The hangar at the historic, Harris Hill.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"The hangar at the historic, Harris Hill.
"},"imageId":"521a6c9be4b06116fb762084","filename":"Glider Hangar.jpg","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-a0f2025a391f3d61e666">The hangar at the historic, Harris Hill.
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The hangar at the historic, Harris Hill.
My heart starts to race in the middle of a\nweek which up until this point has been spent enjoying idyllic lake views while\nsipping the crisp white wines of the Finger Lakes region. I\u2019m on my way to\nHarris Hill in Elmira, New York, where I will be taking a glider ride over the lush\nregion. Logically, I know that this sounds like an incredible experience to see\nthe region from the best view in the house \u2013 the air - but, irrationally, I can\nonly think of the fact that a glider is a plane with no engine.
I\u2019m a bit of a nervous flyer to begin with. Ronald\nOgden, the Director of Marketing and Development for the National Soaring\nMuseum, must sense my jittery movements and sweaty palms as he greets me and\nwalks with me over to the runway. He gives me a brief history of gliding and\nassures me that they have been doing this for a long time. Established in 1937,\nthe Harris\nHill Soaring Corporation is the Soaring Capital of America. So, they\nknow what they\u2019re doing.
","engine":"visual"}" data-block-type="2" class="sqs-block html-block" id="block-367f922cc6d194d81113">My heart starts to race in the middle of a week which up until this point has been spent enjoying idyllic lake views while sipping the crisp white wines of the Finger Lakes region. I’m on my way to Harris Hill in Elmira, New York, where I will be taking a glider ride over the lush region. Logically, I know that this sounds like an incredible experience to see the region from the best view in the house – the air - but, irrationally, I can only think of the fact that a glider is a plane with no engine.
I’m a bit of a nervous flyer to begin with. Ronald Ogden, the Director of Marketing and Development for the National Soaring Museum, must sense my jittery movements and sweaty palms as he greets me and walks with me over to the runway. He gives me a brief history of gliding and assures me that they have been doing this for a long time. Established in 1937, the Harris Hill Soaring Corporation is the Soaring Capital of America. So, they know what they’re doing.
Nervous smiles while getting strapped in to the two-seater glider.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"Nervous smiles while getting strapped in to the two-seater glider.
"},"imageId":"521a6e79e4b090faa023de44","filename":"Glider 1.jpg","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-8d7ee7cfeef1e1a4779b">Nervous smiles while getting strapped in to the two-seater glider.
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Nervous smiles while getting strapped in to the two-seater glider.
I walk up to the two-seater glider on the\nrunway and my pilot, Wayne, is sitting inside. He greets me and tells me to hop\nin - the front seat. I\u2019m more of a back of the roller-coaster type of girl, but\nthat doesn\u2019t seem to matter in this case since there\u2019s only two seats and he\u2019s\nthe pilot. Wayne gives me a quick run-down of the control panel in front of me.\nI am assured that I won\u2019t have to do anything except enjoy the view. He will be\nin full control.
","engine":"visual"}" data-block-type="2" class="sqs-block html-block" id="block-069daf020c930a80ace3">I walk up to the two-seater glider on the runway and my pilot, Wayne, is sitting inside. He greets me and tells me to hop in - the front seat. I’m more of a back of the roller-coaster type of girl, but that doesn’t seem to matter in this case since there’s only two seats and he’s the pilot. Wayne gives me a quick run-down of the control panel in front of me. I am assured that I won’t have to do anything except enjoy the view. He will be in full control.
Play-by-play of the glider take-off while being towed down the runway.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"Play-by-play of the glider take-off while being towed down the runway.
"},"imageId":"521a6cd9e4b03a3ebe29fb62","filename":"Glider take-off.jpg","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false,"floatDir":null,"hSize":null}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-ca406396470c5bc99d17">Play-by-play of the glider take-off while being towed down the runway.
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Play-by-play of the glider take-off while being towed down the runway.
A small tow-plane (with engine) pulls up and a\ncord is pulled out from the back and is attached to the front of the glider. A\ncrew member lowers the glass dome that contains myself and Wayne inside, and I\nrealize that this is not the time to be claustrophobic. In what seems like a\nhighly-efficient minute, we have been safety checked and are ready to go.
","engine":"visual"}" data-block-type="2" class="sqs-block html-block" id="block-436ed28d725c4283514f">A small tow-plane (with engine) pulls up and a cord is pulled out from the back and is attached to the front of the glider. A crew member lowers the glass dome that contains myself and Wayne inside, and I realize that this is not the time to be claustrophobic. In what seems like a highly-efficient minute, we have been safety checked and are ready to go.
My front-seat view being towed up to 4000 ft.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"My front-seat view being towed up to 4000 ft.
"},"imageId":"521a6ceee4b090faa023d777","filename":"Glider - being towed.jpg","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-8a4b9317202bc3e5132f">My front-seat view being towed up to 4000 ft.
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My front-seat view being towed up to 4000 ft.
