Hi-D Ultra Lite

I've flown plenty- around the world, state to state, CA top to CA bottom, by the seat of my pants. But I have never flown like this before: in a sailplane!

My cute friend Maren and me, squished into the back seat.
The weight limit was no problem, but the narrow seat was not made for people any bigger than us!

The sailplane is a glider- no engine. This particular version is a WWII relic maintained by the onsite mechanic/owner. The instrument panel consists entirely of an altimeter and a knob that looks like the lid of a peanut butter jar. No computer. No switches. No lights. No backing up. No fuss. The controls are all mechanical and obvious. (The brake panels were raised by pulling a wooden knob on an exposed rod that my left leg was resting on.) The preflight safety check consisted of visual examination of the final 3ft of a 70ft towrope, before the runway helper laid down on the tarmac and clipped it to the sailplane. (Apparently the other 67 feet can be taken on faith.) That's it- away we go!

After being towed to 3000 feet, the tow cable is released and we are free. We can see miles of rice paddies, pepper flecks that our pilot says are cows, cars the size of nickels, and a path to the McDonald's in the next town. The ride is not an arcing straight line, like throwing a paper airplane. The pilot has surprisingly good control, gliding in wide and tight turns, steep downward rolls, and stomach-jerking rises on small thermals. The birds are oblivious; there is no noise to alert them until we are literally on their tails and suddenly startle them completely off course. I do the same thing to people in parking lots with my Prius.

The landing is amazing, considering there's no power.  The pilot banks a wide turn, and lands gently in exactly the middle of the runway at precisely the touch down line.  We laugh and pop out of the tiny plane.  The pilot offers a roller coaster ride if we come again. "It burns up altitude," he says, "but its a lot of fun."  There is no need for aerial acrobatics to make the ride fun.  The longer, graceful ride was just right for today's little adventure!

This adventure was brought to you by the delightful Maren Menditto, the Williams Soaring Center, and the number 34.  Oh yeah, and LivingSocial, because awesomeness should always be a good deal.