We
added A fifth extra member Chris Head who is a very accomplished
precision flyer and will drop in if one of us is unable to fly Chris
flew at No3 at Coombe Abbey 2000 when freelance photographer Ed Maynard
asked us to fly some low passes for him. Now I have had a lot
photographs taken of Alan Bill and I and never seen one in print so I
was surprised and delighted when my Dad phoned to say we had a photo in
the Birmingham post. I phoned Graham and trundled off to the news
agents. I was even more delighted to find the picture was a foot long by
6 inches high and in colour. The teams spacing is a bit rough as it is a
reverse pass and I am turning upwards. Graham contacted Ed and got the
picture below which is much better and printed us all a copy each
.
At Dorstone Windbow week we
borrowed Sara Longbottom as to act as number two so we could try
stick practicing the beginning to the Radetsky March routine.
Stick practice is the best way to make sure everyone knows where
they are going in a team without crashing or causing damage to
the kites. It is mainly used when you are learning (or
remembering) a new routine or trying out a new manoeuvre.
We have practiced every on most Wednesday nights at Mike Shea's Microlite Flying School at Fradley. Over the year we have greatly improved although we have had very few chances to show what we can truly achieve in public due to lack of wind. We can now stay in the air in virtually all wind conditions at the last practice this year we were flying in 30 to 40 mph winds without crashes.
<Sky Symphony turning into 1 2 box formation leading from the left
We are to my knowledge the only sport kite team who lead from both ends this gives us the ability to change ends if one caller is worn out and allows the team to fly with two different styles and doesn't confine us to events a particular caller can attend.
in 2000 we flew at the following events :-
Newark
& Nottinghamshire Agricultural Show
The Conningsby Show
Menith Wood Kite Day
Baxterly Kite Day
Warwick Rotary Club Kite Day
The First Shipley Park Kite Festival
Rainbows Hospice Event
Coventry Kite Festival (in the air Briefly)
More Green Agricultural Show
Hardwick
Hall Kite Day
The Current routine is quite flexible and last's about 20 minutes it usually includes (depending on the site and the wind)
Chris
Head's solo routine showing how you learn to fly Precision Sport
Kites and learn tricks.
Wallace and
Grommet flying to "Peer Gynt"
Dave Flying
two Dancers together to "I play Dead" Byork (Depending
on the wind)
Breeze
Flying either Flip Flops or El Macho's to "Westlife"
The 4 man
team Flying Hawaiian's or Dancers to "Radetsky March" or
"True Colours"
Depending
on manpower 5 Hawians or 5 Dancers or 4 Big Softie foil kites
flying to a mystery piece of music.
The Current
Kites are
5 MKF Team
Hawians by Free Spirit Kites
5 Dancers
by Free Spirit Kites
4 Big
Softie's by Free Spirit Kites
Wallace and
Grommit also used
2 Krazy kites by Free Spirit Kites (in small arena's)
Breeze also
used depending on wind speed
2 Benson Phantom Elites
2 Domino Kites by Apogee Kite Accessories
2 El-Macho power Kites by Apogee Kite Accessories
2 Seigers Vliegers 3.6mtr foils