How to Fly Fighter Kites
Fighter kites are in a league of their own. They fly like no other
kite and perform the neatest tricks! A kiter with experience can put on
a show by doing figure eight’s dives and twists as it works its way to
great heights. It takes practice to become a skillful kiter, but if you
are motivated to having more fun than you can imagine, and willing to do
your homework, then soon you will be amazing your friends!
 When you
first begin, having a friend to assist you is ideal. Stand with your
back to the wind, and let out about 3m of string on the ground.
Tell your friend to stand about 15m away. Have your friend holding
your kite at the back, lightly and evenly, allowing the nose of the kite
to point up. Be certain that your kite is positioned to fly straight up
into the sky. It’s going to fly in the direction it’s pointing, so look
for obstacles that could be in the kite’s path and adjust accordingly.
Pre-determine beforehand how much line you need and have it on hand.
Running your string out completely will take control of the fighter away
from you.
 When you are ready, signal your friend to let go slowly as you pull
the kite out of their hands and into the wind. Keep the line tense as
the kite climbs. As you begin to feel the pressure on the kite from the
wind, let out your string slowly. When the kite is stable in the air,
it’s time to learn your maneuvering techniques. With a fighter kite,
it’s all about your line. You pull on it to make it move, and tug on it
just a bit to climb higher. Aim for a height of 15m, as this is a
good practice height. If the kite is not moving in the direction you
intended, let out more line. Doing this quickly, the kite will lose its
drive and float, do a spin, or change direction according to the
strength of the wind. As the kite heads in the direction you wish, pull
in with a steady hand for long flights, or tug quickly to make the kite
climb a few more feet.
If the kite is heading downward, jerking on the line will make it crash
faster. Instead, let out a little amount of line and see if the kite
does not slow down and points up again. If it does, pull in the line.
You will avoid the crash and look like an expert! Practicing your line
handling technique will lead to mastering kite flying quickly. Practice
controlling the line; by hand over hand, always maintain a firm grip
with one hand on the line as you work the other hand. Your goal is to
let the line out quickly. Continue to fly, operating your line without
any slack. This will help you develop excellent habits.
It’s possible to fly without assistance. To launch solo, take the
nose of the kite in one hand and hold the line in the other. Release the
kite into the wind. Taking a couple of steps back, let the wind carry it
a few feet, then pull up on the line and begin to reach more and more
height. Repeat these steps until you are flying high! In a very light
wind, you may need to create an assistant to help you fly your kite. You
can do this by propping your kite up against something solid, but not
something that will obstruct take off like a tree might do. A bush can
work just fine. Move back towards the wind, playing out your line as you
go. When you are ready to launch, take up the slack and lift the kite
into the air. This takes practice but in time you will be an awesome
kiter!
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