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  • West Australian

    Flight Log and Thoughts about My Rev Kit.

    By West Australian

    No Arvo Flight Yesterday, Responsibilities are beginning to creep in on my flying time Well I Joined up to KiteLife… Very Happy about that. I feel that the Contribution that KiteLife makes to the Community needs to be supported. And all those Sweet Tutorials are Pretty good too I have been Downloading them onto My Ipod Touch. To Paraphrase SparkieRob, I have a John Barresi In my Pocket. This morning was nice, Light to Moderate winds when I set up the STD with 3 Wrap and 80# lines I got i
    • 3 comments
    • 1,654 views
  • Felix

    2012 events, provisional list

    By Felix

    Oh well, another year! <grins> Nothing is confirmed, as yet. 1st January 2012 12-16/04/2012 Berck-Plage, France 21/04-29/05/2012 Cervia, Italy 05-07/05/2012 Weymouth 26-27/05/2012 Exmouth 25-27/08/2012 Portsmouth Margate
    • 0 comments
    • 1,020 views
Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

17/03/2019 Blackheath

Fortunately this was the one Sunday in March that Jacob was in London so we could start assessing the JMH kites. Ironically having been concentrating on selecting kites to try and additional equipment I had left my Rev handles at home.  Spares were offered but I did not get to fly a Rev today!  For those that did it was RSS sails which gives an indication of the wind speed, probably about 15mph I would guess. First up was a set of 6 banners.  Now we remember why we don’t do banners at
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

10/03/2019 Blackheath

It was windy as forecast so I did not expect to be on site for long today.  Soon after arriving there were relatively long spell where the RSS kites were quite comfortable. Gradually the length of the calmer spells shortened and so kites on the ground time increased.  It did not feel as if anything was going to break but it was sufficiently uncomfortable flying so we called it a day at about midday. The Aarhus trip was straightforward but I have to go back to collect four more kites we
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

03/03/2019

The weather for the 10th March still does not look promising.  We didn’t even try today given the rain and wind! All set for Aarhus, Wednesday.  The prospect of so many unique kites to fly is a bit exciting.  A whole new chapter, even. Felix
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

24/02/2019 Blackheath

Blue sky and sunshine in Hackney but heading towards the Blackwall Tunnel there was fog closer to the Thames with the tops of the Canary Wharf buildings appearing above it.  Emerging from the tunnel south of the river it was fairly dense fog but at the top of the Sun in the Sands hill the sun was shining again in a blue sky. A light east north easterly breeze was only just perceptible when we arrived but it did strengthen gradually and switch to more easterly before the thermal activity rea
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

17/02/2019 Blackheath

Our arrival today coincided with the southerly breeze freshening somewhat so we eventually decided on full vented 1.5s with mostly race frames after having tried full sail and mid vents as well.  The breeze was mostly c11mph but often more and with just the occasional lull. Full sunshine as well to the point that I was feeling that I had too many layers! Six up so mostly called and accompanied flying today.  Steve Reich, Pat Metheny: Electric Counterpoint had an airing as well as some
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

10/02/2019 Blackheath

A brief visit today as the weather forecast was not really very helpful.  In the event a 15mph westerly breeze occasionally dropped off but there was a considerable wind chill, feeling as if it was only just above freezing point. Occasional raindrops for most of the time until a settled band of rain arrived  a bit before 1:00pm. RSS kites again and it was noted how much ‘lighter’ these are compared to other high wind formats.  The lack of gauze is a definite benefit especially in damp/
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

03/02/2019 Blackheath

A light WSW breeze and mostly sunny session today. Zens with green race and a couple of CR sails were eventually a bit overpowered but to start it must have been 4mph, if that, ending with 7 or 8mph, I guess! Some excellent silent and close flying today along with relaxed called sequences and musical accompaniment. It might have been good for the stacks but I was intent on checking out the 100m of 2.5mm diameter red sleeved spectra with the large JMH Rokakku and especially the li
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

27/01/2019 Blackheath

Blustery, chilly NW breeze, probably 15 gusting 30mph.  Mostly cloudy, just the occasional burst of sunshine. RSS kites handled well, not too much of a struggle and of course dealt with the lulls.  We noticed some pinching of the sails around the vertical spars which may have been due to the ‘springs’ being set on the inner of the spar rather than the outer side.  Probably not of any importance but worth remembering if we decide not to use the springs… Further work on the web site this
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

20/01/2019 Blackheath

A hazy blue sky today, a light NNE breeze so dark glasses all round. Zens with Green Race and a CR were not overpowered, 2-5mph probably! I had wondered about putting up both JMH 8 stacks for a ‘photo-op’ but in the event we opted to spend time familiarising ourselves with the line settings for the 1.5 stack.  Ideally I would want to have much finer steps than those on the provided leaders but today we started with the settings I had made in 9-10mph, put on much more brake and then ste
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

13/01/2019 Blackheath

A bit of a contrast to last Sunday, the wind still from the west but 15+ gusting 30+mph. Very bright, almost sunny with a mix of thin high and lower cloud. Full vent 1.5s were clearly overpowered so it was the RSS kites again.  Even they felt like a bit of a handful in the higher gusts. Still suffering from a lingering ‘cold’ which has the rest of my household in their beds today! Portsmouth and Scarborough events are going ahead in 2019 and we have fliers lined up but not fi
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

06/01/2019 Blackheath

A bit of a struggle to get out today due to a lingering 'cold' that stopped me in my tracks on New Years Eve. A light westerly breeze so Zens with green race, a great configuration. Landfall by Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet was a bit 'moody' but interesting to 'fly with'. There was variable high cloud but that was doing nothing to stop the UV getting through. A very dark sunglass day. We should be confirming Berck arrangements in the next day or so.  We will then be ma
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

