A GRUND KITE FLIES OVER U.S. SOIL

Scott Skinner

Scott Skinner

For video of this Grund replica’s maiden American flight in Callaway, Nebraska, please visit the Drachen Foundation YouTube channel at:

www.youtube.com/drachenfoundation

For more on weather kites:

“Weather from Kites” in Popular Mechanics (June 1926) www.tinyurl.com/weatherkites

“Go Fly a Kite!” from the Environmental Science Services Administration (1970) www.drachen.org/pdf/GoFlyaKite.pdf

Could there be a more appropriate place to fly a modern replica Grund kite than Nebraska? When it comes to American weather kites, Nebraska occupies an almost forgotten place in their development: the factory that manufactured US Weather Service kites was in Dexter, Nebraska, and one of the last kite- operating weather stations was in North Platte.

So, when it came to choosing a place to make the maiden US flight of this Grund replica, Callaway, Nebraska, was an obvious choice. But how did a Grund kite find its way to this tiny Nebraska town? Like a lot of kite stories, this is another tale of friendship, passion, and more than a little luck.

GRUND KITE CAPTAIN WERNER SCHMIDT

I’m not sure when the kite-bug hit Werner Schmidt and Achim Kinter. But it was a particularly virulent form, maybe “Kite H1N1.” It infected many but stayed in its purest form in these two German friends. Werner was already heavily involved in historical kite replicas, having made a near-perfect Hargrave box kite that he flew in New Zealand in 1990. Achim was beginning an apprenticeship with his friend when I met the two of them in Fano, Denmark, in 1991. Interested in all things kite- like, I was drawn to their high level of craft, their research skills, their attention to detail, and to the beauty of their finished product.

What I didn’t know at the time was that in those years Werner was beginning a serious pursuit of the kites of Lindenberg, Germany. The Berlin Wall came down on my wife’s birthday, making it easy for me to remember: November 9, 1989. Its fall was quickly followed by Werner traveling to the Lindenberg Observatory and finding everything he could about its kite-flying history. To the benefit of kite fliers the world over, what Werner was able to save was substantial: actual kite frames, mostly destroyed kite sails (that were still invaluable for replica-making), and documents detailing the activities of the observatory.

Ben Ruhe. The Lindenberg Observatory on its 100th anniversary in 2005.

Scott Skinner. Grund kite captain Werner Schmidt.

Sabine Kinter. Achim Kinter flies a kite.

Scott Skinner. A new addition to the Callaway, Nebraska landscape.

Werner, Achim, and a chosen group of historical kite enthusiasts were instrumental in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lindenberg Observatory in 2005. Displayed in the Balloon Hall were replicas of documented weather kites used at Lindenberg: Hargrave, Lamson, Schirmdrachen, Hamburg-Diamond, and Grund. The highlight of the celebration was the build-up of a giant Grund kite. Over five meters tall, yet amazingly lightweight, the kite dwarfs all but the most profound contemporary kite developments.

Since 2005, Werner and Achim have worked together to produce a number of Grund replicas. Commissioned by The Drachen Foundation and myself, the team made two kites for flying in the United States. One, residing in Seattle/Tieton, is waiting for its maiden flight. Bob Umbowers has been tutored by the Schmidt-Kinter team and will likely get the chance to supervise a flight this spring. I was tutored by the pair in Fano, Denmark, where we put together four kites. In every process, I took a new role so that I could remember everything when I would have to do it myself.

My kite found its way to Callaway, Nebraska and the 19th Annual Kite Flight this September for its maiden American flight. Supervising a crew of avid Nebraskans, I followed the verbal instructions of Werner and Achim (and the written ones made by Bob Umbowers), and we successfully put the kite together. For kite fliers used to contemporary kites, the sight of the dedicated toolbox and parts for kite assembly was a bit disconcerting, but not at all unexpected when you consider that these kites have over 500 pieces. The gathered team had the kite completely put together in about one hour. These kites routinely flew in extreme wind and weather conditions in northern Germany, so with the Callaway winds hovering around 10 mph, I decided to wait until the next day to try the maiden flight.

With winds between 15 and 20 mph and reasonably steady for Nebraska, we decided to fly the Grund on an overcast Sunday. With help from AKA Regional Director Don Murphey the kite was walked to a launch zone and then easily coaxed into the air. As much power as I had felt from the kite in the heavy winds of Fano, here in Nebraska the kite was a kitten! It flew for about five hours in varying winds and provided an interesting backdrop to the family kite fly.

The Grund kite flown in Nebraska is a testament to the sophistication of scientific kite flying at the beginning of the twentieth century. But it’s also a lasting tribute to two kite-making friends – Werner Schmidt and Achim Kinter – who have shared their passion for history, science, and kites. The Drachen Foundation sends a gracious thank you to these two kite-making masters.