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andelscott

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Posts posted by andelscott

  1. Wasn't there some talk of permits being available for Portsmouth, or was that just the clinic? My feeble memory fails me.... :confused!:

    Hi Ant

    Run a search on the forum with the following +parking +Portsmouth - that will list the two mentions. Parking vouchers were published in the Kite Society of Great Britain journal (July?) but not sure what (if any) arrangement exists for the clinic.

    HTH

  2. I thought with a forum full of Tinkers,Sailors,Soldiers and Spys[ya never know whos who].Someone may be able to point me in the direction of a good buy.

    Canon Image Stabilising binoculars are quite popular with plane spotters as it can help when reading the registrations. Apparently they are good but eat batteries. May be outside price spec - I've not researched 'em.

    HTH

  3. Oh yeh .. good point! maybe somewhere in Gunwharf quay then?

    Sounds as if you have local knowledge! Anything sounds good to us.

    Be good to meet with you, outsync and others. etc. As Felix mentioned, I guess we can't choose any place that's too intimate (i.e. small!). Could I suggest we meet outside the display area / rev enclosure at the end of the festival - just in case some others wish to keep their attendance a well-guarded secret? [My wife and I will not be involved in any flying on Sunday so we can remain incognito until then :shifty: ]

  4. Ok here's a pickle which I might need a little help resolving ....

    August 21st is the day iQuad arrive in the UK for the summer festivals.... I along with Sailor am picking the boys up from the Airport and giving them a bed for the first night of their stay .... something has been niggling me about that date ..... you guessed it 15th Wedding Anniversary ... 15th isn't anything special right?? or maybe it could be 'carbon' or 'polyester' ...

    Anyway I hope you iQuad boys know a few songs or double as a mariachi band in your spare time so that you can serenade Mrs Jones at her romantic dinner for 8 ... maybe I could have them appear out of a cake??

    ... Please send thoughts and suggestions to:

    Okay - so you're going to present her with a paid place on the iQuad clinic and say "and I've arranged for extra free time with the tutors...."

    15th = crystal. Not particularly relevant. Shame I didn't know that last Thursday...... :blushing:

    Good luck !!

  5. We really think they are necessary if we want all be syncronized in a megateam flying in a big Festival where noise (PA, etc) uses to be a little bit higher than a normal speaker (I mean a person ;-) could beat......

    Do I see a new standard emerging (for the EU at least):

    • 'B' series Rev;
    • 120 foot lines; and
    • PMR446 (with charged batteries, headset for team leader / earpieces for team flyers)?

    Sadly there is no single licence-free solution that is suited to both North America and the EU. Although both have such radio facilities, the details differ and so a "type-approved" radio can only operate within one approval scheme.

    Portable PA might work in some locations, but is likely to detract from the performance if audible to the audience.

    So if everyone planning to participate in a 'formal' mega fly brings a PMR446 (with an earpiece) or borrows one from family or friends it should theoretically work fine, just so long as the channel and sel-call or CTCSS codes are announced in advance... Make sure the batteries are charged before the event. :kid_devlish:

  6. I am also a Radio Ham and as such would be willing to use one of my Ham radios, however it would need other Hams to be there due to the current regulations.

    Hmm - third party traffic comes to mind, but if you want to fly with me (and my wife) we're covered :kid_smartass:

    If anyone has a few spare PMR446 sets (licence exempt) the range would be fine. At least one would need VOX control as I'm guessing even the expert flyers probably want both hands for flying....! They may be good for much of the EU too, but of course different arrangements exist in the USA.

    Do we need to start a new comms thread? :kid_frustrated:

  7. Heres what I want, each team has to train 4 new fliers who do not fly team and then

    bring them out and do a demo, which will be judged by myself, or Joe H. the inventor of the kite, then we will pick a 1st place and give the training team 4 custom B's, second place gets 2 custom B's. third gets 1 custom B, I know all you guys can fly but can you teach others........... :kid_devlish:

    Any team want a volunteer student or two? :kid_content:

    Edit: Ben's rules, but would this be a handicap: more credit/kudos for training someone who isn't an expert solo flyer already?

  8. The same goes for 'Priority' labels - in the UK especially, these are put to one side and loaded onto the bagage conveyor last :D:D

    Sorry - tangential thought - bordering on OT - but surely this is supports "last on, first off" handling?

    FWIW: I agree with Big Bri's comment on using plastic (UPVC) drain pipes in a kite bag. Mine accommodates about four. This both provides a degree of rigidity to the bag and protection to each tube's content, having used it several times between UK and USA. Then pack either soft clothing or small inflatable kites at the ends to absorb some of the knocks and bumps.

