Long Line Kite Flying

by Neil
(Corwen, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)

As a boy of around 10 years I used to fly a wooden dowel single string kite about 30 inches long by about 20 inches wide. I flew it over the sea on the North Wales coast when the wind was blowing from the south-east.

The kite was of cotton fabric with a v-shaped middle vertical section to which the string was attached. I had a huge length of string maybe a quarter to half mile long and the kite used to just sit up there for as long as I wanted. A half to one hour I suppose.

Strangely, my brother's kite of the same make and model never performed so well, mind you he is 30 months younger than me.

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starstarstarstar 		Long lines
by: Tim Parish

I used to have similar experiences, but out in the bush (outback of N.T., Australia). Twigs for spars and heavy old plastic sheet for the sail! Plus a string tail with cloth ties at intervals - you know, the classic Diamond kite look.

These contraptions would also stay up for quite a long time, but at pathetic line angles. Due, of course, to the excessive weight of just about everything. Including the 100m (300 feet) or more of fishing line that would have been strong enough to catch a Killer Whale!

At the age of 10 or 11, it was all good fun though. Just having made something that stayed off the ground for minutes on end was a genuine thrill. As for my brother, quite a few years younger - he just wasn't into kite-flying at all.

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Wind Speeds


Light air
1-5 km/h
1-3 mph
1-3 knots
Beaufort 1

Light breeze
6–11 km/h
4–7 mph
4–6 knots
Beaufort 2    

Gentle breeze
12–19 km/h
8–12 mph
7–10 knots
Beaufort 3    

Moderate breeze
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13–18 mph
11–16 knots
Beaufort 4    

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19–24 mph
17–21 knots
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25–31 mph
22–27 knots
Beaufort 6

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32-38 mph
28-33 knots
Beaufort 7