GLIDING: Silent Skies

Written By: Jeff Campbell

We pulled up hard, real hard and banked steeply into a boomer. Ten knots and going up. Oh, yeah! No need to look at the vertical speed indicator. You can feel it in the seat of your pants. This is what flying is all about!

For now the rocks are close. Blue sky, with little moisture, makes staying aloft difficult and here we are on our way out for some cross country. Nice. There are two of us pilots in the sleek glider. Heaps of fun having someone along, better two to figure it all out. Constantly figuring, as the adventure unfolds.

The 76-foot wings flex mightily as the thermal shoots us into the sky. Now, just got to hang on to it... Movements are swift, deliberate and smooth. Thermal soaring definitely refines stick and rudder coordination. You've got three things going on at once. Make it right and that current of rising air will carry you aloft making earth a thing of the past. 

We listen and feel the air, meticulously adjusting our glider to maximize "the force." Yes, this can be addicting. With a 50/1 L/D, Stemme performance is the name of the game. What a ship! Able to self-launch from TEX, the highest commercial airport in North America, this motor glider is one-of-a-kind. 

You don't have to be a glider pilot to agree that the San Juan's offer some of the most dramatic scenery in the world, but it helps. Without a doubt, when your feet leave the ground, so does your point of view. 

Get High--Stay High--Go Far!