When is a kite not a kite?
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- My 1,419th kite video. What is a kite? And when is a "kite" not actually a kite? Most of my regular viewers are well aware of the difference between kites and line laundry, but many of the people I meet when flying don't seem to know the difference. This is really for them.
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Hi Jim,
I'm in total agreement with you regarding line laundry with respect to its definition as does many reputable kite shops/distributors. A quick google of the term “Line Laundry” finds the description clearly defined. How such a basic concept can be mis-understood and argued against is surprising to say the least! I have nothing against “Line Laundry” as the creativity and construction is very impressive.
However, following a recent visit to a UK kite festival which was excellent the event could have been classified as a “Line Laundry Festival”
There was so much “Line Laundry” it took the focus off the kite and the very purpose of the event being a “Kite Festival”
Once a windsock, streamer, tail, inflatable creation or a “Kite” ( Mantra Ray for example) is attached to the line where the line is connected to a pilot kite it becomes “Line Laundry”
Keep up the good work Jim, you are a true ambassador in the world of “Single Line Kites”
Like you, I appreciate line laundry as long as it is recognized as such. I live in New Zealand, home to Peter Lynn Kites, and I hate the way that company has deliberately distorted many people's idea of what a kite is. They describe all of their products as "kites", which most of them are not, and of course have taken over the sky at many kite festivals these days. When I fly line laundry and people say "What a lovely kite" or something similar, I always put them right about it.
I love the bit where you say... "This is a kite, not a lampshade" :-)
It's hard to tell the difference, Nigel!
Jim, push the URL for the Kaixuan shark. Thanks,Glenn
I've sent you an email, Glenn.
Great simple presentation Jim! Loved the descriptors.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks! I have been pondering this for quite sometime now. Why some kites can fly on its own while some need to be lifted. They look more or less the same in design.
See my next video, Lucy, where there will be items very similar in appearance, but very different in their flying ability. With any "soft" inflatable item, it always pays to look carefully. If it's attached to another kite's line, it's usually not a kite! (Although I show a kite clipped to the Trilobite's line in this next video - that was purely for convenience, and it would have performed better on its own.) As i mentioned, most of the big items from Peter Lynn Kites are NOT kites, but they try to convince people that these "bags of air" are what kite-flying is all about. It confuses a lot of people, and is not good for the promotion of real kite-flying.
A true kite surgeon you are. Magnetic.thanks
Thank you for this video, I've been tempted by that Squid, but suspected it wasn't really a kite. Your video confirmed my suspicion.
It's good to know the difference, but if you have a good lifter kite then of course line laundry is an option. I'm glad the video was useful.
Love Kites, Love Line Laundry, Love These Videos!!
Thanks, Mike!
The _Peter Lynn Dragon_ is *COOL!*
I have never seen those before....
But it's not a kite, Allan.
@@JimNicholls >>> But it's *STILL COOL!*
😊😊😊😊
So surprised to see the Mega fish as a true kite ..not laundry. Seems so many fish are designed on the same format ...but need help to go aloft. Nice video , Jim. Needed for those that are shopping and can get hung up in the description given on many sites. And boy ,,do those descriptions range! Great information, today!
The Mega Fish is certainly NOT a piece of line laundry, Priscilla. It was designed by Juergen Ebbinghaus, a very clever man, and it flies very well, unlike almost all of the "bags of air" from the Peter Lynn Kites company, which can't get off the ground without a lifter kite.
I flew this past weekend at the Cape Fear NC Kite Festival- it is getting huge! Like you noted- lots of big stuff. I should print off the URL of this video and hand it out to those who ask me those exact questions! I am sure some videos of the event will come along soon. Good wind both days- lots in the air- great times!
I watched a video of that festival earlier today, Steve, and it looked like a good event. There seemed to be a reasonable mix of kites and line laundry, certainly not totally dominated by the latter, fortunately. The weather looked a bit cold, but I hope you had fun.
Sweet storyline Jim. So funny and cute. Line Laundry always draw in the crowds
Nice spread
Yes, Amy, line laundry attracts people, but my problem with it is that it has totally distorted people's ideas of what a kite is. I wrote about it a long time back on my website: jimskites.co.nz/did-peter-lynn-kill-kites/ .
Oof, I posted this on Facebook in the social distancing with kites group...stirred up quite the conversations .
I wish you hadn't done that. There are too many crazies and haters on Facebook, and I've already had two unpleasant reactions from people who I guess saw your post. I avoid social media as it is far too negative for my taste. UA-cam is the limit of my on-line action, and all my videos are designed to promote kite-flying as fun, but some people are always willing to take offence.
