Kite Mapping Tips
10 tips for trouble-free kite mapping
Note: This is NOT a guide for "expert" kite flyers. It's intended to be a QUICK START guide for people who've never kite mapped before, with as few problems and things to worry about as possible.
Equipment & Conditions
1. Check the wind - don't fly balloons if it's windy; don't fly kites if it's calm or very strong! (Weather Underground has an hourly wind forecast)
| 0 mph | 5 mph | 10 mph | 15 mph | 20 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| balloon | either | 9 ft kite | 7 ft kite | don't fly |
2. Use a delta kite - regular, simple triangular kites as pictured below. Nine foot (2.7m) wide for light wind, seven (2m) for stronger winds
3. Use a tail - put a 20 foot long FUZZY TAIL (ribbony, as seen here, or make your own) on your kite. It will keep it stable and stop it from diving.
4. Recruit kite flyers - 8-year-olds and 80-year olds know more than the rest of us
Launch & Flight
5. Use gloves - made of cloth or leather for string burns. No rubber!
6. Keep tension on the line - if it pulls, let it out as fast as you can.
7. Do a test flight - with no camera, to test the conditions
8. Use ALL your string - fly high! 1000-2000 feet: one large photo of your whole site is far better than 20 you'll have to stitch together later!
9. Running is unnecessary - quickly get your kite up into strong, clean air: have someone release it upwards with 100 feet of tensioned line while walking upwind slowly.
10. Learn to recover from dives - If the kite dives sideways or downward, let out line until the kite rights itself. Don't pull!
