The Joy of Soaring

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>   </B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crystal Squadron"><U>Crystal Squadron</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Free Classified Ads"><U>Free Classified Ads</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Soaring Information"><U>Soaring Information</U></A>   |   <B>The Joy of Soaring</B>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOY SCOUTS"><U>BOY SCOUTS</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHY WERE THE BEST"><U>WHY  WE'RE  THE  BEST</U></A></div> <div> <This link's target cannot be found></div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOW TO FLY IN HERE WITH YOUR PLANE"><U>HOW TO FLY IN HERE WITH YOUR PLANE</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special Interest and Customers"><U>Special Interest and Customers</U></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="09fb26b0.jpg" border=0 width="178" height="107" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The DG-505 over the local mountains.  Picture taken from our DG-500 by Dale Masters.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0c6b18e0.jpg" border=0 width="177" height="142" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a3b2860.jpg" border=0 width="178" height="134" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0c8b0910.jpg" border=0 width="176" height="145" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a9b3860.jpg" border=0 width="179" height="134" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>The Joy of Soaring</I></div> <bR> <div> An essay by Fred Robinson, Jan. 29, 2001</div> <bR> <div> THE JOY OF SOARING is a book about learning to fly gliders (also better known as sailplanes). My very good friend Carleton C. Conway was the author. The Soaring Society of America sells it and it is available at better soaring operations.</div> <bR> <div> Carle is gone, taken by the natural events of aging, but the joy of soaring in sailplanes remains.</div> <bR> <div> The joy of soaring is an intellectual experience. My mind senses so many things (that the earth-bound folks never encounter), that I am amazed on every flight that I am among the few who have known the wonder of powerless flight.</div> <bR> <div> Flight so high that the sun still shines in my face when the ground below becomes black with darkness.</div> <bR> <div> Flight above the commonplace world below where traffic jams ensnarl the lives of people who have no idea of the freedom I enjoy in my soaring flight so high above.</div> <bR> <div> Flight so unimaginable, video artists have failed to simulate the things I experience almost daily. The atmosphere, almost invisible, so well known to me and so unknown to those below is only one of the things that tease me.</div> <bR> <div> Flight with soaring birds, eagles, hawks, buzzards and even the lowly ravens, excite my senses and realize that I have become able to share their fun so high above the common ground.</div> <bR> <div> Even little things soar. In east Texas I have soared with Monarch butterflies thousands of feet above the ground. My wings after landing have the unintended marks of collisions with insects so high above. There is even an insect named the Sugar Glider.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Why do so many living things fly so high as to be above the necessity to live, eat or hunt? My answer to my own question is one word…FUN.  A pair of eagles, soaring 12,000 ft above ground is not hunting prey on the ground. Hundreds of ravens, at 11,000 ft, joyously mixing it up in a thermal are not competing for food.</div> <bR> <div> The human intellect created the machines that allow earth bound humans to experience the joy of soaring. That creative intellect created sailplanes and sailplane design created airplanes and improved airplanes after sailplanes proved the value of the improvements. </div> <bR> <div> That intellect allows us to enjoy things unknown to almost everyone.</div> <bR> <div> Those of us who know, see sailplane design in every jet airliner, every stealth fighter and bomber. Yes, I know stealth warbirds don't look like sailplanes, but the technology started with sailplanes. Elements of sailplane design are in every business jet now being sold or being modified.</div> <bR> <div> Sailplanes (gliders) are still being improved. They are the test beds of composite aircraft construction. They are the creative results of minds that soar high above common experience.</div> <bR> <div> Tell me why more people do not know or enjoy the joy of soaring. There are  millions of people living within one hour of driving time from my favorite soaring site, yet there are only a few who share my "Joy of Soaring."</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="29d95160.jpg" border=0 width="405" height="534" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Cottonwood Lakes.  <I>Picture by Dale Masters.</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>