I have been waiting for this moment since the very first hang gliding lessons
that I took back in March 2015! I know, it’s been three seasons all together
and not a single time did I get the chance or the permission from my instructors
to turn a circle around some raising air.
So far all my flights (about 80 on the winch and 20 on the mountains) had been
sled riders. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great fun to fly a hang glider no matter if
it’s only about going down, but somehow all the effor that I had been putting on the
sport, traveling for days to somewhere where I could fly, together with the time
that it takes to go to take off and rig up the glider, all of that for flights that
are just going down is a true test to one’s patience.
But today was the day. A little marginal, with not a lot of activity going on, but just perfect for the novice hang glider pilot. Just out of the ridge to the left there are some rocks well below as you just take off so it’s safe to turn if they are working. Indeed they were working and off I went to try to find the lift.
Normally a sled ride in Àger will get you 10 minutes of air time. This time I scored a humble amount of 25 minutes. That means that I did gain myself an extra 15 minutes in the air by just turning in circles and trying to follow my vario.
This is just the beginning. I can’t put in words how much excited I am. It’s been a long waiting but it finally paid off today and will do for the rest of my career as a pilot.