kites were invented about 2,500 years ago and were made by the ancient egyptians as well as asian peoples. Today kite flying is a popular pastime all over the world.
In Asia, there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are equipped with instruments such as whistles that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them. Although all kites have a similar structure, the variety of shapes is almost endless. The size of the kites also varies greatly - some are so large that several people are needed to control them. Kite - fighting contests are also held, in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponent's kites or cut their strings.
For over 15 years, the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite-making and kite flying classes for the children on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Jonathan Socher started the Big Wind Kite Factory in 1980. "We were down to our last $300 when someone suggested we go fly a kite at the hotel," he explains.
Their kites are made of nylon, and fiberglass is used for the sticks. Their designs are mostly Hawaiian themes created by Jonathan's wife, Daphne. These include hula dancers, palm trees, dolphins, whales, and Hawaiian boats, to mention just a few of the dozens available. The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges to prevent fraying. The designs are then appliqued directly onto the kite. On a tour of the Big Wind Kite Factory, visitors can see the whole kite-making process, from the cutting and 'hot-stitching' of the designs to the final sticking and fitting of the system that joins the kite to the string.
In one of Jonathan's kite-making lessons, students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes! Provided there is enough wind to fly a kite, they are taken out to the Aeronautical Testing Facility next door to the factory. That's spelled P A R K! Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite, and the Big Wind Kite Factory recently trained a 92-year-old grandmother who had always wanted to fly a kite!
The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern. The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two-string controllable acrobatic kite. First, both lines are stretched out approximately 22 yards. This is the set distance the kite will fly from the flyer.
Big Wind employees launch the kite and for a few minutes demonstrate how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in. Then the controls are given to the student. Sometimes an employee holds onto their hands for initial guidance. After about ten or fifteen minutes, several of the students have taken turns and most are getting used to the idea of it. If they really know what they are doing, they can be left alone in the park for as long as they wish.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites. Even the simplest structure can work, and can give hours of fun. Go on, give it a try!
kites were invented about 2,500 years ago and were made by the ancient egyptians as well as asian peoples. Today kite flying is a popular pastime all over the world.
In Asia, there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are equipped with instruments such as whistles that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them. Although all kites have a similar structure, the variety of shapes is almost endless. The size of the kites also varies greatly - some are so large that several people are needed to control them. Kite - fighting contests are also held, in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponent's kites or cut their strings.
For over 15 years, the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite-making and kite flying classes for the children on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Jonathan Socher started the Big Wind Kite Factory in 1980. "We were down to our last $300 when someone suggested we go fly a kite at the hotel," he explains.
Their kites are made of nylon, and fiberglass is used for the sticks. Their designs are mostly Hawaiian themes created by Jonathan's wife, Daphne. These include hula dancers, palm trees, dolphins, whales, and Hawaiian boats, to mention just a few of the dozens available. The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges to prevent fraying. The designs are then appliqued directly onto the kite. On a tour of the Big Wind Kite Factory, visitors can see the whole kite-making process, from the cutting and 'hot-stitching' of the designs to the final sticking and fitting of the system that joins the kite to the string.
In one of Jonathan's kite-making lessons, students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes! Provided there is enough wind to fly a kite, they are taken out to the Aeronautical Testing Facility next door to the factory. That's spelled P A R K! Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite, and the Big Wind Kite Factory recently trained a 92-year-old grandmother who had always wanted to fly a kite!
The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern. The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two-string controllable acrobatic kite. First, both lines are stretched out approximately 22 yards. This is the set distance the kite will fly from the flyer.
Big Wind employees launch the kite and for a few minutes demonstrate how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in. Then the controls are given to the student. Sometimes an employee holds onto their hands for initial guidance. After about ten or fifteen minutes, several of the students have taken turns and most are getting used to the idea of it. If they really know what they are doing, they can be left alone in the park for as long as they wish.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites. Even the simplest structure can work, and can give hours of fun. Go on, give it a try!
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