By Eddie Tobey

A kite is a lightweight, man-made object specifically designed to fly in the wind. The lift that makes this light object fly is created when the kite deflects the wind downwards; apart from that, the deflection produces a horizontal drag in the direction of the wind. The kite is generally held with just one line. Kites that are held with more than one line are maneuvered by using the different lines with different degrees of strength.

In addition to kites that are mainly made for the purpose of flying, there are traction kites and power kites. The design of these kites facilitates greater lift and pull, and they are used for activities like kite buggying or kite surfing.

Kite flying requires twine that is light but sturdy, and paper or cloth. Kites characteristically have one or more sticks that are used to hold the sail of the kite tightly. Traditional kites use rattan, bamboo, or any other flexible wood for the spars, and fabrics like silk or paper for the sails. The modern kite may have synthetic materials, such as nylon, for the sails, and carbon fiber or fiberglass for the spars.

In China, kite designs are often inspired by birds, insects, and other animals, which are either mythical or real. The best Chinese kites are made from split bamboo; often they are hand-painted and covered with silk. The bigger kites are made in such a way that they can actually be folded and put away, and restructured when the time for flying comes. Polyester is generally used as a substitute for silk in cheaper kites.

Kites that are flown by children are usually geometrically shaped. There is no fixed norm regarding the shape of the kite. It can be designed in any shape, size or form. It should be remembered that kites have been used for military purposes, as a way of delivering ammunition or a message. Also, they have been deployed for the sake of spying, through kite aerial photography.

By Alexis Jamison

Power kites are kites which are large in size and created to allow for a great deal of pull to the user. This allows them to be used for pulling people and things, such as surf/snow boards, roller skates, landboards and even small buggies. They are used for lifting people higher in the air to do tricks, stunts, or to help someone out of a jam. They can also be used simply as larger kites to fly in the sky such as for competitions. Power kites have their origins in the nineteen seventies when people began experimenting with power kites to create a new way to move through the sky. Nowadays, power kites come in several different varieties and in all shapes and sizes, depending on what you want to use them for. They come in sizes starting at one and a half meters square and going up to twenty meters square-the larger ones are best used in lower wind speeds. Power kites are also known as traction kites.

Trainer kites come in different types as well, and these types vary by usefulness in a given situation. Foil kites are used for land based kite recreation, such as snowboarding and landboarding. Leading edge inflatable kites are designed to have bladders with air to hold their shape. They are best used for water sports because the air cells allow the kite to float and they deflate very slowly. They are between five and eighteen meters square. Supporting edge kites are simply leading edge kites with more support so they are more easily steered. Power kites can also have different support structures, generally in the amount of guide strings they have (between two and five), handles or a bar, and control systems, such as whether or not they have brakes and how well they turn. All in all, power kites come in a variety of forms and you can easily find one to suit your needs and what you intend to use them for.

The use of Trainer kites should come with lessons, especially if you are going to be doing things like surfing or boarding. These recreational activities require a certain amount of training and instruction in order to use safely and it's a lot easier and quicker to learn how to use the kites with training rather than through trial and error. Many recreational centers as well as stores which specialize in power kites offer instruction in their use and they generally advise you take at least some instruction before starting out on your own. It's also advised that you spend some time simply flying your kite in order to get a feel for it rather than diving straight in. This way, you're prepared for your lessons and will be able to do a lot more with the instructions you're given.

Power kites are an excellent way to get extra hang time when you are surfing and boarding and power kite surfing is a popular twist on an already popular sport. Power kite boarding is a little newer, but no less popular for it. If you enjoy the thought of flying through the air with nothing more than a kite, then power kites may be the perfect thing for you to use.

By Dave E Lewis

Kite flying has been a pass time for many people for hundreds of years and it is still very popular today. If you go to the beach in the summer you will see many people flying kites and the kite designs can vary immensely.

