Kite Blog
17/11/2024 Blackheath
The southbound Blackwall tunnel was closed again so I went via Rotherhithe Tunnel but had forgotten that the A2209 in Deptford is closed so there is a diversion via Deptford Creek.
The grass on Blackheath has been mown again so it looks very tidy. There was a steady WSW breeze and so a 1.5 mid vent was comfortable and a full sail was slightly overpowered occasionally.
Bright sun and bright clouds made a 'happy' combination prior to the transfer of Venetian blinds from Eaton Place.
There will be some additional Jørgen Møller Hansen kites for the collection arriving soon.
Felix
10/11/2024 Blackheath
Still anticyclonic cloud but this morning the base was higher with some articulation. There was a slight southerly air movement most of the time so we flew Zens.
Some of the time there was enough air movement to keep the kites flying at other times we had to keep moving on the ground.
Having arrived a little later than usual, a tyre pressure and petrol stop as well as the bakers we wrapped a bit early as the 'wind' speed had dropped away.
There was a diversion to Fawe Street for a delivery on the way home. The days local march had concluded in central Hackney but the brass band were still playing on the Town Hall steps as we passed.
Felix
03/11/2024 Blackheath
Today it was back to clouds with a low featureless blanket today but there was a steady easterly breeze c7mph occasionally gusting c12mph so very good flying conditions for the full 1.5 sails.
An extended musical session with Charles Lloyd 'The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow'... but the flying session ended before the end of the album.
Traffic was noticeably light on the A2 and at the roundabout, the end of half term may be the reason.
The small funfair had only run until 31st October so all that remained in our field of vision was a large rubbish skip.
Felix
27/10/2024 Blackheath
By contrast to last Sunday it was sunny, an almost cloudless sky with an occasional northerly breeze today.
Zens flew when there was a breeze but eventually the gaps got to be longer and the breeze lighter so we packed early.
The spiders were out in force floating on their threads which coated the flying lines, glistening in the sun.
There is a small funfair and a circus on the regular sites which I guess will replace the firework display which would have probably taken place next Saturday. Lewisham Council can not justify the expenditure.
Felix
20/10/2024
Rain and high wind was forecast today so I did not plan to fly kites.
Greenwich Park was very autumnal and the building work overlooking the Isle of Dogs has been completed.
I should be able to start work on re-making cross spars for the JMH Double Malay next week as the furniture repairs are almost complete.
Felix
13/10/2024 Blackheath
The breeze was mostly westerly 4-5mph occasionally swinging to the NW which meant that we were sometimes a bit dazzled by the sun that was showing through the high cloud.
I had hoped to fly a Nick James Seagull from the late 80s or early 90s but somehow between the kite table, where I photographed it earlier in the week and Blackheath, one of the spreaders has disappeared! Back home it has still not been found...
So we flew Zens which were occasionally sparkly in the sunshine along to the kite medley which seemed to work very well with the three fliers today.
I had re-posted, on FB, a previous One Sky One World flight with Jørgen's parafoils back in 2020 so that will have to do for 2024 as well.
Felix
06/10/2024 Blackheath
The SE breeze was mostly strong enough for full vent 1.5 sails. There was some brightness which was welcome and the forecast drizzle did not materialise.
The starlings were foraging on the grass and occasionally took off in a murmuration form.
The plantain heads have been mown so they should not reappear until the spring.
I am hoping that there will not be too many more southbound tunnel closures prior to the opening of the new Thames crossing to Silvertown early next year.
Felix
29/09/2024 Blackheath
Solo today in a gentle breeze at the outset. Full sail 1.5 was buoyant in the SE wind.
High clouds were making a performance ahead of the low pressure system due later in the day.
I was very much aware of 'long arms' and light grip today. There is an optimal moment with kite size and low wind speed and this morning it was working fine.
I stopped a few minutes earlier than usual as the wind speed was picking up and changing sails was just not going to happen...
