The audience

The audience of earth-bound people cannot appreciate the joy, sights
and feelings of a sailplane pilot; high above the traffic jams and
millions of TV sets polluting minds and wasting useful lives.
No earth bound person can understand the many motions and boundless
energy of the atmosphere. Few airplane pilots know the secrets that
sailplane pilots use to travel hundreds of miles with no engine, using
no fuel and landing safely without an engine to make a second attempt.
The majestic lenticular clouds signal mesmerizing energy and an unreal
smoothness...an eerie quietness that suddenly envelops the sailplane and
its pilot. The lifting motion of the atmosphere is able to carry the
sailplane to altitudes high above the cruising altitude of a 747. The
world record of 49,000 ft was set near Mojave California.
While pilots of powered airplanes suffer in bouncy turbulence through
valleys, sailplane pilots may be traveling the same direction, moving
along in utter bliss. It's knowing and using the many variations of
atmospheric motion.
Sailplane pilots are drawn to the high mountains, soaring above Mount
Whitney and the Rockies while many airplane pilots avoid them like a
disease. Sailplane pilots often use oxygen while some airplanes cannot
even reach the same altitude with their propellers churning in furious
rotations.
Unless you soar with the hawks and eagles, you cannot appreciate the
fun that the birds seek daily. I have had birds fly inside my wingspan
perfectly confident that I too was a bird and look at me eye-to-eye.
What a joy!
My life as a sailplane pilot and instructor is so full of unexpected
pleasures that in my 56 years of being a pilot, the pleasures only
increase and now I am living the best years of my life still teaching
others and flying just for fun.
Fred Robinson March 28, 2003
Revised November 31, 2007
Now it has been over 60 years as a licensed pilot, airplanes and
gliders.
Now after 30,000 flights and not counting, I still feel the same.
Without my life of flying, I would not have enjoyed my life as much.
My hope is that more people enjoy life as much. Learn, fly, teach and
learn some more. Fred Robinson