We are Airheads

We are

Airheads

& the art of earth-bound aerobatics

Kite display team

History The Airheads first formed as a competition team back in 1995 with a completely different line up which went through a number of changes including Steve Gibson, Steve Wooley, Karl Longbottom, Gary Watts and Craig Fraser. Peter and Valerie designed the T2 kite for the ‘original’ Airheads team and Airdynamics was team sponsor.

The competition team retired after a couple of seasons and the Airheads continued as an ad-hoc team - just for fun.

The new Airhead line up started flying together in 2006.

Meet the

Airheads Peter

Peter Taylor is best known as the designer of Airdynamics kites. Peter holds a world record for indoor flying with two kites.

Paul

Paul Collins is an accomplished all-round flyer; competed as one of pair Oxygen, designs single line kites including the fabulous Morticia. Taking this year off.

Doug

Doug Irvine is our most experienced team flyer; he was leader of team Matrix Management before retiring from competition.

Keith

Keith Griffiths is the national director for STACK UK - the organisation which promotes and manages sport kite competitions.

Vee

Vee Griffiths is responsible for Keith’s kite addiction - Keith bought his first kite in an effort to impress her; it worked as they are now married! Vee and Keith compete as Ex-Grads.

Valerie

Valerie Hancorn is Peter’s parter and co-owner of Airdynamics; Valerie designs the tails which are an important part of the Airheads show, acts as head ground crew and steps in to fly fighters and dragons.

Irene

Irene Cassidy is Doug’s partner and helps with ground crewing and dragon handling.

Performances

Kite Ballets

We fly a number of choreographed kite ballets: a 3 or 4 kite routine to ‘Fly like an Eagle’ by Seal, a 3-kite routine (with tails) set to ‘It had to be you’ by Harry Connick and new for 2009 a 4-kite routine to ‘Bring me to Life’ by Evanescence.

Some of these are flown with 100 ft tails which add extra spectacle as well as fresh technical challenges for the flyers.

We love to improvise and we fly impromtu ballets with up to 6 kites to tracks by Ikon, Chicane, Crowded House among others.

Dragon Kites

The Airheads have one of the best collections of Chinese Dragon kites in Europe and we can bring a range, starting with modest 50ft kites right up to a monster 250ft kite.

Fighter kites

We all fly fighter kites and can demonstrate kite fighting - often with public involvement.

Rokkaku

We have a bag of japanese roks ready for the public to join in.

Single Line

Paul’s Morticia has featured at many kite festivals.

Teddy Bear dropping

Parachuting teddy bears from a kite!

Music Fly like an Eagle’ by Seal ‘It had to be you’ by Harry Connick ‘Bring me to Life’ by Evanescence

Kite Ballets

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The 100ft tails are an important part of the Airheads display; each tail is individually designed by Valerie as a unique art piece.

If we aren’t flying them with sport kites, we fly them from lifter kites.

enter the

Dragon The Airheads have one of the best collections of Chinese Dragon kites in Europe and we can bring a range, starting with modest 50ft kites right up to a monster 250ft kite

50ft > 250ft

Dragon history Dragons are described as being made up from parts of nine other animals.

The head of a camel.

The horns of a deer.

The eyes of a demon.

The neck of a snake.

The abdomen of a clam.

The scales of a carp.

The claws of an eagle.

The paws of a tiger.

The ears of an ox.

Chinese dragons

No one exactly knows where Chinese dragons came from. Unlike European dragons, they are worshipped as gods and are an integral part of Chinese culture. Dragons have the power to control rainfall and bring prosperity and good fortune. Temples to dragons are found near water because it is thought most dragons live in water.

Chinese Emperors can trace their lineage back to descendants of dragons.

So they sleep in dragon beds, sit on a dragon seat and wear ceremonial dragon robes.

Types of dragons

Legend tells of nine sons of the dragon who each have a strong personality. The names of the sons vary but these are the most widely used ones: Pulao is fond of roaring. His image is on the top of bells and gongs.

Qiuniu likes music. His image is carved on the bridge of stringed instruments.

Bixi can support heavy weights. His image is carved on the bottom of stone monuments and on panniers.

Hanuxian. An adventurous dragon. His image is carved on the eaves of temples.

Baxia likes water. His image is carved on bridges and archways.

Yazi likes to fight. His image is carved on the hilts of swords and knives.

Jiaotu is tight lipped like a mussel. His image is carved on doors and gates.

Chiwen likes to gaze into the distance. His image is carved on pinnacles.

Suanmi likes smoke and fire. His image is carved on the legs of incenseburners.

The Chinese believe that the dragon originated in China. When a dragon walks east it looses toes. The further east it goes the more toes it looses and eventually it can. t walk any more. Similarly, when it goes west it gains toes until it can. t walk further west either. This explains why Chinese dragons have 5 toes; Korean dragons have 4 toes and Japanese dragons 3 toes. It also explains why Chinese dragons never reached Europe!

Rokkaku

& Fighter Kites We all fly fighter kites and can demonstrate kite fighting, often with public involvement. We have a bag of japanese roks ready for the public to join in!

Tradition We all fly fighter kites and can demonstrate kite fighting, often with public involvement. We have a bag of japanese roks ready for the public to join in!

We all fly fighter kites and can demonstrate kite fighting, often with public involvement. We have a bag of japanese roks ready for the public to join in!

We all fly fighter kites and can demonstrate kite fighting, often with public involvement. We have a bag of japanese roks ready for the public to join in!

Morticia

Paul’s Morticia has featured at many kite festivals around Europe

Gallery

Gallery

Training session in Gloucestershire, 2010

Gallery

Preparing the dragons at the Blackheath kite festival 2009

Flying the dragon at the Blackheath kite festival 2009

Gallery

Gallery

Gallery

Gallery

Equipment & sponsors T4. Our standard team kite is the Airdynamics T4, designed by Peter for the Airheads. We also use the Airdynamics Insider as a freestyle/ polyvalent kite, and the XE is our preferred choice for multi-kite flying. More information on the Airdynamics website Airheads Rev. Our 4-Line displays use the Airheads redesigned rev; based on the classic Revolution kite but with different proportions, an active bridle and magic stick system proposed to us by the French Team Crazy Drivers (thanks!) and refined by Paul.

Fighter kites. Preferred fighters are classic tissue by Babu Khan, Macs and more recently the intruiging Bai designed by Stephen

Hoath and pterodactyl by Karl Longbottom..

Rokkaku. We have a stack of rokkaku kites which were made specifically for the public to join in.

Chinese Dragon Kites. Traditional Chinese dragon kites imported from Weifang by Airdynamics. We have available 3 giant dragons - 30m, 50m and 80m; the 80m is only suitable for large events - it needs a very large arena to fly.

Morticia. Paul’s spectacular Morticia.

Tails. The 100ft tails are an important part of the Airheads display; each tail is individually designed by Valerie as a unique art piece. If we

aren’t flying them with sport kites, we fly them from lifter kites.

Climax lines. We normally use the excellent Climax lines for sport and single line kites. See the Climax lines website for details. www.climaxlines.co.uk

www.airdynamics.co.uk Airdynamics sport kites enjoy a reputation for high quality, innovative design and high performance.

We sell our kites direct and over the Internet. You won’t find our kites in most of the shops; we prefer to give a personal service direct to our customers.

We have a small workshop and we build our Airdynamics kites to order, so you can have a say in colours, frame choice and so on.

We’re always happy to talk to you about which kite to choose.

For more information visit: www.airheads.org.uk