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Flying Your Single-Line Kite
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High Start (for light winds or flying with a friend)
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Let out about 50 feet of line and have a friend hold the kite downwind.
Signal you friend to release the kite into the air.
To gain altitude, walk slowly backward or raise your arm over your hand.
No friend to help? It won’t take long for somebody to come along, but in the meantime, prop the kite against a bush, post, wall or anything that’s handy. Reel out enough line for altitude and pull the kite aloft.
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Hand Launch (for medium to strong winds)
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With your back to the wind, release the kite and line gradually.
To gain altitude, walk back or raise the line hand over your head.
If the kite sinks tail first, there’s probably not enough wind. If it comes down head first or spins, there’s probably too much wind. Different kites fly in different winds. See the Wind Speed Scale link at the bottom of the page. A Wind Wheel helps determine wind direction and speed. They're available on the Accessories page.
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Releasing the tension of the line will allow the kite to drift to the ground.
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Tails provide more stability in higher winds as well as more color in the sky.
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If your kite has an adjustable bridle, move it higher (nearer the nose) in higher winds, and lower (nearer the tail) in lighter winds. Adjust NO MORE THAN ½” at a time. See the anatomy of the kite link below.
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