My Passion: Paper Kites

by David Huggins
(Fayetteville NC, USA)

I'm 55 years old, a disabled veteran who loves all paper kites and I own about 300 HiFliers, Top Flight, etc. I grew up here in Fayetteville NC and I loved anything that could fly, including the balsa plane gliders.

I remember buying balsa gliders at a corner store and how disappointed I would be if there were no Jolly Rogers, my personal favorite. I remember a particular day all too well and perhaps some would think it's fictional LOL, but it isn't, I'll tell you...

Got home from school and it was a windy day and I daydreamed all day about how I would love to figure out how to attach something and watch it fall hundreds of feet. I was using the string and as it got to the end you had to catch it and tie it to the cardboard roll and I had used 2 rolls and I thought it had to be miles in the air LOL.

Come to find out it wasn't far from Cape Fear Valley Hospital and you will never believe what happened. For some reason a helicopter flew close to it and actually cut the line from the winder, don't remember how bad it got tore up but I remember following it until it rested in the top of a pine tree in the Mary McArthur School yard, true story.