Wallaby Ranch, or, just "The Ranch", as it's called by us on the inside, is a Hang Glider's dream. It is two hundred acres of land, half of which is cleared and nicely cut, in the middle of Florida, surrounded by woods and a few small towns. It is a thermal-creating hot bed of hang gliding activity and the center of the south east US hang gliding world.A trek to the Ranch beats a trip to Disney World, Paris, Amsterdam, and Laramy, Wyoming by a mile in most hang gliding circles. Five years ago, it was one of my favorite places to be. I'd hang out there all day with the other fliers, watching the sky, waiting for thermals and just the right wind. Then up we'd all go. I was learning at the time and couldn't go solo, so I'd go up on a tandem glider with Malcom, the Ranch's owner and manager and an incredibly fascinating human. Hang gliding was the most incredible ride I'd ever experienced, which doesn't really bode well for Hang Gliding, as such, since it was the only ride I'd ever experienced other than cycling and riding in a car or commercial jet. I've never been on a roller coaster - not one. Well, one, but that's another story. Anyway, Hang Gliding is a rush of adrenaline and provides a view of the planet and life from both a real and intensely spiritual perspective. But my time there was short lived; I had started a wonderful new job that eventually consumed all the spare time I once thought I had. Hang Gliding vanished from my roster of "stuff to do in Florida when you're bored" and the Ranch with it. But suddenly I find myself out there again with two of my closest friends, one a private pilot who digs anything that flies, and the other a fascinatingly interesting geek and old friend of Malcom's. The place has changed for the better: there's more open land for take-offs and landings, more little "crash shacks" built by the regulars for catching up on sleep after a marathon day of flying, a full-time, live-in chef and a gourmet kitchen. The people haven't changed at all, however. There's more of them, but they're the same eclectic bunch of thrill-seeking, somewhat philosophically-minded fliers that I met five years ago. They're an open, friendly bunch, eager to share information, tips, stories, and a hand. They're oddly similar to the community we find when sailing. In fact, gliding and sailing aren't all that different. Even the dynamics of the vehicles within their elements are strangely similar. Both use the wind and air for propulsion. In fact, a sailboat has two wings, just like a glider. One just happens to be sticking into the water. Water and air are both fluids and their interplay with the wing/sail is what gives the vessel lift and motion and makes for an exciting and exhilarating ride. How fantastic that a trip into the past should uncover a common tread stretching into my future. Of course, sailing has one major benefit over hang gliding: you can take your entire family on the ride and enjoy it and experience it together.
|