Why that looks like, why yes it is, Orville & Wilburs 3rd cousin-7x-removed on their mother's side of the family in a Wrong Flyer prototype replica at Kill Devil Hills, NC.
After a dozen or so launches as a member of the bungey crew, I got my chance to fly. As I signed in at the timekeeper's desk, I noticed that the longest flight so far had been 12 seconds. Surely I could beat that.
The guy in the picture standing in front of the glider is my instructor. He told me that I would be OK if I treated it like an aerotow, not a winch launch. I said OK.
But it sure felt like a winch launch. The 12-foot long tarp in the picture is the runway. I was airborne before reaching its end!
I had a pretty good flight, and I held it off the ground as long as I could. When I got back to the timekeeper's desk, he told me that my flight lasted 12 seconds, tied for first place. I was feeling pretty good about that, until he said, "You're lucky. You only have to buy half the beer!" Yipes! There were 20 people there, and we were all thirsty.
I was greatly relieved when the instructor took the last flight of the day and managed 16 seconds.
Before I left, I bought a logbook and had him sign it. It's official: I am checked out for bungey launching in a 76 year old glider in the place where gliding was invented.
DB Crew
ReplyDeleteOh, and Wasserkuppe and SG-38.
ReplyDeleteHerr Sheppe.
ReplyDeleteDe Wasserkuppe.
Colditz glider.
Why that looks like, why yes it is, Orville & Wilburs 3rd cousin-7x-removed on their mother's side of the family in a Wrong Flyer prototype replica at Kill Devil Hills, NC.
ReplyDeleteI flew an SG-38 on the Wasserkuppe!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience!
After a dozen or so launches as a member of the bungey crew, I got my chance to fly. As I signed in at the timekeeper's desk, I noticed that the longest flight so far had been 12 seconds. Surely I could beat that.
The guy in the picture standing in front of the glider is my instructor. He told me that I would be OK if I treated it like an aerotow, not a winch launch. I said OK.
But it sure felt like a winch launch. The 12-foot long tarp in the picture is the runway. I was airborne before reaching its end!
I had a pretty good flight, and I held it off the ground as long as I could. When I got back to the timekeeper's desk, he told me that my flight lasted 12 seconds, tied for first place. I was feeling pretty good about that, until he said, "You're lucky. You only have to buy half the beer!" Yipes! There were 20 people there, and we were all thirsty.
I was greatly relieved when the instructor took the last flight of the day and managed 16 seconds.
Before I left, I bought a logbook and had him sign it. It's official: I am checked out for bungey launching in a 76 year old glider in the place where gliding was invented.