More Kite Stories You Might Have Missed in 2019 - Part 2
2019 was an amazing year, and I am spending the first few days of 2020 looking back on a few of things that really made the year special. Starting with a few of the news stories about kites that you may have missed over the year. (Catch up with the first 10 news stories here: 10 Kite Stories You May Have Missed)
Here are a few more stories you may have missed over the year:
Solo Journey Across Antarctica With a Kite
Snow Kiting (using a kite boarding style kite while on skis or a snowboard) is not a new endeavor, however very few have used it to cross large patches of the most desolate landscapes in the world. Even fewer still that are using it to achieve monumental treks solo and unsupported, such as Geoff Wilsons attempt to not only traverse Antarctica to the South Pole, but also summit the highest peak. He will do so "powered by a kite when the winds co-operate, moving on skis or foot, and lugging 200 kilograms of equipment, Dr Wilson, a veterinarian, will attempt to travel 5800 kilometres across ice in 91 days. "
To read more go to: https://www.thelongestjourney.com.au/from-the-ice/
Atlas Obscura recognizes Tokyo Museum of Kites -
"In the middle of a busy business district of Chuo, in Tokyo, is a small museum hidden on the fifth floor above a busy restaurant. Only a small metal sign at the building’s entrance indicates its existence. Stumbling across the tiny museum reveals a trove of thousands of unique kites."
To Read More: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-kites
World Record for the Fastest Mile on a Kite (on the water)
To read more: https://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboarding/rob-douglas-sets-new-world-record-for-the-fastest-mile-on-a-kite
Lilienthal and Wright Gliders Flying Together for the First Time - Kitty Hawk Kites
To read more: https://obxtoday.com/top-stories/video-lilienthal-and-wright-gliders-flying-together-for-the-first-time-in-history/
Oklahoma State and Toyota Hope to Build World's Highest Flying Kite
"Toyota hopes someday, perhaps by the middle of this century, to turn kites into a viable power source. The ultimate goal would be a kite the size of an airliner, big enough to carry solar panels or a wind turbine and send electricity back to the ground.
For now, however, the team is trying to set a new world record for altitude. No kite has ever flown higher than 16,009 feet, reached on Sept. 23, 2014, in Australia...."
Facebook Filed a Patent for a Drone Made of Kites
"Facebook filed a patent for an unusual drone that would use kites to stay aloft. The “dual-kite aerial vehicle” is composed of two kites tethered together and floating at different altitudes. Each kite could be directed independently, and the drone could generate its own energy to extend its flight time. "
To read more: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/30/18645829/facebook-dual-kite-aerial-vehicle-drone-patent-application
Kite Energy Begins Full Experiments
"Starting this year, Makani will begin testing a floating system for one of its kites at the Metcentre, an offshore wind testing facility in southwest Norway. The kite will be tethered to a small spar buoy, which itself will be moored with a synthetic line and a gravity anchor. The goal is to operate where today’s floating wind turbines can’t go, either because it’s too challenging or cost-prohibitive to build supportive platforms. "
To read more: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/alphabets-moonshot-wind-kites-to-fly-offshore
This is only a brief overview of some of the amazing stories that happened this year! I can't wait to share more of them with you, and then start making new stories for 2020. Whose in?