Kiting regulation by Florida proposed

For the legislative initiative to get any hold with the FAA, there is a long process of rule making. However the State imposed ban on kiting based upon FAA is something we can fight for a long time in the different court systems to come to a reasonable conclusion.

An aircraft should be able to climb at a certain point from the takeoff to a certain height and get to a predetermined altitude after an engine failure on take off. This minimum climb gradient is published in the FAA directories and if there are any antennas or buildings nearly the airport that climb gradient becomes more restrictive for the pilot on take off. So Sarasota also has this minimum requirement, and if the kite does not interfere with that climb gradient then all is good.

Politicians love to please their constituents, and maybe around Sarasota there maybe voices being heard by the local chosen garb that is elected in the county seats near those beaches.
History in South Florida has shown that on a local level beaches can be closed by cities etc. With not much reprieve from the kiters, other then to accept certain areas where they may kite.
However if they play the FAA card, and use it in their legislative wording, then we actually stand a better chance in developing a solution with the FAA's limitations in mind.

On a separate matter, kiting is allowed around Nice (France) airport as long as the kiters do not cross the extended centerline of the runway. They get to close 300 feet of landing traffic. I have flown in there for many years and looked VERY closely at them as I was on short final. One kiter did end up on a taxi way once. Not good for him as there are many different "police" forces to deal with to get of the airport property, and then ask for your kite back .....

Let's see what happens.

[atwkite]

Rick,

Is the legislation specific to Sarasota only, or might it have an impact on other areas in FL?

I remain absolutely baffled that the FAA would allow skydiving on and around airport grounds, but restrict kites within 5 miles. Just within the past 6 months there have been 2 examples of planes hitting a skydiver and another plane during a skydiving operation. Have there been any plane - kite incidents ever reported?

[ricki]

We are looking at a new state law governing all of Florida. We started with what amounted to a bloodbath for kiting access, with loss of considerable sections of coast to kiting in parts of the state. This in the apparent absence of complaints or problems around the vast majority of airports in the state to my knowledge. Then a fallback position was negotiated which amounted to about half as many long term launches falling under the knife. This was unacceptable to me and a number of other kiters. Fortunately, we were able to work something out more functional for all parties concerned thanks in large measure to the aid of a smart, clear-headed administrator at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

"A person may not engage in kite boarding or kitesurfing within an area which extends 1 mile in a direct line long the centerline of an airport runway, and which has a width measuring one half mile unless otherwise permitted under Federal Law,"

You can see the full current text of "CS/HB 347: Commercial and Recreational Water Activities" at: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill...illText/c1/PDF

Checking googleearth, this doesn't seem to impact many existing kiting areas I am aware of in Florida. We came a tremendous distance from blanket prohibition to something I believe we can live with, with minimal impact on access. It sure beats a five mile or even two mile prohibition from the entire airport perimeter which was where things were going with three hours to spare.

.

[atwkite]

Rick,

Thanks for the update.

While close, I think it should keep Stuart Causeway in the clear. The adjacent area to the south has become a major spot for lessons, and is one of the only decent west wind locations within 30 miles to the north or south.

In this case common sense prevails:

Regardless how good the location of sand and surf, don't kite near an airport and especially not in the extended line of runways. The kiters in Sarasota may have woken up a sleeping anthill and kiting can get more restrictive because of this 'don't care and don't worry" attitude.
Time will tell if legislation will develop on local, state and federal level for kiting. Some European countries have become very restrictive on kiting locations due to a few reckless riders in public areas.
In South Florida we have seen places like Hobie beach in Miami closed down due to un acceptable behavior.

The entitlement of having to ride at a certain location can be very expensive for the rest of the kiters out there.

Sarasota may set the precedent of the more restrictive riding locations for the rest of the state for many more different reasons. But most kiters are not that clear headed to understand that, unfortunately.

[ricki]

Good points guys. No one should have the crazy idea that kiting is an unalienable right. It is a privilege which can and has been easily taken away, too many times.

Use your head, be considerate and avoid complaints wherever you kite. Avoiding problems is vastly easier than trying to fix them after the fact. Anticipate and work to avoid problems, it is only what you would expect of a proper waterman.