We're supposed to do what with what?

Okay, the first couple of lessons started with assembly of the hang glider apparatus. As you can see I was not the stellar student. In fact Connie and I became known as the 'students from hell'. We started our lessons in January and I took my first flight in late September. But they loved us - we were the perfect ones to make fun of and tease without mercy!

I really should be paying attention here - he's demonstrating how to buckle up for safety

But no, I must 'mug' for the camera - we would drive up from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tennessee early Saturday morning - our lessons started at around 7:30 AM - something about the winds being calmer that time of day! Notice the big training wheels on the hang glider - the real hang gliders don't use wheels - they land on their feet! Oh, yes, I probably need to mention we learned to fly at Lookout Mountain Flight Park.

They called this the bunny hill - It seemed like Mount Everest at the time!

As you can see, rain, snow, sleet or hail - okay maybe sleet or hail kept us from training! - but certainly not a couple of mud puddles out in the field. I always had to take some clothes to change into because it never failed - if there was a puddle (or small lake) out there - I sailed right into it! And we did not learn to land on our feet until we moved up to the bigger bunny hill - we just rolled to a stop - through the mud and water and whatever else lay in the tall grasses!

Let's all go 'See Rock City'

Chattanooga, Tennessee is also the home of Rock City - one of my favorite childhood destinations. I always drag my friends there and they hate it! After a while of driving up every Saturday and then driving back right after our lesson, we started spending the weekend up there. We had lots of free time to fill because they only offered lessons twice a day on the weekends. Of course, there were always lots of parties to attend and places like Rock City to visit!

With outfits like this why isn't everyone hang gliding?

It was always a rush to see who could get the harness that stunk the least and the helmet that fit the best - as you can see I did not win that day! The instructors all made fun of my shoes - they said I sounded like a pack of hippos running down a hill! And notice the knee pads - in landing they helped us not to scrap our knees and tear our pants! - we had to wear gloves (like the weight lifting kind) so our hands would not freeze on the aluminum frame! It all combined for a smashing look, don't you think?

Let's hope I put this thing together correctly!

It's the day of my first solo flight! As you can see - I've still got my training wheels and a bright purple 'sail' so all can see that I am a neophyte and to be avoided at all costs in the air from the more advanced flyers - that would be everyone else! They make you put together the glider and then they check it out 'real' good! I had plenty of false starts - the flying conditions would suddenly change on me and the powers that be vetoed me taking off - so I was pretty adept at putting together a glider! - at least the low end models!

They take you out to edge of the take off point and then ask you all kinds of questions

I guess they are just trying to judge your frame of mind and to see if you are ready to hurl yourself off the side of the mountain! I remember thinking that they would probably change their minds again and say the flight was called off. I wasn't that worried at this point! That would change real quick though!

I'm going to ask you one more time - Are you ready?

Well, I did have some pride at stake! Of course, at this point I'm beginning to think I might really fly this time - shock was setting in. I mean I know the mechanics of it inside and out - after all I had been a student for 10 months! But dang, this was a lot higher than the bunny hills! I had talked my friends from Atlanta into coming up to see me experience the thrill of flight - I thought I would never live it down if I chickened out! I did say earlier that I had some sort of pride left!

Let's see if you're hanging right!

This moment was especially hard for me - I had started taking lessons with Connie and her boyfriend, Lyn back in January. Lyn had died from a hang gliding accident in May of that year. His carabiner was not locked - it was on the hook - it just wasn't locked. I became paranoid about that step. This picture is the point in the process where the pilot is checked to make sure he/she is hanging correctly. I'm still not in an overly panic filled state of mind yet - I was too busy asking if I'm hooked in and locked!

What am I about to do?

This is my last chance - I remember chanting to myself keep the horizon at eye level and god lord, Janet, you can do this! People do it every day and live to tell about it! All you have to do is put one step in front of the next and keep moving -Once you start that forward momentum there is no turning back! Isn't someone going to stop me?

And I'm off - where is that horizon?!

I remember I ran as hard as I could and had the presence of mind to cross my ankles as I left the ground - I dipped a little but I kept my eyes on the horizon. One thing the instructors hammered into my brain was you go where you look - so trust me when I say I never looked down!

Now where is that landing zone?

Once I was airborne and realized that now I had to land the damn thing, I had a few moments of panic - I could not find the landing zone. The glider had a mind of it's own - it kept wanting to go right and I wanted to go left - I used every curse word that I knew at least once (and I know a lot of cuss words!) and I feel sure I made up a few more!

Somewhere in there if you look really closely you'll see a purple spot - that's me!

I did not have the presence of mind to tell someone in the crowd below to take my picture when I landed and they apparently they did not consider it a photo opportunity either! So we do not have indication that I landed except I am here writing and talking about it! Moral of the story - keep someone at top to take pictures and have someone stationed below to capture that moment when you land (feet first - standing up) and then when you fall to your knees and kiss the ground!