Kiting at the old Evergreen Airport

[Chief]

yah...there is something quite Zen about flying a couple of kites, right in the middle of that field. There was a decent South wind blowing this afternoon, and after a set of showers moved through, I hit the old airfield.

What a gorgeous day! It wasn't supposed to be this nice today, so it was great to play hooky and go flying. (I did get other things done today, believe it or not...)

I was kicked back, enjoying the breeze and the solitude for a couple of hours this afternoon. I put up the small sled with a 100' tail, and since it was doing so well, I put up my Cody warkite too. They were both flying in unison, and at one point I had a large crow join the formation and cruise along with the kites for a few moments.

I misjudged the distances between the anchors and the winds at different altitudes though, and the Cody ended up shooting the sled down in flames....

I had the Cody up at 400', and the sled at about 275' since it was pulling back more with a tail on. The wind shifted up at the Cody's altitude, and it crossed over the other line and sawed it in two. The Cody had thinner 220 pound test and it sawed nicely through the sled's 500 pound test line

The sled ended up floating gently down into a very recoverable place, with the tail draped over some immature blackberries, and about 150 feet of line draped over a tree. I pulled the kite down easily with the tail as I wrapped it up, recovered the kite intact, and just smoothly pulled the kiteline straight out of the branches, and wound it up. It's already spliced back onto the reel, although I had to prune out a good 12 feet that was all frazzled from the abrasion of the 220# line.

In any case it was a successful flight for both kites, and sure gave me my exercise for the day. I end up walking a couple of miles out there by the time I stretch the lines out, and anchor them, then walk back to get the kites, the back to add the line laundry, hook up the kite and launch it, than back to check the anchor once everything is airborne. Then I have to tear it all down again once it's time to go.

I'm seriously considering finding a small cart to tote some of this stuff. the anchor bag alone weighs at least 100 pounds, and all of the other gear is awkward and bulky. I'm amazes at how much crap I've accumulated and what a pain it is to tote around by myself. I'll have a look around at what's available, as I believe in working smarter, not harder...

In any case, it was great to fly at the old airfield, since there was absolutely nothing else going on over there today. I had the whole place all to myself, and that made it an especially fine afternoon to conduct some of the last flying that field will ever see once it's completely developed. Until then, I'll take full of advantage of it as often as I can arrange it.

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

This little piece probably tells your cautionary tale best? Don't fly a kite of this size unless you know what you are doing.

Good to see you had some fun. Have not been out of the house in a few days, a cold has me by the ears and really in a fowl (yes pun intended) mood.

[Chief]

It wasn't supposed to be so nice today; in fact I expected it to rain again....but instead it was sunny and a nice East breeze popped up so...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/003.jpg

Here's what it looks like from the anchor...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/001.jpg

And here's the Chief-mobile backed in and waiting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/006.jpg

It was a great afternoon...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

Sure was nice to see her flying up there! Hope to catch you as soon as my pain clears up. Hopefully that will be this weekend.

[karma]

One has to give folks more notice, as I would really would of loved to drive that direction just to see this in action! WOW!!

[Waterbuffalo]

:-) If you go by daily past a certain old airfield that is being turned into another possible strip mall, you should see Chief quite clearly. It just so happens my bus drives right by there and had a few people over the past couple of days wondering who the weirdo with the kite was doing over there..

And you know me, I just smiled and kept my mouth shut, I knew the real truth and all those people had to do was just read the tail to see where to go.

Chief, did you know your getting more free advertising being in that place than sitting off I-5? Wonder how many people are forced to slow down on Death Trap slow Mill Plain with such a pleasing eye to the north they get to see a free kite flying by?

Well let's hope you get a free visit from Larry Patella who would just love to give you an idea of what he thinks...

[karma]

Hey there are a couple spots off I-5 where this can be flown!

[Waterbuffalo]

Missed Chief today.. Was hoping to catch him out at the airport.. but alas, I'll probably see him later in the week some where.

[Chief]

Great winds today but too moist, and I had other things to do. Late in the day the wind was good enough to fly the big kite, but I took Momma to see Iron Man instead.

We'll see what the wind does tomorrow...

[Waterbuffalo]

Ahh wifey needed snuggle time? Sounds like the ultimate positive thing...

Well I am going to busy today but if I do get a chance to pop by that area, I'll be looking for your kite as well.

[Chief]

The Missus and I headed out to the airport last night about 7:00 and flew the big sled and the clarkblog.org windsock for about an hour or so. The wind was nice and steady out of the West, and was perfect for the big kites.

