I grew up in a little town in northern Wyoming that was nestled in the valley beneath Heart Mountain. It was cool in the summer, freezing in the winter, and ALWAYS windy. There’s an old statewide joke about the “Wyoming Wind Festival,” which runs from January 1st through December 31st every year. Trees in Wyoming nearly always lean to the east, unless they’ve been staked. Triple trailers on semis are actually illegal in the state because they are practically impossible to control in the wind when you’re moving along a winding mountain road. And trying to keep your hair tangle-free was an exercise in futility.
There were SOME advantages to living with a constant breeze, though. For one, Wyoming has been on the forefront of wind energy research, which is aiding the U.S. Department of Energy in developing systems to utilize renewable resources that are cheaper than the conventional methods and easy on the environment.
And then there’s the fact that it’s always perfect kite weather!
My parents used to take my older sister and I to the park a few times a week each summer to fly kites, and it was always one of my favorite ways to spend a warm afternoon. Each year, each of us would get a new kite or kite-making kit in our Easter baskets, and by the end of the summer they’d be wind-beaten and ready for retirement.
The first kites were made in China over 2,800 years ago, where lightweight and sturdy bamboo framework was covered with silk fabric and flown on a string of strong, tensile silk cord. The outdoor hobby took longer to become popular in Europe, not really catching on until the 1700s.
Today, kites are used not only for recreation, but also for practical applications as well. The military has used kites for several things: sending and receiving messages, lifting soldiers in the air for a bird’s eye view, and even aerial photography. The scientific applications of kites are numerous, too. The most famous example of this is Benjamin Frankin’s experiment with lightning and electricity. Walt Disney even immortalized the experiment in their 1953 animated film, Ben and Me:
Kites are educational, as well. Their design and use involves all kinds of physics. You can learn all about lift, drag, and flight from kites, and think how impressed the neighbors will be when little Jimmy starts throwing Bernoulli’s principle into normal conversation at the next neighborhood barbecue!
One of the coolest kite kits I’ve seen is the Thames and Kosmos Kite Dynamics set. Way back in the stone ages, when I was in sixth grade (I believe that was 1997-ish), I had to make my own kite out of string, plastic straws, and crepe paper. This kit makes it a bit easier for kids to do the same experiments. It gives kids the opportunity to create and test several different designs, and explains the science behind it as they go. Very cool.
The biggest thing to keep in mind when choosing a kite-flying location is to be on the lookout for power lines. Most urban areas also have laws regarding how high you can fly a kite, to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with the airspace, so check your city’s guidelines. If you’re lucky enough to live in the country, though, your own backyard is probably the perfect place to fly a kite on a breezy summer day! Just watch out for trees so you don’t end up like poor Charlie Brown. :)