  9. A couple of stills from Dunstable. The grid team (you know who you are!) and the mega-fly Mexican Wave.

    post-2092-1216659305_thumb.jpg

    post-2092-1216659340_thumb.jpg

    Next challenge - how to get mega fly photos with all the kites, but *not* looking like small dots in the sky! :confused!:

  10. First two bits of the Grid uploaded

    link in pics and vids

    Great video Jade. Respect to the flyers - the winds on Sunday could in no way be described as a steady shore-breeze!

    Revs got good airtime during the day - not only did we have the Flying Squad in the formal timetable, but the closing 'informal' mega-fly of 18 was excellent (the Mexican wave 'did it' for me). Almost throughout, the display prototyping and practice sessions formed book ends around the main arena - a great reminder of why we went to the event in the first place.

    Can't wait to hear which music will be selected for the extended grid work.....

  11. I desperately wanted to be part of this celebration but I have to accept that chances are ,I am destined to be Ground Crew.

    Same here. How many more ground crew volunteers needed? (Portsmouth only)

    CAVEAT: can turn kites over, walk 'em back, etc. but dealing with 36 x 4 line birds nests is a bit beyond me..... :sign_kitelife:

  12. 1. Wind all 4 lines onto a figure-8 winder. Don't waste time winding out one pair at a time. Leave handles attached. You don't need to separate left and right, but it may help to mark one handle and lineset at both ends of the sleeving with marker pen, as long as you remember to always attach that set on the same side of the kite! Get some coloured sleeving, green for "Go" (ie top lines) red for "Stop" (ie bottom lines) and always remember your colour sequence when attaching your lines (can cause severe confusion if you get it wrong!)

    I understand the need for efficiency, but worth remembering the old saying "more haste, less speed". Simultaneous winding of 4 lines can lead to much more confusion with line twists (maybe it's just the way I wind 'em).

    I've also got the saying "Black at the baa-dum" drilled into my consciousness, so Red and Green (port and starboard?) doesn't do it for me, Sorry :kid_frustrated:

    The other observation if giving directions to novice flyers *on the day* (I'm sure this forum is preaching to the converted anyway) is to have the top end of the handles closest to the stake and kite set with leading edge down to avoid accidental launch - by far the most significant risk for the exercise! May be worth having a valiant friend available to turn kites over for those that are more nervous and need to launch leading edge up.

    Can't wait to see the informal at Portsmouth.......

  13. Does anyone know the postcode for the site for a sat nav.

    apparently the one on the website takes you to the other side.

    The National Trust Gateway Centre is LU6 2GY - but my cheapo sat nav doesn't recognise this code.

    Also see "Dunstable Road, Whipsnade". If you'd like an OS grid reference: TL008197 is pretty close.

    Hope this helps

  14. Perhaps I could bring a little west country delight - anyone for knitted organic tofu or nut rissoles (Totnes specialities!)

    Now I thought you were going to say you'd bring clotted cream (in Litre packs?) or local farmhouse cider - the suspiciously cloudy stuff that takes the knees out beneath you as you hit the fresh air. But then I remembered that Totnes is the refined end of Devon, of course! :innocent:

  15. Yes, when I built them the brief I gave the naval architect was to keep a Volvo in mind as he drew them. I of course meant a Volvo 70', but he thought I meant a Volvo Estate.

    (For those who don't know, a Volvo 70' is a fairly quick and very expensive racing yacht. Whereas a Volvo estate is something entirely different)

    That explains it all - I was wondering how to fix the roof rack on top.

  16. Hello,

    1 My name is Andy and I'm a kiteaholic.

    2 I have an unknown number of kites, but less than 50.

    3 Mostly I fly Rev kites (now).

    4 The last time I flew was Today (Yippeee!).

    5 On that day, I flew these kites: Rev 1.5 B-series vented.

    6 The local people at the park [don't] call me.

    7 Soccer players are miles away - they don't play on hillsides (it gives one team an unfair advantage).

    8 The next kite I'm considering is a(n)other Rev - why limit it to just one?

    9 I'll fly SLKs whenever I've included the bag of fighter kites.

    10 I'll fly dualies whenever I'm horribly confused. I don't own a dual-line kite.

    11 I'll fly quads whenever I'm flying kites and the winds are kind.

    12 My favourite place to fly is warm with a steady wind.

    13 When I fly, I usually forget to eat, drink and re-apply sun lotion.

    14 If I listen to music at the field, it's most likely someone else's.

    15 The best colour on a kite is either bright or black.

    16 The worst colour on a kite is grass streak, mud or, worse still, dung.

    17 My favorite colour combination on a kite is ... Who cares, so long as it's on a Rev?

  17. Oh and BTW apparently we are all wearing "1980's era cloths for both events, so any Yanks reading just bring period cloths only.

    That's great - so I'm not the only one too mean to buy new stuff then? :kid_devlish:

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