Frazz by Jef Mallett for April 16, 2023

Haven’t we all dreamed of flying?

Let’s go fly a drone … Up where it can be flown

Let’s go fly a drone … And send it hov’ring

Over the neighborhood … Over the land and wood

Oh, let’s go fly a drone.

Ever try hooking a kite to a surf fishing rod? “Kite fishing” is fun! It feels like you’re fighting a trophy lunker.

Hmm.. Pulling on strings seems to be as much like flying a using a joystick.

Flew some box kites on the White Horse Hill in England!

Great memories!

Now that I have mostly retired I looked online for ultralight aircraft. Quite affordable actually.

If God had meant man to fly, he would’ve made it easier to get to the airport.

Thanks for the reminder! I need to set up a new set of lines for my Revolution II, a six foot wide, four line stunt kite.

I’ve just started r c model airplane hobby with my 11 year old grandson. Good times.

Neighbor builds drones and flies them in and around the trees. Not always successfully. One clipped the tops of vinca plants then crashed. I suggested that there were more efficient ways to trim it back. He replied with one finger pointing up. I told him I already knew that’s where the thing should have been, and suggested he go take a flying leap to relaunch it. Good laughs all around.

That’s a very observant young person. Finding entertainment without a cell phone. Could become a very good student over time.

Frazz / Jef so often make me think of wonderful things, like the very first time I got a kite to stay up. :-)

Maybe the lesson here is that you can’t know what it “feels like” to do something you’ve never done,

… or to “be something” you’ve never been,

… or more important, that those “feelings” will vary among individuals.

We hold an event every year that features dogs and kites. Call it the Fest of Tails. I was amazed at the size of some kites. Takes a team to fly them. So we get it have a day of puppies, kites, family and fun!!!

I would love to see more kites where I’m at. There was one during spring break that was huge and black and had the most graceful tails. The kite was so high in the air that it stayed aloft all weekend and could be seen from all parts of the village. We do have our recreational drone pilot licenses. (those are free by the way). It is very different than flying a kite. I have respect for those who can get a kite successfully up.

My few attempts at flying kites have produced Charlie Brown-like results.

The last time I tried flying a kite, I was a teenager. Since much of the area around my house was either homes or forest, I decided to take advantage of the relatively flat, open area of the nearby cemetary.

.

Up until I tripped over a headstone and scraped up my leg on a wreath, that is.

1962: Hi Flier Kite (green, please) 5 cents. Kite string: 10 cents. Box of Atomic Fire Balls (optional): 5 cents. Total cash outlay for an afternoon of flight: 20 cents. Good to Go!

Great art, and I agree that flying a kite makes you feel like flying.

If you know a young person who would be interested in ACTUALLY flying, instead of doing something that merely “makes you feel like you’re flying”, there are EAA chapters all over the country that offer a totally free flight in a real aircraft to kids between the ages of 8-17. Chapter volunteers hold Young Eagle rallies at local small airports, weather permitting. See https://www.eaa.org/eaa/youth/free-ye-flights for more info, then contact the Chapter https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-chapters nearest you to see when/where they will be holding one. I’ve flown a thousand kids myself, and believe me, seeing the delight in the kids never gets old.

Probably the closest human beings will ever get to really feeling like flying is paragliding, but even that isn’t true flight.

Ah, good ol’ kite flying. Watch out for the kite-eating trees!

There is a particular thrill to flying a maneuverable kite, since you can feel the wind.