We've seen kites that were run over by trains and we've seen kites that were flown into bridges. People damage their kites in some strange ways. But before sending a kite in to the repair loft people usually want to know “is it even repairable?” The truth is, almost all damage is repairable but it comes down to whether or not the kite is worth the cost of the repair. In most cases the repair cost is much less than the cost of a replacement. What is involved in saving a kite from the scrap bin?

This kite looked like a cougar got a hold of it when it came in but apparently this was the result of a snow kitemare involving a barbed wire fence. What are the repair options for this kite? A “tape and sew” repair method simply wouldn't work for this damage. There would be dozens of tape strips up and down each panel and the kite would no longer be properly balanced or look good. A DIY glued repair may get the kite back together but once again the weight and bulk of the materials could affect the kites performance and durability. Is there any way to save this thing? The only answer for this kite is full and/or partial panel replacements. Here's how we do it.

The first step in full or partial panel replacements is piecing the kite back together temporarily. This sounds simple enough, but we do see kites that actually have pieces missing or melted in which case we have to make a mirrored template of the same panel on the opposite side of the kite. Once the kite is pieced back together we look it over carefully to make sure that we’ve duplicated the original shape of the kite perfectly. We then overlay a new panel of factory fabric over the shredded panel. If a the new panel shares a seam with the LE or a strut we have to add Dacron reinforcement in these areas. At this point we are ready to sew the new panels in place. Some thought has to go into the order in which the seams are sewn down. On kites it is important not to over-stitch one specific area. People often think that the more stitches the stronger the repair will be but the fact is that stitch holes are still holes and can weaken the kite cloth. So we lay our seems out in a way that minimizes the amount of punctures in the canopy. Once the new fabric is sewn in place we remove the damaged fabric leaving you with a repair that is up to factory specs and only a single layer thick.

With full and partial panel replacements it is difficult to tell that a kite has even been repaired. The only telling signs are a few additional seams throughout the canopy. Another key to full and/or partial panel replacements is using factory color match fabrics. Our AIRTIME Kite repair lofts stock 40-50 original fabrics imported directly from the factories. Often times we are able to replace graphics as well, resulting in an “invisible” repair. Next time you totally shred your kite and and think it will never be the same, remember that the nearest AIRTIME Kite repair loft has you covered.