@@JimNicholls I took it down
@@JimNicholls I apologize I shared it with good intentions. I didn't realize until after that it was a bad decision. I removed it as soon as I realized it was causing drama. Won't let that happen again.
You have the nicest kite that are appealing and fun to fly. You give me an idea to make a kite. Thanks.
I'm glad it helped. Have fun!
That is a great video jim. I am sure there are people out there that are uncertain about some of them.
You have certainly helped the people who were not sure. A really good video.
Thank you, Graham. I hope things are going well for you now and that the weather's not getting too cold.
I remember when "line laundry" was what my mother pegged out to dry. Without kites there would be no line laundry. Kites Rule ! ...... some laundry items are nice too. All fun in the wind.
As long as the kites rule, Carl, then it's OK. If line laundry is allowed to completely swamp kite festivals as it increasingly does, no-one will remember what a kite is (except for lifter kites, of course - but maybe they'll do away with those and hang everything on tall poles, no need for wind then!)
My Peter Lynn’s Midi Manta Ray Kite is a true kite. It doesn’t need a pilot or lifter kite (only a drogue on strong wind).
The Manta is an exception, of course, and I made a point of including my Andreas Fischbacher version in the video as a true kite. I wish PLK would make more real kites, instead of more and bigger "bags of air".
I like seeing the big stuff but I am more impressed when they are able to fly themselves, so I agree kites rule. I noticed you had the Panda Parafoil in the video, I got that and the tiger recently and flew it for the first time yesterday. I was so impressed for what I paid on Amazon with the quality of the kite and how well the both flew, I was thoroughly surprised.
They are certainly good kites, Mark. Some of the best quality items I've seen from China.
Great display of kites and laundry!
Thanks, Mark. I wish I could get out and fly some things now, but lockdown is total here.
@@JimNicholls Hopefully won't last too long! At least we can watch these great videos!
Beautifully explained...LL is interesting, but I myself prefer real kites. Wonderful display, love that maga fish. Nice job...
I agree, Mark, but fly line laundry too in order to give pleasure to those who like it. You can't beat a real kite, though.
There is a reason I don't own any line laundry, other than tube tails which I sometimes hang on a line. Oh, I do have one fish windsock.
Kites are best for sure, Derrick.
Almost anything can be a kite if it's bridled correctly!
Looking around the room, I can see a lot of things that would have no chance of qualifying, but I did hear of someone flying a shoe in a gale-force wind on a mountaintop.
Hey Jim. Wat een prachtige video met kites=vliegers en line laundry= lijnversiering in Nederland= Netherlands. we in the Netherlands are pretty buzy whit vliegers=kites.
I enjoy flying line laundry/line decoration quite often. I hate it when I see a "kite festival" that has nothing but pilot kites and line laundry. Some people no longer know the difference, unfortunately.
im surprised the king fish is a kite and not a laundry. How does it even fly? Oh my
It's a very clever design for sure. Most big items like that (certainly all the ones from Peter Lynn Kites) would need a lifter, but that fish just does its own thing.
Squid and Trilobite from October calendar 😀. Nice.
An interesting coincidence, David!
@@JimNicholls November brightens up my day.
"Kite" is in the eye of the beholder. For some people, if you can't fight with it, it has no value. For me, I distinguish between kites that provide lift and laundry which does not. Anyway, here is a maxi bear flying without a pilot: ua-cam.com/video/0vPQCMYu7OQ/v-deo.html but I prefer to make people happy rather than argue about how many fairies can fit on a pin head.
You clearly don't get the point, Andrew. When people see a piece of line laundry, flying under a lifter they probably haven't even noticed, and ask "Where can I get one of those for my grandson?", which is a question I have often been asked, I think it's a good idea to offer an explanation of the difference. You and I live in different worlds, and most of the 8,500 subscribers to my channel do not possess the means to buy the items that you sell, even if they so wished. I try to encourage the "ordinary" flier and aim my videos accordingly. You promote your PLK products and no doubt have a different audience. I'm well aware that some big LL items can, in perfect conditions, fly unaided, but they are largely impractical as kites and certainly nowhere near as useful and as much fun as the designs by Ma Qinghua and others. I want to get as many people as possible out there with a kite string in their hand having fun, and I know that my videos have encouraged many, many people to do just that, rather than just gaze at items in a kite festival dominated by the same old line laundry items.
@@JimNicholls I prefer not to point at things that other people fly and declare "that's not a kite" due to some arbitrary distinction that I made up. I would rather that everyone felt welcome and valued on the kite field.