All panicky feelings take a backseat to my overwhelming\nurge to take photos of the take-off. We start to lift as we are towed down the runway and\nwe\u2019re up just before it ends. The experience of lift-off physically takes my\nbreath away. I\u2019m excited and exhilarated and we\u2019re barely 30 seconds into the\nride.
We are carried up to 4000ft and the cord that\nattaches us to the tow plane is released and it zips beneath us and flies back\ndown to the ground.
I think to myself, \u201CThis is it. We\u2019re up here\nalone\u201D, and then I realize that it\u2019s\u2026quiet. And, it\u2019s peaceful. And this is as\nclose as I\u2019ve ever come to feeling like I\u2019m actually flying. Properly flying.\nNot in a loud buzzing and bumpy jumbo jet, but like an actual bird.
","engine":"visual"}" data-block-type="2" class="sqs-block html-block" id="block-9fb3e2268567ab3cf821">All panicky feelings take a backseat to my overwhelming urge to take photos of the take-off. We start to lift as we are towed down the runway and we’re up just before it ends. The experience of lift-off physically takes my breath away. I’m excited and exhilarated and we’re barely 30 seconds into the ride.
We are carried up to 4000ft and the cord that attaches us to the tow plane is released and it zips beneath us and flies back down to the ground.
I think to myself, “This is it. We’re up here alone”, and then I realize that it’s…quiet. And, it’s peaceful. And this is as close as I’ve ever come to feeling like I’m actually flying. Properly flying. Not in a loud buzzing and bumpy jumbo jet, but like an actual bird.
They call me Maverick.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"They call me Maverick.
"},"imageId":"521a6d08e4b08f80cfe10aca","filename":"photo-2.JPG","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-e4e5213e7b70d2d87b77">They call me Maverick.
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They call me Maverick.
A combination or nerves and adrenaline breaks\nmy moment of pure adoration for what I\u2019m experiencing because I realize that\nI\u2019m chatting Wayne\u2019s ear off. He humours me and encourages me to enjoy the view\noutside of the camera lens and so I put the camera down. Every once in a while,\nhe tells me to stick my hand out of a tiny window opening to my left to blow\nrefreshing cold air on my face. Even though I\u2019m no longer scared, this quick\nblast of cold air is a good reminder to ease up on the adrenaline and to just\nenjoy the ride.
We manage to find \u201Clift\u201D, which is air that\ngives us an upward push on the wings and we move into a right turn and start climbing.\nWe make it up to 5000ft! We\u2019re higher up than where we started from and we didn\u2019t\nuse an engine to get us there.
Twenty minutes, and many incredibly lush\nscenic views, have passed and this \u2018scaredy-cat\u2019 has been up in the air the\nlongest of all the gliders. Wayne manoeuvres us into\nposition for landing and we approach Harris Hill where we took off. We come\ndown gently onto the runway in the smoothest landing that I have ever\nexperienced. I may not ever fully understand the science of aviation, but I am\ncompletely enamoured by this experience of soaring in a majestic glider.
","engine":"visual"}" data-block-type="2" class="sqs-block html-block" id="block-18193f116c3be8c2f84a">A combination or nerves and adrenaline breaks my moment of pure adoration for what I’m experiencing because I realize that I’m chatting Wayne’s ear off. He humours me and encourages me to enjoy the view outside of the camera lens and so I put the camera down. Every once in a while, he tells me to stick my hand out of a tiny window opening to my left to blow refreshing cold air on my face. Even though I’m no longer scared, this quick blast of cold air is a good reminder to ease up on the adrenaline and to just enjoy the ride.
We manage to find “lift”, which is air that gives us an upward push on the wings and we move into a right turn and start climbing. We make it up to 5000ft! We’re higher up than where we started from and we didn’t use an engine to get us there.
Twenty minutes, and many incredibly lush scenic views, have passed and this ‘scaredy-cat’ has been up in the air the longest of all the gliders. Wayne manoeuvres us into position for landing and we approach Harris Hill where we took off. We come down gently onto the runway in the smoothest landing that I have ever experienced. I may not ever fully understand the science of aviation, but I am completely enamoured by this experience of soaring in a majestic glider.
Me with my \"co-pilot\" post flight.
","engine":"wysiwyg","html":"Me with my \"co-pilot\" post flight.
"},"imageId":"521a6e5ee4b054c3d4f2114d","filename":"Glider 2.jpg","lightbox":false,"stretch":false,"linkTo":"","newwindow":false}" data-block-type="5" class="sqs-block image-block" id="block-7bbd32f753d102b9253b">Me with my "co-pilot" post flight.
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Me with my "co-pilot" post flight.
This glider ride was experienced on a trip\nwith Mark\nTwain Country. I take full responsibility for my\ninability to stop talking about this incredible soaring experience at Harris\nHill.
Interested\nin soaring in a glider? Find out more:
Harris Hill Soaring Corporation
National Soaring Museum
This glider ride was experienced on a trip with Mark Twain Country. I take full responsibility for my inability to stop talking about this incredible soaring experience at Harris Hill.
Interested in soaring in a glider? Find out more:
Harris Hill Soaring Corporation
