.

A lot of patience and care goes into the construction of traditional kites. The bamboo must be split down to an appropriate width for the size of the kite. Curves are put in by heating and bending over a hot flame. You can imagine the skill required to get accurate shapes from this process!

An authentic Chinese butterfly kite has a minimum of five sticks, each of a different length.

The weight and strength of the sail material, whether tissue or silk, must be matched to the size of the kite being made. The sails are made slightly over-size, with the excess material folded over the outline of the kite frame and glued down.

Finally, like any working kite, the bridle must be attached and adjusted. If done right, the kite will fly well in a fair range of wind speeds.

Decoration

With silk kites, the sail is generally painted after the kite is constructed. The kite frame conveniently holds the silk taut while the brush strokes are applied. However, mass produced silk kite sails are screen printed before being cut out and attached to the kites.

Paper lends itself to having the art work done first, before it is attached to the kite frame. This includes applique, where colored cut-outs are glued to the sail to form a design.

Summarizing the methods, a kite can be hand-painted, screen printed, appliqued, or even a combination of these.

The most striking Chinese butterfly kites are those which attempt to copy the look of a real butterfly, in all its rich colorful detail. Others are hand painted with traditional art scenes. For example, children holding fish or flying birds such as cranes.

Conclusion

In 2007, traditional butterfly kites are actively being sold online, and shipped out of China. These kites put on show centuries of kite making skill in construction and decoration. Imitations of greatly varying quality and artistic worth are also being created by kiting enthusiasts everywhere, young and old.

Modern versions, more and more, are being manufactured to cater for the strong demand for attractive working kites. The traditional techniques do not allow mass production, so frames use thermoplastic or fiberglass rod instead of bamboo. Sails can be a range of modern fabrics or film, for example nylon or Mylar. Although the range of designs is still wide, none of these kites are 'one of a kind' of course.

By Tim Parish

If you want to see a large kites festival, there are quite a number to choose from. At any time of the year it's not long before a major kite flying festival gets underway somewhere on the planet. In this short article I will introduce you to 2 big kite festivals that are held every year.

The Bristol Kite Festival

This English event is officially known as The Bristol International Festival of Kites and Air Creations. It's been running since the mid eighties, and it's probably the largest and most well known such festival in the Western world.

The following list is a general summary of what the kites festival at Bristol is all about.

* 2 days of non-stop wind-driven flying, art and culture, both air-based and ground-based
* a partnership between the festival and the Bristol Children's Hospital charity
* a forum for international goodwill and showcasing the world's best in kiting
* a platform for breaking world kiting records, such as 'the largest kite to fly'
* an excuse for any member of the public to go out and fly their favorite kite as part of the festival

Keen to know some specifics? Here's some things that were planned for the 2007 festival...

* Wallace & Gromit drawing attention to a hospital charity in a special angel kite show
* large, spectacular sea-themed kites, including a 30 meter long multicolored manta ray
* kite surfers demonstrating their extreme sport in the sea
* traditional Japanese fighting kites engaged in aerial combat
* more extreme sports - traction kites pulling buggies and land boards
* kite-making workshops for children
* flying the world's biggest kite, the size of an Olympic swimming pool!

The Niagara Kite Festival

Besides being big, this kites festival is really quite unique. This has a lot to do with its geographical location. Not only does the festival overlook an enormous waterfall system, but it actually spans 2 countries, the U.S. and Canada!

This next list tries to summarize most of what took place over the 4 days that the 2007 Niagara Kite Festival ran...

* the flying of a very wide range of kites by hundreds of people
* a kite arch tethered to the U.S. on one end, and to Canada on the other
* a historical re-enactment of the first kite to cross the gorge
* large wind-driven works of art that were anchored to the ground
* international guests brought their kiting expertise
* demonstrations of kite-powered sports
* exhibitions of other kite-related activities
* a great variety of street entertainment, not all kite-related
* thousands of spectators, both locals and from around the world

The hundreds of fliers during the festival included many who registered themselves for the chance to fly their own kites off the Niagara escarpment. Not an opportunity that comes up every day! The allocated area was from the Rainbow Bridge to Terrapin Point on the US side and Table Rock on the Canadian side.

The range of kites flown, apart from the usual assortment of deltas and flow-form designs, included the following...

* works of art
* stunters, dual and quad-line
* indoor fliers
* fighters
* inflatables
* miniatures
* the simply huge!

A range of exhibitions were held. Topics included...

* kite history
* kite aerial photography
* miniature kites
* kite stamps

See how kites can appeal to all personalities, from extreme sports dudes to the quieter types you might find checking out those exhibitions!

Conclusion

This is just a taste of the experience of taking in an international kites festival. For more details on these 2 events, plus an account of my own family's outing to the Adelaide International Kite Festival, just visit the my-best-kite.com website. The Adelaide Festival page is illustrated with plenty of photos too.

By Tim Parish

Chinese kites have been flying for thousands of years, so it makes sense to present their history by the millennium! China's literary tradition is vast, and the facts below are based on a number of specific events that have been recorded in ancient Chinese texts.

