FLY THE FRIENDLY SKYS An exciting exhibit of kite-images has just been installed in the United Airline’s terminal Gates 76-79 at the San Francisco Airport. If you are in the neighborhood you owe it to yourself to stop by, if you can figure out the “new” parking structure with out losing your mind. Pieces in the exhibit include a woven piece that is reminisent of the giant Hammatsu Kites of Japan, a Winged floating Landscape, an intricate,delicate skeleton of a multi-winged insect, and some colorful “strands” that look like something got loose from under the microscope. At the time of …

By Lee Toy Vol. 5 No.3 – May. – June. 1982 FROM THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU “PERRIE” WATER…. _________________ The Atelier d’A had sent us a flyer announcing the “Aeolus Force 5” a celebration of wind and air movement, art and architecture and of course kites or CerfVolants as they are called in France. The celeberation will have started April 25 and run until May 15,1982. So for you international jet setter types hop on the “Concord” and get thee to CAEN, France. Enquiries to: Atelier d’A -10, rue Pasteur – 14300 CAEN, France. Phone: (31) 86-28-81 MIX IS …

By Lee Toy Vol. 5 No.2 – Mar. – Apr. 1982 “KITE FLYER’S” first official kite fly of the year will be held on March 21, 1982. In celebration of the first day of Spring (give or take a day) This is a fun fly to air out your winter kites and show off your new Spring colors. Participants are encouraged to wear WHITE. So get out the bleach, pack up a lunch and meet at the monument for a good time. HAVE RAINBOWS, WILL TRAVEL When Mix McGraw heard what was coming over the phone lines he thought he …

By Lee Toy Vol. 4 No.4 – Sep. – Oct. 1981 OCTOBER SF. IviAR1r\if\ GiZEENJ The 10th Annual Family Day Kite Festival will be held at the Marina Green, October 3 1981. 12 noon till 4pm. For more information call: COME FLY A KITE (415) 441-2965 KITEMAKERS (415) 421-6222 It seems as if there has been a change of plans in the Family day Kite Festival. Dinesh Bahadur has informed us that the date of the festival has been changed from the 4th of October to the 3rd of Octo¬ber , so make sure you mark your calenders (the AKA …

By Lee Toy Vol. 4 No.4 – Jul. – Aug. 1981 ONCE UPON A GREEN…. The Green has been attracting a number of flyers from far away places. Last Sunday John Nicolaides, Ph.D. from the Aeronautical Engineering Department of Cal Poly was up flying a number of experimental parafoils that featured a high aspect wing ratio and a horizontally yoked bridle system. John has been involved with the “man carrier” which is a flying machine that incorporates a parafoil wing on a go kart like vehicle. We hope that some day he’ll bring one of the test models out to …

By Lee Toy Vol. 4 No.3 – Sep. – Oct. 1981 KING OF THE DRAGON KITES LOOK UP IN THE SKY, IT’S A BIRD, NO, IT’S A PLANE, … NO IT’S… Tom Henry’s 1,250 foot dragon kite. On April 29,1981 Tom, with the assistance of George and Marion Ham flew the longest dragon kite on the Green if not the World. The launch was at 4pm. in about 12 to 15 mph wind. The head of the dragon is approx. 7′ x 10′ and is flown on 500# test line. It was out 1000′ at approx. 70-80 degrees.flight angle. GOOD …

By Lee Toy Vol. 4 No.2 – Mar. – Apr. 1981 AKA UPDATE AKA is alive a well with approx. 800 members. The new president is Beven Brown an active kiter from Mc Lean, Virginia. The AKA is still looking into an association management firm to help with the “office” work. Membership dues have been raised as of Feb. 1,1981 to $10.00/year. Two sites have been offered as possible convention locations for this year: Seattle and Houston. Red Braswell has donated a four drawer file, filled with archives, to the garage of Bob Price, AKA historian. Who knows next time …

By Lee Toy Vol. 4 No.1 – Jan. – Feb. 1981 THE HOLIDAY TAKES IT’S TOLL Sorry that this issue of Kite Flyer is so late but with Christmas and New Years it was a busy time for us all. Hope you all had a great holiday season and best for the New Year. HEART ATTACK! HEART ATTACK! No, don’t call 911. It’s only the multicolored fleet of Torn Henry designed and built Heart Kites flying above Marina Green. These kites are made from spinnaker cloth, framed with a birch dowell and fiber glass rods and fly in a large …

By Lee Toy Vol. 3 No.6 – Nov. – Dec. 1980 tails of the city. FLASH – ZAP – WHOOPEE We’re legal now! Up until Oct. 26, 1980 we have been flying kites at the Marina Green in violation of Sect. 28 of the POLICE CODE. Mayor Feinstein signed ordinance #458-80 which in effect removes the necessity of obtaining a police permit for flying kites. It does, however, prohibit flying within 25 feet of high voltage conductors or transmission towers. (which we should do regardless) We’ll have celebrated this historical event by the time you read this but will schedule …

By Lee Toy Vol. 3 No.5 – Sep. – Oct. 1980 3rd annual aka convention – seattle Welcome to Seattle in 1980: The Washington Kitefliers Association will host the 3rd Annual Convention of the American Kitefliers Assoc. in Seattle on October 2,3,4 and 5 1980. Headquarters will be at the Edgewater Inn, on Seattle’s water front, meetings will be held at the Pacific Science Center, and the AKA International Kite Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the new Warren G. Magnuson Park. To help in planning all AKA mem¬bers who are interested in attending should innediately write …