(JuanM) wrote in message ...
I'm working on a video and a print project on soaring, and would appreciate
receiving your collective input. We all love this special sport, and are
always trying to convey its uniqueness to strangers.

I would appreciate if you can write a SHORT paragraph about why soaring (and
soaring competition if that is what you do) is so special to you. Why do you
do it? What does it mean to you? How important is it in your life? You can
post here or email me at . Let me know if I can quote your name
or if you would rather remain anonymous.

Juan,

The best answer I've come up with to your question (which others have
asked as well) is that I must have been a hawk in a former life.
Kidding aside (though who knows?), ever since I can remember, long
before soaring was a possibility in my mind, I've always marveled at
soaring birds. Whenever I saw them, if possible, I stopped to watch
them. I didn't realize it back then, but I wanted to be up there with
them.

That realization came to me when I finally did learn to soar and
shared thermals with hawks and eagles. (OK, I know there are also a
lot of turkey vultures up there, but "soaring with the vultures" just
doesn't sound right.) I don't fly contests or go for badges, but do it
for the pure enjoyment of seeing the earth, sky, and clouds from a
really very different perspective. Come to think of it, the hawks and
eagles don't fly contests or do badge work either,

Aside from the lack of engine noise, I also prefer soaring to power
flight because you don't have to go anywhere. Power pilots don't just
circle over a mountain, burning 10+ gallons of fuel an hour, going
nowhere. But, if there's lift over that mountain, a glider pilot can
enjoy hanging out there, marveling at the view before moving on to the
next lift.

Martin