Saturday 24 June 2017

Glider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RrbYI1jRxE
Last summer we booked, but didn't quite make, a gliding trip.  We booked early this year and chose the Summer Solstice to take to the air and ride the thermals, like a young Buzzard just out of the nest.  A while ago now I took to the air and skydived over the Ouse Washes to see how a Crane or a Peregrine might see the Ely10.  On that flight the curve of the earth flashed by somewhere between the Wash and Stansted.  The cold February air let us see far but the acceleration blurred the streaks of silt and swell and after 8 years I felt the need to take flight without propulsion again. This flight was going to give time to see the Suffolk countryside sedately and with time to drink in the view.  No such thing.






The ascent was rapid and exhilarating and, once the winch was dropped, a decent amount of time was spent learning about and then doing turns, points and stalls.  We went up a couple of times which allowed a few pictures and video of ascent and descent to be taken.  A big thanks to Charley for organising and the Rattleseden Gliding Club (Sarah, the instructor in particular) for making the evening happen in the vein of a Detectorists episode.


1 comment:

  1. I went gliding for my 50th off Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, a mix of pure exhilaration and sheer terror!

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