For most people the classic kite design consists of two skewers or poles fixed together at right angles with the horizontal pole shorter than the vertical one. This is then covered with cloth or plastic and is flown with a single line and sometimes comes with a tail. This is the very basic kite design and is very easy to make. Many children start out flying this type of kite as it is easy to fly and can fly in a slight breeze.

Stunt kites started to become popular in the seventies and are still one of the most popular kite designs bought today.

The stunt kite can look very much like the single line kite but comes with two lines with which you can control the kite in the air. One line is connected to the right side of the kite and the other is connected to the left. You hold one of the lines in each hand and when the kite is flying you can control how it turns in the air by pulling on the lines. Pull the left line and it turns to the left and pull the right line and it turns to the right. If you pull on both lines together the kite will gain altitude in the right wind.

You can perform many tricks and stunts with these kites and that is why they are very popular. They do need a slightly higher wind than the single line kite does and you will need more space when flying as you don't want to hit any body that may stray beneath your flying area.

Due to their nature stunt kite designs can vary quite a lot form the single line kites. Because you have control over the flying of the stunt kite in the air the designs can be more unconventional and extreme.

Another variation of the stunt kite is the traction kite. This kite design uses a very large surface area which produces a huge amount of power or pull. These kites are for more experienced kite flyers as they can literally lift you off your feet because their huge surface area can capture so much of the power of the wind.

By Tim Parish

These tips assume the kite itself is in good condition and flies well. Even in that case, things occasionally get interesting. Oh yes! All sorts of unexpected things can happen when you're kite flying with a single liner. Part 1 covered 4 issues. Here are another 4, with a little discussion and suggestions for each.

Last Second Saves Or Cushioning The Impact

Sounds dramatic hey? This kite flying situation usually occurs when the wind is really a bit too strong. Most of the time it's OK, but then a stronger gust comes along... There goes the kite, looping and diving. Oops, now it's heading directly for the ground, and fast! Don't panic. One of 3 things can happen, if you know what to do. The kite will either...

* recover by itself, in the slower air near the ground, or
* recover with a little help from the flier, or
* hit the ground softly, with no damage done - with a little help from the flier!

Those last 2 points involve the flier, that's you, thrusting the reel or winder at the kite. You don't have time to let line out, you just shove the reel or winder at the kite, without letting go. You can take a step or 2 towards the kite too, which will make this action even more effective. The idea is to suddenly take all the tension out of the flying line. Kites just flutter and float if left to themselves for just half a second or so.

Getting The Kite Flying Well Above Tree Height

Always a good idea when kite flying in a park, provided the line is not actually near any trees. This goes for other obstacles as well, such as houses and other buildings. The air is much smoother up there, and your kite will behave much more predictably. About the only spot where this doesn't apply is on a wide smooth beach with the sea breeze coming in off the ocean!

Thermaling!

Oh yeah, make use of that rising air! Single line kites often get caught up in thermals, which float them up to very high line angles for a short while. However, it's fun to recognize what's happening and make more use of it. Some kite pilots have the opportunity to fly very high in places where air traffic regulations aren't as strict as they are here in Australia. Large delta kites are commonly used to explore thermals.

Even limited to 400 feet above ground, as I am, it's always a pleasure to occasionally bump into a thermal while kite flying. It's a buzz to let the string slip through my fingers just fast enough to climb the kite almost vertically until there is no more line to let out! There are some kite pilots who actively search the sky for thermals by maneuvering their kite. Single-liners aren't directly steerable, but there are some ways of helping them drift this way or that. Pulling a bit of extra tension into the line will help a delta accelerate in the direction it happens to be pointing, for example.

Winding In Without Tension

A must unless the kite is hardly pulling at all due to weather or the size of the kite. To be convenient, this requires 2 people. One to pull down the kite, and the other to wind on line off the ground. This way, the line goes onto the reel with very little tension, and the reel will live to fly another day! Don't try struggling to bring down a hard-pulling kite while winding onto a plastic reel loop by loop. The reel might be totally crushed by the experience! ;-) I once got caught out this way, while kite flying with just an average sized Delta. Despite trying to wind on with reduced tension. Even a small amount adds up with each loop.

