Overcoming Fear: Experiencing it fully
For the past eight years, we had often passed by Willamette Valley Soaring Club and thought how cool it’d be to ride in one of these mini marvels of engineering awesomeness — glider plane! I mean, the thought of getting on an aircraft with no engine and no propellor is quite nerve-racking and scary, but we decided to finally GO for it this year and check it off of our bucket list!
One of the many reasons we love living in Oregon is all that it has to offer: striking coastlines, lush mountains, majestic Oregon Redwoods, & breathtaking landscapes, to name a few. It is not often that one gets to see the beauty of where we live from a literal “birds-eye view.”
My favorite part about our adventures is watching my wife experience new things, especially ones that she is not comfortable with and in this case, “afraid of”. She is afraid of heights, so I was very interested to see how she would do.
Take off!
After a brief safety session with the pilot, we were ready!
The gliders are two-placed planes, one for the pilot and the other for the passenger, so my wife went first. She was all smiles until she climbed in, & I, then, wondered how she was really feeling.
LJ here: Well, as to how I was feeling, nervousness didn’t set in until the plane no longer was touching the ground and then fear said “hello!” as I closed my eyes. It didn’t take long until I took a deep breath & opened my eyes to see the beauty I would have missed if I didn’t do this due to fear.
Take off was quite a different experience. With no engine, the glider is towed behind a tow plane & once we reached the right altitude, the rope is released. Admittedly, the feeling was nervousness as I had kept staring at the tow rope in front, wondering what it would be like once I watched it released in mid-air. The only thing keeping us in the air after that would be the up-draft of wind from Mother Nature. Sure enough, I heard a click and watched the rope drop (see video below).
https://love2latitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/finalvideo.mov
The tow plane banked left, and I was instantly in awe of the feeling as we were soaring quietly and effortlessly.
Oregon’s Beauty
Soaring is the purest form of flying, and being so high quietly above such a vast landscape was truly amazing! With no engines muffling in the background, it was nice & quiet inside the cockpit.
In eagle mode, I could see for miles stunning scenery, mountains, green landscapes, & vineyards as the world below us moved in its perfect harmony. What an unforgettable time gliding around with no actual purpose, specific agenda, or destination.
The flight lasted about 25-30 minutes, and it was truly worth every minute. I have come as close as one can to understanding what it feels like to soar like an eagle & taking in all of the scenery around us!
Check out how smooth the landing was in the clip below.
https://love2latitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/finalvideo-1.mov
If you are seeking a little adventure, take a glider ride at Willamette Valley Soaring Club for an experience you will never forget!
We hope you liked this post, & now it’s your turn.
Comment below and let us know if YOU would go up in a tiny motorless plane 😉.
Check out our video below to see Oregon as we did!
Wow! Awesome experience! I love learning about new things to adventure through y’all’s amazing blogs!
Thank you both for your support from the beginning! (Are you proud of me for being “in front” of the camera finally!? Baby steps 😉 )
That looks like fun! My brother-in-law is a pilot and I absolutely love being in the air!
It really was, Mariah! Def a memorable date!
You two are great! Fun watching you glide! Hugs Nancy
Thank you so much, Nancy =) Hugs right back!
Great post, LJ!! What a unique experience. I would love to do this but my Brett said hell no! Haha
There is always a chance you get him up there and he love’s it!?!
Such an amazing experience! That will definitely go on the list of “Must Do’s”. Thank you!
Glad you liked it Aaron…thank you for your support as always!
This is awesome!! I really liked the post and the video. I should definitely experience such gliding sometime!
– Avinash
Hi there, Avinash! We’re glad to see you on here 🙂 Yes you should, & please let us know if you do!
That is really awesome!! Now that you have gotten a taste of the beautiful sites you can see, you both need to get your pilots license and get a plane!!
Hi, momma Chris! Ohhh how nice it’d be to do that!