A kite for aircraft flying cannot be just wing mechnanically. Rather, for
kiting action to occur and to have a kite in such action, the aircraft machine "kite" must be a collection of three parts: wing,
tether, and resistive subassembly (mooring). The mooring is often moving and can even be falling through the air. Essentially the line or tether couples the other two parts of the kite so a
net positive tension occurs in the connecting line or tether. A default "kite" is often applied to the wing, but just the wing only gives non-kite glider. K={w,t,r). Thus paragliders are gliding
kites. When underwater, kite is named "paravane"
A
paraglider is a kite that has its mooring or resistive part as a falling mass tethered to a wing set (one or more wings).
A toy kite consists of a wing, a kite line, and a resistive part that might be the hand-body of a child; the hand may move in many ways by waving, pulling, or on top of a running child.
A
hang glider with a single tether holding a pilot is a free-flight kite;
the pilot's mass is the resistive part pulled by gravity; the tension couples the lifting/dragging wing. The three parts form a kite hang glider. Such a hang glider is also a type of paraglider.
