This was an exciting adventure getting to this point, I’ve learned a lot of things from many of the clubs members and I thank the entire Whitewater Hang Gliding Club!
Further I’d like to recognize all of my instructors whom have all shown me a ton of patients and encouragement:
- Rick for teaching me to respect the wind.
- Rich for teaching me about being the pilot in charge.
- Stan for all the mid day aero-tow lessons and how to play follow the ace (Joel), not to mention all the encouragement.
- Mark for everything else. Mark really should be given an award for all the time he has spent on the phone with me, talking me out of running away from hang gliding and for just being a really good listener when I was acting all scared and questioned everything! No really, I questioned everything! Further Mark went up above and beyond, he helped out in looking over all my gear, attaching new wires on my glider, checking out my harness, repacking my chute, etc, etc, Wow!
I also think that the two schools working together to help me has been fantastic and they both deserve kudos for being professional - thank you Joel (Hang Glide Wisconsin) and Paul (ScooterTow.net) Further, Paul and Joel also deserve a thank you for being the best scooter tow operator and tug pilot that I know.
I would also like to thank Bob for test flying my glider at the last minute too – Thank you!
As for the first solo – Wow, what a trip! Stan asked me if I was ready and all I could say is “we better do this quick before I change my mind,” I was more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!
The first 300 feet was a test of the nerves but as I got away from the ground it all got better. Actually, I could hear Stan saying “Your doing good, it’s all you, your doing it, let out the bar a little more …” or Mark saying “Keep him on the horizon, you can fly over here but it’s better behind him” and then of course there was Rich “What are you doing site seeing, it’s time to work – follow that plane!”
When Joel waved me off my heart sunk, I didn’t want to let go but I knew if I didn’t he probably would have, and, it would be better for him to take the big rope home than I, so I let him go… and… whoosh, there was a calm, quiet, stillness… AND A REALLY BIG FRICKEN SMILE FROM EAR TO EAR!!! I was flying, at last I was flying all by myself, I could look around, I could site see, I could see everything even, even, that bird that just flew underneath me!!!!
I decided to test the turning ability of my glider before I got to close to the ground – yep that works, pulled in, yep that works too, I’m not going to try pushing out, not yet anyhow :)
Coming in for my landing was great, my glider just floats, not like that Tandem Glider that sinks like a rock, I thought for sure I was going to stay up forever, and I wanted too!!!
I really have been smiling a lot since taking that first solo, it is so unbelievable that I am a pilot. I never dreamed that I would fly, I always wanted to, I was always told that I never would. I guess I proved them wrong!
Thanks again everyone, I am entirely grateful for all the help, support, and encouragement!!!
Herb Benton