This month on The Pilots Meeting we are catching up with my friend and one of the most talented kite flyers I know, Carl Robertshaw. Carl's life in kites has taken him some truly remarkable places. From massive kites that drink in the light to world championship performances Carl's in kiting life is pretty accomplished. But outside of kites his skills have taken him even farther to places like the Olympics, The Commonwealth Games, Broadway and even space. so come along was we dig into Carl's stories here on The Pilots Meeting.

Chapters

00:00 Early Kite Experiences

10:58 Competing in Sport Kites and Team Flying

18:03 Venturing into Live Events

22:56 Space Knitting

29:24 The Olympics and Beyond

35:18 Art Kites and Installations

45:31 Scale Models and Hobbies

Welcome to The Pilots Meeting, a podcast dedicated to uncovering the behind-the-scenes stories of kiting through the voices of the people who lived them. Each episode dives into the moments, decisions, and experiences that shaped the world of kiting, offering listeners a closer look at what really happens beyond the colors in the sky.

Today we catch up with Brett Marchel of Brett Marchel Adventures. Brett has been a staple in kiting for over a decade, performing at festivals with teams like Kite Life and Sky FX as well as individually and in shows by groups like Kiteman Productions. Brett is also an artist, support and lover of all things kites. Brett’s mentality, approaching kites as toys and looking at what we do from the point of view of a circus mirrors my own in many ways. The seriousness and work ethic he brings to the table at the same time has made him one of the best and most well rounded flyiers today.

So, join us as we take a stroll back through Brett’s journey from the first kite all the way to Disney and the World Cup. We talk about some of his projects and even get a behind the scenes look at some of the things that never quite worked along the way.

0:00 Introduction

1:11 Brett Discovers Kites

4:07 To The Internet

7:01 A Well Rounded Pilot

11:28 You Can’t Fly There

15:53 Invitation to India – Brett’s First Festival

19:05 Forming SkyFX

24:30 Kite Design and Prototyping

25:26 Collaborating with John Barresi

28:12 The Original Djinn Prototype

32:07 Open-Minded Kite Design

33:28 Transition to Shows – First Experiences With Kiteman

37:46 Cedar Point and Boardwalk Nights

43:29 The Aurora Project

50:15 Art Kites For South Padre

52:43 Enter The Forest

56:03 Upcoming Events and Performances

Welcome to The Pilots Meeting, a podcast dedicated to uncovering the behind-the-scenes stories of kiting through the voices of the people who lived them. Each episode dives into the moments, decisions, and experiences that shaped the world of kiting, offering listeners a closer look at what really happens beyond the colors in the sky.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by John Lutter of the Kiteman Group, an organization that has been bringing kites to audiences around the world for decades. Known for producing large-scale kite shows, the Kiteman Group has helped introduce kiting to countless people through performances at major theme parks, including Disney World.

Together, we explore how it all came to be—from the early days at balloon festivals to putting on shows of Disney proportions—and take a closer look at what it truly takes to create memorable kite experiences for audiences everywhere. So, settle in and join us for a behind-the-scenes conversation that takes a closer look at just what it takes to be the kite man.

0:00 Introduction - Welcome to The Pilots Meeting

01:07 John Lutter's Journey Into Kiting

07:27 John's First Show

14:50 Bruce Flora and Kiteman Productions

17:46 The First Disney Show

24:09 Kite Tales and Recent Productions

28:49 Equipment Evolution

34:36 Disney Magic - The Show Must Go On

42:47 EPCOT Forever

47:04 Getting into Character

54:30 John's Favorite Show

56:55 Broadening The Offering

1:01:42 Wrapping Up - Bruce's Legacy