Present-Day Photos Page
Please send us your kite related photos. We'd love to see you, your kites and the places you fly.
The fly started out with softer wind with some variability in direction and progressed to a full-on-blow, and it started to get chilly, so we called it a day. Photos are available on Google Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vPCAavkpoB4GnaYJ8. Or you can click the title or the photo to get there.
What an unusual wind we had this day. It seemed like there was a battle going on between the wind-from-over-the-water and the wind-from-over-the-land. Fort Williams Park seemed to be the battleground. Fliers flew all over the field and the wind acted like it just wanted to mess with us. There was NW and N as well as SE and S wind, and everything in-between, and it kept switching back and forth. One of the direction changes happened in about five seconds leaving many bewildered kite fliers stumbling around the grass.
Pictures are posted at Google Photos at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sBA1nn2sdsHdW78i8. You may also click the title or the picture to get there.
The clouds were there as advertised, and as people were packing up and leaving the patches of blue were becoming more abundant. Can't say the same for the wind though, which stayed mostly light and eventually dropped to not-flyable. Still, we persisted. The photos tell the story of flying on this day.
Pictures are posted on Google Photos at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MrMLAJLMouL487Ft7. You can also click the title or the photo to get there.
It was a very blustery day. Despite that, there was a lot of stuff flying and nobody lost anything, but there was a close call when one structure went rolling across the field after the line snapped; it was tackled by a pedestrian walking along the walkway, and we thanked her for that heroic effort. Pictures from the day are posted on Google Photos (click here). You can also click the picture or the title line to get there.
This is always a stunning location in which to fly, and doing the pick-your-own apples thing is just a bonus. This day was under threat of a rain storm moving up the coast, but it did not arrive, and what we got was a milky sky, decent temperature, and a somewhat wifty wind. The kids seemed to have a good time, so mission accomplished. Pictures are posted on Google Photos (click here) and you can also click the picture or the title line above.
This day was described as a good day. The weather cooperated, the wind sort of cooperated and lots of kite people flew stuff. The sailboat regatta was going on out on the water, but they were mostly far away from the flying field area. Pictures are posted at Google Photos (click here) and you can also click the title line above or the photo to go to the Google Photos site.
There wasn't much wind when the flying day started and it wasn't always coming from the same direction either. Eventually things got better and stuff started staying in the air, which was nice. The five sisters (Hank's Cathedral Deltas) got some air time together, and his South China Sea dela Porta and a bunch of other stuff also flew. It was good to see Hank's trailer in the park, it just feels right when its parked nearby. Pictures from the day are posted at Google Photos (click here) and you can also click the photo or the title line to go to the Google Photos site.
Ralph and Gail got photos and posted them on Flickr. Here is the link: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAHneW.
It was a softly blustery day with winds coming from the WNW sector switching to mostly N for a while. Wind speeds (measured 8 feet above ground) were running 8 to 16mph. It was a good turnout of kite people and a large portion of the park was filled with kites, arches and banners. Photos from the day are posted on Google Photos and can be reached with this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5anxJqfgY9P9K5aS8. Or click the title line or the picture.
The local weather guessers were spot on when they predicted the day would be under a "milky sun". The wind was mostly coming from just a few degrees south of east which meant, for the kites, that the wind was essentially laminar flow which allowed all the kites flown to play well together. Pictures from the day are posted at Google Photos, and this link https://photos.app.goo.gl/iJw7v4Cka3dQfJjGA will take you there. Or you can click the photo or the header text above.
The kite eating trees showed evidence of their natural ability to ruin a kite persons flying day. Nothing flown today got caught up in the branches, so call it a good day. Winds started out from the north and eventually did a 180 degree pivot and ended up from the south, It was a bit blustery at times, but in a nice way. Photos from the day are at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GfjDLi8eCWSpMaw99, or click the picture or title line.
KONE FLY at Hampton Beach, March 18, 2023
It started out with clouds obscuring the sun but eventually the sky cleared out nicely. Photos from the day are posted on Google Photos and are found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RJJVnbC6qBeYGdzn7, or click the picture.
The day was beautiful. That pretty much says it all. The pictures tell the story but you had to be there to experience the warm(ish) breeze, lots of sunshine and friendly clouds, and the many kite people friends that shared the field.
Pictures are posted on Google Photos at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kHZVtpwWTZKZjoWF6. You can also click the title or either photo to get there.
Hampton Beach KONE Fly, November 5, 2022
Pictures from this fly are available on Ralph's Flickr page. You can click this link https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAe2ZW to go there.
Read what Ralph had to say about the day on his unofficial KONE Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2371494061/?mibextid=6NoCDW.