If a second person is not available, it's still do-able but not quite so convenient. You have to lay out line as you pull down the kite. Not in one great heap, since that is a recipe for an enormous tangle! Just lay it out in a regular pattern. Alternatively, just walk out towards the kite, pulling it down as you go. After the kite is down, walk back to the reel and wind on all the line as you approach the kite a second time. Hey, it's good exercise! The older you get, the more you need it I'm finding...

By Robert G Murray

Trainer kites are a fantastic way to learn the kite skills you will need as a kiteboarder - if you master these ten points you'll get the most out of every dollar spent on lessons and minimize the time it takes to learn how to kiteboard.

1. Learn How to Find The Wind Window

The wind window is the only area where you can fly your kite, and every kiteboarding skill makes reference to it. To find it, face downwind with both arms extended out to your sides at shoulder height and imagine you are the center of a clock; 9 o'clock is the ground to your left, 3 o'clock is the ground to your right, 12 o'clock is directly overhead, and 10, 11, 1, and 2 are at their usual clock positions.

2. Understand the Two Main Zones of the Wind Window

Each zone of the wind window is used for a unique purpose. The edge or shoulder is where a kite has the least amount of power, and it is the furthest you can fly your kite into the wind. Unless you are doing something specific, your kite should be kept here, as it is the safest place. The power zone is where a kite has the most power, and is located directly downwind of you. This area is where you generate any power that you need to kiteboard, and it can produce a tremendous amount - your kite should never accidentally fly here.

3. Learn Where to Safely Launch and Land Your Kite

The proper place to launch or land any power kite is as close to the edge of the wind window as possible. Different types of kites require different positioning, but always start close to the edge; if your kite does not have enough power, walk a few steps upwind and try again. Repeat this until you have enough power.

4. Get into the Habit of Using the Kite's Safety System

A trainer kite's safety system requires that you let go of the control bar if you are overpowered, yet many people instinctively fight with the kite only to let go too late. If you start building good habits by practicing releasing the bar until it becomes second nature, you will save yourself plenty of grass-stains and bloody knees.

5. Practice Parking the Kite

Fly your kite to the edge of the wind window and keep it in one spot as long as you possibly can; it is considered 'parked' as long as it stays stationary. Much of your time kiteboarding will be spent with a parked kite, so it pays to practice this one!

6. Fly Your Kite Slowly and Smoothly on the Wind Windows Edge

Flying a larger kite too fast on the edge of the wind window will lift you off of the ground and can carry you away - and there's no telling where you might land! If you can fly your trainer slowly from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock and back, you have nothing to worry about.

7. Learn How to Power Stroke

From water starts to jumping, the power stroke is found everywhere in kiteboarding. Start to get the hang of it by flying your kite back and forth through the power zone. Pay attention to how the kites pull changes if you fly it in and out of the power zone in different directions. Can you figure out which flight-path is used to jump?

8. Fly the Kite One Handed

You can't possibly tighten a strap or put on your board without taking one hand off of your bar. If you learn this skill on a trainer kite, you're less likely to crash and potentially damage a more expensive kiteboarding kite - which makes this skill more than worth it!

9. Simulate Water Starts

The more your practice resembles actual kiteboarding skills, the quicker you will learn the real thing. Start simulating water starts by sitting on the ground and using a power stroke to pull you to your feet. Adjust the power of the kite as needed by flying it deeper or shallower in the wind window.

10. Just Have Fun and Fly the Kite

Kiteboarding isn't about following a series of rigid steps; it's about doing something that you love. Have as much fun as possible when flying your trainer kite - experiment and try new things. If you do something that makes you smile, do it again! The more fun you have with your kite, the sooner you will master all of the small things that can't be written about - besides, having fun is what kiteboarding is all about.

