Kites have been used to solve problems too, such as carrying ropes to ships in distress. In 1847, a kite was used to carry a rope over the Niagara river in the United States, to help with the building of a bridge. Kites have carried weather instruments and cameras. In 1901, the Italian Guglielmo Marconi used a kite to lift an aerial wire high enough to receive the first transatlantic radio signal. Hang-gliding and kiteboarding make use of kite sails to hoist people into the air and to pull them along.

Kites come in many shapes and sizes, but most of them are made up of the same basic parts. The material covering the kite is its sail. It catches the wind and keeps the kite airborne. Wooden or plastic sticks, called spars or struts, form the frame of the kite and stop the sail from folding up. Most kites have a fin. This is a triangular flap of material that hangs out from the centre of the kite. The fin holds the metal bridle ring. The flying line should be tied to the bridle ring and not to the spars or struts of the kite. Finally, many kites have a tail. This is not just for decoration. If your kite wobbles in the air, adding a longer tail can make it more stable and balanced.