Evening star. [volume], March 11, 1962, Page 8, Image 108

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
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Robin Parker faces the kite*flier's moment
of truth—that first effort to get kite off
the ground and into the wild blue yonder.
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The inevitable problem of tangled string
is encountered by Katherine Newcomb.
SUNDAY. THE STAR MAGAZINE. WASHINGTON. D. C„ MARCH 11. 1962
Sure Sign of Spring
WHEN March blows in a gusty
spring, it is high time to look to
the kites.
Kite flying brings with it an age
old thrill, and there is rarely a person
who doesn't look back to the days
when it was a mark of distinction to
make a kite that would fly higher and
farther than any other.
In some parts of the world, kite
fights are held, and Benjamin Frank
lin's use of a kite to demonstrate the
presence of electricity in a storm
cloud is part of our American her
itage.
But, for the most part, kites are for
the kids. And the brighter the color
and the fancier the tail, the better.
Os course, you can buy your kite
at the store. But it’s more fun, and a
far greater thrill, to see the kite you
made soaring among the wind-swept
clouds.
A good kite can be put together in
a matter of minutes. All you need is a
d Having rigged their homemade kites, Susan and Russell Parker hold
w them aloft to check wind direction, as well as sturdiness of rig.
few pieces of light wood-strips of
orange crate are Tine-paper, paste,
string and bits of old cloth for a tail.
A kite must be perfectly balanced,
and there is no way to tell how long
its tail should be without testing it
against the wind.
When the tail is too short, the kite
will dive, and when there is too long a
tail, the kite will be sluggish. But
getting the right balance is part of the
fun of kite flying.
In some of the Asian countries,
kite fights are held every spring.
Pieces of glass or old knife blades are
attached to kites, and the flyers try
to maneuver their kites so as to dam
age others. The champion is the flyer
whose kite remains aloft to the end.
But our approach to kite flying is
more peaceable. When we see them
soaring from a nearby hill, we know
that spring is close at hand.
Like the first crocus, the first
kite is a sure sign of spring.
JIM BIRCHFIELD
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PHOTOS BY JIM BIRCHFIELD
The greatest proof of kitemanship-the
youngster's kite takes off and stays up.