I grew up on a small farm with a small airport/grass strip about a mile away. For a kid riding a tractor with a plow or a disc, those airplanes taking off and landing not far away were fascinating. They were the typical single engine types one would find at such a field in the 50's and 60's.

I started building models and day dreaming about what it would be like to fly for real. I would walk down the side of the highway with a burlap bag picking up pop bottles which would get you 2 cents each, but I was really just interested in getting a close up view of those planes. I managed to wangle a ride in an old Piper Pacer, if my folks had found out I would have had caught hell.

I joined the Air Force after high school and managed to find myself on the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center during the Vietnam War. I wasn't piloting but I was a crewman and that was going to have to do for a while. I could tell you what I did but I would have to kill you afterwards.

Once I was discharged I enrolled in college but the flying bug just never went away. I found myself with a part time job at a small local airport and worked for flying lessons. In less than year I had a commercial, single engine land license.

Some 1200 hours and 38 years later I found myself at Seminole Lake Gliderport doing an add on. I obtained a Commercial Glider rating and have been flying as regularly as I can for the last year. Gliding/soaring is without a doubt the best form of flying I have ever experienced.

Air minded beats Air headed any day.

Walt