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About this blog

My personal observations

Entries in this blog

07/10/2018 Blackheath

Sunshine to start and with a light northerly breeze we were flying into the sun.  Zens with green race to begin with… We then set up the two four stacks and ‘everyone’ took them for a spin.  I managed to get a couple of photos as well!  High cloud had moved in by this time. As the wind was occasionally dropping down I decided to join the stacks and try the longer handles on the full rig.  Forward flight was really not happening when the handles were on full forwards.  I will be interes

Felix

Felix

07/10/2012 Blackheath

In contrast to last Sunday, today was at the other end of the spectrum in terms of wind speed with periods of absolute calm. So it was Zens and CR sails. I was flying the CR with 3 wrap most of the time but finally changed to Race Rods which allowed the kite to float on the rising air when the directional flow died away. Sometimes a little extra weight allows for the sail to be thrown around but somehow it did not feel like that today. It was T-shirt temperatures and as is often the case at t

Felix

Felix

07/09/2014 Blackheath

Arrived on the heath today at 10:00am not having appreciated the likely effect of the tall ships event down at Greenwich. Our early arrival was in the hope of catching the lighter breezes not competing for the limited parking spaces. 1.5 sails with diamond rods felt great in the c2-5mph breeze which was present for most of the time, only really failing when the sun finally broke through the previously dense high grey cloud base some time after midday. Today I set more appropriate leaders on t

Felix

Felix

07/08/2016 Blackheath

A brisk SW breeze was almost Xtra Vent conditions but we switched to full vent with 4 wrap spars in order to cope with the lulls. Six up so we did a fair amount of called flying in anticipation of Portsmouth. Rowan was on the line today and will be at Portsmouth so it was good to make a gentle introduction to the demands, or otherwise, of festival flying… The Rev Site was not available today (or yesterday) so I will add this message as and when the site is back. I took all the text offline s

Felix

Felix

07/08/2011 Blackheath

Bright and breezy start so full vented and 4 wrap. Applying 'light wind technique' to flying the vented kites has been my objective for some time now and today was another opportunity to test the concept further. From a practical point of view my 'test' is to fly the kite as slowly as is possible without ending up with 'tired' muscles due to 'hanging on' to the handles. Plenty of brake for starters and then a 'ready to move' stance, one foot a stride forwards, arms down at side, handles horizon

Felix

Felix

07/07/2019 Blackheath

A light easterly breeze so Zens with green race today.  The high and low cloud threatened drizzle but it didn’t happen.  The ground was very wet from overnight rain and the plantain heads had sprung up over the last week. Nothing called and there was an occasional lull which had us walking back, every which way, it seemed.  We had a visitor today who had seen the Revs from a passing bus.  He was a Blacksmith student at an institution in Herefordshire having completed the first of three year

Felix

Felix

07/07/2013 Blackheath

So it was ‘Race for Life’ again on Blackheath today. Maggie phoned ahead having parked up in Greenwich Park at about 10:00am. I arrived a bit later having encountered a slow bus (108) in the Blackwell Tunnel. In the spirit of the day we flew pink kites but with a twist. The ‘Diamond Spars’ really are very good indeed. We used the iQuad training sails two SUL sails (pink and purple) and one Standard sail (pink/gray) and put them through their paces against a 2 wrap set. The weightless ‘glid

Felix

Felix

07/06/2020 Blackheath

The wind was lighter than forecast soon after my arrival but strengthened later.  Full sail 1.5s with race rods were just holding in the lulls and we did fly a bit closer today as the rules have changed. I had hoped to fly the Peter Malinski train in full today as I thought that I had cut spare sticks and put them in the new bags for each set.  Seems like I had only replaced broken ones and so we only managed four sets again today using ‘spares’ from the fifth set as we inevitably broke som

Felix

Felix

07/06/2015 Basingstoke

Etienne and Veronique Veyres put a small bamboo and paper kite into the Cervia auction which I bought. Pauline and Frances very kindly agreed to transport it back to the UK and Basingstoke was the earliest venue where we could meet so today we didn’t fly on Blackheath but arrived at the Basingstoke event just before midday. There was a light variable breeze and as there was no designated space apart from the demonstration arena we limited our flying efforts to a short session with CR sails wit

Felix

Felix

07/05/2017 Blackheath

We were late arriving today, c11:30am and found Maggie already flying with Damon and his brother Justin.  I had to switch back to a 120ft line-set so as the beach events for the year are done I rolled out a new set of lines. We flew six for a while with Damon and Justin but as they had been on the Heath since 8:30am they did not stay for long! Some lazy free flying followed but as the northerly breeze was on the cool side we wrapped at about 1:00pm. Felix

Felix

Felix

07/05/2012 After Cervia and Weymouth

I left the laptop at home for both events... Cervia was great in the special way of that event. I certainly hope that we will be able to get back next year. The c160ft circular arena with a hard barrier perimeter was interesting and occasionally challenging. Weymouth was very good as well, not least because of onshore breezes on Saturday and some of Sunday. On Monday we had the usual prevailing winds over Nothe Gardens and the town but the rain on Monday morning cleared by 11am followed by a g

Felix

Felix

07/04/2013 Blackheath

There was a light breeze, there was some sunshine, It was Zens rather than Xtra Vents, quite a contrast to the last few weekends. The circus was still in place and we were early so heard the build-up to the 11:00am show and then flew with background music highlighted by the crash of the cymbals. The 'extra brake' setting for the high winds the last couple of weekends were just right for the low wind conditions today. My kite floated off the top of the wind window on one occasion but the s

Felix

Felix

07/03/2021

The fabric samples duly arrived and I slightly amended the colour values drawing hoping that the one missing sample will be available and in line with expectations. Dieppe has announced that it will be going ahead at the previously given dates in September but that international travel may still not be possible.  Not exactly an encouraging idea really but a local event may be better than nothing. Over the last few weeks I have been somewhat envious that it was possible to fly kites on

