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We are a group of kite enthusiasts who have come together to break the world altitude record for a single kite on one line.
We have diverse professional backgrounds including a registered nurse, kite shop owner, landscape gardener and warehouse manager but we all share the same interest in building and flying kites. We are members of the Sydney based Australian Kiteflyers Society. From time to time we have other team members including Greg Moore, Hugh Moore and Barry Coppenhall from Melbourne. Trevor Reeves, a Melbourne Teacher and AKS member is a keen potential participant and accomplished kite builder. We look forward to him joining us in the future.
There are many people who have contributed to our record attempts.
Thank you to:
* Hugh Paterson, mining surveyor who surveyed the theodolites reference points.
* Steve and Karen Viant who hosted the record attempts on Cable Downs. Lets not forget Ethan Viant with his boundless energy, interest and questions.
* Nancy Shannahan, editor of the Cobar Age who has run articles every year of our visits.
* Robbie Buck, ABC 702 for his interest in tracking the kite record. ABC Radio Western Plains, Radio 2DU Dubbo, Radio 2GB Sydney and Radio 2UE Sydney.
* Hills Times * Dubbo Daily Liberal * Sydney Daily Telegraph * Sydney Morning Herald
* Michael English of Lewis Pulleys in Sydney who has provided sponsorship for machining of winch parts.
* Henry Cheung - owner of Universal Instruments who supplied theodolites
* DSM, a multinational Dutch company, in conjunction with Cousin-Trestec, supplied 12 km of Dyneema® line.
 
Above left: April 2005- L - R, Hugh Moore, David Moore, Greg Moore, Bob Moore, Steve Viant, Michael Richards, Roger Martin and the local children Right: April 2009 Michael Richards, Roger Martin, Bob Moore, Mike Jenkins in the Cable Downs shearing shed sitting out a big storm. This is the current team and has formed the core of the record attempts in the last few years.
Bob Moore - Member of the Australian Kitefliers Society. Bob lives in the Hills District, a northwest suburb of Sydney, Australia. He is a kite enthusiasts with some building skills (not brilliant!) and also enjoys tinkering with mechanical things. The idea for breaking the kite altitude record came as an 11 year old flying small kites out of sight in the western suburbs of Sydney. It wasn’t until 40 years later that he actually starting serious preparations for record attempts. He has spent most of his spare time over the past 6 years planning, studying, researching, building and attempting to fly big kites to high altitudes. He has drawn the others into the team with his enthusiasm and dogged determination.
Michael Richards - Member of the Australian Kitefliers Society. Michael runs a diverse business called Kite Magic in Coogee an Eastern Suburb of Sydney. The core is retail and wholesale kites, materials for building kites and repairing all manner of flying things. He regular runs kite building and flying workshops in primary schools with his Tyvec diamond kites. He takes big kite displays across Australia at festivals and fairs. He built most of the record attempt kites & 2010 was his 5th trip to Cable Downs. He is an expert in construction and flying these big framed kites.
Roger Martin - Member of the Australian Kitefliers Society. Roger lives in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, where the fine beaches ocean enable him to enjoy his hobby of kite flying and his equal favourite hobby, fishing. Roger is particularly adept at building and flying steerable kites and traction kites in conjunction with kite buggies. He often can be seen on kite buggies, scooting over open fields being powered by a steerable parafoil kite. Roger is enthusiastic about our attempts on the world altitude record and so far has assisted with 3 series of attempts. He is a keen photographer which comes in handy for recording our attempts on the world record.
Mike Jenkins - An Eastern Suburbs sailor, skilled kite builder and flier. Mike is a member of the AKS and can be seen at The Festival of The Winds every September on Bondi Beach and flying his creations at Coogee and Maroubra beaches. He is adept at flying 4 line stunt kites as well as all types of framed and soft kites. A professional landscaper, he is also a sailor and regularly crews for owners and skippers in club and recreational sailing in the Sydney area . He has a very good understanding of wind and sail and there is a close link between sailing and kiting. Most importantly he is a great camp cook!
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