It was a great flying day at the park, as the photos will show. The wind direction was mostly from the West which allowed for staking out stuff over most of the grassy area. I don't know if laminar flow correctly describes the wind, but it wasn't bad, and according to the official wind measuring device put to use the wind range was mostly 8 mph to 18 mph. Photos are viewable at this link, or click on either picture or the title.
There wasn't much (if any) wind this day but that really didn't matter - there was other stuff going on that made the day wonderful. The pictures capture most of the various activities, and as a bonus, the sky became somewhat blue and the sun shone through. This festival will happen next year on the first Saturday of October. To see the photos click on this link, the title, or either picture.
Wow, what a breeze there was on the flying field. Recorded wind speeds, measured with an official wind speed measuring device, peaked around 30 mph and generally lived around 18 to 25 mph between the peaks. It was a very blustery day, and Pooh would have been challenged. Eventually though, the huge white caps out on the water subsided a bit and the club was able to fly its white memorial box kite, with Nick's name inscribed on the short fuzzy tail. There were many family and friends on the field, and as the wind subsided their kites became airborne. Every picture tells a story, and you are invited to the day's story with pictures posted here, or by clicking on the photos or the title text.
This is worth a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3Lkc6Gzlk.
The location was spectacular with distant water views, a developing adaptive trail system, an orchard full of apples, comfortable temperatures, and a sky full of sun. The wind was light and variable and yet we managed to do some flying. If you want apples for pie or applesauce, along with some technical flying, this is the perfect location to visit. Keep it in mind for next year.
Pictures from the day are located in a Google Photos album, located here, or click any of the three pictures below.
The picture of a wide open sandy beach was the beginning of the flying day. By 11:40 the sand you see was covered by water that just kept rolling in. The wind was very light and variable in direction as well. The pictures I got tell the story only until around noon. I suspect the wind got better later on, and if anyone found enough room to launch anything, and if anyone got pictures, please send them to the club for posting. Pictures are located on Google Photos at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/xCa3L3cJ6961narv8, or click either picture or the title.
Jim Desrosiers captured a bunch of photos (and Ralph helped) at Bug Light Park on Saturday, June 25, 2022. It was hot. The "feels like" reading from one weather app said 97 degrees. The thermometer built into my aerometer, sitting in a bag on the ground, read 102 degrees. Fortunately there was wind, and it was flyable. This link takes you to a Google Photos page of Jim's (and Ralph's) photos. Or you can click on the title above or click on the picture.
The day started out with lethargic winds but ramped up nicely as time went on, and there was a good turnout of kite people. Megan brought Hank's trailer, and along with stuff Hank gave to club people before his passing the sky got filled with memories of Hank. At one point everything flying was all Hank's. It was pretty cool to see.
Pictures are posted on Google Photos, and this is the link to go there. You can also click on the title above, or click on the photo. If you have a Google account and want to, please feel free to add your photos to the collection.
The day started out as expected, with some lingering fog, clouds, and very light winds. As the day progressed, the clouds broke up a bit and the winds became about 6-8mph. The fog persisted though, and the pictures will tell that story. There was a great turnout, and the club thanks those who showed up, especially the kite people travelling from far away. Your being on the field made a big difference. Pictures from the day are posted on Google Photos, and you can get there by clicking here. You can also click on the title line above, or click on the photo.
Weather predictions for this day were okay, but less encouraging than the greatest flying day one could imagine. What happened, I think, was that Nick paid a visit to the field and worked his spirit into the fabric of the sky, the clouds, the wind, and the people gathered to receive the gift of his stuff. The sky was a mixture of sun and clouds, the air temperature was cool but pleasant, the wind was cooperative with anything tossed into the air, the people present were all on the same page, and some sort of magic happened. New people showed up and experienced people taught; results of that teaching help were very positive. The wind stayed mostly directionally stable, and lulls in wind velocity were very short and easily handled. A memorial white box kite started out the flying, joined quickly by three stacked memorial white ghost deltas, and then a lot of kites and inflatables that Nick gave us found their way into the sky. A bonus for us all was that Nick's Mom was on the field, and I don't know if it was the club people present or Nick's Mom that stirred up the magic that happened. I just think that, somehow, Nick was there, happy to see his stuff flying. In my opinion, the day was the greatest flying day one could ask for, at least at Bug Light Park. Here is a link to a Google Photos page with pictures from the day. You can also click on the title above, or the picture below, to get to the photos. If you have a Google account you can add your photos to the album. If you want to add comments to photos, please do so.
As evidenced in the pictures (click here to go to Google Photos) the Easter sky was full of clouds. What the pictures do not show is the wind, which at times was absolutely howling, and not from just one direction. We had white cap water most of the time, and when the sun showed through everything got sparkly. No kites got caught in trees so a bonus there. Click the title text, the picture, or the link above to go to Google Photos to see some pictures from the day.