Felix

Felix in Decs

07/03/2010 Blackheath

A complete contrast weather wise today after last Sunday with clear skies, bright sun, but a steady, (most of the time) cold easterly breeze. Put out the pair of Rev2s Race Framed on the 80ft lines and long handles, not least to dry them out. (?) It was interesting to fly out to the edge of the wind window and 'throw' the kite through 'precise' turns. Long arms and plenty of movement on the ground were 'all' that was required. Slo-mo turns worked 'in the mind' rather than by virtue of physical

Felix

Felix

07/02/2021

I took deliver of a 1992 Rev 2 sail on Monday 1st February after a search for a Rev 1 sail that has been progressing slowly since last May.  The project was to get a set of the Jørgen Møller Hansen 1992 design re-made in the Zen format.  I had not remembered that there might be a problem in re-creating the graphic as it had been somewhat compromised in the manufacturing process.  Jacob duly advised that this was the case. So with reference to the Rev 2 sail, the images that we have of the R

Felix

Felix in Decs

07/02/2016 Blackheath

Brisk SW breeze mostly 18mph but often gusting considerably higher so Xtra Vents with 4 wrap frames today. Mostly cloudy with occasional breaks of sunshine which almost countered the considerable wind chill even though the temperature was almost in double figures centigrade… Some called moves today but also plenty of confident close free flying. Someone just has to write the figures but it might be better to try and describe the ‘rules of engagement’. It would be a bit like flying fighter ki

Felix

Felix

07/02/2010 Blackheath

A low grey cloud backdrop lifted soon after I left the field today. Team fliers were not out in numbers today so I was able to concentrate on the turning interval etc. of the 1.5B/Bazzer sail with Race Frame on extended handles. I have alluded previously to the throw, spin and catch aspect of flying this kite and the similarity in this to a diamond fighter kite. I am still working on the 'long arm' moves, occasionally finding 'body blocked' moments where the full sweep of the arms needs some co

Felix

Felix

07/01/2018 Blackheath

A bright day with a blustery NE breeze probably averaging about 15mph.  Mostly Xtra Vent sails with race rods and the Reflex Super Spider with its standard frame. Six up so mostly called flying today against a ‘random’ musical background.  The RSS was very light compared to the Xtra Vents.  There is a slight issue with the RSS when it is stalled at the edge of the wind window at the end of a move.  Getting it moving again requires ‘a lot of input’.  With so little sail area there is inevita

Felix

Felix

06/12/2020 Blackheath

There was quite a bit of heavy rain about first thing and it looked as if it would be slow to clear but the sun broke through as I was leaving Hackney. It did not last and Blackheath was under a curiously well articulated and varied cloudscape with brightness on east, south and west horizons.  There was a steady NNE breeze which measured up to 6mph briefly but was mostly 4-5mph. It was noticeably muddy underfoot but the Zens with green race did not really need much walking. Approa

Felix

Felix in Decs Sunday

06/12/2015 Blackheath

Arrived at about 11:00am. 14 degrees celcius, wind from the SW about 18mph gusting to 30. The lulls gradually stretched with 10mph or less occurring more frequently. Xtra Vents with 4 wrap were fine to start. Close, slow, not called moves worked well with a few formal sequences. Berck, Cervia, Portsmouth, Bristol, Exmouth and Dieppe are on the agenda for 2016. We will confirm events in due course. Felix

Felix

Felix

06/12/2009 Blackheath

After a very wet cloudy start to the day the sky cleared from the west and we arrived on Blackheath with a clear sky soon after 11am. The ground was not as waterlogged as last weekend and the Canada Geese have still not invaded. The wind was changeable but predominately strong so we flew vented with 4 wrap spars. I was very interested to see that the other fliers present were using horizontal handles and long arm movements even in the higher winds. It occurs to me that holding a very precise

Felix

Felix

06/11/2016 Blackheath

Mostly brisk NNW breeze today so full vented sails with race rods to cope with the lulls. Not too much debris on the field after the previous night’s fireworks. Plenty of close free flying watching patterns develop and drift with the changing wind direction.  After a sunny start the cloud thickened as is often the way at Blackheath.  Back in Hackney the cloud cover was complete by 2:00pm and very grey! Felix    

Felix

Felix

06/11/2011 Blackheath

A grey November day, and chilly in the NE breeze even if 12 degrees centigrade is warm compared seasonal averages... Green Race in vented sails again! Being aware that the kites were occasionally over powered in flight we noticed how much flex we were seeing in the spars when attempting ground work. It was difficult to keep the kites still. The Rev 2 B Vented with Race Rods showed no spar flex by comparison and was very light, in pull, on 80ft lines. A lazy team fly again today with no calls;

Felix

Felix

06/10/2019 Blackheath

Solo today for the second time this year.  So after a quick spin with a full vented 1.5 with green race I put up a section of the JMH Rhombus-shaped kites 1985 81 kites. I had taken the three top sets of the train and found that the orange set had an extra length of line after the last kite suggesting that maybe a pilot kite had been used previously.  It was my intention to try adding the pocket sled in the Vienna Kite Club colours that we had each been given last weekend as I suspected th

Felix

Felix

06/10/2013 Blackheath

Glorious sunny day today but there was no breeze at all when we arrived at 10:30am. Occasionally there was a barely perceptible movement from the west. The Diamond rods may not actually be lighter than the Race rods but they are ‘stiffer’ so the sail loads and the kite moves quickly in response to input from the flier. In zero breeze the fighter kite technique of pulling the kite up and then letting it glide away works beautifully with these spars. The ‘lightness’ of touch really becomes ap

Felix

Felix

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