Windstar Kites of Greater Pittsburgh North

Return Home

Con Engels -- Kiting Bio

Con Engels is the owner of Windstar Kites of Greater Pittsburgh North. Since November of 1996 he has been providing quality service, kites and wind related products.

A Kite Flier since childhood when flying kites with his Grandfather, and flew kites every spring season. These kites where single line diamond and box kites early on, then deltas through his teens and early twenties.

After visiting Presque Isle State park in Erie, PA in the summer of 1989, and seeing Revolution kites for the first time, Con became interested in stunt and sport kite flying and bought his first pair of Peter Powell stunt kite diamonds which had 45’ tails. This was a great leasure activity when flying at the beach, and the Peter Powell diamonds flew well there. However, they did not fly well in the typical Pittsburgh area winds, mainly due to the fact that these kites needed at least 8 MPH steady wind to fly. For the next few years, stunt kites were reserved mainly for the beach, and Con flew his single line kites when at home in the Pittsburgh area.

Then in early 1994, he mail ordered several dual and quad line kites from various mail order catalogs, and in December of 1994 joined the Fly Pittsburgh Kite Club, and has been a member since. Fly Pittsburgh has over one hundred members of whos interests include all types of kite flying, including single line, dual, three, and quad line flying. The sizes of the kites range from small kites to enormous kites of up the 450 square foot lifting surface. Members of the club can be found flying their kites all throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Con is currently the President of Fly Pittsburgh.

Con has attended various kiting events, both regional and national, although he does not compete at these events. As a flier, his skills have steadily improved over the past few years. Though he does fly dual line sport kites (sometimes two Flexifoils at one time, controlled separately, one by each hand) he does prefer quad line kites. One of the latest of Con’s skills with quad line kites is with the power foil. These kites are used in a variety of ways for traction flying, on sand, down hill snow skis on ice & snow, water skis, kite surfing, grass skis, buggies, roller blades, and ice skates. One of the above that Con has not tried is kite water skiing. This is one of his personal goals, for as a boy he learned to water ski, being towed by his Fathers boat.

As for now, Con is content with his current promotion of the growing sport of stunt kite and power flying. Promotion of kiting in all aspects will always be important, specifically single line, because that is where he started.

WINDSTAR KITES OF GREATER PITTSBURGH NORTH is located twenty miles north of downtown Pittsburgh, and carries a growing selection of kites (single, dual, three, and quad line). For more information please contact Con Engels at (724) 869-4488.

Whats new at Windstar Kites - Join our Mailing List to keep up with things!

***** SITE MAP & LINKS PAGE! *****

Return Home

Copyright © WSK 1997 - 2011