There’s nothing quite like the tug of a kite catching a breeze and pulling up into the sky. Kite flying is a fun and cheap thing to do in Wichita and anyone can do it when you have a little knowledge, a little wind, and a great place to fly your kite!
To help you be successful, we called up our friends Mark and Susan Adams of Wings of the Wind Kites and Toys, who happen to be the Wichita experts of kite flying. They helped us find some parks and open fields that are great places to fly kites in our area, gave us tips for successful kite-flying, and told us about some important rules for kite-flying safety.
You will also want to check out our post about Kite Flying Events in Wichita!
Tips for Successful Kite Flying
I think everyone has probably tried flying kites only to have the kite repeatedly take a dive. It’s just part of the experience. Successfully flying a kite takes having the right conditions, the right kite, and just a little bit of skill. Mark and Susan told us a few really helpful keys that will help you keep your kite in the air and make this activity fun instead of frustrating.
- Kite packaging will tell you the perfect mph of wind to fly your kite in. Susan described the perfect wind for kite flying as the feeling when you walk outside and say “Ahh, that’s such a nice breeze” as the perfect amount of wind.
- Find the direction of the wind and put your back against it. If you aren’t sure where the wind is, pluck a few pieces of grass and throw it in the air, whichever direction the grass floats is the direction of the wind.
- Bring a friend to help! Bringing a helper can be the key to getting the kite in the sky. Have your buddy stand far away from you holding the kite, tell them to give it a little toss whenever you feel the wind in it and you’ll have your kite in the air in no time!
- If a kite is taking off in a breeze give it more line! This will help it stay in the air. The opposite is also true; if a kite is wavering and not taking off, put more tension on the line by bringing the kite string in.
- If you are flying kites with several people, make sure to give each other plenty of room! You don’t want any tangled kites 🙂
- Bring gloves! Gloves help prevent you from getting cut by the kite string, ouch!
- Wear sunglasses or a ball cap, because you will be looking directly in the sky 🙂
- KEEP TRYING. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.
- YouTube is your friend. Find tutorials on flying. Wings of the Wind also made it available to find a time to fly with them! Give them a call and ask to go kite flying with them.
- And the most important tip of all is to HAVE FUN 🙂
Where are the best places to fly a kite in Wichita?
Chapin Park
Just north of the Starlite Drive-in, Chapin Park is the quintessential kite flying park because of the open fields and lack of wind obstruction. 2400 E MacArthur RdHigh Park
This park in Derby, Kansas is a great place to fly kites. Many kite festivals have been held there.- Sunset Park
This neighborhood park has plenty of land open and free for kite flying! Keep an eye out for trees, and remember to stay far away from them 🙂 - Fields near schools
These are usually a good place to fly kites because they usually do not have much that would obstruct the wind. Mark and Susan specifically mentioned Northwest High School.
- Sedgwick County Park’s Hill
You can use the top of the hill to launch the kite and then let out more string as you walk down. This allows for flying above the trees.
- OJ Watson ParkThis park has plenty of wide open spaces to fly a kite! There are some trees in the park but there are mostly open fields perfect for flying.
Just north of the Starlite Drive-in, Chapin Park is the quintessential kite flying park because of the open fields and lack of wind obstruction. 2400 E MacArthur Rd
This park in Derby, Kansas is a great place to fly kites. Many kite festivals have been held there.
This neighborhood park has plenty of land open and free for kite flying! Keep an eye out for trees, and remember to stay far away from them 🙂What are some safety tips for kite flying?
Safety first! These are some of the basic kite-flying safety tips Mark and Susan told us are important to observe.
- Do not fly near power lines. This is the most important safety tip. If your kite is about to go into a power line, let go!
- Trees always seem to suck kites in; fly away from the trees.
- Don’t fly in heavily populated areas (whatever goes up, must come down.)
- If there is lightning or thunder, put the kite away and fly some other time.
Flying kites is super fun and something that anyone can do. Thanks to our friends at Wings of the Wind for their time and helpful tips!
For great quality kites and exceptional service, check out Wings of the Wind.
