Flash Angels, in triplicate

In 1991, at the National Championships on Blackheath in London, the Decorators flew a set of four Rare Air Flash Angels:

Recently I became aware that three of those four Flash Angels were looking for a good home (the whereabouts of the fourth is currently unknown). Needless to say I expressed an interest in giving them that good home as well as air time in a pair and team setting. 

To make a not very long story even shorter, the Flash Angels ended up in my possession, on the understanding I would donate an amount of money of my choice to a charity of my choice.

More on that charity donation at the end of this blog post; let's fly the kites first! First up were the 'yellow-tailed' and 'red-tailed' kites.

Minimal bridle adjustment was necessary to match their drive and pull. They fly slow and steady, almost serene. Good tracking, easy refuels, but they don't particular like to (half-)axel. Of course, 1990s team kites weren't designed to do that. 

And then time to add the third ('pink-tailed') Flash Angel and fly them with our L-katz team.

Once again, it required a small bridle adjustment to match it to the other two. Flying them in team formation again showed their good tracking and general 'team kite flying characteristics'.

As I mentioned, we got the kites basically 'for free', but on the proviso of a donation to charity. Which charity to donate to wasn't difficult for me to decide. As some of you reading this are aware, I underwent emergency spinal surgery two years ago, to avoid ending up in a wheelchair. I have been fortunate that I've largely recovered from the spinal injury, but others aren't that lucky. So I decided to donate an amount of money that I would have been happy to pay for the set of three had they been up for sale to the Backup Trust, a small charity that offers support to people suffering from spinal injury. 

Flash Angels, with Championship experience, coming to a field near you!