By Tim Parish

These tips on how to make a kite fly straight should be handy for anyone making simple homemade kites for the first time. These general points only relate to flat or bowed single-liners, like diamond kites. So much depends on symmetry of the kite materials. That is, how closely the left and right sides of the kite match each other in various ways.

1. Symmetry In Sail Shape

This is important. In other words, sail shape on one side is an exact mirror-image of the shape on the other side. This also guarantees that the sail area is precisely the same on both sides. In practice, we can't be perfect, but there are ways to do a very good job.

For example, by folding the sail material down the center-line before measuring and cutting, a kite can be made very symmetrical in shape. This gets you off to a great start, although other things can still go wrong. Some classic instructions on how to make a kite employ this technique.

2. Symmetry In Sail Billow

If you are a bit careless in attaching the sail to the frame, it's possible that one panel of the sail may billow out a little more than other panels, when in flight. Try holding the kite by its tail end and swishing it through the air, indoors. If the problem is significant, you can actually see the uneven billow this way.

If you make a fairly big kite, this is unlikely to happen. However, with a very small design, all sorts of inaccuracies can creep in. If necessary, remove and re-attach the sail to even up the tightness of the panels.

3. Symmetry In Flexibility

How to make a kite loop out of control when there is nothing visibly wrong... This might happen when flying in fresh or strong wind. The cause is that one side of the kite is bending more than the other.

Synthetic materials like fiberglass or carbon fiber aren't likely to give problems in homemade kites, but natural materials are. The solution is to do a quick check of flexibility when selecting material for the horizontal spars, or even just match spars by eye.

In light winds, this factor is not likely to be a problem since the spars will hardly bend at all.

4. Symmetry In Weight

When your kite is complete, there might still be a small imbalance for some reason. Suspend the kite from nose and tail to see if one wing-tip seems heavier than the other.

From my experience, this might be the least important aspect of symmetry. It seems to have the most effect at the bottom end of the kite's wind range. Anyhow, balancing the kite is easy to do with a few small bits of tape added to one wing-tip.

5. The Lighter The Better!

Hardly surprising, but did you know that this can have a big effect on stability as well as performance? If there is too much weight near the edges of the sail and / or the spar tips, the kite will want to keep going around, if it starts to rotate for some reason.

How to make a kite light? Pick sail material that is strong enough but light as possible. Use a minimum of tape or glue or whatever other means you are using to secure the materials together. Use spars that are only just stiff enough for the job.

6. Multi-point Bridle Adjustments

Some bridles have lines going off to the left and right of the kite. I've found it's very handy to make some of these bridle knots shiftable, so if the kite goes left or right, you have another option for correcting the problem.

Another reason for making them shiftable is so you don't have to be perfectly accurate with tying a permanent knot in the exact correct position. If a shiftable knot is off a bit, it's easy to slide it to the correct spot.

That's it for tips related to flying straight. Here's a bonus tip to help your kite fly as high as possible. Use the lightest flying line possible, while making sure it is still strong enough to avoid losing the kite. A rough rule of thumb is to multiply the sail area in square feet by 3, which gives the required breaking strain of the line in pounds.

The more flying line you let out, the bigger the load the kite is trying to carry, in addition to its own weight. Hence the lighter the line, the higher the kite can fly before it reaches its weight limit.

That's about it for how to build a kite which flies straight and high over a wide range of wind speeds. If you have already tried making a kite, and it has a disappointing wind range, check it off against all the points above. The solution might be simple, like tightening the sail a bit. Or you might discover you have a bendy spar on one side, and therefore have to make a new kite!

By Jan Hazelton

Want to add a special touch to a room in your home? Maybe you are planning an event, setting up a display for a school or a library or just have the urge to do something new. How about expressing your creative aspirations with kites? The kite has become a respectable new member in the world of design. Kites have been used to decorate homes, doctor offices, clinics, libraries, classrooms, aquariums, lobbies, and a whole host of events. It is literally true that the sky is the limit.

