March 12, 2024: Viewing North Carolina from 2,000 feet in the Air!

Last week, we had the incredible once-in-a-lifetime (most likely) opportunity to go hang gliding. It was an absolute blast, and such a thrilling adventure to see the countryside from a different vantage point while feeling the wind resistance and gliding through the air like a soaring bird!

It was only going to be me and the boys flying, since the littles weren't old enough and the parents and Maleah opted out of this adrenaline-inducing flight. By the end though, Mom and Dad had decided that they didn't want to miss out on the fun, even though it meant they had to face their fear of heights. (If you don't have time or desire to watch the clips from all 5 of us flying, be sure to at least watch Mom's with full volume for some good humor! Lol... Actually, the beginning of Dad's is super funny too because Mr. Craig, our glider pilot, had to crawl in under Dad's harness due to "technical difficulties.")

Signing our lives away and listening to the flight instructions :)

Shortly after finishing the paperwork and flight instructions required by Thermal Valley Hang Gliding, a very spunky and spirited young lady arrived, introducing herself as our tow-pilot. She would be flying Houston the Dragonfly, a little yellow tow-plane, to haul us up to 2,000 feet above the ground, where the line would be dropped and the real glide would begin.

Aubrey, our spitfire pilot,and the Dragonfly

Preparing for takeoff

Dominic was the first to suit up with Mr. Craig...and he ended up getting a very rough, bumpy ride as the wind picked up just as they lifted off. He loved the ride regardless, and landed with an ear-to-ear grin.

Dominic was the first to fly

I have no idea who's up in the glider in this pic, LOL

Being the more dare-devilish one of my siblings, I was super pumped about getting to try out this adventurous sport (especially since it's one step closer toward my dream of skydiving, LOL). It was so much fun from the moment of takeoff until landing. Check out the video collage below to see when we went for a tight twirl spiraling downward! And for the record, no matter what my siblings say, I did not scream (and the video collage proves it) ...Mr. Craig was the one whooping it up:)

Once again, I have no clue who's gliding here :)

The last up of us young folks was Randall. By the time he made it up, the wind had almost completely died away and he got a lovely ride.

It was right around this point that Mom and Dad decided they didn't really want to pass up such a fun opportunity, however, hang-gliding is not a cheap activity we found (us big kids have to pay our own way through the many fun things we've done on this trip). So, Mom being Mom, teases Mr. Craig, "You know Craig, God says that when you get married, two become one, so maybe Mark and I could both fly and you just charge us for one?" And you know what? He took her up on the suggestion. So that was the nudge Mom and Dad needed to put on their brave and ready up for a flight!

Still scared, Mom made Dad go first...which resulted in him getting an extra landing/takeoff when the tow line snapped early. One of the weak links (purposely made weak so they snap if anything is off in the rigging) broke and disconnected the glider from the plane. Mr. Craig brought the glider in for a smooth landing and replaced the line on the Dragonfly before taking off again.

Last, but certainly not least, was Mom. As the video will show, she was terrified initially, but enjoyed things once she was in the air, that is until Mr. Craig disconnected the tow line, which causes an immediate dip in the glider. Mom didn't realize that part, so when it happened, she panicked a bit and started saying "Let's go down, let's go down!" Once she got her bearings again though, she had an absolute blast. She says she'd do it again if she had the opportunity, so that's saying a lot about how fun this experience really is.

(Mom's clips are in the beginning of this video collage)

These fantastic folks did everything they could to give us a fun and safe ride through the beautiful North Carolina blue yonder. (They even let us stay out on their property overnight so we could run the dogs and not have to drive to Walmart in the dark.) The extra people in the picture are Mr. Craig and his awesome adult children, Liam & Lilly, who serve as his ground crew. Their customer service skills are top-notch. They were all such a delight to get to know.

If you are ever out in the North Carolina area, I would highly recommend checking out Thermal Valley Hang Gliders. You will be well taken care of, and won't regret the once-in-a-lifetime adventure they offer.

Until next time, God bless!