It looks as if the incoming storm will be quite intense along the south coast today.
Felix
22/09/2024
No kite flying today as roads in central Hackney are closed for Hackney Carnival from 7:00-21:00.
I walked to Lauriston Village this morning to visit the bakers. There had been heavy rain overnight and at c16:30 it has started again and promises to be a wet night again.
The boiler replacement work this last week is not quite complete as there are three radiators yet to be installed. Tomorrow I have a first visit to an exhibition at The National Gallery scheduled and that should be a regular even for the next month or more.
Felix
15/09/2024 Blackheath
Sunny and sometimes without passing clouds with a 5-8mph WSW breeze. Occasionally the sun felt quite warm!
I had set up on a full 1.5 sail but suspected that a mid-vent would be more comfortable as the wind speed increased through the morning.
My initial flight was interrupted by the sound of a collision on the A2 towards the Greenwich Park entrance. The traffic backed up quickly but soon found the alternate routes around by the park wall and through Blackheath Village.
When the air ambulance approached we downed kites and again when it departed.
Next Sunday is Hackney Carnival and getting away from home in the car will not be practical. I will content myself walking to the bakery in Lauriston Village.
Felix
08/09/2024 Blackheath
My route to Blackheath was further complicated by a road closure for Deptford Church Street, southbound, which will be in place until late November. The detour via Deptford Creek is a bit rough.
On Blackheath there was very little breeze, certainly not the claimed 7mph, so it was Zens when there was a breath with some walking in the lulls.
We were watching the sky in anticipation of 'light showers' and wrapped a few minutes early as a few spots fell.
On the A12 north of Blackwall Tunnel there was a deluge but I arrived home in Hackney in the sunshine.
Felix
01/09/2024 Blackheath
It turned out to be very sunny after the low clouds burned off in the steady easterly breeze.
Full vent 1.5 for me was fine until the wind faltered just before midday. Until then I had been flying 'treacle' a lot of the time wondering if the time was right to start up that conversation again!
The Blackwall Tunnel southbound is closed again next weekend. Eventually the closures will end and there will be a small off-peak charge when the new tunnel opens next year.
Felix
25/08/2024 Blackheath
Sunny with a moderate SW breeze to start so I set up a mid-vent sail with the thought that a full vent would be needed as the morning progressed.
The cumulus clouds built gradually as did the breeze and shortly before midday the full vent sails had become tiring.
It was surprisingly quiet on the roads first thing and there were not many people on the heath today.
We have a lunch at The Sportsman on Tuesday as a follow-on from the Redbridge project.
Heading into September the Blackwall Tunnel will be closed Southbound on the 8th and Hackney Carnival may hinder travel on the 22nd.
Felix
18/08/2024 Blackheath
While there was cloud cover it felt decidedly cool on Blackheath this morning in the 6-8mph westerly breeze.
When the sun came out it was definitely warm but not hot. A small group of swifts made a brief high appearance which is probably the last we'll see of them this year.
Full sail 1.5s today and I might just have found another failed flight pathway but it will have to be verified on another occasion.
The August Bank Holiday funfair was in place today and so it might be busy on Blackheath next weekend.
Felix
11/08/2024 Blackheath
Sunny with an almost completely blue sky and a SE breeze but it was a solo flight today.
I started by re-installing 120ft/36.5m lines, making sure that they were set correctly on the prusik leaders.
Flew a Zen for a short while but felt that it was over loaded so switched to a 1.5 sail which felt more manageable and only occasionally tended to fall out of the sky.
My phone decided to do a software updated so there was a pause in the soundtrack.
The road closures around Victoria Park next weekend are nighttime so will not impact Sunday morning travel which will be via the Rotherhithe Tunnel southbound!
Felix
04/08/2024 Blackheath
A WSW breeze was light and sometimes faded but the Zens were fine on 100ft lines today.
I did a line check on switching as I now have no choice on the top lines. The lower lines were out too and at that point I found that the leaders were wearing through at the handle attachment point.
