British Kite Flying Association - A Voice for UK Kite Flyers

Hello and welcome to the BKFA Website!

I am taking over as Chairman at a time when kiting might be seen as going through something of a crisis.

A number of well established kite festivals have disappeared from the calendar and others are being scaled back. We also see falling memberships amongst kite clubs and the only growth area seems to be at the adrenaline end of the power kite scene.

However …..

I’ve been in kiting enough years to have seen this situation before – in fact, I firmly believe that it runs in a 7 year cycle!  We will eventually see our sport pick up again in the future.  In the meantime we need to promote kiting as much as we can to provide a good base for the recovery.

Perhaps the era of large regional kite festivals is over  - travelling long distances to events is becoming ever more costly. But could this be a blessing in disguise? Perhaps more localised, less formal events could attract new interest? Kite flying can be an ideal family pastime and need not be too expensive – two key factors in the current financial climate.

So if you’re a club, or a club member, how about organising a local event?  If you’re not a club member, then how about joining one and getting involved?

Above all we need to encourage young people into the sport, so let’s see what we can do to re-vitalise kiting from the bottom up!  Remember, it’s hard to be miserable when you’re flying and impossible to be angry, so let’s spread some enthusiasm and put some colour into the sky!

We hope that the site will provide a valuable reference and resource for all kiteflyers and clubs. We have tried to organise the site in a way that will allow you to get to the information you need quickly and easily. The navigation menu on the left will direct you to the basic categories of information. Note that some of the content for these items is still under development so you will just see the title heading. In due course we will populate all theses sections with useful information.

If you want information about the Association itself, follow the entries under "About the BKFA". Here you will find things such as our History, Constitution, etc. Other useful information about the operation of the BKFA can be found under "Meetings and Minutes", "News Centre" and "Newsletters". The "Resources" section contains other materials which will be of use to Kite Clubs and organisations. These include guidance documents such as our Risk Assessments and Kiteflying Code of Conduct. Please note that these resources are available for anyone who wishes to make use of them. Please feel free to use these as they are, or use them as a base for your own requirements. On the "Kiting Links" tab, you will find links to other useful kiting resources.

We have other features on the site:

• you can arrange to get site updates via an RSS feeds system. You can click the "receive updates" icon on relevant pages and be notified of any changes.
• we have provided a handy feedback/suggestions form. We want the relationship between BKFA and kiters to be a two-way thing - we need your feedback and input in order to keep our finger on the pulse of what's actually happening around the country. If you hear of anything that we, or other kiteflyers, should be aware of, then please fill in the form and we will endeavour to follow it up.

Fair winds and good flying!

Jon Caton

***NEW BRITISH ALTITUDE RECORD***
Details of the New British Altitude Record for kites flown in train are now on the website.

***Kite Flying and the Olympics***
Following a request for clarification, we believe that changes proposed by the CAA and the Home Office will not impact kite fliers.  Details here.

Website update
Details of BKFA's 2011 insurance policy are now on the website.  Don't forget to check the analysis of kite events with thanks to www.kitecalendar.co.uk.  Access this page in the Kite Flyers Resources section.  Feedback on whether this is useful would be welcomed.

Kite Accident Reporting form
We strongly believe that, like other airsports organisations, we should be largely self regulating. To help with this, we have drawn up a kiteflyer's Code of Conduct and in produced a Comprehensive Risk Assessment. To further strengthen our position, we believe that if we are seen to be pro-active in handling kite accidents or "near misses", then we are less likely to have regulation imposed on us. To this end, we have created an online "kite incident" reporting form. This is based on the CAA incident form, but tailored to our specific needs. We strongly recommend that all kitefliers (not just our members) make use of the form where appropriate. At this stage, our aim is merely to collate statistics that can identify common safety issues with our sport. This will allow us to make appropriate udates to our Risk Assessments and Code of Conduct. Additionally, should the worst ever happen, it would strengthen the legal case to demonstrate that we have taken active measures to reduce the possibility of an accident as low as reasonably practicable. You simply complete the online form and email it to us. The form can be found here.

CCPR becomes the Sport and Recreation Alliance
News Centre includes details of BKFA's membership of the Sport and Recreation Alliance which has changed its name from the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR).  Sport and Recreation Alliance is an independent organisation representing sports and recreational national organisations.  It is not impacted by proposed Government changes to 'Quangos', other than it may well take on new responsibilities.

New items
Search for missing photos of early aviators - see Royal Aero Club
Recent updates in Sport & Recreation
Latest BKFA News Update added
Latest Drachen newsletters added
Latest Royal Aero Club newsletters added
Bribery Act update added

Annual General Meetings

The 2010 AGM was held on Sunday 28th November in Bicester. Draft minutes can now be found on the website.