2000 feet up and going 35 kilometers an hour

[dreaminghope]

Stand at the edge of a clearing on the top of a mountain. Check that the lines are untangled and clear, that the wing is laid out correctly, and that the radio is fully powered. Bob double checks everything too, then radios to the landing field: "Launching Melissa on a small blue glider."

Bob stands at the edge of the runway, feeling the wind's direction and speed, waiting for the perfect cycle for launch. When the time is right, he points out which way to go, then calls out the commands:

"Ready?"

Nod.

"3, 2, 1, tension! Pull, pull! Hard!"

Pull on the lines, throwing body weight forward. The wing starts to come up and the wind pushes back. Suddenly, the pull back eases and the wing is overhead.

"Release and stabilize!"

Release the lines and tug gently on the brakes. Glance up: the wing is overhead.

"Load and run! Run hard!"

Weight thrown forward, head down and arms up. Try to run, but barely get a few steps before the wind takes the wing up: airborne!

It's so turbulent for the first few minutes that I worry that something's wrong. I'm about 2000 feet up, and climbing slightly, so there's some real fear. But, just normal turbulence and the ride quickly smooths out as I glide further away from the mountain side.

Next, I worry because I'm having trouble hearing my radio over the wind in my ears. We can't transmit out on the radios, only listen, so I just have to wait until the teacher realizes I'm not doing what he has asked so he'll repeat himself. A bit of craning towards the radio, and I make it work.

Then, I finally realize something: I'm flying. I can see for miles in every direction, and I'm flying. I scream "I'm flying!" into the wind and I hear laughter over the radio.

"We heard that," someone on the landing field some two kilometres below me says.



Bob, the launch instructor, hands over radio contact to the landing field, where Dion's been listening to my flight so far. Dion tells me to make a turn: 90 degrees left. I cautiously lean left and pull gently on the brake. I barely turn 10 degrees. Gradually I learn that I have to lean hard, throw my weight, and the wing's not going to collapse.

"You're going about 35 kilometers an hour," Dion says.

I want to scream "You're kidding", but I'm breathless. Besides the wind howling past me, I feel like I'm hanging still in space.

I'm starting to get the hang of turning by the time I get to the landing field. I bleed height doing figure eights at one end of the field, then I do the final turns around the edge of the field, following Dion's instructions quickly now that I have less wind blocking out the radio.

"OK, final approach. Get ready to flare."

I raise my hands. I swoop over the heads of the other students on the field who cheer and take my picture.

"OK, flare!"

I pull the brakes down hard, jogging as I touch earth again. The wing stalls and begins to fall to the ground.

"That was a perfect landing; the best one yet today!"

There were a lot of students yesterday: 10 people to two instructors, with students launching one at a time. I was the last of the first group of four. The school has a backlog of students this summer because of all the weather delays, so they were trying to teach more people than they usually would take in a day. Because of that, some minor weather delays, and some disorganization on the part of the teachers, Russ and Craig did not get to do their solo flights. It was heart-breaking and discouraging. They'd generously let other people in front of them and helped set up the equipment over and over again and then it got too dark and they didn't get their chance. We're waiting to hear about the next available date. I'm really looking forward to taking their pictures as they come down into the landing field.

The last person who did get to launch yesterday was the only other woman in the class. She and I had been partners that morning at the Slope Soaring component of the class, as we both need the small wing. She was really scared of heights and had mostly come because her husband wanted to try paragliding, so we weren't sure if she was going to do the mountain flight. But she did it, and she came down in a perfect landing with a massive grin on her face and declared that she was cured of her fear of heights.

I've got massive bruising and rope burn on my upper arms, where the lines pull and scrap as you launch, and my arm, leg, butt, and ab muscles all ache deeply. I've only done the bare minimum of what I need to do today, including sending an email to Dion asking him how Russ and I go about booking our novice paragliding pilot course.

Comments

[magickpixie.livejournal.com]

I am in awe! Fantastic!

[circesbed.livejournal.com]

I'm ridiculously happy for you.

And so disappointed for Russ and Craig. But I can't wait to hear about their flights.

And yay for conquering fears!

Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

[serioushat.livejournal.com]

So happy for you! This sounds super fun. Good stuff!