Gliders in the Desert

Sonora Desert in Arizona, between Flagstaff and Scottsdale (Phoenix suburb). My girlfriend and I take gliding lessons while on a vacation in winter. I should have brought the videocam with me, as the teacher does all the flying the first time. I had no idea in advance what is was going to be like. It takes a while to adjust your perspective from being on the ground to being way up in the air. The pilot had to point things out to me. See that over there? Yes! That's Phoenix, Flagstaff, a canal, an orchard of orange trees, etc. You felt like a bird, but there seemed to be a danger element that felt uncomfortable. They make you sign a paper before the glide to the effect that they are not responsible if something happens to you. I would never do this again, but it was neat to look down from up there. No parachute or anything, and I wouldn't know what to do with one anyways. Obviously it is fairly safe or nobody would be doing it and living to tell the tale. Swirls of dust in the desert show that a force is present to keep you airborne. Without this peculair air current of the desert I doubt you could go gliding. As the video shows, a tow plane takes you up and then releases you to go solo. At the moment of release you realize that everything is fine for as long as you stay up. Gliders and the desert sky are made for each other. The glider has some wheels on it, but the landing is pretty rocky as I recall, and attempting to get back to earth does cause a little stress. I'm sure that the second or third time up you lose all the stress disappears.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• glider
• Arizona