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Soaring in Huntsville

By Jean Brandau, About.com

1 of 10

It's a Manificent Flying Machine

Rand Baldwin was my pilot and took me up in this glider.

I always seem to jump before I consider all the facts. That's what happened when Rand Baldwin of the Huntsville Soaring Club emailed me and asked if I'd like to do a story on the club and go gliding with him. It sounded like a good idea at the time--but the closer the date got, the more skeptical I became. How was I going to climb into a plane with no engine and leave my life in the hands of Rand Baldwin and his magnificent flying machine? I kept thinking that if there was no engine, what was to stop the glider from falling from the sky and crashing at any moment?

When I arrived at Moontown Airport, I decided it wouldn't hurt to take some pictures as long as I was there. After talking with Rand, who patiently explained to me how the whole concept worked (some scientific stuff I guess I should have learned in school), I summoned my courage and decided I'd give it a try.

More Gliding on Next Page.

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