Reach For The Sky

In the late 1950's the commercial jet age was arriving in Cape Town. One flight in particular, raised my awareness of what to me was the marvel of aeronautics. It was incomprehensible to me, as a 10-year-old that a huge metal machine could speed along the ground and soar up into the air and through the clouds, and out of sight. An uncle who'd served in the airforce during the war tried to explain how the air flows of the wings which were thicker in front and thinner at the back edge, thereby creating lift. 

I listened attentively, and then tried his theory using various wooden planks, but my planks refused to fly. 

Either his explanation was crap or my understanding was lacking. Or the planks were not aeronautic grade. As I regarding myself as intelligent, with a   grasp for things scientific, the planks seemed Ok, so, on balance, the Uncle quite obviously must have had fabricated the details of flight simply to rid a pesky brat nephew of asking  continual "How and Why?"

However, this lack of understanding did not prevent me from wanting to be able to control such a heavy craft myself and to be in charge of a machine in the sky. 

As far as I know, the term "bucket list" became a common-used term in the early 2000's because of Hollywood, but earlier, than that it was just a list of things you wanted to do before you "kicked the bucket." In retrospect, this early desire to fly a machine could be seen as one of the first items on my personal bucket list.

Today, 18 January 2016, I wake up early to a grey cloudy Reikorangi sky. Like an expectant first-time astronaut, during the next couple of hours I will be sitting attentively near the phone, waiting for a confirmation call from Roger from the Wellington Gliding Club at the Kapiti airport, Paraparaumu. Note: I don't know his real-life name, but the "Roger" for "received" in radio parlance always sticks in my mind. Roger, over and out.

Roger will confirm that my 10 o'clock booking for an hour-long LIGIE (Long Introductory Gliding Instructional Experience) is at status "G" for Go. Or not. Gliding is heavily dependent on air currents (warm rising air), and one would preferably want reasonably cloudless skies to be able to enjoy the panoramas. Outside the Reikorangi sky contains a mixture of a bank of heavy grey rain-cloud (this is New Zealand, after all!), patches of fluffy white cloud and some misty bits over the mountain areas. Roger is on the coast 15 km away (as the crow flies), so I guess he will be a better judge of the weather prospects for gliding.    

If I get no call by 9:30-ish, I will presume that we have a "G". But I will worry: Perhaps Roger has overslept, or perhaps Roger has lost my phone number, or perhaps I've got the date wrong. Anyway, I'm like an astronaut waiting for launch-pad communications. Waiting. 

I'm not much good at waiting.

What to wear? What did Douglas Bader wear? What did Gary Powers wear? The former has that brown leather sort of swimming cap, didn't he? And the spy plane pilot had a sort of space helmet, I think. I suppose jeans and a tee-shirt will be good. And shoes will be better than muddy gumboots. Yes, I'll do that.  I wonder what Roger will be wearing.

Just before 10:00 I arrive at the Wellington Gliding Club premises on the eastern perimeter of the Kapiti airstrip. My pilot/ instructor  is a most friendly fellow by name of Jake Brattle. I learn that he has been in the soaring/ gliding arena for the last 8 years and is a summer Godwit from Bristol in the United Kingdom. Jake introduces me to the Soaring world. I can tell he is a very capable pilot -- it gives one a ton of comfort to know that you're climbing aboard a craft in the capable care of someone who is quite at home in the sky of engine-less aircraft.

After completing the formalities, we walk across the airfield to the boarding point from which the tow-craft will take us sky-wards. With Clayton's GoPro Hero 4 strapped to my head and my Canon SX30 Powershot on my lap, I sit anxiously in the narrow cocoon, waiting for our craft to start moving along the grassed airstrip.

The tow-car takes our Glider out to the starting point on the field.

Staff doing last-minute cross-checks on the tow craft.

The array of instruments in front of me, with dual controls. I'm in the front row seat, while Jake is sitting behind me with mirror image hand- and floor  controls. Our call-sign is Golf-Pappa-Juliet GPJ

A short while later, we're up, up and away - the smoothest acceleration and take-off, seemingly much more effortless and seamless that a commercial flight that we're all used to.

In the sky, climbing above Paraparaumu, and heading for the Tararua mountain range.

From this point onwards, until we return back to Paraparaumu, I sit amazed and en-awed at the vistas and views of the beautiful countryside, second to none anywhere. The GoPro is busy rolling with virtually the whole flight being filmed minute-by-minute from my forehead. Maybe I can upload some video to YouTube under Kapiti_Soaring?

Instrument panel between my knees.

On average, we're doing 100 to110 kph and are soaring at 5,000 ft.

My certificate is endorsed on the rear: GliderType DG1000S, Time in Air 00h:54m;-First glider flight, over Hector, Kapakapanui and Riki Valley 18/1/2016

A bit more than an hour after leaving the airport, I was back safely on terra firma. A huge vote of thanks to Jake, my instructor-pilot who was physically instrumental in helping me achieve this bucket item and my fantastic family Bianca and Clayton, who generously gave me the trip as a fantastic Xmas present. Irrespective of the number of days I have left on this planet, I know that I will clearly remember this day.

Thank you guys!

The wonders of Google -- Our flight path.