A Heartwarming Account From a Blind Passenger

Freedom's Wings Canada, a charitable collaborative that offers rides and
instruction to the disabled community, was in Ottawa at the Gatineau Gliding
Club this past week. We had a request from a blind lady for a ride, and
after some hesitation, agreed. Here is the account of her day she sent to
her peer group:

Hello, to everyone who knows about my first time gliding on August tenth:

It is now 7:00, and I am sitting here trying very hard to put words together
so that you, can fly with me in the most meaningful way. To feel only what
Penny felt, to experience only what I experienced. Without sight, but with
restored hearing, here is what I can put into words. Now, come with me, it
is time to glide, Penny will take you with her now.

I doubt I would have done this a year ago, when I couldn't hear speech of
any kind. Because I would have had no way to communicate. So this, and so
many other activities have happened because of my increased ability and
confidence to interact with others due to the cochlear implant. Now, that I
have done gliding, I would recommend it to anyone, it is an activity full
of excitement, for no one truly knows what a flight will be like.

This experience could not have happened without caring people to assist. A
professional Intervenor to get us set up, Alvin Brown, Charles and Oksana to
be the pilots. I'm very impressed with the Freedoms Wing's program and the
professionalism of the Gatineau Gliding Club.


I learned more in such a short period of time about, physics, aerodynamics,
safety, and how to have fun than I have learned trying any other new
activity in my life. It all started with an email containing a web site
link, from there, I arrange this unique, unforgettable event.
www.freedomswings.ca

Trying to contain my excitement, I was doing a few small chores upstairs
when the door bell rang, I heard that and--here we go, (that has to be Alvin
and Kay).

I quickly gathered my things together, got Kilo ready and we pulled out of
my driveway at a few minutes after eleven. I wasn't nervous, I just wanted
some questions answered. I had empted my bladder, figuring I had better be
safe! Not knowing how my stomach would react, but without any concern, I had
eaten an apple, more for nourishment than anything else.

Kilo and I sat in the back seat, Alvin Driving, Kay our co'pilot. We
traveled along eastward, past Cumberland past Rockland to a small town
called Wend over. It took us just under an hour. We pulled up and got out,
to meet several people. Kilo stayed with Kay while I spent about ten minutes
with Alvin, feeling the glider. The glider is 800 pounds, about, I walked
the distance of it, not sure of length, but bigger than I would have
expected. I felt the wings, very wide, I would be soon, up in the sky in
this??, do I know what I am really doing?

I felt the tail, and the wing part, that wing is about five feet, so it is
small, compared to the full wing, and I felt the moving part at the very end
tail piece that goes up and down, helping the glider to be directed up and
down. they moved the glider so that I could touch everything, I felt totally
in tune, now all I wanted to do was get in and take off!

Oksana, a very warm and comfortable person helped me, she would be the pilot
for this trip, Oksana had been flying gliders for five years. She strapped
me
into the seat, which I sat in, padded, lift right leg over into the glider
floor, then partially sat and got the left leg in. Now I was sitting on the
ground, the sides up to my waist and arms comfortable at sides. The seat
belt across the waist, more hips, then two straps over the shoulders, like
braces, pulled downward tight connecting to the waist belt. You couldn't
shrug your shoulders if you had wanted to. I felt extremely secure, I wasn't
going anywhere, except where the glider went.

Charles explained about how it all worked and how you use the warm air
pockets to gain height, so to get a lift. Then He told me about the check
list that every pilot does before flight, I can't remember all the steps but
he went through them. Check controls movement, instrument working and more.
I had a control in front of me, like a huge joy stick! It was linked to a
control that Oksana had, so that I actually had no control, but as she moved
her control stick, I could follow and know what she was doing. forward, up,
back down, side to side. The movement I could follow if my hand stayed on
the front control.

The left side of the glider roll down, window, and has a square piece in the
side for air flow, this open part was about 4 inches by 4 inches. As we sat
doing the flight check list it got quite warm inside. we are sitting low to
the ground, feet stretched in front of us, and spill room to spare. I would
say I wasn't squeeze in, but if I were a large person the sides would be
snug.

As the canopy is over head, all glass, I could easily touch it, maybe about
8 inches above my head.

