In the history of flight, the first
lighter-than-air balloon (1783) and the first powered aircraft (1903)
are very recent when compared with the age of kites.
The exact
date and origin of the kite is not known but it is believed that they
were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. One legend
suggests that when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it
from blowing away in a strong wind, the first kite was born.
The
earliest written account of kite flying was about 200 B.C. when the
Chinese General Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls
of a city he was attacking to measure how far his army would have to
tunnel to reach past the defenses. Knowing this distance his troops
reached the inside of the city, surprised their enemy, and were
victorious.
Kite
flying was eventually spread by traders from China to Korea, and across
Asia to India. Each area developed a distinctive style of kite and
cultural purpose for flying them.
During the Silla Dynasty of
Korea around the year 600, General Gim Yu-sin was ordered to subdue a
revolt. However, his troops refused to fight. They had seen a large
shooting star fall from the sky and believed it to be a bad omen. To
regain control, the General used a large kite to carry a fire ball into
the sky. The soldiers, seeing the star return to heaven, rallied and
defeated the rebels.
Kites were brought to Japan about the 7th
century by Buddhist monks. They were used to avert evil spirits and to
insure rich harvests.
Kite
flying became very popular in Japan during the Edo period. For the
first time Japanese people below the samurai class were allowed to fly
kites. The Edo (now Tokyo) government tried unsuccessfully to discourage
this pastime as "too many people became unmindful of their work."
According
to one story, about 300 years ago a thief was said to use a large kite
to carry himself to the top of Nagoya Castle in order to steal a golden
statue from the roof. All he was able to remove were a few small pieces.
Later he was captured and punished severely when he bragged of his
exploits.
The earliest evidence of Indian kite flying comes from
miniature paintings from the Mogul Period around 1500. A favorite theme
was of a young man skillfully using his kite to drop messages to a lover
who was being held in strict seclusion from him and the rest of the
world.
There are many stories about how the people of Micronesia
used leaf kites to carry bait far out over the water where the gar-fish
fed. The Polynesians have myths about two brother gods introducing kites
to man when they had a kite duel. The winning brother flew his kite the
highest. There are still contests in the islands where the highest
flying kite is dedicated to the gods.
Marco Polo carried stories of kites to Europe around the end of the
13th century. Illustrations of the period show non-flying dragon kites
on military banners. Sailors also brought kites back from Japan and
Malaysia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Kites were regarded as
curiosities at first and had little impact on European culture.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, kites were used as vehicles and tools for scientific research.
Men
like Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Wilson used their knowledge of
kite flying to learn more about the wind and weather. Sir George Caley,
Samuel Langley, Lawrence Hargrave, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright
Brothers all experimented with kites and contributed to development of
the airplane.
The US Weather service flew kites designed by William
Eddy and Lawrence Hargraves to raise meteorological instruments and
cameras.
One of the strangest uses of kite power was developed by
schoolmaster George Pocock. In 1822, he used a pair of kites to pull a
carriage at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Some of his kite trips
were recorded at over 100 miles. And because road taxes at the time were
based on the number of horses a carriage used, he was exempted from any
tolls!
During
World War I, the British, French, Italian, and Russian armies all used
kites for enemy observation and signaling. The introduction of airplanes
quickly made these units obsolete. The German Navy continued to use
man-lifting box kites to increase the viewing range of surface-cruising
submarines.
In World War II, the US Navy found several uses for kites. Harry
Saul's Barrage Kite prevented airplanes from flying too low over
targets. Pilots lost at sea raised the Gibson-Girl Box kite so they
could be found. And Paul Garber's Target Kite, a large steerable Diamond
was used for target practice and aircraft recognition at sea.
As
the airplane became firmly established the kite was used less for
military purposes or scientific research and more for recreational
flying.
The
last 50 years has seen renewed interest in kiting. New materials like
ripstop nylon, fiberglass, and carbon graphite have made kites stronger,
lighter, more colorful, and more durable. Important inventions like
Francis Rogallo's flexi-wing and Domina Jalbert's parafoil kites helped
develop modern hang-gliders and sport parachutes.
In 1972 Peter
Powell introduced a toy dual line stunter and the public began to fly
kites not only for fun, but also for sport. Enthusiasts experimented
with new designs that could fly precise maneuvers, go faster, or perform
intricate tricks. Competition where fliers competed to music became
popular.
Larger and more powerful kites were designed and in the 1980's, Peter
Lynn of New Zealand introduced a stainless steel kite powered buggy. In
the 1990's, kite traction on wheels, over water, and on ice have become
increasingly popular. In 1999, a team used kite power to pull sleds to
the North Pole.
National Kite Festival EventsInternational Kite Festival Events
Kite Flying Competition
Kite Flying Training for Students.
Kite Flying for Individual Private Marriage Functions, Corporate Events, School Competition and Special Occasions.
Kite Fighting CompetitionKite Making Competition
Inter School Kite Competition
Kite PaintingKite Exhibition and Knowledge Programm
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