By Lee Toy
Vol. 6 No.2- Mar. – Aprt. 1983

Hi…welcome to another (UGH,LATE) great issue of that everpopular yellow journalism KITE FLYER NEWS (“everything you never wanted to know about kites and didn’t care to ask”). This issue is being brought to you live from Key West, the Southernmost point of the continental United States, home of the late Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway. The Monster (a local watering hole) is a popular place to get inspired. Lots of writers have made Key West their home and I am fortunate to have met a few during my visit to this bit of Paradise.

I am terribly indebted to poet James Merrill for the use of his typewriter for this issue (see the Newsweek with the M*A*S*H cover, under the book section). I am hoping that some of the literary expertise that surrounds me will somehow rub off on my current endeavors….Ha..fat chances

NEWS FROM ME
EARLY RAINY JANUARY
With the aid of plastic money and a raised credit limit I was able to rescue the Snail from the evil grasp- of the Honda Service manager and begin in earnest my exploration of Florida for kite groupies.

My first stop was in Ft. Lauderdale; Chuck and Dawn Norris had heard of my adventures thru Ken and Suzanne of Great Winds Kites in Seattle,WA and had written me an enticing letter to come and visit. Thru Chuck I met David and Diane Staska and Ed Cayia, local kite enthusiasts. David also enjoys wind surfing and has tested several of the sails that Dom Jalbert is working on. Ed is a skydiver who had tested several of Dom’s earliest experimental “square chutes” or Parafoils as we know them. It was with this lively group that we went up to Boca Raton one rainy day to visit Dom Jalbert’s Aerolab.

It rained so hard that the windows in Dom’s office started to leak, but that didn’t put a damper on our spirits while visiting one of the greatest aeronautical designers of our time. Domina C. Jalbert and Jeanette Sciarappa have worked together for the past 27 years. Jean sewed the first parafoil together in 1964 , that is now part of the Smithsonian collection.

Dom and Jean invite visitors into the lab as one welcomes friends into one’s home. We all agreed , that Dom’s Aerolab is his home. His walls are decorated with various kite awards, photos and news articles.

Next to a small portrait of his mother is an electronic anometer that constantly blinks out the wind direction and strength from the roof mounted instruments. If the winds are at all favorable Dom will take a few kites out to the rear lot and fly; today wasn’t our day to fly. In the front lobby he has Oscar Bailey’s AKA panoramic photo of the Detroit Convention that he framed up himself.

Over the years Dom has had many legal battles concerning patent infringements with various kite and parachute manufacturers who have illegally borrowed his design concepts. On the other hand Dom is quite willing to help kite hobbiest design parafoils for their own use if they consult him first. Dom lives by simple beliefs; one is expressed on a sign behind his desk : “Don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember a parafoil rises against the wind, not with it”. And we all know how well a parafoil flies.

During our visit we explored the back workroom and saw several experimental parafoils, learne how to improve one’s golf swing, and were introduced to the book binder’s daughter:
Dom has rented out the rear part of the lab, since making parafoils takes a lot less room than building Kytoons. Jean explained how she constructs the parafoil and showed us a few sewing tips before disappearing into the back-room to whip up a delicious lunch that we
ate sitting around the sewing room. Dom kept us entertained with continual anec¬dotes to illustrate one point or another with a few risque’jokes thrown in to keep us on our toes. It was late in the afternoon when we said our goodbyes but not until Dom had everyone sign a J-15 which he then presented to me.

Back in Ft. Lauderdale we got together Chuck’s, Dave’s and my six packs of Rainbows and made one 18 kite train to fly. We spaced each kite at 18″ apart and rebridled the front kite with a heavier bridle. We flew the train on some Kevlar lines I had brought with me. Kevlar is a synthetic line that’s reported to have the equivalent cross sectional strength to that of steel. Since you cannot fly kites at the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, the local authorities consider them a hazard, we managed to fly at a local park creating quite a sight.

