Why kite spins

Using a hole punch, carefully punch the two holes marked by the black circles. Tie a string through each hole. Tie them tight, but not so much that you tear the paper. Tie the opposite end of both strings together to one end of a paper clip.

Tie one end of this string to the other end of the paper clip. Your sled kite is ready to fly! If the bag has handles, cut with scissors straight across to remove the handles. Then keep cutting the bag in this way to create thin rings which will look like strips when flat —each should be about three-cm wide.

Cut up the whole bag into these rings. Discard the handles. You can see this in an online visual guide for this step. First walk with it, then try running with it. What does the kite do when you walk and then when you run? How well does it fly? This will probably be less than one grocery bag ring.

The tail should be centered. Try to fly your kite outside again, first walking and then running with it. How does the kite fly compared with when it had no tail? Why do you think this is? To make this tail, loop two rings together and gently pull them tight you can see this step—which involves overlapping and twisting the loops once— in the visual guide.

Attach more rings to the tail this way to make it longer. Attach the longer tail to the cm tail on the kite to give the kite that is cm long. How well does the kite fly with the cm tail compared with the cm one? How does it compare with flying a kite without a tail? Use the same looping process to expand your cm tail another cm in length.

Reel out enough line for altitude and simply pull the kite aloft. If the kite sinks tail first, there might not be enough wind. If it comes down head first or spins, there might be too much wind. Different kites fly in different winds. Bridles: If your kite has an adjustable bridle, move it higher nearer the top in higher winds, and lower towards the tail in lower winds. Kite Tails : Adding tails to single line kites helps them to remain stable in stronger winds. Use light-weight materials so you can use lots!

Looks great! We have a page full of kite flying tips. Still having trouble? Visit our trouble-shooting page to fly your kite […]. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Toggle Navigation Back to Main Site. September 30, How to fly Single Line Kites : Stand with your back to the wind. This can be easily checked as some manufacturers will publish the recommended bridle length for your kite.

Alternatively, if your bridle lines can be detached, you can detach them and check if they are of the same length. Bridles with unmatched lengths will tend to pull your kite in one direction and make it more likely to spin and crash.

On the flip side, there have been reports of shrinking bridle lines — these are more common in the kitesurfing community due to the type of lines that they use woven or braided lines, instead of the common twisted lines in normal kite lines.

So while this may not be commonly seen in beginner kites, this is something to consider when checking your bridle lines.

This woven structure gets loose with the time and use. Water, dirt, and sand can get in between the filaments. What happens is that the line gets a bit thicker and this makes the line shrink as well. Another reason why your bridle lines are uneven is that there could be knots, twists, or tangles in them. When you set up or pack down your kite, always inspect all your lines for knots, twists, and tangles.

If there are any, you must undo them before launching your kite. When unpicking any knots or tangles, always check that there is no wear on the line s. Wear-and-tear can occur over time, and is also exacerbated when lines rub constantly against each other.

Alternatively, your kite may have a keel as shown in the image to the right. A keel is a piece of material on the bottom of the kite.

The keel is usually perpendicular to the rest of the kite when in the air, providing stability. The keel usually has a hole to attach the kite line where it is indicated line attachment in the image to the right. If your kite has a keel instead of bridle lines, and you suspect that the keel has stretched, it is best to contact the manufacturer.

Generally, if your keel is stretched, you will have to replace it with precise measurements from the manufacturer, or a knowledgeable kite flier who has done something similar. In such cases, it is always best to speak with your local kite shop or kite-flying club for more hands-on advice.

In general, a quick and easy way to stop your kite from spinning is to attach a tail to it. Always ensure that you only change one thing at a time when working on your kite so that you can pinpoint what is causing it to spin. Take your kite for a test flight after any adjustments to see if the adjustment has stopped it from spinning in the air.

We have always loved flying kites in our childhood. When we grew up, we realised that kite flying is slowly being taken over by technology, and it was difficult for us to learn anything about kites. After years of trial and error, we bring to you what we've learnt.

Kite flying was a typical hobby of many children, including us, when we were growing up.