fatwoul

Indeed, but then at 17 you probably don't have a career to worry about just yet. Some of us have to be more careful, because the potential injuries would cost us more than just our health. I know what tszy means - I find my 3.5 is usually plenty for a good workout. But then maybe by the time I have as much experience as you, hotnginger, I might be wanting something much bigger.

Hey jules_b - That's quite a novel use for a signature. Maybe once I've been around long enough, I'll have me a hatelist too!

Looks like I'm not the only one who hates it. Scots don't like their country being shrunk disproportionately, and some guy at ITV weather recently said that they were offered a 3-D system last year, but turned it down because their viewers just want to know what to wear tomorrow. The problem with the new weather is that it is another example of the BBC telling us how it is, without actually giving us the information (such as isobars etc) to decide for ourselves.

Hi 3355, I love Bigbury. I used to fly on Dartmoor but once I discovered the joy of beach flying I've never gone back. I was at Leeds Uni a few years back, so I know the city quite well. Anyway, yes. Bigbury. Definitely.

I haven't been on this site for a little while, and it's funny that the first thread I stumble across is about this. On the BBC Weather website, you can ask Helen Young questions or make comments about the new weather forecasts, and the moment I saw the first one, I thought "where the hell are the windspeeds? Where the bejesus are the wind directions?!" I recommend that as well as a general email to the BBC, you also send similar questions and comments to the weather website too. They claim they will reply to the most commonly asked questions at the end of the month, so if enough of us bother them with the same question, they will at the very least be forced to explain themselves. Of course, we don't really need an explanation, since we know why they have done it. They have done it as part of the BBC's dumbing-down campaign that seems to be destroying anything of quality on those channels recently. Here is the link to the feedback page on the BBC Weather site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/bbcweather/features/graphics_feedback.shtml I strongly urge all of you to do as I have already done, and nag them about this problem. It can't just be us who could do with wind information. Yacht-types and golfers could probably do with those details being brought back. So if you know anyone with a connected hobby, get them to complain too. PLEASE. I mean, skiers get the skiing forecast, so why can't we at the very least expect the occasional windsports forecast.

Ohhh no I have the camera part all taken care of: http://www.shopgenie.co.uk/photosProduits/477/ME0000233477_1.jpg An old Canon Sureshot A1 - the great thing about it is that it is very basic, has a peach of a lens (which is also nice and wide), and its sand/water proof, and tough enough to land with a fairly big bump (particularly amazing considering the manufacturer ). It's just that all the aluminium and servos feel a little cumbersome for the job - especially to begin with, where I just want to experiment a little. The A1 has a timer on it, with enough time on it to get the kite to the zenith before the picture happens. To start with, I might just use a wire bracket and a 1/4 whit bolt, before I start making anything more complicated and permanent.

And certainly not for a kite like my Bullet, which has a habit of resting directly over my head. I wouldn't like the idea of one of my Nikons falling from that height, but they'd probably be OK (even if i wasn't). Of course, if I used Canon it would be a different matter...

How long does it usually take for the BBC to get membership cards out to their members? I sent my cheque and form out quite a while ago, but I still haven't heard anything from them. I know the form says it could take up to 2 weeks, but it feels like longer than that now.

Yep a pair of DCs for the reasons given above. My sister's fave are Vans (which are primarily for BMXing), but they have VERY hard soles.

That's more the ticket. I'm not so concerned about me being in the pictures, since what I really wanted was aerial shots of buildings etc for websites we are doing. A home-made job might be the only way to go, but then it becomes a matter of finding the time to make it. Stills is what I wanted to do, originally, anyway, and would of course render much higher quality. I have a little Canon Sureshot A1 which I was going to use for the job, because its waterproof and very tough. I think I might go back to thinking up my own rig instead of buying one of JD7's. Thanks all.

trebor - It took me a while to figure out how they attach to the lines, but i don't reckon it attaches to all four lines, but instead attaches in two points on just two lines. I think. Not sure how that affects control, though. .:TheBeast:. - The quality did concern me, and I think I would like to see larger versions before I decided to actually buy one. However, you can get very good quality cameras for not a lot more than the price they list for their cameras, which if compatible with the rest of the rig (such as the bracket) might prove a better option. But considering the amount some people spend on whats in their kite bag, £150 is a mere bagatelle compared to some things. Nice to meet you both, by the way.

I'm sure this has been posted all over the place, but so far all the guys from this site I have spoken to on MSN haven't heard about these kite cams: www.jd7.co.uk/index.htm I was thinking about getting one for aerial work (cheaper than hiring a helicopter). Anyone had any experience with them? Are they any good? The clips on their site look OK for the price, and it looks like it might be fun. If you have people with you who might get bored or cold, and you don't have any more spare kites, they could watch KiteCam back in the car on a TV hooked to the cigarette lighter, for about the same price as a small bullet. Maybe good for showing off to people later, too?

Well, I was asking the same question but for the winter, only a few weeks ago. I was advised on all sorts, but eventually after discussion, I plumped for a 3.5 Bullet. I want the same things from my kite as you - just a good recreational kite. The Bullet has delivered beautifully, but I have had to learn to respect it. I took a tumble a few weeks ago because I took it out in a wind that was much too strong, but since then I have flown my confidence back, and now I am really enjoying it. However, because I am still learning, I am finding that a lot of the time I am not flying the Bullet 3.5 simply because the wind will be too much for me while I am still learning, to the point that I am actually looking around for a 2-2.5 of some kind to put in my bag for when I am reluctant to fly the Bullet. I am hoping that as the year progresses, the winds start to drop and my skill level improves, the 3.5 will be out flying more and more often. I remember before I decided, some people were still advising me on a 4 or 4.9 Blade for the winter. I am very glad I didn't do that, as I think it would have scared me off. I spent weeks trying to decide upon the 3.5, as it was my first quad. But in the end I decided that I had to start somewhere, and that I could use that first kite to learn enough to figure out what I wanted to do, what my abilities were, and what the wind was capable of. To be honest, I think your first kite is not as important as your second. All that rambling brings me to say that while I have been reluctant to fly the 3.5 in the recent winds, I have had no hesitation in flying my 1.5 two-line power kite, as it very rarely gets too powerful. As a result, and from a decade of summer disappointment from that 1.5, I would say that if you went for a "smaller" Bullet (ie a 1.5 or 2.5) in the summer, you could be disappointed, and find that you are never able to get flying. I'm only a newbie myself, but based on the small amount of experience I have I would imagine that a "small" Bullet for the summer would be a 3.5 or 4.5, or perhaps a 4.0 Blade (based only on the size, as I have no idea of the performance - I plan to find out by getting one in June or so!)

Took my Bullet out again today. When we got onto Dartmoor, I took an anemometer reading (as if I really needed to - the answer was pretty obvious). When I looked at the little screen, it was just flashing the words "Ha Ha". I looked in the manual, and it said this meant a windspeed of about 43.5mph. No kiting. Standing up was challenge enough. Actually, today made me even more glad about my little crash those weeks ago. If my Bullet hadn't given me a beating then, I might have been cocky enough today to actually try and fly it today - Yes, I really am that stupid. If I had, someone would be feeding my soup by now.

Haha! Was this recent? I'm still waiting to go back out after my tumble, and the nice bloke at Reactive in Plymouth told me this weekend was going to be good, but so far I have been waiting for the rain to stop. Hope tomorrow is better. I need to get back out and practice safe landings.