One interesting note was the performance of the various sets due to their difference in wear. Mine were the most used and flew slower than the other two sets. One set was new and the other had several hours of flight on them. We placed the newest set at the end of the train and the oldest set in the middle and the slightly used kites in the front of the train. The ideal was that the end kites would have to be the fastest, the front kites would provide the initial lift and the middle kites would go along for the ride.

SOMETIME IN RAINY FEBUARY
Next stop was in Orlando to take a quick look at EPCOT and Disney World. Friend and logistical commander Stan Seifried of Oakland, CA was able to join me for a few days after attending a conference held in Miami.

I eventually contacted Billy and Darsy, Davis who are transplants from Alanta, GA. The Davises are working on fringed delta kites made from balloon cloth that they hope to market soon. The Davises are one of those fortunate group of folks who live in a house with a flying
field attached. We could just step out the back door and fly kites. Underground utilities helped as did the lack of
fences. One day we called upon Wyatt Brummitt who is recovering from astroke. Wyatt is an old time AKA member and has written the ‘Golden’ book of kites which is now out of print. Although it was raining and we couldn’t go out flying kites we did enjoy an afternoon of kite talk and looking at Wyatt’s collection of delta kites that he has made over the years. Wyatt is working on a new version of his book that will be coming out in the future.

From Orlando I continued west to Lutz and dropped in on Oscar and Sarah Bailey.

Oscar is a kite enthusist from way back and has one of the original Jalbert Parafoils that Dom had offered thru KITE TALES in 1967. In 1974 the Baileys met Bob Ingraham who gave them enough rip stop to build a bat-winged box kite of Oscar’s design. Oscar couldn’t sew so Sarah was volunteered. That was the first and last kite Sarah made for him because after that experience she taught him how to sew for himself. Now they have a new VIKING sewing machine which Sarah doesn’t mind a bit.

Oscar uses a variety of materials for building his kites: dried leaves, phot-graphic images, silkspan, butcher paper and spinnaker cloth. Sarah enjoys using cotton cloth that she batiks first or silkspan that has been dip dyed.

Oscar teaches photography at the University of Southern Florida but has also introduced a kite making class under the guise of “WIND SUPPORTED SCULPTURE” that runs for an entire semester. In the summer he runs a kite workshop for the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Unfortunately Oscar was recovering from a knee operation so we couldn’t run around too much. I did get a tour of the workshop garage
and his private KOA where his parents were ensconced for the winter in their Midas travel trailer.

It was Oscar who suggested that I go to Kitesville USA at Indian Rocks Beach on my return trip to Miami. Win Dermody and Tom Latham run a nice little shop with a good variety of kites and put me intouch with local kite flyer Ray Fahrenbruck. (aka the kiteman of Medeira Beach). Ray was featured in Bill Thomas’ book for his collection of the nicely machined reels that Ray makes.

We got together for an afternoon of kite flying and even a kite rescue. Ray enjoys putting up as many kites as he can when flying and we all know that that can some-times lead to problems. The winds were a steady 7mph which Ray likes to take advantage of; he put up 4 kites and was working on the fifth when the winds died momentarily but enough to make us haul in the kites as quickly as possible. We brought down the 12 foot delta, the Stormy Weather Star,and the five celled grocery sack box kite but the Professor Waldof’s Box landed on the roof of an eight story beach front apartment. Ray tugged on the line only to get it well hooked on something on the roof. After about a half hour of unsuccessful attempts to
storm the roof we decided upon the old DELTA SKY HOOK rescue trick.

First we flew the 12 foot wing span delta kite to a height of about 100 ft. and then I attached my ever present 1-1/2″ split ring key ring to the flying line with a clove hitch and threaded the line attached to the Prof. W. Box thru the ring.

