Going Exploring...maybe an evening session?
Will report back...

Still haven't found a kiter here yet...AZ is like the wild west.
(largely undiscovered)

Steve

Sunset beach is missing you
Crazyherb!!!

Isn't the wind blowing in the wrong direction? You don't want to end up in Nevada do you?

Lake Havasu was nice, but yes.....Side-Off shore (and light) kept me on the beach. Best launch (water) looks like Windsor Beach (inside the state park). So, it does require a pass, but has nice facilities and a grassy area for setup.

Park Rangers said "No Problem" if I wanted to kite and assured me I wouldn't be chased off. LOL.

Spent some quality time with family and just enjoyed the outing.

If I ever see it switch West or SW, will be a nice place to punch out for the day....worth staying overnight.

Anyway, hope the RECON is valuable to anyone who visits!

Flea, yes I miss Sunset too...the feeling is mutual.

Thanks for the update Crazy Herb.
I haven't been to that part of the state but it looks like much more favorable flying conditions than southeast AZ.

Cochise!
I've been looking your direction too for landboarding...
What's the scoop on Wilcox dry lake?

Is it decent to kite on? Permits?
I have my AZ Land permit, looking at local spot just on the other side of I-10 here in Buckeye. Old abandoned AF airfield (Aux6).

Or any places between here and there?

I've also considered seeing if Wild Horse Motorpark could permit on the drag-boat course?

Recon, recon, recon....

For the Willcox Playa, I did call the local Bureau of Land Management a few years ago. They had to check and ask their manager because nobody had ever asked if they could fly kites on the Playa before. They said yes it was okay and that the only thing not allowed on the Playa are motorized vehicles. Yet somehow you see all these videos on YouTube of trucks & ATVers doing just that. Geez.

Anyway, I did go out there around that time. The access location on the east side of the Playa is for the seasonal bird watchers. There is also a metal security type turnstile that proved difficult to get past with a couple of kite bags & MTB in hand. Plus there are those tensile wire fences that prevent the bird watchers going onto the Playa. There are 2 entry locations on the west side of the Playa near the railroad tracks that you can drive into and bring all your gear. Careful entering those areas as there are a lot of broken beer bottles near those entry points.

As for the Playa surface itself, it is not that pretty hard-packed ground like you see in the pictures of Ivanpah. There were patches of hard crusty tops that as soon as you stepped on them you broke through to soft dusty sand underneath. And most of the Playa was soft sand. I have knobby tires on my MTB but I still couldn't get any traction with them. This area would be good for buggies that have those Big Foot beach tires. Maybe even a decent used snowboard might work.

Regarding your AZ Land Permit, how & where did you get that? BLM?

Not sure about that Wild Horse Pass water raceway area, but I'm certain that would be a hoot for kite boarding. You should call & ask them.

I have family near where you live in Buckeye. And when driving to & fro on the I-10 I always see many great areas that I think would be ideal to fly. But I just don't know whom to ask, or even how to find out if it's private or public land. Like that area between Casa Grande and Picacho Peak is a very windy corridor. And maybe even those wide open areas near Gila Bend might work too.

In order not to have to drive so far away, I've been looking into street kiting as a more viable option. I've tried it with my 3M HQ Rush trainer both on short lines and off the bar. But it hasn't been working out so great for me thus far. I'm thinking I need a single skin NASA wing like those Born kites.

I'll hit you up next time I head-up towards Buckeye and have time to fly.
Thanks again for the scoop on Havasu!

https://land.az.gov/natural-resources/recreational-permits

My son and I fly RC on the local "Trust" land...this was all they required (besides our AMA).
The local authorities check once in a while for the AUX 6 field.
But the permit covers all sorts of "play" and recreational activities.

Definitely look me up on Facebook or shoot me a message when up this way!

Steven Herbertson