A few weeks ago, I received a cryptic message from the head of the math department about an open house at the Canterbury Gliding Club. They offered $40 winch launches on Father's Day. (In New Zealand, Father's Day is on September 3rd).I drove to their airstrip in Hororata in the morning. I didn't know what a winch a launch was. I arrived at 11 am and was the first nonmember to show. For a winch launch, they place a winch at the end of the runway and it drags the glider along at a fast pace, launching the glider to 1,500 feet. The flight lasts 2 to 3 minutes. However, they didn't have the winch, so the head of the club said they'd do plane launches that would bring you to 1,500 feet for $40. The usual price for an introductory flight was $135. I jumped at the opportunity.
I had a blast with the flight. It started with me and another member dragging the glider from the shed to the runway using a minivan. The first time we pulled the glider, the rope snapped off, because we had left the parking brake on. Another glider landed while the pilot was showing me the controls. The glider slammed into the ground. I asked if all landings were that hard, and the pilot said that one was particularly bad. I sat in the front seat and the pilot behind. It was exciting being pulled by the plane. I took a lot of photos in the air. At one point, the pilot asked if I could find the runway. I couldn't. I could've kept my hands on the controls as long as I didn't interfere with the pilot, but I was into the photography. I included two photos of the Canterbury Plains. I attempted to upload the video of the landing, but Blogger wouldn't accept it.
No comments:
Post a Comment