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High altitude kite flying history
In the early part of the modern era of kite flying, that is 1880 to 1930, the majority of high altitude kite flying was conducted at weather stations in Europe and the United States.
After a break of nearly 40 years, recreational kites, including the delta became more readily available and cheaper and by 1965 there were dozens of plastic kite designs including the "bat kite" and other delta derivities. These new light weight kites and and the advent of synthetic materials enabled any child to afford a kite and some would let all their string out to soar their kites to 300 or 400 ft above the ground and sometimes higher. Their are always those amongst us who want to push the limits and are facinated by reaching the boundaries of their physical world. In 1969, a team of Gary Indiana highschool students, with support from the Gayla Kite company, flew a train of 19 plastic delta kites on nylon fishing line. They claim over 35,000 ft above ground level was reached and they maintain line out and a catenary equation were good enough to support their claim for record altitude. I doubt very much that they achieved this height however they had fun.
After a break of nearly 40 years, recreational kites, including the delta became more readily available and cheaper and by 1965 there were dozens of plastic kite designs including the "bat kite" and other delta derivities. These new light weight kites and and the advent of synthetic materials enabled any child to afford a kite and some would let all their string out to soar their kites to 300 or 400 ft above the ground and sometimes higher. Their are always those amongst us who want to push the limits and are facinated by reaching the boundaries of their physical world. In 1969, a team of Gary Indiana highschool students, with support from the Gayla Kite company, flew a train of 19 plastic delta kites on nylon fishing line. They claim over 35,000 ft above ground level was reached and they maintain line out and a catenary equation were good enough to support their claim for record altitude. I doubt very much that they achieved this height however they had fun.
Above: Are the types of kites that were used in Germany for high altitude flights during routine atmospheric soundings in the first quarter of the 20th century. This is at Lindenberg, site of the absolute world altitude record set at 31,955 ft in 1919. The line broke on retrieval but luckily they recovered the instrument otherwise they had no evidence. Still a dubious claim IMO if they did not wind the kites in.
Right: Richard Synergy of Toronto, Canada claimed he flew a 270 sq meter Delta to 14,509 ft above ground level on the 14th of August 2000 near Kincardine Canada.
Image: Richard Synergy and Drachen foundation
Altitude record attempts are not part of mainstream kiting as it is a very difficult task and a narrow field of interest. Some boys and men (I never heard of women flying kites really high, but they may), are encouraged by their flights to 700 - 800 ft, make claims that they will break the world kite altitude record. They soon find out it's not just a matter of buying big spools of fishing line or string, joining them together and flying the kite out of sight. I hear of more serious attempts such as Richard Crawford's in Wyoming but it seems he has given up at a relatively low altitude of 6,500 ft. It is a very difficult project and the biggest barrier is suitable wind. It requires a great deal of patience once the equipment and techniques are refined. There are 2 records.One is the single kite record and the other is the kite train or multiple kites on one main line. For all the budding high flyers out there, you must have rock solid evidence. Use GPS at least, not some guess, estimate or inaccurate method such as a hiking watch with altimeter function. Line out and kite angle can never be used nor can catenary equations as the line's sag doesn't represent a gravitational catenary. For very long line lengths not only does the wind add to the sag but it actually exceeds the contribution to sag that gravity makes. Also due to changes in wind direction as the kite rises, the line usually describes a curve to the left or right and sometimes an ess shape or even a spiral. Line out may be 15,000 ft but the direct distance to the kite may only be 10,000 feet and altitude 7,000 ft. The trigonometric calculation may give 10,605 ft, an error of 34%.
Left: The Gayla kite company Gary Indiana high school provided the students and a math teacher performed the catenary calculations. Still fatally flawed assumptions and no direct measurement of the kite.
image: Gayla Kite Company via Kitelife magazine
Images: Lindenberg Museum
Late in the 19th century, a US weather station box kite, a derivative of The Hargraves Box Kite. A meteorograph is between the cells, top centre and it measures and records barometric pressure then transfers to a rolling graph paper with ink pens. Trains of these kites regularly flew over 10,000 ft.
Image: Drachen Foundation
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Image: Lindenberg Museum
The Lindenberg weather station's kite round house showing control switches and line tension dynamometer
Kite Altitude record
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