Go Fly a Kite

 

    Along the shores of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina you will find light waves, seashells, and beach umbrellas sprawled in the sand. If you shift your gaze upwards, you will see small forms overhead, floating through the sky. Kitty Hawk is famous for hosting the first manned flight in recorded history. The Wright Flyer, developed in Dayton, Ohio by Wilber and Orville Wright, soared over the dunes of Kitty Hawk in 1903 forever changing the world. Today although there aren't any Wright Flyers coasting on the sea breezes, there are, however, kites that seem to hover above the shoreline, dancing on air currents controlled by a tiny, invisible string. 

    When my family first arrived in the Outer Banks, we noticed these kites dotting the skies. My dad's curiosity got the best of him and he took to the internet to find out what it was that made kites so popular here. It turns out that the weather conditions at the Outer Banks are ideal for flight which is also why the Wright Brothers chose to launch their Wright Flyer there. In Ohio, the chance to fly kites was few and far between, I remember trying to fly kites numerous times at my grandparents' house on a semi-windy day. My dad took the opportunity we had and the next day we visited a kite shop that is popular in the Outerbanks, Kitty Hawk Kites. Dad bought a small green kite that was a strange 3D geometric shape. As many sons do when their father is attempting something new, I also bought a small kite. Mine was a white triangle with a rainbow tassel that trailed behind.

    The next afternoon, at our hotel, Dad unpacked his kite and got it set up to fly. He went out onto the beach right outside our door and hoisted the green shape into the air. Sure enough, it took off and soared into the sky. I unpacked mine and quickly followed suit, launching the kite into the sky. Flying a kite is a magical thing. It requires control and the ability to let go. There is only so much you can do with a kite that is high above you. There is a very peaceful feeling to flying a kite, the childlike amusement of it all is great. Staring up at the sky watching the kite dance around on a string. You have to let nature take control and hope that it works in your favour. This was the first time that I remember flying a kite and the kite actually staying up in the air and coasting on the wind. 

    The next time I flew a kite came when I was living in England. The wind that blew through the English countryside threatened to take my cap off my head and I thought it was perfect for kiteflying. My roommate Ben and I took to the shop, grabbed a couple sheets of A2 paper and made a kite out of dowels, paper and string. Two kites made in the shape of a diamond, ready for their maiden flight. We took it out to a large open field and put them to the wind. The kites went up but didn't stay up no matter how hard we tried. After the third crash, the dowels were snapped and the forms no longer resembled kites. We resolved to try again later and we also realised that kites are harder to make than it looks. A few weeks later, we had ordered some small kites on Amazon and on a windy day, we took them back to the field and let them soar. The feelings of peace and amusement once again took hold as our kites ducked and bobbed in the English wind. There was something fun about two Americans flying kites in a field in England during a wind storm. At one point, I found a stick with a split and put my spool in one side and the other side I put into the ground and stepped back to watch my kite fly itself.

    When I returned home from the UK, my family struck out again for a beach, this time to Panama City Beach. The sea breeze encouraged me and my dad, yet again, to take our kites from their carrying sleeves, the same kites from the Outerbanks, and take to the skies. We walked out on the beach one evening and launched the kites into the air. Nearby, a man was struggling to get his kite airborne. I handed the controls of mine to my dad and made my way over to offer my help. I asked if he needed some help and he replied in broken English, but with a Spanish accent. I then switched from English to Spanish and helped him launch his kite. His family was nearby and came over to watch the kite coast on the sea breeze. I returned to my kite, glad to have helped someone experience the joys of flying a kite. 

    Kites aren't special, they aren't overly complex, they don't require special training, and they're fairly inexpensive. Until you are at the controls of a kite, it is easy to underestimate them. The feeling of reaching out, touching the sky, and of being as a bird is a truly unique experience that is hard to replicate. So I challenge you, the reader, to grab a friend, get a kite, and find a place to spend some time behind the string.

-TDB