Plane Fun

I like planes with engines. They make noise, the propeller goes around, they taxi down the runway and the engine lifts them into the air. I am not afraid to fly. I even like flying.


But some crazy people like planes with NO engines. The planes are very quiet, there is no propeller and no engine to lift them into the air. Wha?! See the plane above, no propeller and no engine? And the landing gear is a like a kid's tricycle wheel.


Here's a closer look. Where the propeller should be, there's just a pointy thing. That doesn't go round and round. This is a glider, it glides gracefully through the air with the help of an experienced glider pilot who knows what he/she is doing. My friend in Cumberland, Gary, is one of these people.


But here is the type of plane that takes Gary up in his glider, tugging the glider with a long rope. It has an engine.


And this is how it is put in the hanger. Lots of manly men are pushing it slowly, about to make it turn into the hanger.


The hanger is a corragated metal roundy building, retro looking, cuz it probably was built in the 50's. Not sure. It's located at the Cumberland Air Field, just a few miles from town, up on a flat bluff with mountains surrounding it. A very pretty setting.


This is an older model glider, made out of aluminum with rivets holding it together. Gliders now days are seamless, made of carbon fiber or fiberglass.


My friend Annie (Gary's girlfriend) invited me to their monthly glider picnic. It's held under a roof overhang next to the hanger with picnic table placed underneath. A grill master was cooking up meat and veggie burgers and everyone brought delicious summer food. I had ridden 40 miles that day and not eaten much so I was ssssstarved. And I needed wine. After a couple glasses of wine, I almost said yes when one of the pilots asked if I'd like a ride in the clouds. But yikes....I'm scared. But all these guys certainly seem to know what they're doing and no one said anything about crashes, so if one of them asks again, I'm gonna say yes.


I loved the happy, silly face of this plane. Maybe I'll go up in that one.


Then again, this is a great way to get around. These old vintage bikes were in the hanger to scoot around the air field faster. Safe and reliable.