In several healing centers kites have been used to brighten up the space for the patients. This year students and faculty at San Diego State University created the (1) "Visual Therapy Sky Mural". Student Lauren Holland spent long hours in the SDSU Fitness Clinic receiving therapy. The room was so dull and uninviting that Lauren dreamed of creating something wonderful for future patients to be surrounded by. The idea for the "Visual Therapy Sky Mural" began to blossom in her mind.

The Faculty/Student Mentoring Program in the College of Arts and letters took the project on. Professor Iisdro D. Ortiz Ph.D. helped to raise funds and a whole host of volunteers joined in to help with the project. The "Visual Therapy Sky Mural" is a childs dream-scape of a Pacific sky and sandy beach that runs the length of the 26-foot ceiling and continues onto the side wall. The ceiling is adorned with a beautiful arrangement of butterfly kites, ship kites and airplane kites that complement the mural. The results are stunning.

School teachers and librarians are using kites for special projects and displays. This year insects, butterflies and birds have been big hits. The kites make teaching and learning fun.

Aquariums use a variety of fish kites to highlight their themes. Imagine numerous Angel Fish Kites, Orca Whale Kites, Dolphin Kites, and even Octopus Kites decorating a major aquarium lobby. It really is impressive.

Grocery stores have even used kites as decoration. Hand painted Bali Butterfly Kites are stunning when used as wall art. Customers love to have the added touch of color during their shopping experience. The Bali Butterfly kites are available in several colors and the wing spans up to seven feet.

Are you planning a birthday party for a child? Little boys are wild about the pirate ship kite, the F-16 kite, the Red Baron kite and the ever popular Kitty Hawk kite. When the party is over, use the kite to decorate their room. You will be a hit for years to come. Miniature kites make great favors for kids of any age and make for wonderful entertainment.

If you are decorating your home, office, school or event, be sure to explore the possibility of using kites as art.

By Tim Parish

Why not take a delta kite or diamond kite with you on your travels? Modern flat kites pack down into a small thin carry bag. There are several good reasons to take a kite of some sort with you on your next international trip.

Firstly, no matter where and when you travel overseas, you probably aren't far from a kite fly-in or festival of some sort. These events almost always allow public participation. Depending on who you are, you might enjoy the opportunities to take great photographs, meet people, or just revel in the kite flying! You might even learn a bit about the traditional kites of the host country. Have something different to document in photos or video!

Secondly, most single and dual-line kites these days are lightweight and very easy to transport in their carry bags. Not only that, but some designs such as parafoils and simple sleds require no set-up at all. These flexible kites pack down into a small bag and only need to have a line attached to be ready to fly. Even other types such as deltas, diamonds and stunt kites are generally very straight-forward to setup before flying. For example, a delta kite is easiest, only requiring the ends of a single spreader rod to be plugged in.

Thirdly, the simple pleasures of kite flying are available just about anywhere, anytime. Any beach is a good spot to pull out a kite and fly. Sea breezes are less variable than inland. Parks and reserves also have wide open spaces, although you might need to fly high above the surrounding obstacles to find smoother air. Be aware that some countries are stricter than others when it comes to airspace regulations. If you keep a good distance from airports and keep the kite under 100 meters (350 feet), you'll stay out of trouble just about anywhere. Australia is one of the strictest countries in this regard.

On the subject of kite festivals, there are a number of large international events that can provide an awesome visual feast. See close-up everything from kids flying simple sleds to enormous show kites that cost as much as a second hand car! You might also catch performances by highly skilled stunt kite fliers and teams.

Major Kite Festivals Around The World

Consider passing through one of the following cities to catch an amazing event, and perhaps pull out that delta kite while you are there...

