Why fly? By: Isabelle Jones Posted: January 25 2004
Why fly?
Really.
Constantly checking the weather. TV and Internet indicate a good day, call Flight Service just to be sure before hooking up the trailer. Everything is in agreement, it will be a good day. When you arrive at the field, why does the windsock always point in another direction? Has the forecast changed in the hour it took to drive to the field?
Assembly is work. With luck, the wings will snap together with no problems this time. But they sure are heavy, seems like they would rather fall to the ground then fly up. Just gravity having his fun, ours will come later. Why is every sailplane designed to make you sweat during assembly, and then require you to crawl around on the ground to tape the wings? Do sailplane designers own stock in laundry detergent companies?
Preflight. Follow the checklist, double-check everything. Something has got to be wrong, so let’s find it before we fly. Nothing wrong, ready to fly. Or is it? Quickly, let’s review all emergency procedures and visualize our response. What about extreme situations, say when a wing falls off, what am I going to do? Why is it when everything seems to be where it is supposed to be that is not comforting?
Launch. Aerotow or self-launch, makes no difference. Either way, you are connected to a noisy thing that carries you higher and higher, from the safety of the runway.
Those engines do not run forever and this launch seems to be taking a long time. Why is it that at the end of each launch the engine is closer to needing an overhaul then when you started the launch? Why can’t there be a less stressful way of starting the flight?
Soaring. Finally, we are at altitude. Pull the release. Bang! Now we are free. No more noise, slow down to a reasonable speed, and look around. It is very obvious at this moment. Why fly? Because of right now.
Endless hope. There must be thermals out there. I have height right now, and I will find those thermals. I will go places and stay up a long time. We are at the start of a great adventure. Why have I gone thru so much effort? To get to this point, to get to the beginning of the story I will tell at work next week.
Sure, in less then 10 minutes I will be back down on the ground. Then another hour cleaning and disassembling the plane await as my reward. But I still can feel the hope that next time, if the thermals are stronger and I can get a little more precise with the controls, I will have that adventure that is out there. This is why I fly.