We then lifted the ring up to about 50′ above the height of the roof and by using the ring as a sheave we were able to work the kite off the roof and safely, bring both kites down to the applause of the crowd that had gathered to watch what we were up to. I was invited home for a hot meal prepared by Marion, Ray’s help¬mate and when it started raining I was asked if I wanted to spend the evening. I gratefully accepted and as it ended up spent two of the rainiest days I’d seen in the shelter of the Fahrenbruck’s home. From Medeira Beach I returned to Miami for another stint at the Antique Show job and then headed for Key West to see if the rains might some day let up. It’s been one of the wettest winters in Florida’s history, at least that is what I’m told.

STILL RAINING IN MARCH
Key West is a lush tropical paradise that seems only remotely associated with the rest of Florida, let alone the United States. With its Victorian charm and generally excellent climate it is a great place to visit and even settle down in. Seven years ago that’s exactly what Gary Lavelle, the owner of Heavenly Body Kites, did. More recently another kite shop opened up off Duval Street called The End Of The Line Kites, which is run by Laurie Katkawsky who also has a kite shop at the Renais-sance Center in Detroit.

Many thanks must be given to my current host and guest proof reader, non-kite flyer Col. F3v-iairpatch_Boatwright whose generous southern hospitality I’ve become accustomed to while arduously creeping towards the completion of this latest issue.

NEWS FROM YOU
Michael McFadden, San Francisco, CA An exciting thing is happening in S.F.

Mrs. Vivian Chianz of the Chinese Culture Center is interested in organizing a month long Chinese cultural awareness event with kites playing an integral role. She has already called Kitemakers to assist her and is interested in doing a kite festival with us in June,and perhaps some kite-making workshops and symposiums. She has asked for AKA co-sponsorship and intends that we assist her in bringing over some Kite Masters from China.

ed. If there is anyone out there that might be interested in helping with this event please contact Michael McFadden (415) 641-1226.
J. Winghead Footbone…Nashville,TN,

This year we hope to establish a new state duration record using a train of Conynes.0 we know this record belongs to California

ed. News to me, I thought it was done in Oregon)…lf we manage to fly for 2 or 3 days that will be a major accomplishment for us land locked flyers..you may even be able to offer valuable advice to us novices….ed, keep on blowing.

Margaret Greger…Richland, WA

I’ve been invited by the Maryland Kite Society to participate in the Kite Retreat at Harpers Ferry..(ed. now past history).. this week I’ve been invited to speak at the Pacific Southwest Quilters and Fabric Artists convention in LA over Memorial Day weekend…and give a lecture on They Fly, Another Dimension, Fabric Kites…I would like to illustrate this talk with slides but only have a few of my own and some from Seattle…I’m depending on my friends! Of course I’ll pay for copies,etc..if you send originals I’ll keep them safe.

ed. If anyone out there has a few extra slides of fabric kites and wouldn’t mind sending Margaret a few before May please contact her at: 1425 Marshall Ave. Richland, WA 99352 or caZZ (509)943-3951.

Jack Van Gilder, Seattle,WA

Your newsletter just came and I had to cast all aside until I read it, page by page, word for word, alpha to omega. Fascinating! ed. Thanks Jack, now get back to work ,the AKA needs you!

Peter Lynn…Ashburton, New Zealand

Certainly you can use my designs and publish plans etc. if you wish..I hold the view that mercenary and secretive attitudes towards such things are treason against the kite flying fraternity and also self defeating..Does your moped walk on water? If so, do loop around the South Pacific and partake of our hospitality and a little kite flying in N Z ..Keeping it up down under.

ed. The kite that Peter is talking about will be presented in a future issue of K.F.N. It’s what I call the Peter Lynn Box Kite, a real show stopper!

Carol and Tom Henry.. .San Francisco, CA As much as I hate to admit it, we did enjoy your last newsl etter, I think your writing has improved, perhaps you’ve hired a ghost writer. ..don’t fall off your motorcycle.

Hugh Harrison…Vancouver,B.C. Canada

The delay in answering your letter has been caused by a three week trip to Singapore for their huge Kite Festival from which we
just returned …I won’t attempt to describe it as all will undoubtedly be told in the next AKA Newsletter…In April-May we join Dave Checkley’s tour to Japan and China and after that will spend the rest of the summer recuperating in our garden.

ed. See, other people travel too.