The stake spot I selected was closer to 136th than it was to Mill Plain, so the kite was more visible from that side. I did some measuring last night and have a much better idea where to set the stakes next time for maximum visibility....

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

"have a much better idea where to set the stakes next time for maximum visibility...."

Do you not mean Maximum Reality? :-)

[Waterbuffalo]

When we will see more pictures of the kites?

[Chief]

No sense posting pics of the same thing, right?

I'll put up more pics when I fly at a new site or if there's a really good windy day where I can get multiple kites airborne...later this week could be such a time when it gets good and hot, and if a decent East wind sets up...

We'll see...

[Waterbuffalo]

I didn't get a chance to watch the past few days you kiting experiments. When I am coming that way, your usually off checking some thing else out or doing what ever..

Guess I'll hope to see you and the kites soon enough..

[Chief]

If it's windy (15 knots+) and not raining, you can bet I'm going to be out flying at the old Evergreen Airport if at all possible.

I see that the next phase of development at the airport was considered for zoning changes last night by City Council, so there is no telling how much longer flying kites will even be possible down there. I'll be curious to see the plans and what they want to put where. There is still an active North-South private landing strip on the West side of the property that stretches all the way up by Winco. That is going to drive what gets built on the corner lot at Mill Plain and 136th...

[karma]

I'm awaiting for some time DT so it can be seen from the I-5 or out at the fairgrounds so the folks in North County can see where to go??

[Waterbuffalo]

Wrong thread Karma? This is flying Kites @ the Airport.

Yeah, I would love to see what they're planning over there.. Just hope there is no active consideration to put another strip mall and motel/hotel chains like the rest of the area seems to favor. Lets hope that you'll be able to continue to fly for at least another year before they finally start developing your favorite spots.

Have you thought about going closer to Mill Plain for the cars Closer Inspection?

[Chief]

She's on target WB...

karma, I'm always scouting new hot spots that are good places to fly. It depends upon accessability, and how hard I want to work to get a big kite anchored properly and launched, then recovered and wrapped up afterwards. It's more work than you think, and you learn quickly what belongs on which end of a 400' kiteline, to minimize the number of times you have to walk it end to end. I even bought a garden cart at Home Depot and am modifying it to help tote some of the crap I need to fly these things. My anchor and hardware bag alone weighs about 100 lbs.

WB; yah, I scoped it out pretty well last time I was there and I will be anchoring closer to Mill Plain, depending on the wind direction. I'm concerned about draping a 100' tail over traffic if the wind shifts on me, so I have to allow a wide margin for error...

[karma]

Chief, I understand what it takes and maybe it's not a wise idea out here as the Fairgrounds might be the only spot and we sure don't have the winds like you do in East County. Then too you will have to deal with the flight path of some of the bigger birds.

[Waterbuffalo]

from several news and radio newscasts this morning and my email box full of weather alerts is telling me there is going to be a nice 20 or 25 degree warm up over the next three days.

Would this be a nice way to say that one of these two days might create a nice wind gust from the Columbia basin into the Western Columbia Gorge area?

[Chief]

I hear ya WB...Matt Zaffino was talking about a strong East Wind out of the gorge, so there could be several opportunities over the next couple of days.

I better find the sunblock...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

If you can find the wind in the evening or early morning, that would be great because you can find maximum exposure.. :-)

Now I hope to be able to get to you, possibly the wife and the kites in the next day or two. Please keep the brethren noted and informed of location, style of kite choice, average wind speeds and of course, what direction said message will be forth coming and informing..

[Chief]

Will do...

[Waterbuffalo]

Have to run to Portland twice tomorrow but might be passing by your regularly scheduled place of flying today. So I might see you out if your flying.

Just a fair warning, its 3am right now and its 60 degrees.. So get that sunscreen and have some fun!

[Waterbuffalo]

I just wanted to pass along.. Got my daily KGW weather email and its saying that the next two or three days should have excellent weather and wind for Kite flying. Thought I would pass along the data stream I recieved.

[Chief]

I'd be out there this afternoon, but that meeting at Jantzen Beach is tonight for Q&A on the CRCP...

[Waterbuffalo]

Well you will have a NICE chance tomorrow and may be Saturday to go flying as well.. There is a still a lot of condensation from the winter and spring still in the ground that will make create more winds as the top soil dries out for the summer months growing season.

Hope you have a wonderful time tonight and this weekend. Get out that suscreen folks.

[Chief]

It's not supposed to be quite as hot today, so I think as soon as the wind comes up this morning, I'm heading to the airport to fly.

