Fading into an Icy Sunset

Date: 2/28/09
Place: Cosmo Park, Columbia, MO
Kites: E2 on 85' lines
Wind: 3 - 6 mph, N
Weather: Mostly sunny (sunset), 30º

Today's wind was "kinder" and more steady than yesterday. The day was cloudy and cold until about 4:30 when the sun came out. I flew during the beautiful sunset and until it was too dark to see the lines.

I was able to launch a bunch of times from the ground into fades and then control those fades much better than before (helped a lot by a very good wind). Flares are not coming along much at all, with only an occasional good one, but on one of the good ones today I then pulled the flare into a fade! I was so surprised that it worked that I wasn't able to hold that fade very long at all.

I made great progress on the half-axel hunt, bagging some marginally formed ones and maybe even a good one. The wind was slow enough that it allowed me more time for the correct moves. At least I think that my half-axels are what a half-axel is supposed to be.

A note about this February: I didn't fly a kite on only six days this month (3rd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 18th, 21st)! This has been a great month for kite flying for me with a nice selection of winds, sun, clouds, some new tricks that I'm doing well at, a new kite friend - all in all, a very fun flying month!