There were two brothers that always were there at these meets. They brought a couple of ultralights, called dragonflies, used to tow the hang gliders up to about 3000' above ground level. During slow times they took passengers up for rides that cost 30 bucks a pop. (Not in the one you see here, but in a two-seater version)I decided one day to pay for a ride. It had been a long time since I'd flown anything, so decided to go just for the thrill of being at one with the sky again...and believe me, in these little guys there was nothing, not even a little cabin, between you and the sky.
Almost as soon as we gained a little altitude I remembered why I quit flying as a teenager - it's boring up there! There is almost no sensation of movement since the ground is so far down, especially in the slow-movers such as Cessnas and Dragonflies. So we're up there tooling around a little and I decide to make it interesting by scudding a nearby cumulus cloud. We rose to cloud base level where it got bumpy and interesting for a short while, then it was time to head back down.
The way these brothers flew close to the ground wasn't boring at all. They were excellent pilots, and engaged in a little fun risk-taking on the way down, occasionally chasing buzzards or skimming treetops. It was pure fun, and a joy to see them having such a good time doing something they love...especially if you were along for the ride!
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