All young men need adventure and excitement, at some point in their lives.
Many years ago my attention was drawn to a small add, in the local paper, offering trial flights at a nearby gliding club. My first flight was in a tandem two seat sailplane, towed aloft by a light aircraft. As soon as the rumble of the undercarriage was replaced by the loud rushing of the slipstream, I knew that, at last, I had found something which would give my feckless youth meaning and purpose.
I took to the air like a duck to water. It was as if it had always been my natural element, always there just waiting to be discovered. Normally it took 40 to 60 launches to go solo, but after my 19th flight and to my total astonishment, the instructor stepped out of the rear seat, stowed his seat straps and said, 'off you go then!'
With my heart beating like a trip hammer I signalled for the winch driver to take up slack and watched as the cable went tight. Then 'All Out!' and I was off!
My first solo beat anything I had done before. It made other, more conventional, achievements, however hard won, appear as nothing by comparison. It was my first step in an on going challenge that was to give me 16 years of adventure and excitement.
"Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned forever skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return" Leonardo Da Vinci.
For more information on this wonderful sport, follow the link to the British Gliding Association Website: http://www.gliding.co.uk/
Many years ago my attention was drawn to a small add, in the local paper, offering trial flights at a nearby gliding club. My first flight was in a tandem two seat sailplane, towed aloft by a light aircraft. As soon as the rumble of the undercarriage was replaced by the loud rushing of the slipstream, I knew that, at last, I had found something which would give my feckless youth meaning and purpose.
I took to the air like a duck to water. It was as if it had always been my natural element, always there just waiting to be discovered. Normally it took 40 to 60 launches to go solo, but after my 19th flight and to my total astonishment, the instructor stepped out of the rear seat, stowed his seat straps and said, 'off you go then!'
With my heart beating like a trip hammer I signalled for the winch driver to take up slack and watched as the cable went tight. Then 'All Out!' and I was off!
My first solo beat anything I had done before. It made other, more conventional, achievements, however hard won, appear as nothing by comparison. It was my first step in an on going challenge that was to give me 16 years of adventure and excitement.
"Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned forever skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return" Leonardo Da Vinci.
For more information on this wonderful sport, follow the link to the British Gliding Association Website: http://www.gliding.co.uk/
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