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Fun kiting and facts

Big kites! Did you know? Flying tips Fun & puzzles

Big kites!

Have you seen Oscar?

The largest teddy bear in the world (as far as we know), is Oscar, an inflatable kite flown by Craig Harby & Sue Kennedy of SmileFactor10.

Oscar is 63 feet long, and has flown several times at Bridlington Kite Festival.

Did you know?

The largest kite in the world is currently 'The Hope' a flag-style kite owned by Abdulrahman Al Farsi and flown by the Al-Farsi Kite Team, made by Peter Lynn Kites.

The Hope is around 1,250 m2. The Kuwait flag is listed as the Guinness world record holder, but The Hope and the previous Blue Manta Ray are both bigger than the Kuwait flag. They are all owned and flown by the Al-Farsi Kite Display Team.

Interesting kite facts!

  • The smallest kite in the world which actually flies is 5mm high.
  • The largest number of kites flown on a single line is 11,284. This record is held by a Japanese kite maker.
  • The longest kite in the world is 7,700 metres in length.
  • The largest kite in the world is the Megabite 55 x 22 metres (630sq metres).
  • The fastest recorded speed of a kite is over 120 mph. (193 km/h).
  • The record for the highest single kite flown is 3801 metres (12,471ft).
  • The world record for the longest ‘kite fly’ is 180 hours.
  • Some Japanese kites weigh over 2 tons. And some of the longest Chinese Dragon kites are over 600 metres long.
  • The aeroplane is a development of a kite.
  • You do not need wind to fly a kite.
  • Kite flying is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
  • More adults in the world fly kites than children.
  • People were flying kites 1,000 years before paper was invented.
  • The first powered aircraft were large box kites with motors fitted to them.
  • Kites have been used for fishing, bird scaring, delivering mail and papers, forecasting the weather and frightening evil spirits away.
  • Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning was electricity.

Stay safe when flying a kite

As with any sport, there are potential hazards to kite flying. When flying a kite you are totally responsible for flying safely. So here are some safety tips for when you can get back out with your kite.

Do not:

Fly in wet or stormy weather, wet lines conduct electricity, especially lightning.

Fly near power lines. If a kite gets caught, walk away; do not try to retrieve it. Tell a responsible person what has happened. Your next kite will be better, because you will still be alive to fly it.

Fly near trees, buildings, or where you could frighten animals or endanger other people.

Fly near roads or railway lines.

Fly within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of an airfield.

Fly more than 60 metres (200 feet) above ground level unless you have permission from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Pick:

A wide open space without too many other people or any animals around, away from roads and railways.

A flat area where there is nothing to fall over whilst flying your kite.

A spot where the wind is coming from more flat land, so that buildings and trees haven’t messed it up. Your kite will fly better.

A day when the wind is right for your kite, not too strong or not too light.

Some good friends to have fun flying your kite with.

Tips on buying a kite

If you’re a beginner at kite flying, starting off with the right kite can make a lot of difference in how quickly you learn the sport and influence your passion for it.

So picking a kite is an important decision to make.

There are several different types of kites and line control systems available so do your research and select a kite suitable for you, your needs, and the differing wind conditions. Many people buy a kite and then are unable to get it to fly. This could be due to the fact that it is badly made, assembled wrongly, comes with bad instructions, the tails are too short, wrong bridle settings, etc.

The best advice on buying a kite is to go to, or contact, one of the many specialist kite shops or dealers who have staff that are kite enthusiasts and they will be only too pleased to help find the right kite for you at a price to suit your pocket.

Puzzle time!

How many triangles can you spot in our Exkitement Puzzle?