I just happened to have a spare set so they were replaced but I will do a prusik set soon.
I will be attending a small kite event on Monday and Tuesday afternoons with Martin and Marian subject to the weather remaining dry! That was the reason for switching lines.
Felix
28/07/2024 After Portsmouth
All was set fair for the weekend with sunshine and light breeze on the forecast.
We set up and prepared kites and did the first arena spots as well as flying the 3m Jørgen Møller Hansen Rokkakus in close formation.
One of the team then had a medical issue and the St. John's Ambulance crew asked that he be taken to A&E. This put a damper on the rest of the day and on Sunday morning we learned that an extended hospital stay would be needed after an additional episode had occurred.
We flew the arena spots on Sunday but anxiety for our team mate meant that additional effort felt 'out of place'!
Felix
21/07/2024 Blackheath
Curiously it was a 3 kite day on Blackheath. The breeze initially felt quite solid at 7+mph so the first kite was a full vented 1.5. The lulls meant that a mid vent soon became the better choice and eventually a full sail just about kept going until midday when the lulls took over!
Initial thickish cloud had gradually broken up and the sun was quite intense.
Next weekend the team will be at Southsea for the Portsmouth International Kite Festival. We are due to do the usual three arena spots on each day and might get the odd Jørgen Møller Hansen kite in the sky as well.
Felix
15/07/2024 After Berrington Hall
The Leominster and Hereford Kite event was a low key affair as last year and the wind was very low and variable for the weekend with some heavy rain at the end of the day on Saturday.
We had the opportunity to fly the 3m Jørgen Møller Hansen Rokkaku kites and get a feel for the lowest end of their flight capability. On Saturday this was interspersed with some flights of the Six Stack Revolution 1 sails in the 1991 and 1992 designs. We also put together two sets of sails from the 1985 Jørgen Møller Hansen Rhombus-Shaped Kites but they were really not viable.
On Sunday we did set up the late banners and continued with the 3m Rokkakus but also flew the new Rokkaku in the 1993 Kite Pin graphic. The 3m sails have the advantage in light wind. We also attempted to fly the late Jørgen Møller Hansen Delta which had previously been the low wind sail of choice. We will have to consider re-framing options now.
The site is mostly long grass and this year the molehills were monumental so running backwards was somewhat risky!
Felix
07/07/2024 Blackheath
It was a showery airstream today with an increasing risk of thunder so although there was no digital alarm message we stopped flying when the edge of a shower produced a few spots on Blackheath.
Full vents were comfortable but there were some lulls and passages of higher windspeed alongside the passing showers.
The swifts were seen in numbers in the lighter breeze moments.
Last Sunday at Hampstead started with heavy drizzle but that soon cleared to sunny, rotating thermal, conditions so the single line fliers struggled and we just flew Rev1.5s and the early Rev1 stack.
Next weekend is Berrington Hall and we hope to fly some of the Jørgen Møller Hansen kites.
Felix
23/06/2024 Blackheath
A typical sunny Sunday on Blackheath with an occasional slight breeze with 180 degree switches.
Zens were mostly just fine except when the breeze faded away. The dandelion and plantain flowering heads are 30cm/12 inches now so we were wondering when the mowers will be out again. In the meantime snagged lines are likely!
Next Sunday is the Hampstead Kite Event, midday through to 4:00pm. The forecasts have been changing so we'll probably decide on the kites to take closer to the day.
Felix
16/06/2024
I did drive to Blackheath but arrived in a downpour and it looked as if there was a long line of showers heading in.
There was an indication that there may have been thunder about so I headed back to Hackney.
Felix
09/06/2024 Blackheath
Another diverted weekend but the next one should be clear!
The westerly breeze was mostly in the 7-10mph range forecast so the full vented 1.5 sails were fine. Flew with the medley as ever and did once again fail to get a video record. This is almost getting to be irritating but at least the one objective has been discarded. It will not be possible to get a proper record of a completely misconfigured line set being used as the self correction is just too strong.
