Hang gliding
an experience like no other S BY MOSS BRENNAN
oaring thousands of feet in the sky with cars and humans that look no bigger than an ant is an amazing feeling. Add that feeling, but with no motor, a strap holding you in place and the wind blowing all around and in comes hang gliding — an activity where people can fly in the sky with birds on a triangular shaped glider with 360 degree views. “The biggest thing I get when I tell people that I hang glide is ‘We’re afraid of heights,’” said Craig Pearson, owner and operator of Thermal Valley Hang Gliding at the Foothills Regional Airport in Lenoir.
Pearson has owned and operated Thermal Valley for 10 years and has flown more than 3,700 people. He hasn’t just flown middle-aged adventure seekers; Pearson said he has flown 8-year-olds to those 89 years old. Thermal Valley is family owned as Pearson’s wife helps with reservations and assists the ground crew. Person’s son, Liam, works as the ground crew and has flown all of the aircraft operated by Thermal Valley. Thermal Valley offers a variety of services for those interested in flying with the birds. One of the main attractions is a 1,500-foot hang gliding tandem aerotow. Tandem flights consists of flying with Pearson, who is an experienced and certified tandem aero-tow
hang gliding instructor. Pearson has been a hang glider pilot for 31 years. Before the flight commences, someone from the ground crew will help the patron get into a heavy duty harness, which is strapped tightly to the body. In the tandem flights, Pearson is strapped below and has full control of the hang glider. Pearson said that pound-for-pound, the tandem hang glider he flies is stronger than Cessna 172 aircraft — four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft. “When you go there and look at it, you’re gonna see a bunch of fabric and wires and tubes and you’re gonna SEE GLIDING ON PAGE 61
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SUMMER TIMES 2022
