APPEAL OF GLIDING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 292, 5 September 1931, Page 6

APPEAL OF GLIDING

Thrilling Aerial Sport HOW IT IS LEARNED Public attention has been drawn, to the gliding movement by the formation of a club in Wellington, which, it is expected, will be operating before very long. The secret of the appeal which gliding is "now making is probably because it is not only a sport with a thrill but also that it has many secrets yet to be unfurled. There is no sport more thrilling than one which has an element of the unknown in it, and that is where gliding makes its appeal to the youth of to-day. The majority of people in New Zealand appear to have little or no idea of what gliding is and how it is practised. As a sport it amounts to aerial yachting, being dependent upon a good wind and suitable locality, and imposing upon the pilot a certain amount of skill, coupled with foresight and ability to make instant decisions as regards the direction in which it will be most advantageous to proceed. To many people a glider is a fearsome contraption which is either cast from a hilltop or towed behind an aeroplane, and then let loose for the unfortunate inmate to manage as best he can. On the contrary, the glider is a domesticated bird lacking in homicidal tendencies. How does one learn to glide? In the first instance the glider is taken out in a fair wind and clamped to a universal joint on the ground. The novice then takes his seat, secures his belt, and, clasping the joystick with a grip of iron, endeavours to tame the swaying monster of which he is a part. After a few fearful moments be discovers that brute force is not what is wanted'and, relaxing his hold on the controls, tries a little gentle persuasion with great success.

The machine will now ride on an even keel, and occasional gusts are easily corrected. The worst is over. Next time short pull-offs are tried with the aid of a catapult.’ these being carried out on the flat ground and the glider making hops of a few feet. The pulloffs are gradually made stronger, and the hops longer, until sufficient confidence lias been gained by the pupil to enable him to control the machine when released from hillocks.