How fighter kites work
I didn't know that there's actually a fighter kite community in the USA. This video is the first I'd seen that explains how flying a fighter kite works.
First off, a two string kite works in an intuitive way - you pull one string to steer left; you pull the other string to steer right.
But how do you steer a one string fighter kite? Well, the design of the kite inherently flies in circles, and you pull as the kite's "nose" is pointed in the direction you wish to fly. It's way more challenging than flying a two string kite, but that seems very interesting to me.
Could one get good enough at steering a fighter kite to use it for kite sailing? I really like the idea of kite sailing by floating on my back like an otter, holding a paddle between my body and an arm as the keel, and pulling the string with my other hand to steer the kite.
Compared to a two string kite, a single string fighter kite is easier to deploy and regulate - no need to worry about tangling the lines. Line rigging is simpler also. And of course there's less string drag.
