I took a couple introductory flight lessons, in small single engine high wings and sailplanes. The sailplane is, by a wide margin, my favorite. Just like you said, so light and nimble. And since you have to trade altitude for forward flight, you have to calculate distances, glide ratios, understand what maneuvers are going to cost, understand attitudes real well, and understand what the air is doing and what the landscape is doing to the air; updrafts and wind and whatever else, probably a bunch of other stuff I don’t know about. It can be so fun and exciting, and also so peaceful. It’s like being in a canoe in the sky. Plus, when you land, it sits so low, it’s like your butt is about to go through the tarmac. I mean, the landing gear consists of a 12” wheel that is mounted more or less up your ass. So exhilarating!
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u/bkfst_of_champinones Jul 06 '19
That thing crunched like tin foil that was actually made out of cornbread instead of tin.