Hang gliding, which should be illegal, part I

Premise: hang gliding is dangerous and should be illegal.



I went hang gliding a few weeks ago.  I woke L up early one Sunday so she could drive us up to Lookout Mountain.  Thanks, L!



I didn't know how to get there and I don't think L did either. Lucky then, to have received generous navigational assistance from helpful roadsigns along the way.



We arrived at hang gliding headquarters, where it was demanded of us that we sign a waiver forfeiting our right to expect a life free from the fear of falling out of the sky.

Here is the view from hang gliding headquarters:



And this is where you jump: a bit of road the length of a driveway. It's paved like a driveway too.  But unlike a driveway, instead of leading to a house or a garage, this one leads to beauty and to fear:



I thought we'd be jumping from here and was beginning to have second thoughts about things when we were told no, this was only 1400 feet; we had to go all the way up to 4000 feet.

Terrorized, we drove to a field where hang gliders were being pulled up into the sky by a tow cable attached TO THE BACK OF AN AIRPLANE.

Yes, the back of an airplane.  It's true.

Here is L, scared hysterically out of her mind, bravely holding it together long enough to point out the field where these things occur.  Feel the dread.



Poor girl...