How to Fly a Kite: Single-Line, Dual-Line & More

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Plus, a guide to all the different types of kites to choose from

Co-authored by Dan Hickey

Last Updated: November 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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Flying a Standard Kite

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Flying a Dual-Line Kite

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Best Flying Conditions

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Choosing a Kite

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Q&A

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Tips

Flying kites is a fun way to spend a windy spring or summer afternoon. If you’re a beginner, start with a single-line delta or diamond kite. If you are looking for a challenge, then try a dual-string box or parafoil kite. In this article, we’ll show you how to launch and fly both types of kites, plus explain the best kite-flying conditions to look out for and help you choose which type of kite is right for you. Read on to start flying!

How do you fly a kite?

Choose a day with light to moderate winds (about 5–25 mph or 8–40 kmh).
Put your kite together inside.
Stand with your back to the wind and hold the kite up until it catches.
Release the kite and let out some of the line, keeping it fairly taut.
Pull the line gently to help the kite ascend.
Reel in the line slowly and walk toward the kite to land it.

Section 1 of 4:

Flying a Standard Single-Line Kite

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1
Assemble your kite indoors. Basic diamond kites use 2 crossbars that intersect near the center of the kite via a connector piece. Attach one end of each crossbar to the connector piece, then tuck the other ends into the small pockets at the corners of the kite.^{[1]
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Research source} Attach the string per the instruction manual.
- If your center connector piece has a slight bend in it, make sure the ends are bent up toward you as you assemble the kite (this angles the wings correctly for flight).^{[2]
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- Double check the instruction manual to determine the ideal wind speed for the kite. Lighter kites do better in lighter wind, while heavy kites can handle tougher gusts.
Feel the direction of the wind or look at how the tail of your kite is blowing to orient yourself against the breeze. Hold up your kite by the bridle (the 2 or 3 strings that attach to the kite and the kite line) so it’s about eye-level. Keep holding it up until it catches the wind.^{[3]
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3
Let out some of the line as soon as your kite catches the wind. Release the bridle and begin to slowly let some line out. Keep some tension on the line so it stays taut; letting the lie out too fast will make it go slack and cause the kite to dip. Pull on the line to point the kite upward. This will help the kite climb higher into the air.^{[4]
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- Once the kite is in the sky, consider using a kite anchor to hold the line to the ground for you. These come in lots of styles—some are heavy sandbags, while others screw into the dirt or sand.
4
Have a friend hold the kite for launch if the wind is light. If you’re struggling to launch in light winds, enlist a friend for help. Tell them to hold the kite and walk downwind about 50 to 100 feet (15–30 meters) away from you. Have them hold the kite up in the air in front of them. Once the wind picks up, signal your friend to release the kite. As the kite gains altitude, pull on the line hand over hand until it is stable.^{[5]
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- It may take a few attempts to get the timing of the release right. Ideally, you’ll start pulling the line at the same moment they release the kite.
5
Adjust the bridle up or down to troubleshoot poor flying. If your kite sinks, then this means there is not enough wind. To counter that, lower the bridle ½ an inch (1.3 cm) down the line. If your kite nosedives or spins toward the ground, then the wind may be too strong. In this case, move the bridle ½ and inch (1.3 cm) higher up the line.^{[6]
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- Adjusting the bridle changes the tension on the kite’s wings to help it adjust to different wind speeds or conditions.
6
Reel in the line slowly to land your kite. As you reel it in, keep the line taut with just a little give. Walk toward your kite until it has landed safely on the ground.
- If your kite starts to spin, then the line is too taut. Give it some slack by letting out the line a bit.