* Jan: Ahmedabad, India
* Feb: Basant, Pakistan
* Mar: Adelaide, Australia
* Apr: Weifang, China
* May: Hamamatsu, Japan
* Jun: Fano, Denmark
* Jul: Bali, Indonesia
* Aug: Bristol, U.K.
* Sep: Dieppe, France
* Oct: Coolum, Australia
* Nov: Santiago, Guatemala
* Dec: Sorry! Unable to find a major festival in December

Of course, you would need to confirm the exact dates of the event and the location of the city before departing. That's easily done online. Also, searching online for more information on say, Hamamatsu Kite Festival or Santiago Kite Festival will reveal breathtaking worlds of kiting you never knew existed! Spectacular large kites from many cultures and intriguing histories abound.

All the above events are large in terms of the number of kites flown and the number of participants and spectators. In many cases, international kite designers and fliers are present at the invitation of the organizers. This is often the case even when the word 'International' is missing from the title of the event.

The U.S. scene really warrants a separate article. It would be possible to travel around the U.S. all year and fly your delta kite at a different event nearly every week!

Conclusion

I hope the list of 11 major festivals with month, city and country are useful to you as an international traveler. There are incredible kiting cultures everywhere across the globe. Sizes, shapes, designs and colors you can't imagine until you see them. Even if you are not a keen flier, think of the entertainment value and memories gained for no extra cost! Bring all this home in your head and in the memory cards of your photographic devices.

Let kite flying add an extra dimension to your next overseas trip. Go on, fly a delta kite in foreign skies!

By Tim Parish

The Dopero kite has a well-earned reputation for being an excellent light wind flier. It flies at high line angles like a delta, and yet has very good stability and lifting capacity as well. The Dopero is basically two Pearson Roller kites side by side. The name was extracted from the words DOuble PEarson ROller.

This kite is a favorite of KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) enthusiasts since it lets them get a camera up even on very light wind days. Some influential kite photography people, such as Brooks Leffler, say it is the best light wind kite they have ever flown.

Typical Dopero Kites

The original Dopero kite was under 3 meters in span. The Maxi Dopero was made shortly after, and had a more impressive span of 3.75 meters (over 12 feet) Both sizes are copied today, with small variations. The basic outline does not vary much, with most people choosing to copy the original shape fairly faithfully. Also, quality kites are now available from a small number of kite shops and manufacturers.

It does not need tails. However, some like to add tails just for the visual effect. Also, KAPers often add tails to kites that don't strictly need them, just for additional stability.

Most of these kites are valued for their flying characteristics rather than their looks. Hence the decoration is usually limited to simple areas of color and straight lines. However, with such a large area of sail there's nothing to stop someone from getting arty with one of these kites!

The 4 point bridle consists of 2 loops, with a connecting line. The top loop connects to where the longerons cross the main cross spar. The other loop is connected at both ends to the longerons also, near the leading edge of the rear sail. The flying line attaches to the connecting line, and this 'towing point' is shifted fore or aft to trim the kite according to wind conditions.

Ripstop nylon sails are popular, but some of these kites are made with the more expensive Icarex P31 material for added performance.

Dopero Kites In Action

With the increased availability of these kites from shops now, many are flying with no KAP rig attached. It's a great kite to pull out on those nearly-dead-calm days! Even on windier days, a Dopero kite still comes in handy for flying 'line laundry'. For example, inflatables, spinners and windsocks.

On the other hand, a lot of Kite Aerial Photography is being done with these kites. The large Maxi Dopero is a useful lifter even in the lightest breezes. Even though the kite can take a while to assemble, at least shots can be taken when other kites won't fly at all.

Some Dopero Kite History

In a way, the history of this kite goes way back to 1909, when its ancestor the Roloplan was first sold. The Roloplan was a German design which was refined in the early 1970s to become the well-known Pearson Roller. The Roller was and still is a very good light-wind kite.

