Rise Up !

It is nearly summer and the time seemed to have flown out the window, even as I kept the panes shut to fend off the chilly winter winds. The soft summer shine is pleading me to shun the covers, sprint out the door, spread my arms, and soar in the sky.

And soar in the sky - I literally did!

The green hills were lusting for summer heat with when I stepped inside the London Gliding Club (LGC) one early morning. Situated between foothills and stretches of farmlands, LGC is one of the oldest gliding clubs in the U.K (estd. 1930)

When I reached the flying ground I was greeted by a vast green stretch of land and few gliders lined up in a corner. The young summer sun and the clean countryside air flushed my lungs; and the sight of the winged crafts expelled the monotony of my insipid past few months.

Before hitting the field, I met Peter, my flight instructor, and even received my first ever ‘Glider’s pilot log-book’!! With this began our gliders 101 session with Peter who briefed us on the components inside a standard twin-seater SCHLEICHER ASK 21 type aircraft. I didn't know flying yet, but a brief peek inside the craft raised my spirits to a new high! “This is gonna be awesome!”

Flight insurance .... check

Safety straps .... check

Pilot stick movement .... check

Rudder Control .... check

Radio .... check

Altimeter, Vertical speed meter, G meter .... all good!

With the help of a small towing buggy we got our 600 kilograms glider in the launching circuit, and initiated flight safety check.

The only step needed was to check if the airspace was clear to launch, and this was done by circling the buggy across the launching field and give a go/no-go signal using a rather curiously named signalling banner called ‘Mid field bat’

Mid Field Bat signal .... check Pre-Gliding Selfie .... Double Check!

With all checks in place, it was now time to launch. There are generally two options::  

a) Aero-tug - where another single propeller aircraft tows and positions the glider in the sky and then leaves it

b) Winch launch - A slingshot mechanism which quickly pulls and launches the glider towards sky

I got the faster and more fun option b.

Strapped with a parachute, I settled in the glider seat with my instructor at the back-seat. The rush filled up my stomach and my heart raced as I closed the cockpit. The moment had finally arrived - time to take wings and fly!!

With a tug and a lurch we swept the ground and rose in the sky. A rope snapped somewhere and swoooooooooosh !

Within seconds I was catapulted in the air with the ground 800 feet below me!

For a nervous few moments , my anticipation turned into apprehension as the world circled around me. But as I got the hang of the control gear - I was greeted by the world from a whole new perspective.
Fields and hills passed below me as I saw the green curves and gleaming valleys open up to me like a canvas. The roofs of the nearby village’s houses seemed toy-like as I hovered and turned in the sky above.

I was the king of the sky - answerable to only the heavens above and Peter in the backseat - who, i forgot to mention, was busy searching for right clouds and wind formation (a.k.a ‘thermals’ in flight lingo).
We swayed from one side to another in trying to latch on to the right thermal formation to push us higher and closer to the clouds.

The tryst between high and low pressure thermals continued as I swinged the glider up and down, right and left, and make it circle back again. The view was enchanting and the feel was ecstatic. With building confidence , I also got a chance to click a few snaps from inside and outside the cockpit.

Peter finally asked me to circle back to the standard flight landing circuit path and descend the craft. The low pressure thermals had finally gained an edge and told us that it was time to come back to the ground, literally! :( 

The landing gear was put in place; With a slight thud we landed on a straight patch over the hill. It had been an incredible ride.

I looked at the ground beneath my feet below and the open skies above and said to myself “I’ll be back for more!”. 

Or, as the famous glider pilot John Jefferies would quote “Keep on flying till you hit the spuds”. Over and Out.

“When the race to reach up just gets you down

Its time to pause and turn around

Look up the sky and see the clouds

Take running steps till the wings come out

Fumble and  flutter,but  up you go

Till you look down on the meadows below

And when you bask in the heaven’s glow

You can hear your sound without the noises below”
                                                      
- Priyank

Back to the ground