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The Washington Monument Grounds


adammandes

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There a a few decent places to fly in Washington DC. The mall and the monumnet grounds are good, as well as Haines Point accross the river from National Airport (Reagan).

I have also found a nice little park on the Occaquan River next to the Ospreys Landing Golf Course and Marina. Pleanty of space, and direcly on the river with no trees.

Hope to see somebody at the monument. WOW (Wings Over Washington) sponsors a Sunday fly the first Sunday of the month from 9 to 3 at the monument grounds.

Hope to see you there!

Adam

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There a a few decent places to fly in Washington DC. The mall and the monumnet grounds are good, as well as Haines Point accross the river from National Airport (Reagan).

I have also found a nice little park on the Occaquan River next to the Ospreys Landing Golf Course and Marina. Pleanty of space, and direcly on the river with no trees.

Hope to see somebody at the monument. WOW (Wings Over Washington) sponsors a Sunday fly the first Sunday of the month from 9 to 3 at the monument grounds.

Hope to see you there!

Adam

Adam, they meet by the gnarly tree on the Jefferson Memorial side of the monument grounds.

If you fly next to Paul LaMasters take your rib guards, he's a self proclaimed flailer!

-Alden

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HA! flashy maneuvers require flailing.

all smooth and graceful?,.. anybody can do that after an intro lesson and some practice.

Quarter turn flick-flaks and a rolled-up landing in time with music? That my friend requires dramatic movements of hands and feet. Flailing is an acquired skill as opposed to a technical flaw. Some may recognize the technique as the "long-armed method". Adding different skill sets makes for more entertainment when your name is called. Low wind means big movements. If you'd have been joining us since your first Rev was acquired Alden you'd be a no-wind master by now also!

Summer's over, come down and join us at the Monument grounds, we have wind again~!

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I went downtown to the capitol mall grounds thru work this weekend

(on a big science and engineering fair ~ 1,500 hands-on experiments for kids ~ HUGE~ )

We taught chromatography with coffee filters, water & markers to show how chemical proteins are researched at the National Cancer Institute).

Anyway, the wife (in charge, naturally!) says to bring a couple of kites in case the booth space is too crowded, I can cut out and go fly. Tried first nearby but too crowded, fences and huge turbulence (All I had were two 1.5s with 120 line-sets in the little Prism speed bag).

So back up to the washington monument grounds I hike about 12 blocks. Set-up on the east side, so the folks could see me from the exhibit tents. I'm in the air no more than ten minutes, a park ranger comes over and tells me to move away from the flag-poles, but "It's okay to keep chasing the spectators, I've seen you down here before" HA!, Security's approval! I rabidly cleared an area for myself and then become a full-fledged predator. Separate the old or the young from the herd I always say! No baby stroller is ever safe. My personal favorite is the unsuspecting bystander. Tapping a resting bike rider on the helmet and then rabidly vanishing away, all the while hundreds of spectators are laughing. The line to enter the Washington Monument is maybe 80 feet away, it's long and nobody is moving, so I'm all in my glory. Catching a kite on 120's brings out a burst of applause. Man it was such a good time. Taught some kids to fly, even a little shaver maybe 3, I sat on the ground for him so he could get a feel for the kite as I reached around him and then warned the parents and family I was going to let him go. Oh that little bugger shot away, almost airborne, dumped the handles right quick and ran back to dad as fast as those little legs would go! Later he wants another turn on the handles, tears still wet on his face! The wind was challenging enough that some folks were momentarily delayed in their flight endeavors.

Folks walk right up to you and ask about the revolution kite and it's amazing control. I generally tell people "I just got it tuesday, it's easy, you wanta' try it out also?" Or they set-up a picnic blanket behind you and watch for half an hour. It is almost as much fun to have them be the show as doing it yourself. The burst of smiles is so contagious. I flew until the misses broke my glorious zen moment with the wake-up/wrap-it-up call.

