Flare! Flare! 



makes sure her glide is smooth and safe 



Torrington, explains the forces 

 that make hang gliding work and 

 demonstrates how to shift our bodies to 

 maintain balance and direction. 



"The things that are important to 

 remember are loose grip, loose grip, 

 loose grip and keep your eyes up and 

 look at your target," he says. "You're a 

 pendulum. If you hold onto the bar real 

 tight, you can't be a pendulum and 

 swing." 



As he shows us how to balance the 

 glider, Torrington says, "It's just right 

 and left and in and out. It's real simple.' 



My earlier confidence returns. 



One of the most important skills to 

 learn is flaring, the technique used to 



Instructor Doug Haber readies himself for launch. 



land. It too seems a simple procedure: 

 push the bar up and out forcefully to 

 stall the glider. The pilot will then move 

 from a horizontal to a vertical position 

 and land upright with his feet on the 

 ground. When flaring, timing is 

 everything — yet another important 

 element I later comprehend more fully. 



Before I can try out my flaring 

 skills, though, I have to get into the air. 



A hang glider is a graceful craft once 

 aloft — on the ground, however, it's a 

 little awkward. I find getting into the 

 glider more challenging than flying it. 

 With the glider sitting on the ground, 

 the pilot must stoop under wires, turn to 

 hook the carabiner, lie on the ground to 

 conduct a preflight check of the straps 

 and wires, then stand and lift the glider 

 by its horizontal bar. 



After that, the pilot simply jogs into 

 the wind — and flies. 



For an experienced pilot at Jockey's 

 Ridge, that means swirling high over the 

 85-foot dune for as long as the wind 

 allows. For a student pilot, it means 

 floating in a straight course down the 

 dune, about six to eight feet off the 

 ground with the instructor running 

 alongside, for only a few seconds. 



Even so, the first time my feet leave 

 the earth and I am flying, 

 I can barely breathe, 

 much less remember 

 everything I had learned 

 from watching the video- 

 tape and listening to 

 Torrington's instructions. 



One reason the 

 instructor accompanies a 

 student down the dune is 

 to yell commands so that 

 the new pilot learns skills 

 while in flight. The other 

 reason is to keep the 

 student within easy reach. 



That's good because 

 miscalculation or 

 hesitation can turn even 

 a short flight from a 

 smooth glide to a turbulent ride. On my 

 first attempt, I flare as well as a neophyte 

 can, but on my second attempt I have a 

 true learning experience. 



As I reach the bottom of the dune, 

 my eyes fixed on the terrain ahead, 

 Torrington tells me to "get ready to flare." 



I push out the bar a little in anticipa- 

 tion. 



"Not yet!" he yells. Continued 



COASTWATCH 5 