Finally in 1994 a young German KAP enthusiast, Ralf Beutnagel, made a kite like 2 Pearson Rollers side by side. This resulted in a somewhat bigger kite with 4 bridle points instead of 2. The extra lifting power was needed to get the camera gear aloft, the Pearson design being a bit too small for the job.

Driven by demand from the KAP community mainly, the Dopero kite has been produced commercially since the Millennium and remains a favorite light wind kite for that purpose. In fact, in 2006 a Dopero was used to re-create the famous San Francisco earthquake photo of 1906.

By Tim Parish

Traction kites first made an appearance way back in the 1970s, when the Flexifoil stunter became available for anyone to buy. This kite had a single flexible spar running the full length of its leading edge. This was a fast kite with plenty of power, and people still fly this design today.

Since the history of traction kites extends back to the 70s, using them to pull you along isn't a new idea. A small number of people soon started experimenting with the Flexifoil for traction. They found several ways to drag themselves along, for example over sand in a small wheeled buggy. Someone might have got the idea when the wind got a bit strong one day, and they found themselves slipping across the wet sand. Just a short step from there to actually sitting in or on something and covering some ground.

Most traction designs are parafoils, that is, flexible ram air inflated 'wings'. Some designs meant for use in water have inflatable spars built into them. Others are single-surface kites, for example some of Peter Lynn's designs.

Types Of Traction Kites

Over the years, designers have made kites for specific sports, so there's a lot of different types. Broadly though, there are just 2 categories - power and traction.

Some people lump all 2, 3, 4 or 5 line flexible kites into one category. Many other people divide these into 2 or 3 line for power and 4 or 5 line for traction. There is a big range of sizes available, and cost depends a lot on size.

Here follows a summary of both types, to help explain the real difference.

Power kites are at the smaller and cheaper end, and are used mainly for stunt flying or just having fun. They are really just another kind of stunter. A small one is pretty fast through the air, which is part of the thrill of flying it.

However, if they are 3 square meters (about 30 square feet) or bigger in area, they pull quite a bit. Naturally, people then think about using them to pull along small land buggies, for example.

Traction kites are bigger and more expensive, and are used mainly for pulling things along. For example, surfboards, snowboards, land kite buggies and so on.

However, depending on wind conditions, there's nothing to stop you flying one of these as a rather expensive and impressive stunter. The extra brake lines let you turn the kite with less arm movement than the 2-line variety. Also, the brake lines are handy for bringing it down onto the ground with a bit more control. With 4 or more lines dragging through the air, and other aerodynamic reasons, traction kites are a bit slower than the smaller power kites.

Some traction designs are built purely for speed, compared to other kites of the same size. These are 'racing kites', and are not as easy to fly as other traction designs.

Traction Kites in Action

How do people fly power kites these days? This type being so popular, the manufacturers have managed to cater for just about everyone. Young children can fly the smallest 2-line power kites under supervision while down at the beach. At the other end, top-notch athletes push the limits doing freestyle tricks over snow or in the surf with other kite boarders, using very expensive traction kites.

At the top end, these kites are more like aircraft than toys. That's not at all surprising when you consider that some are made by paraglider manufacturers! In 2007, the cost of some of these flying wonders exceeded 1000 US dollars.

'Freestyle' kite skiing and boarding have both seen big increases in popularity, as well as kite surfing.

In Conclusion, Safety...

The following list of advice summarizes the safety issues that are relevant to flying modern traction kites.

* choose the right kite, not too big for your experience, skill or wind conditions
* read the product instructions, safety warnings and flying tips on the packaging
* fly it in a large enough area, away from obstacles, including other people
* start flying in light winds, until you are used to it
* wear safety gear if you are getting dragged over the ground, for example in buggying
* a helmet is recommended when going for a kite surf in the ocean
* do a course, or get expert advice, before getting into the more advanced extreme sports
* get good at doing tricks with your power kite before thinking about doing extreme sports