There were visitors today wondering where everyone was. We carried on as usual but just before wrapping I did do a top-line check to make sure that it was a practical thing to do without removing the handles and using the handle top stop knot on the measuring device.
I re-adjusted the lines accordingly having seen that one was 1cm out!
Felix
02/06/2024 Blackheath
I had spotted the sign advising of the southbound tunnel closure over the weekend so was prepared to travel via Lauriston Village and the Rotherhithe Tunnel again. Traffic was quite light this time.
A sunny prospect and a light northerly breeze meant that we were on full 1.5 sails. There is an additional level to auto focus which I did not set so once again the video captured was not usable. One day I'll get it right!
The grass had been mown during the week and the swifts were in evidence today.
Felix
26/05/2024 Blackheath
I think, on reflection, that we have been beaten by the traffic in previous years when Ride London has been taking place.
Today I travelled out via Lauriston Village and Devons Road and the journey took about one hour!
On Blackheath there was a very busy sky full of rearing cumulus and a few swifts. Quite a steady southerly breeze suited the full vent 1.5 and another filming attempt. This was unsuccessful as auto focus did not engage for the main clip.
As a consolation I did get a clip with the clouds and kites which demonstrated what should be possible.
Maybe next weekend will be straightforward transport wise and we'll make another attempt at the mis-configured flight. Today it seemed easy to override the maladjustment.
Felix
19/05/2024 Blackheath
I got out to the A12 ok and then found that Blackwall Tunnel Southbound was closed for the weekend which I had forgotten.
Turned right at Bow Flyover remembering that next Sunday the A12 north of this point is closed for the duration of Ride London.
Slow on Lower Road to Deptford as usual and then I almost got further delayed by an escorted Motor Cycle and Scooter event which was starting from the top of Blackheath.
I had taken a tripod and weight hoping to get some high resolution video of a mis-configured four line kite. The set-up went fine and the flight was completely demonstrative of the idea that I had in mind.
Unfortunately, the settings of the camera were not correct for recording the actual flight... We'll have to try again!
Felix
12/05/2024 Blackheath
Summery weather today with a light SE breeze, so Zens again.
The beginnings of cumulus clouds appeared before midday and may turn showery later in the day.
Next Sunday is Hackney Half Marathon so my route out and back will be a bit different and notably not via Lauriston Village.
I have now loaded some Cervia images from Franca Perletti and may get some more from Anne Whitehead in due course.
Felix
05/05/2024 Blackheath
Light wind from a varying SE - SW direction so a Zen flight today under a mostly blue sky with frontal clouds on the distant SW horizon initially.
Four fliers today and quite a bit of post Cervia chat.
I am working on documenting the event at Cervia 2024 but there were initially about 900 image frames to review before receiving any from other people.
Felix
14/04/2024 Blackheath
There was just enough breeze most of the time for a gently flight with 1.5 sails on Blackheath today.
The circus was still in place but it will be packing up for the London Marathon next Sunday.
On returning home the last kite items were added to the Cervia kit, ground stake and handles, so all is set!
The event layout at Cervia/Artevento looks promising as there is a designated are for Sports Kites outside Adriasol Bagno 111. As ever we'll have to negotiate the overlap with our Jørgen Møller Hansen kites.
Felix
07/04/2024
The forecasts were indicating high winds for the weekend and on the day I went to our usual flying spot and measured 19-20mph occasionally gusting higher. There were some lulls but it really was not comfortable conditions even though the sun was out and the temperature about 15 degrees centigrade!
Preparations for Cervia continue gently. The line check is mostly done and there are just a few more kites to pack. I’ll probably commit the ski board bag packing during the week leaving the second drum kit bag to the final days before departure.
Felix
31/03/2024 Blackheath
The forecasts ahead of the weekend had been encouraging but Sunday morning was damp and grey, quite apart from the clocks having changed.
