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Typical Training DayCOME TO VERMONT AND LEARN TO FLY!!! Vermont is a TERRIFIC place to make your dreams of flight come true. Our rural character assures plenty of scenic flying sites for the aspiring pilot and unlimited other recreational and site-seeing opportunities for the rest of the family! A typical spring or summer "learn-to-fly log" might appear something like this... DAY 1Arrived in Randolph this evening and got settled in at the Three Stallion Inn. Wow! This place is great! An 18 hole golf course, swimming pool and sauna and miles of mountain bike trails will keep the kids happy, and the on site horseback riding is just what my wife wanted! DAY 2(AM Session) Met my instructor at 6:30 AM. We grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the training field. Man, is this a big field! 100+ acres of gently rolling field made a great place to begin my ground handling practice. We went over safety rules, kiting and motor maintenance and I finally got to feel what I had only seen in pictures up 'till now. I was surprised at how easy it was to get the paraglider wing inflated and parked over my head. I can't wait to get up in the air! The family is having breakfast at the Vermont Sugar House down the road. They will explore the bike trails and the waterslide at nearby Killington Ski Resort until 11 AM . By that time the calm morning conditions will have given way to some thermal activity and I will take a break from training and meet up with them. We plan to go swimming at one of the many nearby State parks... should be fun! (PM Session) Met my instructor at a different training field up on top of the ridge. It's a bit breezier up here which makes it easier to practice reverse inflations. Got to try out the motor as a backpack and on the trike without the wing. Boy, this thing puts out a lot of thrust! Also practiced non-motorized launches and landings off the training hill. The family and I will go to Montpelier (the state capital) this evening for dinner and to hear a concert on the green. Can't stay out too late though... I've got to study my flight manual some! DAY 3(AM & PM Sessions) Practiced more ground handling (this time with the motor on my back). My instructor wants to make sure I am comfortable with how to manage the wing. Also did some motor-off launches and landings in preparation for my first flight tomorrow. The family toured scenic Route 100 while I trained. They plan stops at a working farm in Woodstock, the Floating Bridge in Brookfield and a picnic at Moss Glen Falls (a 300 ft. waterfall in the Green Mountain National Forest). I will be doing some ground school work with my instructor during the mid day thermals today. We will cover aerodynamics, micrometeorology and FAA regulations. Guess I'll have to catch the waterfalls later this week! DAY 4(AM Session) Fine tuned my inflation techniques. We mounted my motor to the flight simulator and I performed a complete simulated flight from takeoff through landing just like I will be doing this evening. I feel very comfortable with the flight plan for my solo now that I have “flown” it in the simulator. (PM Session) This is it!! My instructor says I'm ready to fly. The forecast is for perfect conditions... a gentle southwest breeze and super smooth evening air. I lay out the wing, pre-flight the motor and do a final radio check with my instructor. I inflate the wing, check that it is centered and begin my "run into the sky". This is the most UNBELIEVABLE feeling!!! I am lifted effortlessly off the ground and I begin my climb out into the cool Vermont evening air. I am focused on flying the wing, just as I did off the training hill, but I can't help but be awe struck by the beauty of the fields below and the sensation of flying in such a slow and controlled manner. It is a sense of freedom like no other I have ever experienced and it is truly MAGICAL!! DAY 5This morning we are planning to fly out of a small airport not far from here. I could barely sleep last night due to the excitement of finally experiencing personal flight! My instructor says we will practice more takeoffs , controlled turns, pitch control and power off landings. Later today I will go with the family to Burlington and maybe rent a sailboat or wind surfer on Lake Champlain. It will be loads of fun, but to tell you the truth, I think my thoughts will still be with the hawks... I have visited their domain and I will never be the same again! THIS HAS BEEN A TRULY AMAZING "LEARN TO FLY" VACATION!!!! **NOTE** - Northeast Skycruisers is located within easy driving distance of most of New England and upstate New York. Many of our New England based students chose to break their training up into 2 weekend visits. This gives them more flexibility and also allows them to practice their ground handling skills at home on their own between sessions. This is a GREAT way to complete your training! Sound like fun? You can live the dream! Summer, fall, winter or spring, Vermont is a spectacular place to visit and an exciting place to fulfill your dreams of flight. Whether you would like to learn to fly powered paragliders, hang glider trikes (or BOTH!), Northeast SkyCruisers, LLC can help you live the dream. Call us today to arrange YOUR "Learn to Fly" vacation!! |
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Tele: (802) 276-3082 OR, TOLL FREE, 1-866-I FLY PPG Copyright 2004 Northeast Skycruisers, LLC All Rights Reserved |