@Andrew Beattie Hard to feel welcome on some of the fields you fly on, full of giant maxis and no room for ordinary fliers, so I think you don't really know what you're talking about. As I said, we live in different worlds, and in my world all kite-fliers are certainly welcome and everyone has a lot of fun participating, which is better than just watching. Deciding what is a kite is not arbitrary, it's a matter of fact, and I have never said no-one should fly line laundry (I do so myself), just that they should know the difference. If you feel offended by that, too bad. You don't have to look at my videos, and I'd be happy if you didn't, since you seem to do so only to seek conflict. You have the reputation of being a bully, but I'm too old to bother with your nonsense. This channel is for fun, not fighting.
@@JimNicholls Your definition of "kite" is absolutely arbitrary because it changes depending upon how the piece is being flown. Here, for example is a field of rays being test flown without pilots: ua-cam.com/video/NSoPD1eifcU/v-deo.html. and here, for good measure is a bigger group: ua-cam.com/video/dCtPk4h6gNc/v-deo.html I always test rays without pilots because a pilot will mask any problems. However in the hands of most fliers, these rays will be flown under pilot kites, because this makes them easier to launch, more stable and more reliable - it is a more considerate way to fly when sharing a crowded field with other fliers. But by your arbitrary definition, this considerate behaviour would make these "not kites" in the situation where you are most likely to see them. This is nonsense.
@@MrAndrewBeattie Rubbish. I have never denied that Rays fly, and I know very well that they can do and can even be used as lifters. I have a couple of kites that can fly independently but that I usually fly as laundry. That doesn't make other line laundry into kites. In a high wind, you might get a gum boot to fly, but it wouldn't make it a kite. You can think what you like, but it doesn't mean others have to follow you. I can't be bothered reading any more of your rubbish, so please don't bother. As I said before, I run this channel as a fun thing, and you're no fun. You clearly have a problem and should seek some help.
Although some of it is awesome to see, I totally agree that there is way too much, "See My Money", out there at festivals. You can see it in the yearly progression of some videos on certain festivals. I have a modestly decent collection and my "Show" stuff is not huge, but the medium to smaller versions of the Mega stuff. Also, I'm not buying that "Lampshade" statement. I think your Mrs., is missing a room accent & doesn't know! LoL
Although I live only an hour or so's drive from the Peter Lynn Kites factory (a misnomer, since most items are now made in China), I have no interest in buying any of their items. When flying a nice kite or three on the beach, I've had people tell me, "I like the huge whale kites I saw on Kite Day (our annual festival". They are always surprised when I tell them that those are bags of air, not kites. They never look up to see the pilot kites or notice the attachment of the line laundry to the kite lines. Peter Lynn almost destroyed the general idea of what constitutes a kite, unfortunately. I fly line laundry, of course, but real kites are more fun.
@@JimNicholls Agreed 100% that flying is more fun!
Basically, all my laundry is of kid's interest which my grandchildren love as do other kids around. Why be a big man when we are all kids at heart.
Most of the line laundry I have is also to amuse children. The characters appeal to them in a way that most kites do not. My objection to line laundry is the "bigger is better" attitude by Peter Lynn Kites in particular that has turned kite festivals almost everywhere into clones, each displaying a field full of PLK creations that appear at each venue, blotting out all real kites and twisting people's ideas of what a kite really is. I think most children find such displays boring, and would rather see the smaller items that they can relate to, something that doesn't happen with 100ft whales and the like.
@@JimNicholls Jim very well I agree. In addition to Lynn's kites around it defeats the title "" festival. Thanks. Back to your lovely videos.
@Jim Nicholls >>> If you flew your _Panda_ line laundry beneath your _Panda_ flowform kite, you could say you were PANDA-ring to your UA-cam audience...😉
{I'll see myself out now...😄}
You must have spent your long hibernation thinking up more excruciatingly unfunny comments, Allan!
@@JimNicholls >>> Are you kidding?! I can think up HORRIBLE PUNS right off the top of my head. 😉
Tell it like it is, Jim! 😁 And it's a line, not a string! 😂However, if someone is watching your videos, you are most likely preaching to the converted. 😤 Keep up the good work.
As I said in the description, John, it was really for those people who are not familiar with kites, as my regular viewers will know the difference already. I don't mind line laundry, and use it, but I hate the domination of the big items at festivals and the way they have distorted the common perception of what a kite is.
Kite-flying newbie here! It took a pandemic to get me hooked on kite-flying, so there's one good thing about this unfortunate state of affairs. From the basic to the breathtakingly beautiful and bizarre, I sure appreciate Jim's efforts to inform and share the fun. I don't plan to do any laundry, but coming from a family of entomologists, I admit that we gravitate toward kites that honor arthropods.
Hehh hehhh. Bags of air :)
Again the first one to watch it 😎
You're very quick, Thomas!