It was actually wetter and muddier underfoot than I had expected so having left the Nine Square kite at home today seemed like a good decision.
It was full vented wind and so would have been challenging with the big kite.
It ended up being a short session as the drizzle in the east arrived before 11:30am.
Maybe we'll get another chance to test the Nine Square kite before Cervia!
Felix
24/03/3024 Blackheath
The Rotherhithe Tunnel route was not too congested today on the way to Blackheath, just a bit slow around Surrey Quays.
A brisk westerly breeze was accompanied by bright sunshine between the clouds.
The task today was to fly all of the eight new RSS sails just to check them and bed the bridle lines. A couple of connections had worked loose since I initially assembled the kites.
The set will now be packed in the team kites bag for Cervia allowing the rest of the initial packing to proceed.
Driving back to Hackney today via the southbound bore of the Blackwall tunnel was incident free. The final closure will be on the last weekend before Cervia, Sunday 14th April.
Felix
17/03/2024 Blackheath
I was on the road towards the Blackwall Tunnel this morning when I remembered that it had been due to be closed southbound over the weekend. Fortunately the tunnel was open but it was raining heavily and the prospect of it clearing by 10:30 seemed remote.
I arrived just after 10:00 and waited while the definition of the clouds began and the rain slowed to a drizzle.
We had a good mid vent flight with the kite medley, starting from the beginning this week.
There was a long tailback northbound at the tunnel and at the exit there was a sign warning of a closure on the A12 but I did not register the exact location. The back of the stationary traffic came into view just in time for me to turn off at the Old Ford junction and make my way slowly through to York Hall and home from there. The return journey was over an hour compared to the usual 15 minutes.
Felix
10/03/2024
The forecast was for rain today! I got to the bakers at Lauriston Village and it was not raining. I decided to go ahead and drive to Blackheath and when I arrived c10:10 it was not raining. The SE breeze was 6mph but a quick look at the rain radar suggested that a heavy band of rain was sweeping in from the east.
I took a quick stroll towards the Greenwich Park entrance and as I walked back to the car the rain started.
During the past week I have completed the modifications to the JMH Nine Squares and will hope to do a test flight before Cervia.
Felix
03/03/2024 Blackheath
Just before I left home Google Maps suggested that the southbound Blackwall Tunnel was still closed after overnight maintenance which normally finishes at 8:00am Sunday mornings. I took a chance after visiting the bakers in Lauriston Village and all was well with the tunnel. It had just been swept and was very quiet, as if others were still heeding the warning.
I arrived on Blackheath at 10:00am to find a light westerly breeze and some high cloud.
We flew Zens with the middle of the kite medley and the high cloud thinned just a bit.
The breeze dropped to zero towards the end of the session which made for a lot of walking. There was a brief period when it recovered but eventually we packed early by about 10 minutes.
I hope to get the JMH Nine Squares modified and flown in the next few weeks ahead of taking it to Cervia.
Felix
25/02/2024 Blackheath
I had been watching the forecasts closely and on Saturday it was clear that there may be good conditions for flying the Peter Malinski Tetraeder from Jørgen's collection. I had some assistants lined up for building the kite and so on Sunday morning we exchanged messages confirming that there was the right flavour of wind.
I had to travel via the Rotherhithe Tunnel southbound and on the way saw the low level fog blowing away from Canary Wharf.
I arrived at 10:00am and we laid out the 'Cherry Blossom' blue tarpaulin for good measures and the construction proceeded thanks to Tina and Chi.
The kite medley ran as usual but I was occasionally distracted by the ongoing construction. Finally a line was connected and the 20 cell iteration flew very well indeed. There is some video and the sun appeared in a timely manner so I was able to do image capture on the big camera.
Cervia preparations are proceeding well after a test pack of the big bag and the news of the impending arrival of a shipment from Revolution!
