Woman Overcomes Fear for Tandem Hang Glider Flight at Lookout Mountain

Four years ago, my husband and I drove past Lookout Mountain Flight Park on the way to an Airbnb. Three hang gliders sat ready on a concrete launch ramp at the edge of a steep cliff next to a small building.

"Would you ever…?" he started to ask.

"Absolutely not," I replied. "Not in a million years."

Last weekend, we returned to the same flight park. This time, I had booked a tandem hang gliding flight.

I knew little about the sport. Could you steer it? Did it have a motor, or did pilots just run and jump off the mountain?

With seven others, I entered a back room and signed waivers. They noted that safety ranked first at Lookout Mountain Flight Park, though flying 1,500 feet up in a large kite involved some risk.

Staff gave directions to the launch site. My husband and I drove down the mountain, pulling up Google Maps.

A wide field held three hang gliders and two ultralight towplanes. My stomach churned. This was happening.

Friendly staff in heart-shaped sunglasses greeted us. They had a boxer mix dog named Honeybear, who served as my emotional support while I waited.

That wait stretched long. Dense clouds blanketed Georgia's Cloudland area, cutting visibility above a few hundred feet. Conditions were unsafe.

We watched a safety video and waited three hours for clouds to lift. Crew provided regular weather updates and promised flights once safe.

I suited up in a full-body harness, glasses and helmet. I resembled a horse jockey or a dental X-ray patient.

Dalton, my tandem instructor, said he had done this about 1,000 times. We lay prone under the glider. He told me to grip his harness handles and never touch the steering bar in front.

The ultralight towed us skyward on a long rope, like tubing behind a boat but into the air. Turbulence hit early.

At altitude, Dalton released us. I relaxed as we glided like a bird. The Lookout Mountain views stunned me, different from hiking below. Dalton pointed out the mountaintop flight park and pulled a zero-gravity maneuver.

My soul seemed to leave my body for a moment.

We topped 1,700 feet. The park offers beginner tandems to 3,000 feet. Dalton explained thermals can lift gliders to 10,000 feet; he had reached 9,000.

After eight to 10 minutes, we descended. Dalton warned the approach might seem fast, but landing proved smooth.

I unharnessed and felt exhilarated. Though 1,700 feet from my comfort zone, I never felt unsafe. Dalton stayed confident, communicative and in control.

Everyone at the park acted professionally, including Honeybear. The GoPro footage captured my best photo ever.

I would go again in a heartbeat. My 2022 self would be shocked.