A first-hand account of gliders
The world looks different from 3,000 feet, especially when
you’re soaring through the air like a bird, free of motors and just
sitting on a breeze.
A first-hand account of gliders
The world looks different from 3,000 feet, especially when you’re soaring through the air like a bird, free of motors and just sitting on a breeze.
For the 72 members of the Hollister Gliding Club there is no greater high than that of soaring.
Mankind has dreamed for centuries of taking to cloud-laden skies and soaring free through the blue like a bird.
For 15 short, yet illustrious minutes last week, I had my chance to copy Icarus and fly upon gilded wings, albeit, never too close to the sun.
It was a sunny and breezy day as a photographer and I traveled to the Hollister Municipal Airport. We were after a different story, but as the day changed directions at no point did either of us think the day would culminate with a soaring flight.
If you live in San Benito County and travel passed the airport you’ve undoubtedly seen the signs.
“Glider rides available here.”
There is even a sign on Highway 25, on the way out of Hollister.
Apparently this was a perfect day for soaring, as the sun was out and the thermals were pretty good.
Thermals are the reason that glider pilots are able to fly higher and at faster speeds than previously thought possible. Thermals are the invisible rising columns of air that make it possible for gliders to stay airborne without the help of motors.
Modern technology has improved soaring flight, enabling pilots to fly higher, at faster speeds and further distances than birds.
The sport of soaring has universal appeal for pilots and enthusiasts from all walks of life.
In a previous life one glider, Haven Rich, was a truck driver. He got into planes as a remedy for his mid-life crisis, but once he got up in the air he felt like there was too much noise to be able to look around and enjoy what was going on; hence his love for gliders.
“When you’re up here you can just look around without having to pay attention to all the noise,” Rich said.
Rich is one of 72 glider pilots that call the Hollister Municipal Airport home. It’s their clubhouse. Though not all of the flyers are from Hollister, they all fly out of the airport and use its facilities to store their gliders.
We’d been hanging out at the airport for an hour or so when the challenge was posed. It wasn’t possible to write about what it’s like to fly gliders without taking a ride.
So we took one.
At first there was apprehension. I’m not afraid to fly. I’ve done so many times, but never in a small plane, especially one without a motor. However, I’m a journalist first and foremost and I had an obligation to my audience to experience the sensation first-hand, didn’t I?
Who am I kidding? When I was offered the opportunity to fly I couldn’t hold back the excitement. I was thrilled.
Taking off and landing are the two hardest parts of flying a glider, Rich said. Once the glider is in the air the task of flying it is considerably easier. In fact, I flew the glider myself for a short spell.
The expression so easy a child could do it is not one often connected with flying, however teens as young as 14 can fly solo. In fact, Hollister certified a 16-year-old glider pilot not too long ago.
Ruth Cook has been a glider instructor for almost two years and she sees gliding as something everyone can enjoy.
“I enjoy it because it uses the natural energy of the earth to see amazing, boundless things,” Cook said. “We don’t typically get the opportunity to look at the earth from above.”
Cook enjoys teaching gliders of all ages, but sees something special with the youth.
“Here’s a sport that everyone can really enjoy,” Cook said. “For youth it can be a good stepping stone if they are deciding on a career in aviation.”
To get gliders in the air a towline, which is generally a 200-foot piece of nylon rope is securely attached to a special hook to tow the plane. The glider pilot can release the towrope at any desired altitude. In the unlikely event of a malfunction with the sailplane release mechanism, the tow plane pilot can release the towline.
Gliders are aerodynamically designed to glide efficiently through air and their slender shape has no difficulty staying aloft without an engine. In time, the effects of gravity will slowly pull the glider toward the earth’s surface. After the plane releases from a 3,000-foot tow, generally a flight lasting 20-25 minutes will result if no rising air currents can be found.
If thermals can be found, the ride can be considerably longer. In fact, the day we were at the airport several flyers were attempting to make a 7-hour flight to Mexico.
The planes are constructed of carbon composites, fiberglass, aluminum, wood, special fabric stretched over steel tubing or any combination of these materials. The empty weight of a glider may be as little as 250 pounds, or nearly 1,000 pounds for a glider that can carry three people.
The glider we rode in was one of the later.
Depending on the construction, equipment and performance new factory-built sailplanes can be purchased at prices ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 or more. There are also excellent kits for homebuilding personal gliders.
Glider rides cost considerably less than gliders themselves. A typical ride can range from $99 to $300.
For more information contact Bay Area Glider Rides at 1-888-467-6276 or visit their Web site at www.1888gosoarn.com.
