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IMAGINE THE SCENE:
The tired Detroit cop had had a rough day and it wasn't getting any better The traffic on the Belle Isle bridge was backed up over a mile and horns were honking as rubber neckers held up the drive back to the Motor city's lower East Side.

From his squad car the cop spotted three black men, the cause of the problem — his problem; He moved into action, deciding it was time to restore order and prevent this situation from recurring; Facing the three men , one hand on his hip, the other resting on the butt of his gun, the cop gave his orders, "The next time you guys want to come to this island, stop by the station and let us know you're here."

(Or else what?) The three men looked the cop over. There was a hint of a smile behind the beard of Aaron Harris, as he quietly turned his 6-foot-3, 240 lb. frame from the cop to look at his friend Nate. Nate's face betrayed none of his friend's humor but his eyes took in everything- There was an intensity about the way Nate observed things that upset the cop- Above those eyes, dark skin glistened with sweat below a receding hairline and hair stood out asymmetrically

But it was the tall slender man with teardrop glasses and a close-cropped beard that began to fidget first- "Hey, we saw the traffic backed up but we didn't know it was because of us," said Gary Maynard." All, we're doing is flying our kites. ..."

Did this really happen to the Windjammers, Detroit's foremost stunt kite team? Yes and no- It is true that the Windjammers, Nate Williams, Gary Maynard and Aaron Harris did (and still do) cause such scenes flying their kites on Belle Isle that the cops request that they check in at the station before flying- But they don't do it out of animosity, they do it so that someone can go out and direct traffic.

Imagine, Cops offering to direct traffic so that you can fly your kites. And what do you think when you hear Detroit — unemployment, violence, drugs...? Well, think again, because once you meet the Windjammin' trio you may see Detroit in a new light. And when they fly with their graceful swooping trains of color, they may even change your perspective of stunters as egomaniacal sky hogs.

When Aaron Harris moved to Detroit in 1969, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life. He was twenty and already he had a year of college and a short stint in the Air Force behind him. During the next four years he tried an assortment of jobs-

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