Felix
18/02/2024 Blackheath
There was no long detour today, just a quick visit to the bakers on the way to Blackheath.
Rain had been threatened for 'all day' but the radar had shown big gaps before I left home. In the event there were a few flashes of sunshine in among the bright patches and just a very few spots of rain.
Windspeed was 6-8mph measured on arrival but I think that there were some quicker spells. Mid vents worked fine with just a little hand tiredness towards the end of a concentrated session with the kite medley, mid section.
There were a couple of dramatic cloudscapes to keep us occupied along the way. Back in Hackney now, the sun is shining!
Felix
11/02/2024 Blackheath
The journey to Blackheath via the bakers at Lauriston village and the Rotherhithe Tunnel took about an hour. The construction work at Surrey Quays station was probably the main hold-up.
Along the way there was some light rain at Mile End Park and I realised that there was very little wind.
At Blackheath there was a barely perceptible breeze to start with so it was going to be a Zen flight. There was quite a lot of sunshine with high cloud and the occasional thick lower cloud but there really was some warmth in the air.
It was quite an intense session with some of the later tracks in the kite medley. The windspeed had increased to 6mph measured at the end of the session.
Next Sunday the southbound tunnel should be in use with the final closure in the sequence, the Sunday after, the 25th February which is also the last day for the Guston show at Tate Modern!
Felix
04/02/2024
I had considered taking kites to Dorset for this weekend but decided that there would be plenty of other pressures on time and best not to add to them.
The wind over the weekend was often strong and there was occasional drizzle and low cloud or hill fog.
Next Sunday the southbound Blackwall Tunnel will be closed again so I will get to Blackheath via the Rotherhithe Tunnel all being well.
Felix
28/01/2024 Blackheath
The southbound tunnel was not closed this weekend after all as works had been completed ahead of schedule.
While it was forecast to be cloudy the clouds were very high and thin so it was mostly 'sunny' with a southerly breeze that just about got to the lower end of the forecast at 6mph.
Full sail 1.5s and at the end of the session I noticed a leading edge repair that has not yet been done. We flew to the latest kite medley and I will have to edit further as a couple of the tracks are just not quite right!
Next weekend I will be away attending to family matters. I will have to see if the tunnel will be closed the weekend of 10th/11th February.
Felix
21/01/2024 Blackheath
I could see that the forecast was for c15mph across the board so I did turn my morning routine on its head. I was out of the door at 9:15am with time to call at the bakers and navigate via the Rotherhithe Tunnel and Lower Road arriving at Blackheath at 10:01...
The measured breeze was 14-16mph, occasionally quite a bit stronger but the RSS sails were perfectly comfortable for an intense but relatively short flight with the kite medley.
We packed just before 12:00 and will hope for a repeat performance next week as the south bound Blackwall tunnel will be closed again.
Felix
14/01/2024
I was distracted at 8:04 by the event near Grindavik in Iceland which had started at 7:57. I eventually set off at about 10:30 heading towards the bakers at Lauriston village where I found a long queue!
The approach to Rotherhithe Tunnel seemed fine but then Lower Road appeared slow and the A2 was also bad.
I arrived on Blackheath at midday and decided that after a brief walk I would head for home via the Blackwall Tunnel. Northbound traffic was using the normal southbound tunnel.
I will probably miss next Sunday and hope that the weather on 28th January will be good!
Felix
07/01/2024 Blackheath
We were almost 'mob handed' today with four fliers on RSS sails in a slightly variable northerly breeze looking directly into the sun for much of the time. The kite medley included a couple of different tracks today.
When a band of cloud drifted in from the east it was apparent that despite no feeling of radiant heat the sun had been keeping things warmer than it would have felt otherwise. We packed a bit earlier than usual...
The southbound Blackwall tunnel will be closed for the next two weekends so unless conditions look very good we'll likely miss two more flying sessions. Not a great start to the year but at least event planning is now progressing for the year ahead.
Felix
January 2024Felix Mottram