New Years Day 2022 at Bug Light Park
The event was canceled but Ralph and Gail and John were in the area for lunch and during a break in the rain they got these kites into the air.
The field was green and the wind mostly cooperative, and even though there were a lot of clouds every now and then the sun would make a hazy appearance. We had four of the "Five Sisters" cathedral deltas flying, along with many other of Hank's kites. Megan drove up in Hank's vehicle, hauling his trailer. Having her there, along with the trailer, really made the day special for all of us. To see photos from the day, click on the title above or click this link.
Ralph Reed posted lots of photos on his Flickr page. You can navigate there with this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWT8RsU. The page is titled 10-10-21 OSOW - Hank Fly.
The carousel show below contains photos sent by Iliyana Ilieva and Wadson Michel - KiteTeamHaiti.Org. Click a photo to stop the advance, then the left or right arrow to move around in the stack.
The carousel show below contains photos sent by John Martin. Click a photo to stop the advance, then the left or right arrow to move around in the stack.
Bug Light Park on Sunday, September 19, 2021
The wind was mostly North or Northwest and fairly steady. A really good flying day.
Three Rivers Land Trust, Romac Orchards Fly, September 18, 2021
This is such a beautiful location and maybe one year the winds will blow in our favor. It's worth it to attend this event for the simple beauty seen there, in the contours of the land, the distant water, and on this day the incredible sky and big puffy clouds, and the apples. Every picture tells a story, and these photos serve to document the extent of what we got into the air. Click on any image to stop the advancement, then scroll left or right with the arrows.
Capriccio Festival of Kites 2021
September 11, 2021
Here's a few photos from the day, and Thank You to Brenda for the majority of them. Click on the advancing images to halt the advancement. Then you can click left or right to scroll through them.
These are from Larry. They're smaller because of the file size, so lower resolution. Still good pictures. Click an image to stop the photo auto-advance.
Here's a few more photos taken from the sand. Thank you to Lucy and Glenn for sharing them. The same rule for stopping the auto-advance applies here.
Train-Of-Four Box Kites
What can you do with four box kites? Here's an idea---
Rosie said they had some nice East wind for a while and so up went the kites. I suspect that eventually the four might morph into more than four. Does anyone know if there is any recording of the most box kites flown on a single line? If you know, please send me that info. aotis@maine.rr.com
From "The Free Dictionary by Farlex": train-of-four, TOF:
A monitoring protocol for counting the number of contractions produced by peripheral nerve stimulators in patients who have received neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) such as Pavulon and vecuronium. When NMBAs are used, staff may be unable to use normal assessment techniques of neurological function.
Next time I fly some boxes in train I'm going to do a self assessment, see how twitchy I am.
(August 7, 2021)
Place in your mind a flying day at Bug Light Park, when the atmosphere is acting like a brat. You arrive to either zero wind or maybe two mph wind with random "gusts" all the way up to maybe four mph. Add to the mix the fact that it is about 84 degrees with a dew point of 70. That is how this day started. The two very large della Portas John and I had rigged and ready on the field refused to generate lift. A Cathedral Delta, without its tails, wouldn't stay aloft. A zero wind Manta flew, and a small della Porta flew, barely. But, we persevered. Eventually the wind picked up, and this was about the time Hank showed up. After that point in time the wind built a little bit and was relatively steady and calm. Everything we put into the air flew. See the pictures (click here). Or click the title.
As a personal note here, in all the time I have known Hank and flown with him at Bug Light Park, I have never known him to show up when there wasn't enough wind to fly something interesting. He just knows when the wind will be cooperative. This is a skill I have yet to master.
A Greens Kaleidoscope
The photo carousel here contains four images of an old (early 90s) Greens Kaleidoscope cellular kite. According to Greens literature, it’s 48" x 60”, and something over 100 sf of ripstop. Rosie and Darrah picked this up at a KONE auction a few years ago. Due to the weight of the structure it would only fly in a fresh breeze (15 mph) and then not very well. Matt replaced the spar work with a lighter carbon system and reports the kite will fly with 9mph wind now. It's a gorgeous and unique kite and has a commanding presence.
To halt the photo advance, click on any picture.
Photos by Rosie Rosen
This location is at the southern end of Monhegan Island, which is about ten miles off the coast and south of Moscongus Bay. The area around the cross and orange ring is where the kites get sent up into the air. There are no long-line-launches here, rather just tossing a kite up and letting the wind catch hold of it. When the wind is coming off the water it's smooth and steady. The kites I flew were nailed to one spot in the sky. At first there was just a whisper of wind and nothing flew. Eventually, as the morning progressed, the wind came up and I flew two bowed structures for a while. Click the photo, the title above, or here to be taken to the Google Photos site to view the pictures.