I had to have walked 35 city blocks, between parking (the first 11 garages weren't open!), then tons of city street closures, the exhibits and kiting. What a great place to fly kites though, always a boat-load of spectators and in good weather it's 20 people deep in every direction.

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I went downtown to the capitol mall grounds thru work this weekend

(on a big science and engineering fair ~ 1,500 hands-on experiments for kids ~ HUGE~ )

We taught chromatography with coffee filters, water & markers to show how chemical proteins are researched at the National Cancer Institute).

Anyway, the wife (in charge, naturally!) says to bring a couple of kites in case the booth space is too crowded, I can cut out and go fly. Tried first nearby but too crowded, fences and huge turbulence (All I had were two 1.5s with 120 line-sets in the little Prism speed bag).

So back up to the washington monument grounds I hike about 12 blocks. Set-up on the east side, so the folks could see me from the exhibit tents. I'm in the air no more than ten minutes, a park ranger comes over and tells me to move away from the flag-poles, but "It's okay to keep chasing the spectators, I've seen you down here before" HA!, Security's approval! I rabidly cleared an area for myself and then become a full-fledged predator. Separate the old or the young from the herd I always say! No baby stroller is ever safe. My personal favorite is the unsuspecting bystander. Tapping a resting bike rider on the helmet and then rabidly vanishing away, all the while hundreds of spectators are laughing. The line to enter the Washington Monument is maybe 80 feet away, it's long and nobody is moving, so I'm all in my glory. Catching a kite on 120's brings out a burst of applause. Man it was such a good time. Taught some kids to fly, even a little shaver maybe 3, I sat on the ground for him so he could get a feel for the kite as I reached around him and then warned the parents and family I was going to let him go. Oh that little bugger shot away, almost airborne, dumped the handles right quick and ran back to dad as fast as those little legs would go! Later he wants another turn on the handles, tears still wet on his face! The wind was challenging enough that some folks were momentarily delayed in their flight endeavors.

Folks walk right up to you and ask about the revolution kite and it's amazing control. I generally tell people "I just got it tuesday, it's easy, you wanta' try it out also?" Or they set-up a picnic blanket behind you and watch for half an hour. It is almost as much fun to have them be the show as doing it yourself. The burst of smiles is so contagious. I flew until the misses broke my glorious zen moment with the wake-up/wrap-it-up call.

I had to have walked 35 city blocks, between parking (the first 11 garages weren't open!), then tons of city street closures, the exhibits and kiting. What a great place to fly kites though, always a boat-load of spectators and in good weather it's 20 people deep in every direction.

Great story.

I cant wait till I have that kind of control over the kite.

Adam

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This weekend is our next "first sunday fly", please come down to Washington monument grounds and join us Adam.

I have a whole bunch of Revs in various configurations. You can try out which options are most beneficial for your developing style. I carry three different bridle styles with me just as an example. I'm also not against switching out frame members, even running hybrids with other manufacturer's products. You can fly anything in my bag and we'll compare kite options or equipment directly side-by-side. No sales hype, just which one feels better to you personally and why is it different. What happens if you use long throw handles, or mid-length or super shorties? Try-out some variables and see if it makes a difference to you.

Mastering anything is a series of increasingly complex variables to be overcome/(dare I say?... conquered) until you are supremely confident in all the possibilities. Chasing spectators means you have a lot of confidence in your equipment and skill-set as a pilot. You can practice tip landings with orange safety cones until you sure you won't be poking out anyone's eyes in the stroller. Then you go get a target and let 'em know about all of the control that is possible on one of these darn things!

I started the same way, somebody demanded I join the local kite club filled with sport kite geeks if I wanted to really know how a rev is supposed to look flying and work for the pilot. Now I'm listed as that club's flight instructor. It's been a long enjoyable journey but I'm pretty one dimensional now. I'm mostly on quads and 1point5s from Revolution are a favorite choice of mine. The WOW club also has some great builders too, so you may want to explore that side of the kiting equation as well. Many started off on sport kites and wound-up as single line kite builders. It's almost an evolution to many of the club's mates.

