I was wondering how may folks here are also pilots (aircraft). I am an ATP rated pilot and flew for a jet management company for many years prior to opting for a life of less being away from home. I'm guessing that is where my newfound interest in kiting has arisen from.

FWIW our students tend to fall into 3 categories. 1) Engineers. 2) Pilots. 3) "Non-team players"

Pretty much in that order. Thought it was a fluke initially but it seems to be pretty consistent.

Thanks for the info Feyd. I just checked out your website. Very nice! I was in Dillon, CO this past winter for a few days of skiing (Keystone, A-basin), and I spent some time watching folks kite board/ski on the Dillon Reservoir. It was the first time I had seen such a thing, and I was mesmerized. It's good to know about your company, as I will probably see you next winter for a lesson or two.

i am a tethered pilot

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

i am a tethered pilot

Yes Sir!!

Funny seeing Feyd's post: I'm an engineer and a pilot, so I guess this was my destiny. Definitely has appeal on both of those levels. Kiting is like the love child of all my favorite things: design, flight, efficiency and outdoors. Good stuff.

Its been a few years since I've done any powered flight. I found myself gravitating towards paragliding and kiting since they are cheaper and in some ways I would argue more fun.

Welcome - lots of good folks running around here!

The engineering and piloting traits seem to make sense. I'm a muscle physiologist by training but feel sometimes like a latent engineer. I'm definitely drawn to design, mechanics, etc. In a do over I could easily see having gone into engineering, likely mechanical or biomedical. As for "playing well with others", that's just funny. A little too true, but funny nonetheless. :D

We've had a few like Nate. They really take to it.

When we started seeing the numbers of students and clients that fit into those three categories I thought it was some kind of weird fluke. I asked Chris Nygard, aka "Unkle Crusty" (one of the key players in the assembly of the PASA certification standard) if I was hallucinating. He said no and he outlined it as follows...

1) Pilots. Well they like things that fly to put it simply.

2) Engineers. There is a lot of engineering in kites so that has some appeal. But also they are constantly interacting with situations where the variable can more often than not be reduced to tangible equations and numerical knowns. Kiting, regardless of how much math you use to dial in every detail, still has an element that is always unpredictable. Wind. Which to an engineer is pretty exciting to deal with. Cause and effect can be illusive. Even when you think you have everything figured out and know all the parameters of what a kite can and will do, it seems there is always a moment when things can still catch you off guard.

3) Non-Team Players. Not to be confused with "doesn't play well with others". People who are into less traditional sports. Like Mountain biking, skating, Climbing, kayaking etc... Even when you are on a ski team it is not the same team dynamic as being on a football team.

For me there were a few aviators in my family history. Grandparents ran an airport when I was little, my uncle Ken Flaglor has made a number of remarkable experimental aircraft, I have very limited powered flight experience but love flying. Not an engineer, but have always loved taking things apart and figuring out how they work. Skied, climbed, biked and kayaked as a kid and continue to ski on the kite, teach others to do the same in addition to teaching and guiding mountain biking. Injuries killed off my paddling and climbing but that's okay, I still get out.

Brock, we'd love to see you come winter. It's always a pretty amazing and good time and you'll be blown away (no pun intended) by what goes on out here when the ice set up and the snow falls. Snowkiting is by far the most widely available and versatile form of kite powered sport. Can't wait till next winter!

Huh, I would have guessed roofing sales rep for one of top 3.

I'm def in the #3 group:D Traditional all american team sports never appealed to me. At 6 foot 5 inches I get asked if I played basketball ALL...THE...TIME!

Yep, pilot here too. Used to fly the old L-1011 Tristar and 757-200 in and out of Innsbruck before the major improvements to the rwy 8 approach over there. Before that I flew city slickers out of Bella Coola BC on fishing trips and Grizzly tours in the Carenado Grand Caravan and down into some very tight grass rwys right off the mountain ranges there. Great memories. Been thinking of getting back into it but my old graphics card hasn't kept pace with FSX. Low frame rates make landings a challenge in bad weather. Anyway, my real life job is office cleaner. I recently bought myself a cordless back-pac vacuum cleaner, goes anywhere! If your plane needs a clean then give me a shout. Welcome to the forum btw.

RedSky - If it wasn't for the overly exorbitant cost of the fancy IPA that I was enjoying at the time, I would have spewed it outward as I read your reply. Too funny! If you do happen to get back into it, try landing at St. Barts sometime in a Britten-Norman Trislander. The only thing that could possibly take the sheer boredom out of doing so would be a Power Kiting Club holding their monthly get-together at the approach end...

overly exorbitant IPA's seem to be a common denominator w/ kiters...and im more than good w/ that

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

... When we started seeing the numbers of students and clients that fit into those three categories ... 1) Pilots. Well they like things that fly to put it simply. 2) Engineers. ... 3) Non-Team Players. Not to be confused with "doesn't play well with others". People who are into less traditional sports. Like Mountain biking, skating, Climbing, kayaking etc... Even when you are on a ski team it is not the same team dynamic as being on a football team. ...

I am all of the above. There's something to ruminate on.

Philip

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

overly exorbitant IPA's seem to be a common denominator w/ kiters...and im more than good w/ that

The older I get, the more I like IPA's. I've usually been happy drinking any light beer, but the local brewery / restaurant makes a IPA that is great.

Does Radio Control Pilot count?

We have one pilot in Van.. We have a couple of others who come from Para / Seed gliding.

I find it interesting that so few cross over from parachuting and hang gliding ? Whenever either is in the news my friends who don't get it tell me about them.

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner

We have one pilot in Van.. We have a couple of others who come from Para / Seed gliding. I find it interesting that so few cross over from parachuting and hang gliding ? Whenever either is in the news my friends who don't get it tell me about them.

Yeah me too. Someone sent me pictures of people parasailing when they were on vacation. It's almost unbearable sometimes.

I'm lucky enough to be able fly this:

Bronco's are such beautiful planes.

I am definitely #3 on the list. The only sport that I was ever really good at was wrestling, in which events can be won as a team, but it always comes down to you vs another guy alone in the ring. I have a bunch of hobbies that aren't mainstream; kiting, RC cars, computer gaming, inline skating, yo-yo, and dabbling in digital art.

Quote: Originally posted by brockrock1000

RedSky - If it wasn't for the overly exorbitant cost of the fancy IPA that I was enjoying at the time, I would have spewed it outward as I read your reply. Too funny! If you do happen to get back into it, try landing at St. Barts sometime in a Britten-Norman Trislander. The only thing that could possibly take the sheer boredom out of doing so would be a Power Kiting Club holding their monthly get-together at the approach end...

Haha, St Barts looks incrediable as does Lukla. Been watching YouTube videos on both. I used to stream LiveATC in the background for added realism. Never knew the Britten-Norman Trislander existed! Must get back into this. Thanks.

Speaking of flight Sims. Anyone know if FSA came out with a modern version of Flight Sim Toolkit? I used to love the original.