Kite Stunts

Become an Aerobatic Pilot

...without ever leaving the ground! To keep things simple, I'm going to just talk about doing kite stunts with two-line kites. That's a good place to start anyway, before moving up to those fancy quad-line kites.

Apart from the kite manufacturers and some designers, very few people would build anything for doing kite stunts these days. The shop-bought ones are so good and some of them aren't too expensive either.

With a delta stunt kite or dual-line parafoil you can really feel like an aerobatic pilot! This is particularly true when you get good at flying kite stunts accurately, coming really close to the ground from time to time without crashing.


A dual line Delta stunt kite in action at a kite festival.Delta stunt kite
A dual line 'soft' stunt kite in action at a kite festival.Dual line parafoil


Just to add a bit extra to the spectacle, many shop-bought kites these days are designed to be easily "stacked." This lets you fly more than one kite at a time, on one set of lines.

I have memories of an expert flyer doing kite tricks with three tiny black deltas, stacked together and zipping around very fast in a stiff breeze. That was at the Adelaide International Kite Festival, back in March 2007.


 

The BIG MBK E-book Bundle!

On this site, there's more kite-making info than you can poke a stick at :-)

Want to know the most convenient way of using it all?

The Big MBK E-book Bundle is a collection of downloads—printable PDF files which provide step-by-step instructions for many kites large and small.

Every kite in every MBK series.


 

Basic Flying Tips

If you browse around the Web, the obvious source of visual demos is YT videos. Just getting the kite into the air can be a challenge for the first-timer! But the right technique makes it easy, as demonstrated in this video.


OK, Some Actual Kite Stunts!

Most people learn kite stunts on a dual-line Delta like this one.Photo courtesy of Luis Argerich

Anyone can fly a few loops and figure eights and zip around here and there in straight lines.

It's easy to pull the left line to loop the kite left or maybe pull one line and push the other at the same time to snap the kite around in a really tight turn. "Pull turns" and "combination turns" they're called, and they're the basis of most kite stunts.

Another technique for tight turns is the "push turn." Yep, just push one handle toward the kite to momentarily slacken off that line. 

Sooner or later, it's good to learn a few precision figures for a bit more of a challenge. That's not to mention seriously impressing other family members when you pull off your best kite stunts ;-)



What do some precision figures actually look like I hear you asking.

How about seeing some animated graphics on the Web! Check out this web page created by a very skilled webmaster who has recreated the movements of a kite going through all the standard competition figures. Once you are at the page, just click on a maneuver name to see an animation.

For example, Circle Over Diamond is one of the kite stunts. You should see a grid overlaid on a moving cloudy sky background with a little kite flying along a red line that represents the figure. The moving kite can be paused and restarted.


Safety

You know, it's really pretty easy to sum up the safety aspects of flying stunt kites. Just have a good look around your flying site and imagine every single thing that could possibly come into contact with your kite or its lines! Keep in mind that you might have to back up a few steps while doing kite stunts, too. You can't see any problem? Then it's time to fly!

About the only other thing to consider would be to not fly in bad weather. Lightning and/or very strong wind don't mix with sport-kite flying! That's just common sense.

In case you don't trust your imagination, here's a list of things not to hit:  ;-)

  • buildings (not good for the kite)
  • power lines (could be an electrifying experience)
  • trees (retrieving the kite undamaged could be interesting)
  • people (ouch! ... and in the USA "I'm calling my lawyer!")
  • animals (ouch again and maybe some vet bills)
  • moving cars (even the toughest stunt kite might come off second best)
  • any other obstacle your kite might possibly reach


 


As mentioned earlier, there's more kite-making on this site than you can poke a stick at :-)

Want to know the most convenient way of using it all?

The Big MBK E-book Bundle is a collection of downloads—printable PDF files which provide step-by-step instructions for many kites large and small.

Every kite in every MBK series.