4 different periods of Singapore's weather
• Northeast monsoon season, Wind blow from North/Northeast. (December to Early March)
• Inter-monsoon Period, Light Wind in Varies in Direction daily. (Late March to May)
• Southwest Monsoon Season, Wind blow from South/Southeast. (June to September)
• Inter-monsoon Period, Light Wind in Varies in Direction daily (October to November)
Guide on how to fly kites
- Find an area which is clear and open.
- Refrain from going near a power line, airport and roads.
- No kite flying during wet or stormy weather, because electricity is attracted to damp kite lines and foolish kite fliers. (Wet line is conductive!)
- Avoid trees, they eat kites. Do not allow your flying lines, to touch any bystander.
- Children should be under adult's supervision and instruction to fly kites.
- Suitable for children over 3 years old.
- Giant kites are easy to fly with little wind as the surface area is large.
- The Strength of the giant kites is very strong. For adult 18 and above only.
How to fly a kite?
Stand with your back facing the direction of the wind. Hold your kite up by the bridle point and let the line out. If there is sufficient wind, your kite will go right up. Let the kite fly away from you a little, then pull in on the line as the kite points up so it will climb. Repeat this until your kite gains the altitude necessary to find a good steady wind.
If there is light wind..
Have a friend or partner to take the kite downwind and hold it up. On command, your friend/partner will release the kite and the flier pulls the line hand-over-hand while the kite gains altitude. Practice this high-launch technique.
If you are alone..
Prop the kite up against a bush, post, or wall. Reel out enough line for altitude and simply pull the kite aloft. If the kite sinks tail first, there might not be enough wind. If it comes down head first or spins, there might be too much wind. This is because different kites fly in different winds.
If your kite has an adjustable bridle, move it higher (nearer the top) in higher winds and lower (towards the tail) in lower winds. Adjust no more than 1/2" at a time. Tails: Adding tails to the kite helps it to remain stable in stronger winds. Use light-weight materials to decorate. You can find the correct bridle point using NASA Interactive Kite Modeler here.
Generally, you need less wind to fly than you may think it is. If the strong wind is blowing and you find it hard to walk against it, you'll have a battle on your hands, even if your kite does fly. Whereas if it is steady and gentle breeze, it is more ideal for kite flying. :)
Where to fly kite in Singapore?
Click here to view some good places to go.
How does a kite work?
To fly a kite you will need wind. Pretty basic. But winds can vary and different kites require different amount of wind to fly. A slight wind which can be felt on your face and cause trees to lightly rustle will be travelling about five miles per hour. Mini kites and delta kites will fly in this wind.
A gentle breeze of about six to ten miles per hour will extend flags and put tree leaves in constant motion. Now you can fly delta kites, dragon kites, and diamond kites.
When the wind begins to lift dust and small papers off the ground, it is classed a moderate breeze at about eleven to fifteen miles per hour. You may fly parafoils, large diamonds, and stunt kites.
When small waves form on inland lakes and pond, the wind (known as fresh breeze) is about sixteen to twenty miles per hour. Stunt kites, diamonds and deltas will fly in this type of wind.
At twenty-one miles per hour and above you have no business flying a kite. Find a hole and crawl in!
Light Breeze (0 - 5 MPH)
- Wind felt on face, leaves rustle.
- Suitable for large delta kites.
Gentle Breeze (6 - 10 MPH)
- Leaves and small twigs in constant motion, wind fully extends flags.
- Suitable for Delta, Dragon, Big Wing Stunter Kites.
Moderate Breeze (11 - 15MPH)
- Raises dust and small paper, small branches move.
- Suitable for Diamond, Cellular, Parafoils, Soft Stunter Kites.
Fresh Breeze (16 - 20 MPH)
- Small leaved trees begin to sway, crested whitecaps on inland lakes.
- Suitable for Small Stunt Kites.
