Nothing Comes as Expected During Quiet Flight

Glider experience offers a chance to be a beginner again, drinking from a fire hose.

Friday, October 11, 2024 at 08:52 AM ET

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With gliders, FLYING contributor Ben Young (seated) discovered there is no go-around. No second shot. You are going to land one way or another. [Courtesy: Ben Younger]

Key Takeaways:

The author, a powered aircraft pilot, took an initial glider lesson to learn soaring, motivated by its value for mastering energy management, crucial for potential engine failures.
Flying a basic Schweizer 2-33A, the author experienced an "analog" flight, using thermals to climb from 3,200 feet (after tow release) to 8,000 feet and staying airborne for nearly two hours.
The soaring experience challenged many of the author's preconceived notions about flying, revealing unique aspects in communication, controls, shared airspace, and the critical precision required for landings.
Despite experiencing motion sickness from continuous circling in thermals, the author found the novel stimuli and the challenge of learning new skills as a beginner to be highly rewarding.

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Sitting in a folding chair under a weathered canopy on a warm California day in Lake Elsinore’s Skylark Airport (CA89), I listened as a group of glider pilots talked about the improving weather.

We were gathered just off of the grass Runway 29L, and everyone stared intently at the ridgeline to our west. When a solitary, tiny cloud formed a few thousand feet above the ridge, the pilots became suddenly animated.

Ben Younger

Ben Younger is a TV and film writer/director, avid motorcyclist and surfer—but it’s being a pilot that he treats as a second profession. Find him on Instagram @thisisbenyounger.