Rite of Passage

http://vimeo.com/17699223

This Tuesday I accomplished a goal that has been on my radar for some time. I flew to The Point! The Point is the very tip of Lookout Mountain overlooking the Tennessee River at Chattanooga. It is a beautiful spot much adored by sight seers for it's views and it's history. I'm here to tell you that you've not seen The Point until you've seen it from 1000' over! Flying to the point is something that is done frequently from Lookout Mountain Flight Park, one of my home sites. It is not a highly challenging route, although it does have some technical aspects. There are pilots who will fly to The Point and back multiple times in a single flight!

So why was this Rite of Passage for me? I believe there is a critical step in the development of a hang glider pilot when you come to terms with the idea of landing out. Landing out means landing in a field other than a designated landing zone (LZ). A hang glider can be landed just about anywhere there's a field free from obstructions, and if you're planning on doing any cross country flying (XC) then you're going to be landing out. However there are many pilots who never reach that point. Landing out safely not only requires solid landing skills, but it also requires the ability to judge a field's size and terrain and vegetation from the air, determine the wind direction, and other more subtle skills that you don't learn landing in proper LZs. Flying is full of awe and wonder and challenge, and for some flying within range of a known, cared for, wind-socked LZ is adventure enough. For others the thrill of flying off into the unknown in search of new terrain, new lift, and of course, new LZs adds a completely new dimension to the art of hang gliding.







I've considered making this trip to The Point once or twice before. There always came a moment when I realized that if I flew any further I would be out of range of the designated LZ. At that point there was an invisible tether that held me back. Perhaps, I  mused, I am one of the first category of pilots, the ones who are happy boating around in the known? However this past Tuesday when that moment came I felt no hesitation at all! I looked ahead and saw some big fields and thought "Yeah, I could land that no problem.", and just like that, I had stepped through the door.

Hang gliding is a very dynamic activity. It can be at once transcendent and thrilling... heavenly and frightening. It requires that you constantly evaluate where you are, and where you are going. You cannot drift aimlessly into hang gliding. If you wish to keep growing as a pilot you must do so with focus, passion, and determination. This is not a sport that requires great physical prowess, nor does it require special intelligence.

What is does require is heart, and courage, and a willingness to take measured risks in the quest for higher heights. In my short time flying (just over 1 year now) I have been stretched, challenged, uplifted, and at least once pounded by my desire to master free flight. I am a much happier person because of it. More fulfilled.





I am constantly surprised by one simple facet of flying... it doesn't ever become normal, or mundane. Every time you start to get comfortable with flying, there is something waiting to lift you up to a whole new level.... and after all, isn't that The Point?