1000 BC to 0 BC

The military used large wooden kites called muyuan, somewhere between 770 BC and 221 BC. This period actually contained 2 separate periods of Chinese history, the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC) and the subsequent Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Developed as military technology, the first Chinese kites were invented in the province of Shandong.

There is a record of a certain master of joinery named Mu Zi who developed a man-lifting kite over a period of 3 years. It was called the Wooden-Black-Eard-Kite. At least one more kite of this design was made in later years, by other craftsmen.

Further development of the Eard kites occurred during the Chu-Han War of 203-202 BC. Besides spying on enemy positions, kites were sometimes used to deliver urgent messages.

1 AD to 1000 AD

The first century AD saw the rise of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Around this time Chinese people from many walks of life discovered the simple enjoyment of kite flying. Traditional bamboo and paper, or bamboo and silk styles of kite had their origins way back here.

Even more designs and new ideas, such as the musical kite, emerged in later centuries. There's a record of a palace worker in the 900s AD who fixed bamboo pipes to a kite to make it 'sing' in the wind. Ever since then, the word for kite in Chinese has been fengzheng.

The 900s were known for the introduction of silk-covered kites with beautiful and detailed hand-painted designs. These kites also carried many ornate accessories such as streamers and ribbons. So much went into these kites that it's likely they were only made and used by the royalty and aristocracy of the time.

1000 AD to 2000 AD

After 1000 AD Chinese kites became more popular in all levels of Chinese society. If you couldn't afford silk, there was always paper! Kite flying eventually became a seasonal activity. Most flying was done during and after Chinese New Year and through to March or April. For some areas of China, there were better winds for flying kites at these times.

Many Chinese believed that kite flying was good for your health! This was around the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Other superstitious ideas were around at this time too. For example, letting go of the kite string might get rid of back luck or illness as the kite drifted away. On the other hand, picking up a kite lost by someone else would bring bad luck!

By the late 1900s, China had a number of significant kite flying festivals where a large variety of kites were on show. Everything from the small Chinese butterfly to extremely large Chinese dragon kites. Notable kite makers would show off their creations, just like at other kite festivals around the world.

Since 2000 AD

Some Chinese kite makers are getting more adventurous these days. In a similar way to the Western kite scene, new innovative designs, 'art kites' and novelty designs are appearing.

Yearly kite festivals are still popular, for example the World Kite Festival at Weifang, in Shandong Province. Shandong? Yes, that's where the very first kites that historians know about were constructed and flown.

To see Chinese kites purely as art, you can see a great collection at the International Kite Museum, also in WeiFang. You can walk down the halls and visually take in much of the history of Chinese kites.

By Jacklyn Chen

The sky in spring is kites' paradise. When the brilliant multi- colored kites embellish in the deep blue sky, you can immerse in the contented mood, enjoy the rare leisure and carefree, perhaps this is the most romantic thing in the spring. Kite, not only is it a kind of toy or a traditional continuing, it is more a cultural accumulating. In the "Three Stone Rooms", the capital's youngest kite master Liu Bin from the kite aristocratic family, said that kite containes too many different cultures, flying a kite also must emit the affective tone.

There are three kinds of kites unique in their own ways. In the "Three Stone Rooms" at Dianmen, the rooms are full of all kinds of kites making human feeling dazzled, nonprofessionals really don't know where to start. Actually, most popular kites are categorized into three kinds: hard wing, soft wing and dragon. Liu Bin said that the hard wing is like a man, mature and strong; the soft wing is like a woman, slender and elegant; while the dragon kite flies a breadth of spirit and power.

Hard wing kites like "Shayan", "Triangle", use bamboo strips all around to outline the shape, the strips are glued together with paper in the center, but the designs on paper can be created at your own will. Soft wing kites are made especially attractive - dragonfly, butterfly, goldfish..., the list goes on and on. The bamboo strips are only put on top half of a kite, the bottom half that dances in the breeze of wind is in fact made with colored silk or nylon silk. Dragon really should be called "string" because it is actually a long kite that is formed by many small kites, for instance, the Gigantic Dragon, the Centipede, the Shoulder Pole kite.

Among the kites, the modern one is also a spotlight. Three-dimensional kite is just like a hot-air balloon, turtles, crabs each crawl happily and freely in the sky; "Plate Hawk" (Pan Ying) is the most difficult to fly, the 'hawk' spreads the wings and spirals in airborne circle recklessly with tremendous momentum; motion kite is simply like an aviation performance, it uses chute cloth and two operating ordinates, actions like turnover, gliding, diving, and other high level difficult movements can all be performed.

There are five locations in Beijing are the best for flying kites. Can't wait any longer? Go pick one to your liking quickly! There are couple of things you need to pay attention when choosing a kite - 1. choose the pattern that you like; 2. the strenth of the bamboo strips on each side of two wings must be the same, or it will not be able to balance itself in the sky.

The environment for flying kites is very important. You should always go to a spacious place. Roughly count a bit, Beijing has quite a few places that are ideal for flying kites.