I found an old delta box kite I'm going to give a try today as well. That makes four potential single line kites with line laundry, that I can fly at the same time.

Later...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

Wish I could come out.. Have a long line of stuff that I'm involved in..

So hope you have a wonderful day and hope your laundry line kits system flies high and with some fun out there.

[Chief]

The wind is starting to come up now, but it's too damned hot to go stand in the middle of that field. I'd be burnt to a crisp in half an hour out there in the sun right now...

[Waterbuffalo]

You could always go out around after dinner at 7pm or so when the sun is more down and the heat is less. There probably will be some wild still and you could enjoy the finer parts of the day then.

But I shall remind folks the sun will be disappearing from our landscape for a little bit, so by all means, please get out this evening when the sun is down or the heat is less and enjoy some of the warmth that is around. There are a lot of hiking trails all over Vancouver with shade. So please, go out and enjoy yourselves.

[Chief]

There was some great wind out of the NW yesterday afternoon, so I headed down to the airport around 4:30 or so, and flew until around 6:00. If the same wind comes back up today, I'll be back down there with all three sleds, and I'll put up a bunch of lineart...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

There is a slight breeze this afternoon. So it may be time to go run and have some fun with the kites this afternoon.

[Chief]

I was out earlier and it was too light and variable to fly for long. It's starting to gust up again so I may head out at 3:00 or so.

I left 2 heavy anchors in place so I can get airborne quickly this afternoon with the big sleds. I can always anchor the small one off the car, but if the wind gets too brisk, I have to use the car to pull the big kites down. I have a pulley and carabiner rig that fits the 1000 lb test line, and I just hook it to the tow link on my Tracker, and gently pull the kite down as I drive slowly down the taxiway. It makes taking the line laundry off a lot easier, especially if there are several items flying, and keeps the big kites in control close to the ground where they often pull the hardest in a sudden gust.

[Chief]

We went and retrieved my anchors last night just before dusk, as the wind never did come back up from what it was on Friday and Saturday. I just went out and checked conditions, and it's too light and variable to do much of anything out there right now.

The weather is changing back to a warmer cycle which could fire up those gorge winds again later in the week, so if you see a kite out there it's probably me...

mrgrn

[Chief]

The wind finally came back up this afternoon, so I went out around 4:00 and put up a couple of sleds and took a few pictures...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport009.jpg

You can really see the 1100 lb test line that the big sled requires in this pic. It's anchored with a pair of steel ground stakes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport004.jpg

All four tails on the big sled are 100 feet long. The small sled has a 100 in the middle and a 50 foot tail on each side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/evergreenairport020.jpg

mrgrn

[Chief]

The wind came up again today around 3, and I hit the field again and put up the two big sleds, one wearing 15 tails, and the other two big spinners.

mrgrn

[mooney]

The wife and I stopped at Wendy's on Mill Plain across from the airport about 5:00pm. I saw you had your kites up. I thought about coming over and introducing myself but I didn't know if I could get over the fence. The kites looked great.

Mooney

[Chief]

Thanks mooney! I appreciate that thought. From my view it looked like the tails of one kite were over the roof of Wendy's, but in reality they stay inside the fenceline. I'm really careful not to allow anything to fly out over Mill Plain...that could be disasterous if the wind suddenly died and those tails trailed out into traffic...

I get onto the property from the backside off of 1st Street, where there is an access from the parking lot of one of the medical buildings over there. The fence along Mill Plain has been repaired so that there isn't an access through there any more, except for the locked construction gate.

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

I was flying by at 4pm on the bus but did not get a chance to look and see if you had your kites out then. DARN IT!

Why am I always miss the parties? :8-)

[Chief]

I'll be back out there this afternoon...the wind is up now and it will only get better in an hour or so.

I made a new rig that will fly seven 100' tails off the back of the big sled; should be pretty spectacular...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

Watch out or you may give the local news media interest in capturing you on film.

[Chief]

Never happen WB...

I was getting ready to launch the big sled this afternoon when ceiliazul stopped by to say hello (Great to meet you today John! mrgrn). I wasn't aware that there was an opening in the fence over off of Mill Plain but there is, right by the bus stop, and he walked on over to chat while I was finishing up putting on some kite tails. He had a Grandstand view of the big kite launching with 7 100' and 2 50' tails on it...it's pretty amazing to be right under the kite as it launches, and drags all that rustling nylon into the air...

mrgrn

[Chief]

We could not get in to the airport property via our usual route, as the parking lot that abuts the access point was being repaved and readied for painting new parking lines.

