As we add more tips we will update this page.  Some of the information you might already know since it will be geared to new fliers.  With this section it is our hope that you might pick up a bit of new information or even get a small chuckle from some of our learning experiences.  This will also be a place that you can learn a bit more about us because we will be speaking from our experiences and you will come to know us better and who we are at Midwest Kites. 

Flying With Physical Challenges

Many people think that in any sport that you have to be athletically inclined, in great shape, have great skill or be gifted in an area of sports.

All of the above might help but in kite flying it is not a necessity at all!  In the sport of kite flying just about anyone can fly, from the youngster, to someone who might be getting on in years and just a youngster at heart.  Kite flying can be as physically active as you want it to be or as non-physical as you choose it to be.  It depends on what tricks you want to do with the kite and how you want to fly the kite.

This guide is not so much about the single line kites where you pull on the kite line and relax and watch it, but this guide is about dual line kites and quad lines kites and flying them if you are physically challenged.  In particular, I am speaking of flying from a wheelchair.  

Yes it can be done!!  Grant it, a bit of assistance from a helper to unwind your lines and to attach your dual line or quad line kite to the lines is a major help but the assembling of the kite to flying it is quite conceivable and easy to do, as long as you have the right ingredients.  The first main thing you need of course, is the wind.  A second major ingredient would be to want to do it.

When you fly from a wheelchair one of the main things to keep in mind is to watch your wind conditions.  Do not get yourself into a position in higher wind with a hard pulling kite and expect yourself to keep yourself seated in the wheelchair.  Plain and simple, it is not going to happen.  If you think you can get to the side of the wind window quick enough so that you are not dragged out of the wheelchair, guess again.  If you are struggling to remain seated in the wheelchair and then trying to maneuver a kite to the side of the wind window, it is not an easy thing to do.   You will tend to be thinking about being dragged on the ground if you, like some, refuse to let go of the flight straps.  Always get a kite that has a low pull to it in the higher winds and yes there are kites with low pull and not just vented kites either.  

Another thing to keep in mind, don't rely on the brakes on the wheelchair to keep you from going forward in a bit higher winds.  It is recommended that you have two blocks cut to place them in front of the wheels so that you are unable to be propelled forward, unless you want to buggy of course. ;-)  Make sure that the blocks are thick enough that you can not easily go up and over them.  Even with a moderately pulling kite which you might have perfectly under control, your wheelchair is still going to want to travel with the kite.   If at any time you feel you need help, ask someone to help you with the kite to bring it down.  Don't let pride get in your way from asking for help since it is a lot more embarrassing to be pulled out of a wheelchair face first.

When you fly from a chair you do the same type of launches as a person who is standing but where a standing person will sweep their hands back to their sides a person from a wheelchair will sweep their hands on either side of the wheels.  When you do this, be careful that your kite line does not get tangled up in the wheels.  Once the kite is up you can dance it across the sky any way you please.  If you are able to lean your back a bit forward when you fly you will have enough space from the back of the chair to your arms to do the hand movements.  If you can't sit that way and are having problems, bend your arms at the elbows with the inside of the arms facing you and do the movements that way. It is even possible, in the right wind, to do axels and pancake to fades, spin landings and many more tricks.  With an axel, don't get your wheels or ears wrapped up in the lines though.

You can also easily fly quad line kites from a wheelchair.  Actually a quad line kite might be a bit easier to handle for some since with quad line flying you are basically moving the quad handles forward and backward.  You are still able to do some mighty impressive sudden stops and radical turns and flying backwards even from a wheelchair.  A Rev would be a great choice to fly since it is probably the very best quad line kite out there.  It is a very forgiving kite, and face it, when flying from a wheelchair you want things to be as easy as possible.

The main thing to always remember when flying from a wheelchair is to have fun.  It is another one of those times in life where you are not limited, the sky truly is the limit.  The only limit is your imagination on what new maneuver to try.  Flying can bring great joy to a heart no matter what physical challenges someone might face.  If you have ever wanted to try to fly, find someone who can help you with getting started.  It truly is a freeing time when you fly.  You'll learn to be innovative on what works best for you.

Btw, the reason I know these things, I fly from a wheelchair, part of the time.  To me it is just one of those things.  If I can do it anyone can and I am by no means agile or graceful, to say the least. ;-)

Lyn

Kite Safety

We have flown off and on since the ages of 5 and 6.  Being both farm kids we had lots of open spaces to fly.  As we grew older, flying kites was not high on our list of things to do  About 15 years ago we started to fly again and realized that the same joy and excitement we felt as kids with our little homemade kites was still there.  At that time, when we got back into flying, we flew single line kites and then about 8 years ago we got into dual line and quad line flying and we are still having the time of our lives feeling that thrill of a kite at the end of a line, no matter if it has one line, two lines or four lines.  This is just a few of the things we have learned from flying and where we have seen new fliers blunder on these things.

One of the major things with kite flying besides having fun is to fly safely.  Be aware of where your kite is at all times whether you are flying a single line kite (SLK), dual line kite or a quad line kite.  This is a marvelous sport that is great fun when common sense is used, otherwise it can have some serious consequences.

Obviously you want to stay away from any kind of power poles, that is pretty much of a no brainer there folks.  You also need to know where people are located when you are flying.  Getting smacked with a dual or quad line kite traveling at a high rate of speed can be dangerous.  The lines that you use can easily cause some nasty burns at the very least and also can slice you up badly at the very worst.  

When people walk into the fly zone to get a better view of your kite, land your kite and explain to them that it is not a real wise idea to be doing this.  A flier can be caught off guard by a sudden gust of wind and accidentally hit a person who is in their fly zone.  Most people don't realize that trying to get a better look at a kite in this way can be potentially dangerous.  Strange and often unexpected things can happen while flying so we have always chosen to be on the safe side and land the kite and not just hope the person will move out of the way.

Also, be alert to where animals are.  Birds seem to be drawn by the thing that is flying around in the air and going no where, they want to see what it is and come close to your kite.  We've landed many a kite because of an over curious bird, not only for the sake of the bird but for the kites safety also.  

You need to know your weather conditions.  What are the wind conditions for the type of kite you are flying.  If you are flying a kite that is meant for lower wind conditions than what you are flying in, there is a very good chance that your kite will be damaged.  If you are flying a kite that might be able to handle the stronger wind you need to be able to control the kite and the amount of pull that will be there from the higher winds.  It is very easy to be over powered in the higher wind range and to lose complete control over your kite that you might otherwise have.  You might be hanging on to the kite straps but you don't have control over it.  

This is another no brainer in regards to weather.  Watch out for storms moving into the area.  Don't think that you can fly just a bit longer because the storm is not close to you.  Storms can travel quickly and the potential for lightening to happen before a full fledged storms advances on you does happen.  Lastly, use sun screen and take plenty of fluids with you to rehydrate yourself when flying.  Kite flying is a fun and amazing sport and it is up to the seasoned fliers to help out new fliers to be able to fly but to also teach them safety issues.