Watcha Got Going on Up There?

Recently, after capturing all the video footage I wanted, I settled in to enjoy watching my kites and found myself answering some excellent questions about the art and science behind keeping my growing stack aloft. Here’s what I shared:

The kite at the top is a “pilot”. It’s directly connected to the Patchwork Maxi Ray. It keeps the Ray’s mouth open, the ray fills with air, pressurizes and closes. The pilot kite is outfitted with a tube tail. The drag from the tail helps keep the kite from wandering.

The Maxi Ray serves as the lifter for the full stack. It lifts just about anything. (At this point, I let them try to tug on the line.)

Next, the Maxi Flying Fish is a large inflatable, or “line laundry”. It flies on a line of its own and is carabinered freely to the Maxi Ray’s line. The Maxi Flying Fish tends to oscillate. The spinsock or drogue hanging off its back creates drag to keep the Maxi Flying Fish stable. The Ray flies at a nice high angle, which helps prevent the Maxi Flying Fish from oscillating over the Ray’s line. I was fortunate to acquire some 13,000lb spectra line that I use with the Maxi Flying Fish. The sheer weight of the line also helps the Fish behave in the air.

The Maxi Trilobite below the Maxi Flying Fish is a kite that can fly on its own without a pilot or lifter kite. It flies at a lower angle than the Maxi Ray and is also on a line of its own. The Maxi Trilobite is carabinered to the Maxi Flying Fish line as an added measure to help keep the Maxi Flying Fish from oscillating.

The Mega Flying Fish below the Maxi Trilobite is also a kite that flies on its own. The Mega Flying Fish has its own line, and the kite is carabinered to the Maxi Trilobite line to keep it from overflying the Maxi Flying Fish’s line.

Snoopy and the other pieces of line laundry are on their own lines and carabinered to both the Mega Flying Fish and the Maxi Trilobite line.

Everything works in harmony and the carabiners holding the lines to the straps at the stakes help keep everything separate.

Would be happy to answer any questions in the comments below and invite other showkiters to share their best practices and do the same.