First-Flight Tales
Some flights will always be engraved in your memory: the first
time you mountain-launched, your first soaring flight, your first
XC, your first tandem flight, the first time you solo-aerotowed...
Now you have an opportunity to engrave them in someone else's mind!
This web-page is a collection of First-Flight Tales composed by CHGPA members
(and others!) who have taken quill to inkwell, pen to paper, or fingers to
the keyboard, in order to share their memorable experiences with the rest of us.
If you've saved other first-flight tales (perhaps from the CHGPA listserv), or if
you've written something just today, please send it to The Webmaster at the
email address below. Plain text or HTML, no word-processor formats please!
If you ever find yourself thinking "ho-hum, another soaring flight today", perhaps
the enthusiasm of these accounts will remind you of how special it is to slip
the surly bonds...
Please send additions and corrections to
The WebSpinner
CHGPA Homepage
- Bob Peterman's first high-flight and soaring-flight: Woodstock, 12/??/2005
- Ken Swingle's and Wesley Comerer's first high flights: Woodstock, 03/08/2004
- Suzanne Evancho's Hang-I tandem flight: Hang-Glide Chicago, 08/??/2003
- Joana Silva's first hang-gliding tandem flight: Highland, 11/22/2003
- Steve Wilhite's first hang-gliding tandem flight: Highland, 11/16/2003
- David Bodner's first soaring flight: Woodstock, 04/13/2003
- Holly Korzilius' first mountain flight: The Pulpit, 03/23/2003
- David Rice's first hang-gliding flight after a nine year hiatus: Bill's Hill, 05/04/2002
- Chris McKee's first hang-gliding high flight: Woodstock, 04/23/2002
- A hang-gliding student's first tandem experience: Mt. Tamborine, Australia, 04/19/2002
- Hugh McElrath's first soaring flight: Jack's Mountain, 02/09/2002
- Lauren Tjaden's first mountain launch: Jack's Mountain, 02/09/2002
- Paul Tjaden's first mountain launch: The Pulpit, 12/25/2001
- Gary Smith's' first cliff launch: High Rock, 06/23/2000
- Ralph Sickinger's first soaring-flight: Jack's Mountain, 05/25/2000
- Gary Smith's' first high-flight and soaring-flight: Woodstock, 04/29/2000
- Judy McCarty's first crossing of the Pulpit/High Rock valley, 05/28/99
- Scott Smith's first soaring flight: Woodstock, 11/21/98
- Mike Balk's first ridge run down to Harrisonburg: Woodstock, 11/08(?)/98
- Dan Tomlinson's first XC flight: Woodstock, 10/31/98
- Matthew Graham's first "real" XC flight: Woodstock, 10/10/98
- Chuck Pyle's first high flight: Hyner, 5/23(?)/98
- Ed Reno's first high flight: Woodstock, 5/9/98
- Mike Buckley's first thermal flight: High Rock, 1/18/98
- Mike Buckley's first cliff launch: High Rock, 12/27/98
- Mike Buckley's first soaring flights: Bill's and Jack's, 9/27/97 & 9/28/97
- Craig Shelton's first soaring flight: Woodstock, 7/19/97
- Craig Shelton's first high flight: Bill's Hill, 6/7/97
- Todd James' first high and soaring flights: Jack's Mountain, 5/8/97
- Sheila Boyle's first soaring flight: High Rock, 2/15/97
- Dave Zuchero's first soaring flight: Woodstock, 4/2/97
- Fred Permenter's High Rock to McConnellsburg XC, 6/9/91