The Official Home Page of . . .
THE BLACK SWAMP AIR FORCE
P.O. Box 13334
Toledo, Ohio 43613
WHAT'S THE BLACK SWAMP AIR FORCE?
The BSAF is a loosely organized group of kite fliers scattered throughout
Northwest Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. We were founded in March of 1986
and we have grown to over 300 members.
WHERE'D YOU GET THAT NAME?
The BSAF takes its name from the treacherous Great Black Swamp
which covered all of Northwest Ohio until as recently as one
hundred years ago. Today, the Swamp is mostly drained and the
trees have nearly all been cleared. The landscape which remains
is so flat that it's frightening, but it does provide a haven for
kitefliers.
ISN'T KITE FLYING FOR KIDS?
Yeah. . . and so's Inline skating, bicycling, wind surfing, jet-skiing
and most of the other fun stuff that you see otherwise normal
grown-ups pursuing as weekend warriors! Kite flying has enjoyed a
worldwide renaissance and is now a year round sport with the
advantage of mulit-level involvement. You don't have to be in shape to
hang from the end of a string on a balmy spring day, but it certainly
helps if you plan an assault on a frozen Maumee Bay wearing sharp skis
powered by a power kite in mid winter!
If you are fearful of PDF(Public Display of Fun) we'll be your support
group. We'll show you how to have fun with kites in ways you never
imagined! (ever see a parachuting Teddy bear?) As a matter of fact, we have
a number of members who have never been seen flying a kite, but they sure
know how to party!
Think of kite-flying as therapy!
WHEN DO YOU GUYS FLY?
The BSAF meets informally (very informally) on the first Saturday and
third Sunday of every month from 1:00 to 3:00pm. The fair weather fliers
usually wimp out during the winter, but the hard-core lunatic
fringe is out there ice flying and munching on BBQ even in subzero
temperatures. Actually, just about any day when the wind is up, you'll
find some of our members painting the sky over the park.
WHERE?
We have settled on Maumee Bay State Park as the near-to-perfect flight
site. There may be better flying fields in the area, but probably none with
cleaner wind. MBSP is located about fifteen minutes away from downtown
Toledo northeast of Oregon, Ohio. The park is located on Cedar Point Road
two miles north of Rt. 2 in Oregon. The best entry into the Park is by way
of Norden Road, which intersects Rt. 2. We fly in the field between the
sledding hill and the beach.
Click Here for Park Information
SO YOU FLY KITES, IS THAT IT?
In addition to the bimonthly kite flys, we schedule workshops for both
adults and kids throughout the year. The adult workshops range in subject
from delicate little indoor kites made from postage stamps that fly on a
gnats breath, to massive hurricane-proof kites designed for aerial
photography. For the kids, we offer our signature tie-dyed sled kite
workshops at various locations throughout the summer.
For more information, contact:
Terry Gizmo Gerweck -
tlg@tdi.net
Wind Junkie, Dreamer, & Tinkerer Extraordinair