1. Tiananmen Square - Kites flying in the sky of The Tiananmen Square has become the most attractive scenery on Chang'an Street, nowhere else is more ideal than here in terms of space. A major drawback is that the freedom of flying a kite can be somewhat limited due to the surrounding crowds (mostly tourists).
2. Chaoyang Park - The north side of the green area in the park is the best place to fly a kite. No trees around, no buildings, more importantly, it is permitted to fly kites on the grass areas. But be careful not to trip yourself when running.
3. Surrounding areas of the Panda Rotary Island - It is spacious, fewer vehicles and people, does not have any obstacles, with a bit of history of flying kites. Expert kite lovers normally like to get together here.
4. Chinese Century World - Here most advantage is there are very few trees, the kite may freely fly around in much wider range. But the Century World's artificial lawn has limited load-bearing capacity, the lawn is well maintained and protected, growing of the grass may be affected if too many people keep stepping on it.
5. Shijingshan Amusement Park - The open area in front of the park is the best place for family of three or lovers to fly kites. The problems are the park is next to the street, there are trees around, therefore kites can not be released too high. Other drawbacks are there are stairs in the park, the central park has an eruptive fountain, you'd better be careful when running on the slippery ground.

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By Graham Armitage

When we hear of kite angling, or any use of kite with fishing, most people think of the method used by big game fishermen for deploying live baits for marlin, sailfish and other game fish. Do an internet search on kite fishing and this is what most of the results will lead to this method.

Well for those who don't know, there is another use for kites and fishing that doesn't involve a boat. In many parts of the world, anglers use kites when fishing from shore. The main reason is to be able to get their baits out far enough to reach offshore reefs or just get to deeper water. How often have you seen birds breaking beyond casting distance and wished you could out there? When fishing shallow sandy beaches with large surf conditions, it is often impossible to get your bait out behind the back line of breakers just by casting. The other advantage of using a kite is that it allows you to keep the bait and tackle near the surface, thereby avoiding getting hooked up in reefs or other objects on the bottom.

The question I get asked the most about kite fishing is "what happens when the kite gets pulled under water?" Well the only time that happens, or should happen, is if the wind dies, or your kite loses it's tail and becomes unstable and dives into the water. The kite is supposed to stay in the air all the time. This leads to the type of kite one should use.

With kite fishing, you need a kite that is going to provide the correct amount of pull and lift. More importantly, you want a kite that is very stable. Kid's kites from a toy store are probably not going to cut it. I could write an entire article just on kites, but for now, let's go with a square homemade kite using thin wooden strips and garbage bag plastic covering. A square kite with a good tail will hang in the sky without moving and provide a consistent pull. Your kite will get wet, so water proof materials, especially the tail, is critical.

The kite tail should be long enough to keep the kite stable and also remain dry and sand free. One of the best kite tail materials is a roll of nylon tube netting that is used to bag vegetables like onions. You can easily shake the sand and water off it. The size of the kite is selected based on the wind speed and size of bait you are fishing with. Strong wind, small kite and vice versa. With the correct kite, it should be snatched easily out of your hand by the wind, with no running up and down the beach.

In order to fly a kite and drag a bait out to sea, you will need a lot of line. Therefore you need a big reel. Usually kite fishermen are not after small fish, so big game fish reels are common that can hold hundreds or even thousands of yards of line. Again it depends how far off shore you will be fishing. Sometimes a kite can be used simply to get past a small set of waves and keep the bait suspended in the water column.

There are two main methods of deploying the kite. One is to have a dedicated kite rig, for launching flying and retrieving the kite, and a separate fishing rig for hooking and landing the fish. The two rigs are connected up until the time of the strike and then the two separate allowing you to fight the fish. The other method is to have the kite attached to the fishing line, all on the same rig. This method keeps things simpler, but means you may end up fighting the kite and the fish. Having the kite attached during the fight can help keep the fish near the surface during the fight too. The kite is detached just before the last 150 feet or so of line is retrieved. This is usually a critical function and having a buddy to help is important.

Either method can work and can be adapted depending on the particular fishing conditions you experience. Kite fishing of any kind, when done from the shore, obviously works best when offshore breezes are common. In those countries or regions where offshore breezes are not common, points or jetties can still be fished successfully. With an adjustable kite, you can also tack the kite into the wind and achieve fishing angles close to forty degrees either side of the wind direction. In other words, you do not have to fish only where the wind is blowing.

Another adjustment your kite should have is an elevation adjuster. This allows the kite to fly high with less horizontal pull, or fly flat and low and pull with maximum force. By changing the pitch of the kite it will behave much like the lip on a crank bait. How much tilt you put on the kite is often determined by wind conditions and needs to be balanced with the weight of the terminal tackle and surf conditions. When launching a large bait through pounding surf, you need a strong force to counter the force of the waves. In this case it is better to fly the kite lower with more power. Fishing off quiet beaches or with very string winds, it may be better to angle the kite to fly higher. Mastering this takes practice.

In the next part, we will examine the terminal tackle, other equipment and safety.