On Friday, April 4th, Jason and I went out to Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park to do some recon, his new puppy in tow (and eventually in the pack when she tired of hiking).  Though we brought kites, rain and lack of wind kept us out of the air.  We were able to formulate a flight plan for the following Friday, and met a group of students for some hands-on learning.

Students paired up and took to the trails armed with Trimble GPS units, gathering data for the American River Conservancy.

After a few hours of trail mapping, the group met at the rendezvous point, and we got out the kites. The maiden voyage of the 12′ delta ended up with the kite atop an oak tree, but a quick climb freed it for another go. Though there seemed to be plenty of wind at ground level, the kite just wouldn’t stay up, so we switched it out for the 9′ delta. Despite valiant efforts by a couple of students, we weren’t able to get up into any stable air, so we didn’t end up with any photos.

Despite the unsuccessful flights, students were enthusiastic about the process, and about applying what they’ve learned.  There is no substitute for field work!