Chapter 2, Page 3

"It's a mass of warm air, like steam out of a boiling pan. Glider pilots fly into it for free lift."

Scott adjusted the altimeter so it would be easy for them to see during the flight.

"We're next to launch," he said. "Get ready." I can't wait to fly. The second I'm airborne I leave all my problems on the launch ramp.

Three people stepped forward to help. The wiremen on both sides reported, "Pressure!" at the same time. The person holding the tail of the glider high in the air reported, "Ready!"

"When I say 'Clear!' step forward with me. Remember, keep your arms around my chest."

Suzy inhaled deeply, wrapped her arms firmly around Scott's chest and yelled like a football fan at a homecoming game. "Let's do it!"

"Clear!"

Scott felt Suzy squeeze hard as they rushed off of the ramp. Before they reached the edge Scott heard a voice in the crowd, "Hey, the space shuttle got hit by something!"

Space shuttle? Hit? Is Amber okay? One more step and we're over the edge! Can't stop. Gotta fly.

The vario altimeter wailed as the glider dove toward the treetops. Scott gently pushed out on the aluminum control bar. The glider climbed in the wind. He felt the cool morning air chilling his hands and put them in the large mitts that were stitched around the horizontal bar below him.

"How's the flight so far?" Scott asked over he roar of the wind.

"Uh, fine."

Scott saw between them and the ground a thousand empty feet away was a skinny aluminum pole. A flimsy piece of metal, the same spec as used on the shuttle. Did I hear it got hit? The person back at launch sounded excited. Did I imagine what I heard?

Suzy's grip tightened around his chest.

"Look at the hawks!" Scott pointed at two hawks flying in a lazy, clockwise circle about 500-feet away. Suzy remained silent.

"We'll fly over and soar with them." Scott pulled in on the control bar, accelerating. I hope she wants a short flight, that way I can land, and find out about Amber. As they closed on the circling birds, Scott let go of the aluminum down tubes.

"What are you doing?" Suzy wrapped her legs around Scott. "Why'd you let go?"

"It will help us find the thermal." At that moment, the glider made a noticeable left turn.

"That was the edge of it. The hawks are soaring inside. The glider turned left because the right wing is being lifted by the thermal."

"Aren't you going to steer us out of this turn?"

"Not yet. I want to fly in a circle back to the thermal. When we do, I'll level the wings, and try to fly inside it."

At that moment, Scott reached for the control tubes and pulled himself and Suzy hard to the right side of the glider. The wings leveled, and Scott shifted their weight back to the middle of the glider. A second later, the altimeter sounded - beep, beep, beep - and then resumed its monotonous wail.

"We just flew through the thermal. Did you feel it?"

"Just a soft bump."

"That's why I use the electronics. It's hard to tell whether it's bumpy air or a thermal. The faster the beeping, the greater our altitude is changing. If the vario screams, we are either rising or falling fast. This thermal is close. We'll have to turn circles until we get inside it. This time we'll stay in it and gain altitude."

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