Metro rail system (to the Smithsonian Castle), unless you want to drive down there very, VERY early. Parking is almost impossible nearby, anytime after 7:00AM.

-plm

PS: I will be down there ( in the lot by the paddle boat dock & the Jefferson Memorial ) before 6:30. Too much crap to lug on foot, even with carts or a wagon. Occasionally I'm forced to return to the vehicle for something forgotten or a change of clothes too. This is the best parking lot for proximity, but it's not always open and fills quickly when it is.

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Metro rail system (to the Smithsonian Castle), unless you want to drive down there very, VERY early. Parking is almost impossible nearby, anytime after 7:00AM.

Really? I rarely have problems parking closer than any of the closest Metro stations. If I don't get a spot on Constitution (not unusual at 9-9:30), I typically grab one over by DAR Constitution Hall. It's only a few blocks up to our flying spot.

Me, I'll miss this first Sunday...Cape Fear-bound!

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Really? I rarely have problems parking closer than any of the closest Metro stations. If I don't get a spot on Constitution (not unusual at 9-9:30), I typically grab one over by DAR Constitution Hall. It's only a few blocks up to our flying spot.

Me, I'll miss this first Sunday...Cape Fear-bound!

Sir, you are always the exception, I couldn't find a spot down there during the daylight hours if we had a nuclear winter!

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Don't worry about the wind conditions Adam, just dress warm enough and don't forget about those dry feet either. I have a lot stuff worthy of no wind, even a ZEN if you can demonstrate it's safe with you. Probably half a dozen 1point5s all specifically tuned or modified for low wind conditions. Lots of different handle lengths and bridle options to consider too.

You pick one up, fly it awhile then try another, eventually you'll find one that you click with and then we'll figure out what's the difference between your kite and that one. The only real comparison is side-by-side with but single variable if you want to be completely fair. Then it's all about "feel" and your personal choices. No hype, just what feels best to you, what other opinion really matters anyhow?

I'll be down there by daybreak, see ya' on the west side of the washington monument.

-paul

PS: There should be a few other quad-heads showing up as well, Cosca, Mosman and Ashworth for sure. you don't even need to bring a kite bag.

oh boy! OPKs all day!

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So I met up with Adam this Sunday, . . .

next thing we know some park ranger is in our faces about kite flying being illegal on the grounds of the Washington Monument without a permit! He won't call anyone else, he's already discussed our problem on the way over to us, AND he can "escalate our offense" with confiscation of our equipment and arrest, if we fail to vacate the premises immediately!

We packed up and returned to our vehicles, I'm guessing to go fly near our own residences instead. On the way to the vehicles Mike Mosman and I go into the park ranger station. I have excellent notes, confirming the officer's name, badge number and organization, he's asked to see my photo ID, a phone telephone number and written down all the driver's license information.

Mike brings a box of donuts (I'm serious!) and next thing we know some sweet park ranger gal is printing off the regulations and going over them with him. I was pretty hot under the collar so Mike asked me to wait outside for a few minutes. Usually those two roles are reversed between us <HA!> He make three phone calls (his phone has the park ranger central dispatch number programmed in already?), go over the rules (which it turns out Jim Cosca helped to research & prepare) and we're back on the field. Several more folks showed and we actually had pretty fine wind for most of the afternoon.

After the last phone call the Sargent on duty said he was "expecting our call and we are welcome back on the grounds",

A. if we don't use Abrasive Coated Flying line,

B. if we don't leave residual bits of kiting materials on the grounds,

C. if we place no stakes in the ground or tie-off on the trees,

D. if we don't interfere with the other spectators.

We may go after a permit anyway, if we can work out the details w/o a significant cost to the club.

Geesh what an exciting day!

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After the last phone call the Sargent on duty said he was "expecting our call and we are welcome back on the grounds",

A. if we don't use Abrasive Coated Flying line,

B. if we don't leave residual bits of kiting materials on the grounds,

C. if we place no stakes in the ground or tie-off on the trees,

D. if we don't interfere with the other spectators.

Does C include golf ball stakes for temporarily holding handles while setting up, tearing down (or doing the walk of shame)?