Section 2 of 4:

Flying a Dual-Line Kite

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1
Assemble the kite inside. Insert the spine of the kite into the slot at the nose, i.e., the tip of the kite. Attach the upper and lower spreaders to their connecting pieces on the leading edges, then connect the standoffs to the trailing edges. Attach the flying lines to the bridles with a slip knot, keeping track of which handle goes to which side of the kite (one of the handles is usually red, so you could remember “red on the right,” for example).^{[7]
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- Dual-line kites have 2 flying lines and bridles (whereas single-line kites just have one). Dual-line kites are also called two-liners, stunt kites, trick kites, foils, sport kites, and multi-liners.
2
Stand with your back to the wind and your kite face-up on the ground. The bottom of the kite (the side where the kite strings attach to the kite) should be facing toward you and the nose (front tip or edge) of the kite should be pointing up toward the sky.^{[8]
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- Make sure the lines are untangled and both bridles are set to the same height.
- Alternatively, have a friend hold the kite up in the air for you. Launching dual-line kites is a lot easier with a partner!
3
Walk backward 60–100 feet (18–30 meters) and slowly let the line out. Make sure both lines are the same length, as well as straight and not twisted or tangled. As you walk backward, pull the handles to your sides. This will help the kite catch the wind.^{[9]
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- If a friend is holding up the kite, have them toss it up in the air once you have walked about 30 to 50 feet (9–15 meters) backward.
4
Pull gently on the lines to help the kite take off. Once the kite is filled with wind, tug both lines equally to begin flying it. Keep the line taut with a little give, but not slack. If your kite begins to descend, then reel the line in a little bit and gently pull until it starts going back up.^{[10]
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- Don’t try to steer the kite for the first few seconds after takeoff. Let it climb into the air first, or you may oversteer and cause it to crash.
5
Pull the left line to steer left and the right line to steer right. Having 2 lines gives you more control over how the kite flies than with single-line kites. Gently pull one of the lines to steer the kite in that direction, or hold both lines steady to fly straight. You don’t have to pull very much—slight movements are enough for the kite to change course.^{[11]
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- With some practice, you’ll get a good feel for how to control your kite. The exact tension and pull you need depends on the weight of your kite and the direction and speed of the wind.
6
Land your kite by slowly reeling it in. Fly your kite to the side or edge of the wind. At this point, your kite should be at an angle relative to the wind as opposed to perpendicular. Slowly walk toward your kite as you reel in both lines equally to bring it safely to the ground.
- Keep the line fairly taut with a little give as you bring the kite to the ground. Keeping some tension on the line gives you more control and keeps the kite from crashing down to the ground.

Section 3 of 4:

Best Kite Flying Conditions & Locations

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1
Fly when the wind is 5–25 miles per hour (8–40 km per hour). This wind speed works for most kites, although medium-speed winds are ideal. It’s more difficult to fly a kite in winds that are either slower or faster than this speed. Check the weather app on your phone or computer to see how fast the winds are blowing on a given day.^{[12]
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- Keep in mind that lighter kites fly best in lighter winds, while heavy or dual-line kites work best with faster winds.
- You can also look at the tops of trees, bushes, and the leaves to see how fast the wind is blowing. For example, when the wind is able to move leaves off of the ground, the flying conditions are ideal.
- The Beaufort Wind Scale categorizes wind speeds by their visible effects. Kite flying is easiest in Beaufort categories 2 through 5:^{[13]
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  - Category 2: Light breeze (you can feel wind on your face, leaves rustle on the ground, and weather vanes are moving).
  - Category 3: Gentle breeze (leaves and small twigs are in constant motion and light flags are fully extended)
  - Category 4: Moderate breeze (Dust, loose paper, and small branches are moving around).
  - Category 5: Fresh breeze (Small trees begin to sway around and small, crested wavelets form on inland waters).
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Choose big, open spaces with no obstructions to fly your kite. Parks, the beach, and open fields are great places to fly a kite. Try to avoid flying your kite near power lines, buildings, roads, cars and traffic, airports, and trees. Additionally, if you are flying a dual line kite, create distance between yourself and other people in the park, and make sure others know to stand behind you.^{[14]
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- Avoid flying over large crowds of people. Kites move faster than you think, and a kite that plummets toward the ground could injure someone.
- Warning: If your kite does get caught on a power line, do not attempt to bring it down. Leave it there and call your local electric company to retrieve it safely.
- Remember that the more space you have, the more line you can let out and the higher your kite will fly.
- When wind has to go around or over trees and buildings, the air stream breaks up and becomes turbulent. The more obstructions there are, the more chaotic the wind is and the harder it is to control or fly your kite.
3
Avoid flying your kite in rain and lightning. The electricity in rain clouds is attracted to wet kite lines. To avoid getting shocked, never fly your kite in a rain or thunderstorm.^{[15]
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Research source} For extra safety, reel your kite in and pack up if it starts to get cloudy or you see a storm coming in during your flying session.
- Warning: For extra protection from lightning, never use metal wire for your line since it attracts electricity. Stop flying if your line gets at all wet, as a wet line will channel electricity as well.
- Days without any chance of rain are the safest. Just make sure to wear sunscreen when you go out—the most common kite-flying injury is sunburn!

