For those who may not know, out town is best known as the premier venue for
hangliding and paragliding. On the nice evenings, we like to take a picnic or (if we've already eaten dinner) a treat and drinks and walk up to the flight park where they all take off.
I'm not sure what the
requirements are for proper paragliding conditions, but there must be some pretty specific guidelines, since some nights there's not a single one out there. It's for sure in the later evenings (like 6:30-8:30) and not when it's too hot. So, when we see them flying over our house we know it's a good time to go up.
All enthusiasts are gathered with friends, families and dogs to hang out & enjoy the sport. Some also bring remote control helicopters and airplanes to fly since it's such a wide open spot.
There are these flat "pads" where you can set up the
hangliders. I never knew how much was involved in getting them ready. Where as the
paragliders pull their gear out of the bag, strap in on their backs and wait for a big gust of wind so they can make a run for the edge (well, maybe that's slightly over simplified...).
It's awesome to watch these guys take off....and even more exciting to watch them come in. Maybe one of these days I'll get to try it for myself?
Mira signed me up to volunteer on the first shift of the morning! So, I was in charge of station number 11 - the target (it was really skee ball made from landscaping material and duct tape). A definite crown pleaser. Especially when the one who volunteered to shag the balls for the group would put their face right in front of the target, begging to be pegged in the head with the tennis balls!
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