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the real policy is no more than six inches deep (extensive sprinkler system underground)

but the people with badges & weapons consider ANY stake unacceptable!

We use 'em anyway and occasionally need to explain

it's not a stake at all, but a "safety device" designed to protect the public

in case somebody walks thru the flying lines (a very common issue to be sure!)

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So I met up with Adam this Sunday, . . .

next thing we know some park ranger is in our faces about kite flying being illegal on the grounds of the Washington Monument without a permit! He won't call anyone else, he's already discussed our problem on the way over to us, AND he can "escalate our offense" with confiscation of our equipment and arrest, if we fail to vacate the premises immediately!

We packed up and returned to our vehicles, I'm guessing to go fly near our own residences instead. On the way to the vehicles Mike Mosman and I go into the park ranger station. I have excellent notes, confirming the officer's name, badge number and organization, he's asked to see my photo ID, a phone telephone number and written down all the driver's license information.

Mike brings a box of donuts (I'm serious!) and next thing we know some sweet park ranger gal is printing off the regulations and going over them with him. I was pretty hot under the collar so Mike asked me to wait outside for a few minutes. Usually those two roles are reversed between us <HA!> He make three phone calls (his phone has the park ranger central dispatch number programmed in already?), go over the rules (which it turns out Jim Cosca helped to research & prepare) and we're back on the field. Several more folks showed and we actually had pretty fine wind for most of the afternoon.

After the last phone call the Sargent on duty said he was "expecting our call and we are welcome back on the grounds",

A. if we don't use Abrasive Coated Flying line,

B. if we don't leave residual bits of kiting materials on the grounds,

C. if we place no stakes in the ground or tie-off on the trees,

D. if we don't interfere with the other spectators.

We may go after a permit anyway, if we can work out the details w/o a significant cost to the club.

Geesh what an exciting day!

Hey there fellow Rev Terrorist,

I'm glad you guys went down to the police station and spoke with some authority. I also called the District 1 office, and asked the desk seargent what statute we were violating. He cut me off, and welcomed me back to the monument grounds to fly my kite.

It was nice meeting you, although briefly, and am looking forward to next time. I did work on some things since Sunday, and have made great progress. The inverted lift off leaving one tip grounded, and also lots of tip landings. I have been flying a lot the last couple of days sice I am off this week. Have been back to the monument twice since Sunday. I have had good sucess going form on tip to the other in an arc, very slowly. Seems to be helping control quite a bit. Also the inverted launch and hover. I never did get into a groove on Sunday, so I could never really show you what I can do with the kite.

Well, it was memorable for my first WOW event as a legitamate member!

We are headed to Topsail Island for the rest of the week, so I expect lots of practice.

Catch you all next time!

Adam

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So, I shared this weekend's PERMIT REQUIRED saga with the folks on the Smithsonian Festival Advisory Committee. Drake Smith made reference to the East Coast's bubble guy which I thought was excellent advise. Here is his message:

"We need a way to report these kinds of things politely, and a way to reach someone at the appropriate level to stop this from happening. Felix used to be accused of molesting kids with bubbles by these park ranger unterfeuhrers, and he would pull out a business card of some lead official of the US Park Service, and offer to resolve things with a phone call to the cop's boss."

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After the last phone call the Sargent on duty said he was "expecting our call and we are welcome back on the grounds",

A. if we don't use Abrasive Coated Flying line,

B. if we don't leave residual bits of kiting materials on the grounds,

C. if we place no stakes in the ground or tie-off on the trees,

D. if we don't interfere with the other spectators.

We may go after a permit anyway, if we can work out the details w/o a significant cost to the club.

Geesh what an exciting day!

I like B & D!!!!!!!!!!

D for obvious reasons and B we just won't discuss.................!!!!!!!!!!!!<WINK WINK>

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