A very small plane would pull the trainer glider upward to, 3,000 feet. The
rope used to tow us was 160 feet long. The plane stays on the ground longer,
as it weighs more, so as the plane and glider move forward, the glider comes
off the ground first. The movement is not great, very gradual, very smooth.

As we were being towed upward, Oksana told me what she saw, the height in
feet, and if we turned the direction which we went. I could feel the turns,
it felt similar to going in a small plane, but slower, not turbulent, no
real noise just the distant motor of the plane and the rush of air outside.
I had no helmet, just the canopy. So you feel very free, able to move, not
from side to side, but head is very mobile. I could put my feet apart about
8 inches, I guess.

Oksana knew we would be released from the plane at 3,000 feet, so she told
me
as we got nearer and nearer. At the 3,000 point I felt a slight jerk, very
little, if she had not told me, I am not sure I would have known. But a few
seconds later I felt the absence of the power pulling us forward and upward.
I felt lighter, but the movement didn't change. We moved along and went up
and down slightly. Oksana asked if I wanted to turn, so we did left turns
kind of spiraled, and then right turns. The up, then down, were gentle but
no power engine, it felt so unique.

Oksana wanted to know, "Penny are you ready for an astronaut move?" And, I
said sure, so we did a downward like an elevator, upward, but more than any
elevator will ever give you. I felt very happy, it was so spectacular, to be
moving in the sky, only using our wings and other moving parts to control
us. I never felt uncomfortable at any time. I felt free, like we used nature
to go where we wanted. Much like a bird can do with its wings. And because
of some of what Charles told me, I had that basic concept.

We turned again and again, we slowly lowered toward the ground. Our landing
was very smooth, and the force forward is no where near what you feel on a
jet, it is much more natural. As we flew along, I put my fingers outside to
feel the air, for changes in temperature or changes in speed. We went about
60 miles per hour, and the air had not changed noticeably in temperature,
until
near the end. But I liked having my fingers out there, to Feel, it all!

Once on the ground, I couldn't believe it was all over! I felt the best part
was the coming in for the landing, that was the roughest part.

I got out of the glider, there was a golf cart waiting to carry us back to
where we had started. We tied the glider behind the golf cart, and pulled it
back with us. The distance was not long, less than a few minutes in
distance.

Charles asked if I wanted to go back up for some loops! I couldn't believe
he was serious, again, now? But he was, he wanted to show me some rougher
fun.

So up again I went. It had all the same beginning, but when we were
released, Charles waited until the plane was far enough away, I put my hand
out and air was moving, but it felt like we were not moving. Then we did a
loop, and I am talking about 90 feet worth, loops, that when I went to the
bottom of it, I had pressure pushing me, so hard it felt I might leave the
bottom of the glider. I did not feel afraid, not even a little, but my
weight pushing downward, it was at about three times my own body weight. All
parts of you are pushed down. It was so exhilarating, and then, all at once,
up, up, up and even higher, until my legs left the floor, I was going to
float away, and then down down and down again! It was like a combination of
the best roller coaster ride in an elevator! I can't think how to say it,
you have to experience it to know! Each time we did a loop, we lost
altitude, so after three, we were at 2600 feet, no room to do more. Charles
tried to gain altitude, but we had no warm air to get a lift. So Charles
demonstrated how we could go fast forward, and use the brakes. So nose down,
and zoom, faster, faster, and then a forward jerk, jerk, now that was just
too cool!

We, by this time were low enough and came back down, same landing, very
nice, not totally smooth, but considering what you are sitting in, it was
smooth to me. I could feel the ground beneath me, and a slow gradual stop.

It is very rare that I have done something others have not, and for the
next---week, year, I will be talking about this, to share with people who
have never gone gliding. People with disabilities are rarely put into a
position of knowing, experiencing something others don't know, or have never
experienced. I now have something to talk about, something to add to who I
am.

I would, if I could, do it again, and I know, with absolute knowledge that
another flight would be different again. Because gliding uses the elements,
it is you and nature! What a feeling, I can now see why people give there
"all" to be professional at this recreation.

Birds can fly at 4,500 feet, I didn't know that! I was out among some birds
today, with the best people and shared the joy of gliding.
I leave you
With all the zest for life, and what it offers
Penny