Dave Checkley, Kota Bharu, Kelantan Malaysia…On my way back from the big Singapore kite festival where the Dutch boys and girls flew their world record Parafoil. Many from U.K., Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Harrisons from Canada and Steve Lamb and myself from the U.S. Now making an unscheduled stop at the home of the Wau Bulan mecca for asian kitefliers… planning to take a group to the S.E. Asia area next year.

ed. Dave sent this note on a post card showing a man flying a Malaysian Half Moon (Wau Bulan) kite in Kelantan.

Richard W. Wohlert…Buffalo, N.Y. Enjoy reading our newsletter..used a number of tips in your drawings. I have several Rokkakus made from P,M.A.F. plans. Am planning on making some patterned as per David Elliott’s design..seems they are more transportable…keep ’em flying and comming…

Grant and Pauline Madill…Victoria, B.C.

Not too much flying going on these days. The weather is either too windy or wet. We have had some nice days, but when it’s sunny, there’s no wind. Everyone is busy building kites for the spring season… I’ve been looking for a “chop” ever since you were here, finally found one in Vancouver. I found out I was born in the year of the Boar so have adopted it as my kite signature….We are planning a little trip to San Francisco about Easter time. Let us know if you will be back in the area….
ed. I doubt if I’ll be back by then but I hope you go and check out the Marina Green and can meet some of our great Bay Area kitefliers.

Sunny Brikett, Armchair Kite Flyer, Daly City, CA….What is the circulation of Kite Flyer News? Where is its annual Report? Maybe we need to be paying more for our subscriptions, we are in inflationary times. ed. Thanks for your in depth questions and concerns for the economic conditions of Kite Flyer News. In answer to your questions: the circulation is about 100 subscribers of which 10 % are exchanges with other newsletters or clubs. Our printing and mailing expenses are met by subscription income but that’s about’it. Kite Flyer News is not what you would call a Blue Chip Stock but we do try to keep our head above water, which isn’t easy. We will probably raise subscription cost this year, if we can get back on a regular printing schedule.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL KITE CONTEST.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so the old adage goes, but whose eyes are we concerned with when entering such a kite contest? In most instances we are at the mercy of a judge that may know nothing about kites much less aesthetics. It was to this dilemma that Carl Brewer, Seattle, WA has turned his attention to in a recent paper entitled: KITE CONTESTS.

The 10 page paper is divided into two parts: Part 1, Kite Contest Categories and Part II, Judging Beauty. Carl will be using this paper as a part of a Judges Seminar to be given by the WKA.

For the most part, kite contests seem to icl! quite quantatative in nature, things that can be measured. In a Beauty Contest we are dealing with a Subjective quality that becomes more difficult to define. Carl points out that since you cannot compare “apples and oranges” that the most pragramatic solution is to run a number of “beauty” contests for kites of similar natures, using a multipleevent format. This solution could create additional problems in scheduling if the number of categories get out of hand.

“How can one judge beauty? Is it impossible as some insist? Well, if it is impossible , then how is it’possible to create beauty?” Carl believes that one can be trained to see beauty or at least become aware of the classic elements of design:line, direction, texture, proportion, value and color. If these elements are the words of the design language then the relationships of the words then create the sentences:

repetition, harmony, gradation, contrast and unity. Each design statement can be “judged” to a degree of compliance to one’s own sensibilities and taste. Which will bring you right back where we started from but at least the judges will have a base of experience from which to make decisions.
If you are interested in getting a copy of this paper, please send $2.00 to cover xeroxing and postage to Kite Flyer.

KITE OF THE MONTH
This issue’s kite design is called The Monstrosity by its creator, Ray Fahrenbruck, of Medeira Beach, Florida. It is constructed from common grocery bags and is one of those kites that people always ask”does that thing really fly?”, It is relatively easy to build but has the disadvantage of not being collapsible.

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