A bunch of us showed up at the park and after doing some individual flying we decided to get out the big stuff. Eventually the wind dropped to mostly nothing, so we went home. Click on the title or the picture to be taken to a Google Photos site to view the pictures, or click here.
This is Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. I went to high school in Hampton in the mid to late 1960's and have fond memories of riding my bicycle down to this beach. As you can see, it's a somewhat cloudy sky but unlike coastal Maine on the 4th, it's not raining. Translation - a beautiful flying day and a pretty Parafoil. Thanks to Gregory Caplan for sending this photo.
Here are some photos from Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at Bug Light Park. It was mostly N to NW winds with intermittent changes to W and there were many very vigorous gusts from NW or N. One of those gusts put enough strain on some 880 pound spectra line (attached to a large flow form with spinner attached to the line) that the line separated in a gun-shot fashion and the severed line shot backwards at speed ( and with some interesting sound effects) between two of us just standing there. If that line had hit either one of us it could have been painful. As it turned out, the Flow Form and the spinner were recovered, but not without wondering if Joel was going to be bridle line captured by the falling spinner. It was a close call for a few moments.
Hank was wearing a harness of sorts with his Scuba Diver attached - good idea given that the Scuba Diver was pulling fairly fiercely - it was difficult to hand hold the line, even with leather gloves in use.
A lot of airplanes flew over this day. In case you were wondering.
You can take over the auto play of the photos by clicking on the photo and going from there.
This is Hank Manseau, and he knows a lot about kites. Hank has a trailer full of beautiful and unique structures, and on June 5, at Bug Light Park, the club got to play with his kites. It was a really wonderful day.
The wind was mostly from the southwest quadrant and generally blowing around 12mph to 14mph with gusts well above that. By the time the last big kite was hauled down the gusts were easily hitting 25mph and higher. At times the bay was covered with a boat-load of whitecap waves.
Special mention goes to the guy that threw himself bodily onto the ground to capture and secure a 252 Flow Form that was gust-captured and totally out of control and threatening to create a real disaster. You know who you are. Thank you.
You can access pictures by clicking the title text above or click on this link.
Mitty Blue Whale, sent in by Greg from Sea Side Kites info@seasidekites.com
Laudholm Farm and Nature Preserve, Wells on Friday, May 14, sent by Lucy Hardy. The actual kite is a little unfocused but this picture is more about the location. The club has had more than one successful fun fly here in the past.
What a day! The wind stayed mostly westerly with an occasional side turn to southwest and varied from no wind at all to blowing gusts to around 20mph or better. There were a few times when the wind dropped to zero, and then a few seconds later came charging across the field at full blast. Given the wind direction, there were some interesting ground level to about 100 feet up turbulence effects. At one point I watched a kite actually corkscrew itself clockwise then reverse itself and corkscrew counter-clockwise back to vertical. When my chair (and not a light one) got blown over and it started to rain on the field it was taken as a sign and the flying ended. Click the title above or here to be taken to a Google Photos page for pictures of the day. Thanks to Tony H. and Glenn Davison for their photos.
Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
It was an interesting day at the park, windwise. Early on there was some light stuff coming out of the southern quadrant. Later on, the ocean changed color and the wind blasted across our flying area but from the northern quadrant. The changeover lasted a couple seconds. I clocked gusts hitting 25mph at one point. And that was on the ground. Once the winds hit outrageous I stopped taking photos and focused on holding on to my box kite. It was howling.
To see the photos on a Google Photos page click the title above or click this link.
Bug Light Park, South Portland, Maine
Click on the title text above or HERE and you will be taken to the Google Photos pictures page.
Looks like happy people flying at Wells Beach, Maine.
The flying is about to begin.
Lucy & Gerry (closer to the water) at Wells Beach in Maine. It looks kind of like low tide in the picture. If you want to know where the water is going to be at this beach you can find out at this link.
Ralph's 214 and somebody's legs hanging up there. That's Bug Light in the background.
The 214 with teddy bears hanging in the breeze.
That's Ralph hanging on to a ROK kite.
The universal sign of good people anywhere.
"What Do Masonic Symbols Mean? The most widely recognized symbol of the Fraternity is the Square and Compasses with the letter "G" in the Center. Members wear it to remind themselves of their obligation to the lessons learned in their Lodges, and to identify their membership to other Masons and all people."
Slide show of sea creatures (and a weird blue thing) swimming in the air at Bug Light Park.
A Ralph Reed collection of photos.
A Marconi Jib Kite first built around 1982 and flown here after two serious re-do's, mostly a conversion from heavy fiberglass and aluminum framework to much lighter carbon tubes, and also some fabric back cutting.
Two big inflatables on the way up at Bug Light Park.