Section 4 of 4:

Types of Kites to Choose From

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Look for kites that are shaped like triangles (deltas) or diamonds. Because they are relatively easy to fly, these two types of kites are great for beginners. They fly well in light to medium winds, about 6 to 15 miles per hour (10 to 24 km per hour).^{[16]
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Single-line kites (recommended for beginners) Look for kites with a single string that connects to the bridle. Because they are easier to control, single-line kites are recommended for beginners. Single-line kites are most suitable for light to medium winds. However, if you want to fly your single line kite in stronger winds, you can add a tail to it.^{[17]
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- When choosing a tail for your kite, choose one that is made of lightweight materials. Tails help stabilize the kite and keep it steady in strong or turbulent winds.
- Some kites come with loops or attachments to connect specially made kite tails.
- For a DIY tail, cut a strip of light plastic or fabric that’s about 18 inches (45 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide to start (there are no hard and fast rules here; it may take some trial and error to find the right size of tail for your specific kite). Tape, staple, or sew it to the tail end of your kite.^{[18]
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Box or parafoil kites Look for kites that are shaped like a 3-dimensional box, sled, or arch; these are parafoil kites. Choose one of these kites if you want something a little more challenging than the delta or diamond kite. They need stronger winds to fly, about 8 to 25 miles per hour (14 to 40 km per hour).^{[19]
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- Parafoil kites usually contain tunnel-like passage ways for wind to pass through.
4
Dual-line kites Look for kites with two strings. Dual-line kites, also known as sport or stunt kites, require more experience to fly. You can fly dual-line kites in light, moderate, and heavy winds. Additionally, with two lines, the flier has more control over the kite.^{[20]
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- You can also do maneuvers and tricks, like loops, with dual line kites.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I fly a kite with low wind?

Community Answer

You really shouldn't. Low winds = lots of running around with minimal height gain. Save it for a windy day!

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Will a kite fly if it's covered in duct tape?

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Maybe -- but duct tape is heavy, and unneeded weight is the enemy of kite flying.

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How can I fly kite with no wind?

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The reason a kite flies is because of the wind, so you will have to wait for a windy day. Just keep an eye one the trees and leaves. If one day they are rustling a little more than usual, that's the time!

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Tips

Your local discount retailer should have a variety of kites available for you to choose from. If you cannot find the kite you are looking for, then visit specialty kite stores online.

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Our final piece of advice? Have fun!

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If the kite is constantly spinning or turning to the right, the length of the bridle line on the right side is too short. Check your kite for a knot that can be slid either right or left on your bridle. If the kite is constantly turning or spinning to the left, move the knot to the right, and vice-versa.
Make sure to wear gloves. It’s so easy to get painful rope burns from kite flying. As someone who flies kites a lot I’ve gotten quite a few.
Try flying a kite in the early morning, as wind speeds are high before the sun rises or when the sun rises halfway.

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