Corkscrews and Gliding

So, you ask, what do corkscrews and gliding have in common? Read on...

Several weeks ago the Roanoke Times ran an article about me (Don Bull) and my corkscrew collection. Colin Graham read the article and his brain began to do corkscrews. He had been in touch with Alf Erickson for several years sharing stories of their passion for ballooning. Colin learned of Alf's passion for corkscrews on Alf's website. Colin emailed me and within a few days, he and his father visited me for a corkscrew learning experience.

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During his visit, Colin related tales of his Virginia ballooning and gliding experiences. In 1998, I went Ballooning with Alf and now I was intrigued by the idea of gliding. A week later, email from Colin brought an invitation to glide on May 30, 1999. For a quick overview of gliding (soaring) see What is Soaring?

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After a lunch at the Graham house, Bonnie and I went with Colin, Jim (his Dad), and Karla (his Mom) to Springwood Airport somewhere between Roanoke and Lexington!

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Our first sight was the tow plane. This 1970's one seat crop duster had been stripped of it's crop dusting elements and made ready to bring the gliders aloft.

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After a short wait, I was strapped in the glider and ready to SOAR.

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We closed the hatch and within a few seconds we were airborne and being towed to 4000 feet.

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At 4000 feet my pilot Tom released the 200 foot tow rope and we were free. The weather was marvellous and the views of the rivers, mountains, valleys, and farmland were incredible. It was wonderfully quiet riding on air currents like a bird.

After some fancy tipping maneuvers, Tom (an ex-Navy test pilot) asked me if I wanted to experience G force and I said "sure!" He then put the nose down and pulled it up. I learned that G force was when your Jockey Shorts feel like a G string, your stomach gurgles, and grit floats from everywhere in the plane. Then we did it again so I could remember the experience.

I asked Tom if he could turn the glider upside down and he replied.......

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"Yes, and if you close your eyes, you won't even know it."

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And now for the corkscrew - we CORKSCREWED our way down from 4000 feet, circled the airfield and leveled off at 300 feet for a soft uphill landing.

It was an unforgetable day.

And then it was Colin's turn to pilot the glider.

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Related Pages:

Send email to Don Bull

Send email to Colin Graham

©1999 Donald A. Bull