We head in the direction of the San Gabriel Mountains. Throughout the flight Dale poetically shared his flying wisdom and geological features of the countryside, his paradise. “Below us is the San Andres Fault,” Dale pointed out. I felt sweat dripping down and opened up the small 4×8” window to let the warm air burst inside. It was clear to me now why the crew made sure sunscreen was worn. It felt hot inside the glider which I concluded was because the sun’s rays were intensified as they passed through the glass dome of the glider and onto my skin. My stomach was still flipping but no longer nauseous. He was always checking on me, making sure that I was doing okay and having a good time because “that’s what it’s all about” he confirmed. I guess the expression on my face and body language reflected this because Dale decided to switch things up and get out of the thermal. I felt like I was on the teacups ride at Disneyland and wanted off. This did not improve the condition of my stomach. We entered into a thermal and began spiraling upwards. I had never been so high up in the air in such a small object. I knew I was safe and that Dale was a master glider but I was still a little scared. My stomach was doing flips like a trained seal and my heart rate began to race. When we were grounded, Dale asked me about roller-coasters, “When was the last time you were on one?” Floating in the air, it sure felt like I was on one.
They will pull you down so must work against them. The first thirty minutes or so up in the air is feeling the air patterns to know what you can use to glide, explains Dale, and don’t let the wind currents direct you. Dale pulled the cord and we were officially soaring. Higher and higher we climbed at a rapid pace until it was time to be released. Once the glider plane reached a certain altitude the cord would be released. In a matter of seconds the glider plane was off the ground, still connected to the tow plane by an umbilical cord. After the quick recap, a plane began towing us to the runway.
Glider plane how to#
We went over what controls were what again as well as where the window was and how to work the radio.
I sat on the seat cushion from my wheelchair for added support and protection. The weight of the front seat needs to be 152lbs to make the glider level when up in the air weights can be added to reach this quota. Weight is an important factor when riding in a glider. I transferred into the front seat with a little assistance from the crew. Dale was seated in the back with his own set of master controls to the glider plane. Two Schleicher ASK-21 gliders are available at Southern California Soaring Academy. I would be in a special glider plane called a Schleicher ASK-21 that is configured with hand controls enabling someone without the use of his or her legs to operate. After Dale went over his lesson on updrafts, I was beginning to understand how the atmosphere and the glider plane would coincide and was ready to experience it first-hand. On the other side of the San Gabriel Mountains is the Pacific Ocean and the cold winds produced here constantly merge with the ones in the hot Mojave Desert. Finally, any time air currents merge an updraft is created. One can ride a wave for a long and get extreme altitude. The next is referred to as a wave, in which air flows over a mountain, descends and then rises back up. In this case, the glider flies parallel to the ridge. Another updraft is an up-slope wind and resides along ridges or any kind of slope. This kind of lift could be from the ground or the heat reflecting off a rock warm from the sun. One such updraft is a thermal, which is a warm spot that rises up in a circular fashion while expanding, like the reverse effect of a drain. A pilot must rely on updrafts or lifts to keep the glider in flight. “This is my religion,” he said with a smile, “and this countryside is my paradise.”įlying a glider plane means soaring without an engine. Dale has been flying glider planes for over thirty years and could probably do so with his eyes closed. The San Gabriel Mountains in the Mojave Desert of Southern California have nearly perfect conditions for flying a glider plane, explains Dale of Southern California Soaring Academy, and that is why he chooses to set up his glider businesses in the tiny town of Llano near Palmdale, approximately an hour and a half away from Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.
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