I wanted to share with the club the letter I just sent to a newspaper columnist out in Oregon.
craig
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TO: Angela Yeager
Salem, OR Statesman Journal
Dear Angela,
I just read your June 16 column in the Salem
Statesman Journal, "Don't slam stuff you know nothing
about," online.
http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 60311/1064
I like your sentiment, and believe you give good
advice there.
However, I had to laugh at the incongruity of one of
your statements:
" Since I am afraid of heights and have issues with
motion sickness, I also know that hang gliding is not
the hobby for me even if I haven't tried it."
You see, about ten years ago my wife got me to try
hang gliding on the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina. Flights were 3 to 10 feet off the ground,
and lasted about 10 seconds. Absolutely no chance of
either my strong acrophobia (fear of heights) or
notable tendency to air sickness kicking in. Well, in
just five of those 10 second flights, I had an amazing
experience. I felt a thrill I had never before
experienced.
I knew I had to have more of that feeling.
Over the next two years, i took hang gliding lessons
at odd intervals, when time permitted. All of those
lessons repeated the short duration and very low
altitude flights of the first day, whether on a North
Carolina sand dune or a Virginia farm pasture.
As I was going through this training, I kept in
mind my tendency to airsickness and my fear of
heights. I decided to see if I could deal with and
overcome both of those weaknesses, in order to get the
full flight experience. My stated goal: I would become
well trained enough that I could stand at the edge of
a mountain hooked to a hang glider, and decide for
myself whether to launch into the sky. At that time,
my goal was not necessarily to fly above the
mountains, just be capable of deciding whether I
would.
Two years later, I stood on a roilling slope of a
mountain ridge in Pennsylvania, my instructor beside
me giving last minute guidance. I was looking out over
a pastoral valley, the valley floor of farmers' fields
about 600 feet below. I was nervous, but I was not
scared. After a few deep breaths to calm down, I began
my run down the slope, just as I had done over 200
times before on the small hills in pastures. WIthin
five steps I was airborne, sailing out over the trees.
On the radio, my instructor told me to turn left and
fly in front of the ridge. I did that for a few
hundred yards, then turned back to fly in front of the
launch point. He told me to head out over the valley,
aimed for the landing field. I looked down at the
treetops 400 feet below, and could only think, "This
is SO COOL!" He told me I had enough altitude and to
make a 360 degree turn. I banked the glider left and
made an exquisite circle in the sky, just like the
soaring hawks do. Continuing out to the big field, I
descended to land. I stood there in the middle of the
field, the biggest grin you can imagine on my face.
Not only had I just done what is the stuff of
dreams, flying like a bird, I had overcome two demons,
refusing to give them power over me.
I have been flying hang gliders ever since, loving
every minute of the sport.
I still have full blown acrophobia; I cannot and
will not go within 5 feet of the edge of our mountain
launch sites unless I am hooked to my glider and ready
to fly. Interestingly, my tendency for airsickness has
gone down a lot. I no longer need to pop a pill for it
before riding in an airliner.
Your advice in your column was right. You don't
know until you try it. I just want you to go that next
step and follow your own advice. I did so ten years
ago, and my life has been much the richer for it.
If you'd like to see what it looks like for this
middle-aged acrophobic to launch into the sky, look at
my web pages at
http://members.cox.net/cragins/50th/
and
http://members.cox.net/cragins/Maui/
You have my permission to use this letter or
portions of it in print. If you do, please let me
know, since I am on the other coast and not a regular
reader (I found your column in a Google search).
Sincerely,
Cragin Shelton
Alexandria, Virginia
Sharing the Experience
Moderator: CHGPA BOD