So instead we went to Wy East Middle School and flew the big kite with seven 100' tails on it from the school athletic field. It's very tricky on that field for the big kites in light winds, because the tails tend to droop more, and there are power lines that abut one side of the field.

However, I was able to get about 250' of line out for a launch, which got the kite above the treeline and the wind-shadow from the school's gymnasium, (but with the tails flying well clear of any obstructions) and with a little persuasion, we launched successfully.

We flew for about an hour there, and had people honking, pulling over to watch, and a few walked over to chat and find out just how big that kite really is. It's appearance is deceiving in flight, because it looks much smaller at altitude...those tails don't look all that long until you land the kite and they trail out across the field. You can't fully appreciate the size of the kite until you see it launching close up...

mrgrn

[Chief]

If the wind cooperates today, I'll be stepping my show up a notch at the airport later this afternoon. I have 5 more 100' tails inbound today and I'll add them as soon as the wind permits.

Stay tuned...

mrgrn

[Waterbuffalo]

Have fun... And no droopy sails ok? :-)

[Chief]

Here's an "I learned it the hard way" safety tip...

When you pound those 3/4 inch steel rods into the ground repeatedly with a sledge hammer, it peens the head of the rod over, and creates a sharp edge around the top of the stake. If you don't grind those down once in a while, you'll cut the hell out of your leg if you happen to brush against it (wearing shorts) like I did today. It's not bad enough to need stitches, but barely. I got a nice six inch long slice on the inside of my knee this afternoon.

I'll do some grinding on a couple of those stakes before I go out next time. If you bevel the edge of the rod back at a 45 degree angle, it won't peen out as badly.

Easy one to miss, and if it's sharp enough to cut skin, it's sure sharp enough to cut kiteline as well...

cewl

[Waterbuffalo]

Ouch.. Next time be a little bit careful.. Looks like a good reminder why you need to be careful.

Don't want the stake to go through the heart if it misses the leg and heads up the body...

[Chief]

I had the sun in my eyes, and just brushed past it with my bare leg, and the edge did the rest. The stake had hair and skin shavings on it too...it was pretty disgusting...

[Chief]

There hasn't been much wind lately nor have I had the time to go kiting even if there were a good breeze...

What I do notice is the presence of a large wooden signboard at the corner of the airport property that is ready for some sort of an announcement. I don't think it's political because of the size (it's face is made of three full sheets of plywood), I suspect we will soon see an announcement there of the impending start of the first phase of the long-rumored development on that property. This will likely be a Commercial strip where the Mill Plain side hangars used to be and won't penetrate more than 100' or so into that enormous field.

We'll see...

dnkncfe

[Waterbuffalo]

<bumps..>

Its been a bit of a nice couple of days and no edition to the Kite blog? Any nice wind out @ Wy East or Evergreen?

[Chief]

Matter of fact I was out there this afternoon....one kite, no pics though...

;)

[Waterbuffalo]

Darn. Wish I had been out there to say hello.

Well I better get back to listening to the fire engines and ambulances rushing by. Wonder if the local news media is listening by radio scanner.

[Chief]

yah...there was a decent East wind out of the gorge yesterday that was blowing steady at 10 and gusting to about 17 MPH. I know that because I have a decent wind gauge so I know when I'm bumping up against max line strength...

The winds are supposed to be coming around out of the Northwest again starting today, and should be around most of the week. If the wind comes up in the afternoon, the airport is where I will be.

;)

[Chief]

It's really blowing pretty hard out there today, but the gusts are just too high to go fly the big kites today. Too high of a gust can shock-load the kite or the line to failure instantly, so you have to be careful in conditions like this.

An even wind is better than this gusty business. If it calms down later we'll see about flying late this afternoon.

[Waterbuffalo]

Yeah, this morning and afternoon were pretty good and strong winds. Like you said above, probably wait until later this evening.

Its around six now and the wind has calmed down over here, so might be a good time for a kiting session.

[Chief]

We thought about it, but we had other things to do today and then spent an all too rare quiet afternoon together and we both enjoyed the peace...

;)

[Waterbuffalo]

Its ok. Understood. Heard there as going to be two days of east wind like there has been for the past day or two. So you will have at least one or two more warm days of choice wind days to run your kites.

[Chief]

Oh year! Today the temperature is supposed to get up into the seventies, and that will almost certainly guarantee a strong East wind. I'll look at it this afternoon, and see what the gusts are, and if it's not too extreme, I'll go flying around 3 or so...

[Waterbuffalo]

Just remember that Tuesday is supposed to be mid 60's, so you might have a third day of fun. :)