Make no mistake once you have tried flying a kite and succeeded in doing so, it is quite satisfying and I’ve found that even though the camera shoot has had to be aborted I’ve gained valuable flying experience. This comes from one who had to learn to fly fixed wing aircraft as part of my job and latterly went on to fly helicopters.

In my research for a beginners kite and looking at what was available for a reasonable price I decided on a Delta Conyne. This kite is an amalgam of a box kite and a delta. In a moderate to stiff wind it flies well and will lift a reasonable payload. At first I flew it without tails and it could be erratic at the lower end of flying conditions. This is something you don’t need, your aim must be for stability with a good payload lift. I therefore recommend you to fly it with tails. I currently use two 12’ bow tails but any streamer would do.

To give you a rough idea my camera kit weighs in at roughly 820 grams. I can fly the Delta Conyne in any wind from about 6 miles per hour but to lift the payload its nearer to 10 miles per hour to be safe. I will get a hand held anemometer at some stage.

To increase the flying envelope into lighter winds I’m considering a Dopero and a Rokkaku both of these kites will fly in lighter winds and carry a good payload but do take longer to set up.

The other type of kite that is favoured among Kappers is the Flowform. This is a soft kite (no spars) and is essentially an aerofoil. It was developed by Steve Sutton in his research into parachute design. Apparently they do require a moderate wind but do have a good payload being extremely light to start with. Again they seem to be flown with tails to help stability.