Love Story: In The Web of Life by Ken Renshaw (snow like ashes TXT) 📕

to eat lunch. Thereare thrilling aesthetic experiences to be had flying among theclouds. Today could be one of those days."

I looked a Tina and said, "Somehow, I wanted toshare that with you today."

Tina looked back at me affectionately and said,"I'm glad."

Dave walked over and said, "Look, the gap isstarting to form in the eastern part of the ridge. Better get readyto go in a few minutes." Dave walked to the Pawnee towplane.

We got up and brushed the dust off our pants. Isaid to Tina, "You walk the wing tip so it doesn't drag on theground and I'll push us into takeoff position."

We rolled the big plane to the center of therunway. I helped Tina strap herself in the front seat and got intothe back seat, strapped my self in, and said to Tina, "I am goingto go through my check sheet and then we will be ready to go. Wewill wait until the wave gets more established"

Before the wave forms, clouds are streamingover the mountains and the whole sky is overcast. Then, as the windchanges to the right direction, a gap a mile wide starts to form onour side of the mountains. It is as though someone unzips theclouds along the mountains and reveals the clear bluesky.

Celia came out to assist in our takeoff. Sheattached the Pawnee's tow cable to the glider and then went to thewingtip. I was ready to go so I gave her a thumbs-up. She picked upthe wingtip to signal Dave in the tow plane that I was ready to go.Dave started the Pawnee's engine, and taxied to take up the towcable slack.

I said to Tina, "Ready to go?"

She replied, "Yes, this is scary!"

I signaled Dave by wiggling my rudder. Westarted down the runway, and in a few seconds we were flying,staying low to the ground, to let the tow plane get flying and upto full speed.

Tina cried, "Wee, this is fun! I'mflying."

The tow plane began to climb. I pulled back onthe stick to follow him. I said to Tina, "In a few minutes it willget turbulent and the tow plane will suddenly go up a hundred feetor down a hundred feet, and I will follow. It is like rollercoaster ride, but won't last long."

There was quiet for a few minutes and then Tinagiggled and said, "This is really fun! Look, there is the Devil'sPunchbowl. It really looks different from up here."

In a few minutes we hit the turbulence near thewave. The tow plane suddenly shot up to forty-five degrees aboveus, and a second later we were pushed down in our seats as thesailplane was thrust upward. Then, the tow plane almost disappearedbelow us as it entered falling air and we soon followed, beingthrust upward against our shoulder harness by the acceleration,heads nearly bumping on the canopy. We chased the tow plane downand then suddenly he was above us again. Immediately we were againpushed down in out seats.

After a few minutes of this roller coasterride, as we were again being thrust down in our seats, Tina askedin grunt, "Are we almost there, yet?"

"Almost there," I replied. "In a minute youwill hear a loud 'twang' when I release the tow rope. That isnormal."

In a few seconds the turbulence vanished intoan astounding silence. The tow plane stopped moving up and down andseemed to hover in front of us. "Twang!" I released the towrope andthe tow plane turned to leave us. I turned the sailplane to flyparallel to the mountains. The air was as smooth as glass and thesailplane flew in astonishing silence.

"Tina, see that gauge on the right, pointing upat forty-five degrees? It is telling us that we are climbing fourhundred feet a minute, while we are flying at sixty miles-per-hour.If we moved right, toward the mountains, the lift would decrease.Close to the mountain, we would lose altitude fast. We are in athin band of smooth, climbing air. Off to the left is turbulent airlike we came through on the way here. I'll fly that way a littlebit and you will be able to feel the wingtip vibrate."

I steered a little bit left and then we couldfeel the shudder of the wingtip in the turbulent air. We hadclimbed through the gap and were now higher than the mountains,flying in smooth, clear blue air. We could see the flat sea ofovercast to the South covering LA, stretching over hundreds ofmiles. To the North we could see the clouds forming over the Sierrarange. Ahead, at the edge of the wave, a roll cloud was forming, along, stationary cloud rolling in the lee of the wave. Wispyfingers of cloud, like waterfalls, streamed upward for thousands offeet, creating rainbows and sparkling in the sun.

"This is magical!" said Tina in a low voice,"Silently flying along something that looks like Niagara Falls,turned upside down. I can see forever over LA. Almost a spirituallytranscendent experience."

"I agree," I replied, as I reached forward andput my hand on Tina's shoulder. Tina lifted her hand and placed iton mine. We flew like this for several minutes and then I startedto feel a little turbulence.

I made a few slight turns and said, " I thinkwe have to head back, we are at the end of the wave. Were about ashigh as we should be without oxygen and we don't want to get up towhere the airliners fly. We don't have to worry about being here,airline pilots will avoid the wave areas. They like to keep theirpassengers from bouncing off the cabin ceiling."

I reversed course. As I got into the glassysmooth air, I returned my hand to Tina's shoulder. Her handreturned to mine, and we silently enjoyed the spectacularexperience, riding both the wave of air and the wave ofjoy.

I flew to where we could drop out of the bottomof the wave and took a less turbulent route back to thefield.

We rolled to a stop in the sailplane tie-downarea, I opened the canopy and we both sat silently for aminute.

"That was amazing!" said Tina.

We both unbuckled our harness and climbed outonto the tarmac. Without a word Tina gave me a big