Blood Socks

The last couple of years, I’ve gone skydiving in the late spring or early summer. Both times have been phenomenal. In both cases, I cast out a wide net among my friends and family for people who want to join me, got tentative yeses from a small subset of my friends, which then dwindled as time went by, eventually becoming just two. In 2006, I was joined by Jake Given and Ace Peckham, and in 2007, by John Shaugnessy and John Serpico, and for their bravery they will be known forever.

Having now done it twice, and pulled the rip cord myself the second time, I can tell you that there is little to fear from skydiving. It’s not to say there’s no risk involved, but it’s worth remembering the risk you take when you get in your car is as great or probably greater. And it’s not to say you shouldn’t actually feel any fear—overcoming natural human fear is one of the principal aspects of the experience. But you shouldn’t feel the kind of cloudy fear that lets you talk yourself out of something amazing. Experiences like skydiving, where you defy all conventional notions of rational behavior and risk aversion, and take yourself fully out of routine life, reward you with irreplaceable memories, and the sensation that you have earned something intangible yet rare.

And that is why you should come hang gliding with me this year.

Hell yeah.

It will be a tandem glide, meaning you and a seasoned pilot ride together in a hang glider, for a 20–25 minute flight. This follows about an hour of “orientation”, which includes training in technique and some actual practice on ‘bunny hills’, which sound adorable. You bring along parachutes, radios, and other gear as a precaution, but modern hang gliders and technique keep low the risk of even using them. The guy at the place I talked to today quoted me $225 per person for their normal rate, which is comparable to what I paid for each tandem skydive.

I got this info when I did some research today for hang gliding places in New York, and found a good place in Montgomery, NY. As you can see, it’s about 1.75 hours north of NYC, and about 3.75 hours west of Boston. I’m prioritizing something near me, but I’m asking my friends from NYC and Boston both, and if my overwhelming base of support comes from Boston, then I’m willing to find a place near there. But this place, which I talked to today on the phone, is probably representative of the price/experience anywhere.

And you’re all invited! I’ll go even if I have to go alone, but going with friends is a whole lot better. If nothing else, it means someone you know will have seen you do something terrific and courageous. This will be my first time hang gliding, so I don’t really know what to expect, but I have every reason to believe that it will completely unforgettable.