Why I hate kites
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From: N20,W99
Why I hate kites
Yesterday I went to do some shots over a stadium filled with 115,000 spectators watching a soccer game, some of them involved being pretty low, as I was manuvering I told my side passenger that there were a lot of kites flying around and to be ready for abrupt manuvering, just as I was saying that the peculiar swish, swish began, even the camera had string on it! Unfortunately by the time I got my camera they had already removed all the string form the Main Rotor and the camera.
Last edited by BlenderPilot; 16th December 2005 at 17:58.
Joined: May 2002
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From: Downeast
Blender that could have been a real disaster....if that twine had gotten wrapped up around the M/R push-pull tubes....it could have been a very ugly scene!
As the cord wraps up around the push-pull tubes...they get bent in towards the mast and cease to function....not a nice thought!
As the cord wraps up around the push-pull tubes...they get bent in towards the mast and cease to function....not a nice thought!
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Down Under
Should try working in Indonesia where the kites fly for months at a time. Some of these kites range from very small up to five metres across and have rope as the anchor. I have even flown pass kites at 1500' above the ground, so you have got to keep an idea of the wind direction at all times so you can turn the correct way when one appears out of nowhere.
Even flying into Ngurah Rai International is an accomplishment as some of the locals fly their kites from their homes on the boundary of the airport. Even saw an F27 towing one while on final approach one day.
Following is a Bell 206 on return to the airport after a transfer around Bali.
Even flying into Ngurah Rai International is an accomplishment as some of the locals fly their kites from their homes on the boundary of the airport. Even saw an F27 towing one while on final approach one day.
Following is a Bell 206 on return to the airport after a transfer around Bali.
Last edited by fullflaps; 15th March 2005 at 01:09.
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Sasless
Now you know why you should have bought an Enstrom!!!
This is there big selling point, dont know about the tail rotor on an Enstrom though i dont think they thought of that one.
Maybe Enstrom should push for sales in Indonesia then, big market there.
Lucky though
Now you know why you should have bought an Enstrom!!!
This is there big selling point, dont know about the tail rotor on an Enstrom though i dont think they thought of that one.
Maybe Enstrom should push for sales in Indonesia then, big market there.
Lucky though
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: SW England
Common problem throughout SE Asia - first encountered it in Hong Kong, last met it (often) in Brunei. Sultan's Flight aircraft had a kitestrike within 1 nm of the airport at BSB while I was there. On another occasion I landed within the airport boundary so my crewman could nip out for a "chat" with the kite-flier; he was one of the airport employees out for an afternoon's recreation(!). When we spotted his kite it was at 600 feet over the threshold. He seemed peeved when we suggested he might like to practice elsewhere.
Must ask John Eacott to host yet more pics...
Must ask John Eacott to host yet more pics...
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From: Over here
We had an OH58 in Germany come back one day with kite string wrapped around the push-pull tubes. The pilot swore he hadn't been below 1500'. 
I once encountered one over the beach as I flew along under 400' overcast, trying to find a place to beach out to get to a platform about 3 miles off the beach. I was in an AS350D, and I banked it almost 90 degrees to avoid the kite that suddenly appeared. On the way back, I was looking for it, and didn't see it. Then there was a break in the clouds, and I saw it flying above the cloud layer! Put it on its side again, cursed, and somehow missed the string.
I also saw one flying at about 500' or more at the airport. We finally tracked down the owner, who claimed to be ignorant of the dangers.
I once encountered one over the beach as I flew along under 400' overcast, trying to find a place to beach out to get to a platform about 3 miles off the beach. I was in an AS350D, and I banked it almost 90 degrees to avoid the kite that suddenly appeared. On the way back, I was looking for it, and didn't see it. Then there was a break in the clouds, and I saw it flying above the cloud layer! Put it on its side again, cursed, and somehow missed the string.
I also saw one flying at about 500' or more at the airport. We finally tracked down the owner, who claimed to be ignorant of the dangers.
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From: Australia
I was in SAO PAULO, Brazil a couple of years back flying a jetranger, and to my amazement in the helicopter transit lanes to and from the airport were literally dozens and dozens of kites flown by the locals!!...beware if in SAO PAULO!!!
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From: Used to be God's own County
Don't forget the feathered variety
There's a breeder of kestrel/kites who exercises them around a couple of mil atz in central UK. Snag is, it's a widely-used choke point for transit traffic. The main difference is that his displays are NOTAM'd!!
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From: SW England
John E doesn't hang around, does he?!
Thanks to him, these are the workable Brunei pics I dug out of my hard drive:
The worst ones to hit are those that are used for kite-fighting, where they glue ground-glass to the strings to enable them to cut the strings of other kites
Thanks to him, these are the workable Brunei pics I dug out of my hard drive:
The worst ones to hit are those that are used for kite-fighting, where they glue ground-glass to the strings to enable them to cut the strings of other kites
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From: Desert Rat
those bloody buggers
These pictures remind me of the Caribbean and carnival time when those kites came up to 700 to 1000 feet. Particularly harsh at nite time when you only those when they strike the a/c.....
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From: uk
Many years ago in Germany I arrived back at base with several metres of kite string wound around the tail rotor hub. After enquires I discovered that in Germany there are regulations in regard to the length of string that may be attached to a kite. It is 50 metres. And if anyone is caught flying a kite with more than the regulation length they will automatically be charged with a summonds and a fine.