30/12/2018 Blackheath

The tops of the Canary Wharf towers were hidden in the curiously luminous, low anticyclonic cloud this morning. On Blackheath it was very damp underfoot with worm casts in addition to the goose shit.  Not exactly the stable surface I had hoped for!  The breeze from the west was somewhat stronger than forecast, probably about 9mph, gusting higher. So not the conditions for flying both stacks side by side today but I did try the full1.5 version.  The slippery surface really was an issue
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

23/12/2018

Early rain was forecast and as I had to collect from the local butcher this morning I had decided to miss the flying session today. Ordered some SLK flying line in preparation for some further work with the JMH rokkakus. Cervia flights are booked and a lineup for Berck is becoming clearer now. We should be back on Blackheath on the 30th.  A Boxing Day flight looks unlikely as I may be attending a ‘kite related’ lunch! Felix
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

16/12/2018 Blackheath

Clear blue sky over Hackney as we set out but we could soon see the approaching high grey cloud to the south west. The light southerly breeze was just what we needed after a windy spell going back to early November.  I set up full sail 1.5 with green race which worked ok.  Ashley had a diamond LE with green race uprights.  MW was working on her Rev 2 stack. My intention was to do some more work on the 1.5 JMH stack today.  I had done a bit of fettling of knots and link lengths on Satur
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

09/12/2018 Blackheath

No rain to contend with today and while it didn’t feel it, the temperature was probably a bit over 10C.  More silly coloured cloudscapes today, the sun was very bright when it did break through occasionally. A mostly brisk westerly breeze so we were on the RSS kites again for further familiarisation.  While nothing was called the sails do cope quite well with the lulls, they certainly do not drop out of the sky! This was probably the last ‘not so many of us’ meeting before the New Year
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

02/12/2018 Blackheath

There was drizzle in the air on the hill up to ‘Sun in the Sands’ roundabout but it had stopped by the time we got out onto the ‘heath’. The wind was forecast at 13mph upwards so I had extracted the team RSS set so that we could get some ‘hands on’ time if conditions were appropriate.  That was certainly the case today and I think that we all appreciated the ‘forgiving’ wind range of these kites. Nothing called but there was a lot of close and slow interaction interspersed with faster
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

25/11/2018 Blackheath

It was a token session today really.  The damp easterly breeze was fairly consistent under low grey clouds with an occasional brighter moment. Somehow the combination of a cold damp ‘strongish’ breeze was not conducive to contemplative ‘flying’.  It was certainly not good for fettling the stacks.  I might have to do some more measurement checking indoors rather than waiting for ideal outdoor condition. I hope to do some more work on our Jørgen Møeller Hansen project soon.  In the meant
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

18/11/2018 Blackheath

Bright and sunny with a brisk easterly breeze today, probably 12mph gusting much more… Full vented with green race mostly, I was on the RSS again which meant that I occasionally needed to move a bit faster.  Some called moves today, nothing too challenging but it was the free flying interaction that impressed me most… I have located this text and all that precede it in an orderly manner at www.felixmottram.com/kiteblog.  I will eventually deal with the remaining ‘translation’ issues wh
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

11/11/2018 Blackheath

I arrived on Blackheath today in bright sunshine with a mostly blue sky.  While showers had been forecast I had for some reason assumed that they would be elsewhere but on the SW horizon there was a very dark area of cloud.  After a few minutes it was apparent that it was approaching fast. I set up an RSS ( it was a fairly brisk SW breeze) assuming that it was going to be a fairly sharp shower and that the rest of the kit should stay in the dry.  It was only when the sun was obscured by the
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

04/11/2018 Blackheath

I have noticed previously that the high level cloudscape can be particularly varied and interesting in the remains of Atlantic hurricanes that have been swept up by the jet stream that delivers the weather to the UK.  Today was one of those occasions, with temperatures well into double figures as well! Light SW breeze so mostly full 1.5s with race rods.  Nothing called today, not least because minds (and some bodies) were elsewhere… The sleeved kevlar turned out to be too tough really
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

28/10/2018 Blackheath

At 9:00am the rain looked steady so the prospect of flying today appeared remote.  The forecast was mixed but in the event there was a break in the ‘showers’ around our normal start time. Full vented with green race and an RSS in the occasionally brisk ENE breeze. There was some warmth in the sun but was definitely ‘gloves’ weather; the first this Autumn.  We did not last long as there was an approaching shower.  More rain back in Hackney at 2:00pm. I have located and ordered some
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

21/10/2018 Blackheath

Clear blue sky with steady westerly breeze, probably 4 gusting 8 mph.  Wet underfoot to start but soon dried out… Zens and CRs with green and black race rods mostly.  There was a bit of called flying but nothing too energetic.  A neat transformation from circle to vertical line and the reverse suggested a whole range of novel moves that just need to be ‘called’. Once the ground had dried a bit I ran out a new line-set for the stacks, the standard 100ft 200lb (thanks to Vliegertak Kite
Felix

Felix

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Rev Kite Team Notes, The Decorators
 

14/10/2018 Blackheath

No repeat performance today after last Sunday!  It did not look as if we would have any flying today but at 10:30am the radar was no longer showing  heavy showers approaching from the South so we ‘took a chance’. Full sail 1.5s with Race rods mostly in the NW breeze before the rain arrived again. So that was our token OSOW effort for another year…  I note that last year Chris Murphy first visited us on the second Sunday.  It looked as if we had much more flying on that occasion!
Felix

Felix

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