Strong Breeze (21 MPH +)
- Large branches move, umbrellas difficult to control.
- No kites is suitable to be flown in this kind of wind.
You don’t have to run a marathon to launch a kite. The easiest way to launch a kite is to tie it to a rocket, launch the rocket and play out the line real fast! Just kidding! If the breeze is strong enough, you can stand in place and play out the line slowly as the kite gains altitude. A good kite will go right up. Another method is to have a friend take the kite about fifty feet downwind, and hold the kite aloft. Pull the line taut while your friend lets go of the kite. Pull the line toward you hand over hand. Play out the line as the kite gains altitude.
Kites are decidedly low tech, so problems are few. Most problems seem centered around the need for a tail. Not all kites need a tail, but most kites can benefit from the stability offered by one in high winds. Tails can be for fun or decoration. Good quality kites will include a tail if one is needed.
If the kite won’t gain altitude, it can be either due to the wind being too feeble, the tail is too heavy, or the tow line needs adjustment. Move this 1/8 inch at a time, up or down, to adjust.
Why need to balance the kite?
Kites contain bridle lines, which are attached in two places:
• The bottom of the centered stick.
• The front, or nose, of the kite.
Kite lines are usually made out of kite string. The line the kite flier holds is called the towline. This line must be attached to the bridle line at the exact point where the kite is balanced which is usually in the middle of the bridle line (known as tow point). It allows the kite to fly because it divides the airflow up evenly around the kite. Moreover, the towline forces the kite to stay in one place, thus it has to go up instead of going forward.
Do as infinity, and beyond!
The length of the towline affects how high the kite will fly, and how stable it is.
The higher the kite, the more resistance.
The longer the length of the towline, the higher the kite will fly and vice versa.
Why kites will fall?
To stay aloft, the air pressure flowing under and over the wings needs to be equal on both sides. If it becomes unequal, kite will begin to wobble, and if it is not equalized quickly, kite will fall. A kite-flyer can equalize the pressure by keeping the kite level into the wind most of the time. This likely to be able to explain why kite will fall.
First and foremost, attaching line to a kite is the important first step when you get your kite. An improperly attached line will throw off the balance of the kite, making it difficult or even impossible to keep airborne. Attaching a line to a kite begins with a lark's-head knot.
Not every flight goes well. If your kite isn’t flying right, maybe you have one of these problems:
• Undesirable Wind Conditions:
There may not be enough wind or maybe there is too much. The amount of wind you need to fly easily depends on the design of your kite. If your kite uses a tail, try to add or reduce the tail’s length in different winds.
Are you trying to fly behind a big tree or building? The wind is going to be really bad there.
• Tuned Out:
Remember that you can adjust the tow point on most kites for different winds. This is called “tuning”. If your tow-point is too high or too low, your kite won’t fly. Try setting it about 1/3 from the top of the kite for starters.
If your kite loops around in circles, try adding tail, adjusting the tow-point, or tightening the bow line.
If your kite won’t lift, try reducing tail, adjusting the tow-point or loosening the bow line. Is your flying line wet or too heavy? Is the sail of the kite too loose to catch the wind? Make adjustments to lighten the load and increase efficiency.
Winds close to the ground aren’t as good as the wind up fifty feet or so. Get a good launch and fly up into smoother winds.
How to tie stunt kites string using Larkshead Knot?
Categories of wind speed
0 mph: Calm Smoke rises vertically.
1-3 mph: Light Air Smoke drifts; wind cannot be felt.
4-7 mph: Light Breeze Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; weather vanes move.
8-12 mph: Gentle Breeze Leaves and twigs in motion; light flags are extended.
13-18 mph: Moderate Breeze Wind raises dust and loose papers; small branches move; flags flap.
19-24 mph: Fresh Breeze Small trees in leaf sway slightly; wavelets form on ponds and lakes.
25-31 mph: Strong Breeze Large branches move; telephone lines whistle.