Sky Diving VS Hang Gliding

Who said humans couldn't fly? With all the extreme sports available to enthusiasts, it is only a matter of choice. I have always longed to spread my wings and in the summer of 2008 I had the privilege to experience not one, but two of the most popular aerial sports: Sky Diving and Hang Gliding. Here is a recollection of my adventures and what made each of them so unbelievably unique.

If you are someone who seeks thrilling experiences there isn't much that can exceed your expectations once you've set the bar with Skydiving.

I booked my appointment a month prior to the big day. It was something exciting to look forward to and seemed very unreal until the day itself arrived. With a few loved ones we hit the road destination: Parachute Adrenaline!

The parachuting school was nicely tucked away from urban establishments in a small town by the name of St-Jerome, some 50 kilometres north of Montreal. Upon exiting the vehicle all I could do is look up. I was able to catch a glimpse of action amongst the clouds before the blinding sun became overbearing. I casually made my way to the registrations office, paid my dues in the form of $270 and signed my life away in a liability waiver.

Shortly after a greeting by my Instructor/ Tandem partner, a cheerful young man with hundreds of jumps under his belt, I was directed to the preparations area. I proceeded by putting on my equipment which consisted of a one piece colourful jumpsuit and an adult size harness, as well as a pair of goggles. Once I was clad appropriately we began going over some basic training. The training was a brief half an hour simulation, covering the order of actions and positions to be implemented during the jump.

In a Tandem Jump, which is mandatory for every first time jumper, you are strapped to your instructor. He is the one who pulls out the chute at the right altitude, navigates it once opened and skilfully applies the landing techniques for a smooth touchdown. This simplifies the process greatly by allowing you to enjoy every moment without stressing over technicalities and provides some sense of security.

As the moment of truth approached, I expected my nerves to start acting up. Instead they surprisingly appeared to remain on standby. As we made way towards the runway we were joined by another Tandem team and a photographer who tagged along documenting the ride. We tightened the harnesses which proved to uncomfortably impair some movements and bid our farewells to the ground. We got on board the Cessna 206 C-GFEB and began the airlift.

Despite the constant engine noise, the flight was very pleasant. Stationed on our behinds, the five of us spent our time chatting, admiring the scenery through the windows and monitoring the hand mounted altimeters as we gained altitude. In no time, the twenty minute lift came to pass and we were in position at 11 000 feet. We crawled into a small line up facing the door as the instructors buckled us up. The other team lead the way and we followed by a thread. The door opened and the hesitant newbie tried clinging on a little longer to the comforts of the plane, but in a manner of seconds was gently pushed by her instructor and vanished before my eyes.

We moved one step closer to the edge and I felt the pressure and wind brushing against me. The invisible barrier was pushing me back and made it difficult to hold on to the aircraft as it was already shaking. This time around my nerves barged out of hibernation and the adrenaline took over at full speed. You are basically asking your rational mind to step into nothingness against all instinct.

Staring into the void, I made peace with myself and simply let go. The horizon spiralled and shifted before me as we flipped around and in a split second the descent had begun. Freefalling was unreal and felt absolutely overwhelming to my whole being. The friction of the air against my body, falling at 120 MPH made it hard to look anywhere but down. Fixing the ground with astonished eyes, I passed through numerous cumulus clouds, while gravity performed. My mind was blank and time seemed to be frozen. The falling speed appeared to be faster than the speed needed for thought processing and so all I did is absorb. In reality the freefall had only taken 60 seconds but to me that was the longest minute I had ever experienced.

Exhilarating as it was, the freefall to, came to pass and before I knew it I was in an upright position. I looked above and noticed that the chute was fully deployed. It reminded me of a majestic sail like the ones found on high seas. The friction was gone, the pulse had regained its usual beat and we were now gently gliding through the air.

Soon I was able to make out spectators waiving from the ground. The landing was approaching and I focused on enjoying being airborne as long as I could. At about 100 feet from the ground, I was instructed to lift my legs into a sitting position. Impact was nearing and I braced myself. Touchdown turned out to be painless and felt more like going down a slide in a children's playground. We untangled ourselves from the chute and reloaded back into reality. It felt weird to be standing on solid ground and yet at the same time quite comforting.

I felt supercharged with excitement. The power of adrenaline got me high like a drug and the feeling remained for hours. I received a certificate and purchased a video and photos package which immortalized the adventure. Overall it was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever.

As summer went on I realised that my thirst for flying had not fully been quenched. I further researched aerial sports and Hang Gliding caught my attention. It didn't seem to be as extreme as Skydiving but I was determined to experience all aspects of human flight.

I made all necessary arrangements and in a matter of two weeks I was back on the saddle pursuing my passion. This time my mom, who shared the dream, decided to join in on the adventure and once again we hit the road destination: Distance Paragliding School!

I was slightly worried about the weather since it plays an important factor in all aerial activities. The heavy overcast above was apparent and the winds were picking up. Nevertheless, we made way towards the school, situated some 80 kilometres south of Montreal.

The school offers two options for Tandem Hang Gliding Initiation flights. The first consists of a deep plunge off the summit of Mount Yamaska from a 1000 feet altitude. The second was called Aerotow. It consists of your Hang Glider being towed up to 2500 feet by an Ultralight (Motorized Hang Glider) and then released into a long free-flying glide. Both of them sounded worthy of trying but we opted for the first since there was something to be said about running off a cliff.

Once we got there however, our initial choice was taken off the table for safety reasons. Since the winds were too strong on that particular day, there was a risk of the glider overturning and crashing into the mountain. Therefore we happily accepted the remaining option and headed towards the hang gliding farm.

From the looks of things one might never guess what goes on behind a nice three-story farm house surrounded by corn fields. Taking a closer look though, reveals a world of aviation in its back yard. The owners of the property were actually our Instructor and Ultralight pilot and they had been expecting our arrival. Both seemed like easy going fellas who were as eager about the flights as us. We received a warm welcome and after brief introductions came time for play.

My mom decided to go first. While she was slipping into the harness, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of the Glider. The wing, similar to an oversized kite made me think of Da Vinci's famous flying machine. The aircraft had a true simplicity about it. It was mainly comprised of its wing, hanging straps for the harnesses, a triangular bar and some hooks and strings. It was positioned on a launch cart (dolly), from which it would be detached during takeoff.

Everyone was ready and the instructor gave the green light to the Ultralight pilot. A 50 feet cable separated the two aircraft which were in line one behind the other. So I watched mommy fly away into open air and soon out of my eye line. I was excited for both of us and the anticipation was brewing inside me while I awaited my turn. I lay down on the grass and spent a good half an hour gazing up at the unfolding spectacle.

But as all good things come to an end, so did her flight. I moved away from the grassy runway as they prepared to land. Touchdown was smooth. We jumped around cheerfully and exchanged hugs and kisses while the boys enjoyed a break. After the nice interlude my turn had finally arrived.

I put on a helmet and slipped into the harness. I placed myself beside the Instructor and he strapped us in. We were in a laying position parallel to the ground and the straps held us suspended under the wing. He explained briefly how to navigate the glider by shifting our bodies from left to right and up and down. We gave a signal by raising the thumb and began to roll.

Since we were rising at about 30 MPH it really felt progressive and I enjoyed every moment of it. The beauty in hang gliding is that unlike skydiving, where you can only go one way, it allows you to soar around using air currents and thermal updrafts which in turn give you the freedom to fly like a bird. Once we had reached 2500 feet my instructor released the cable by which we were connected to the Ultralight and we were now gliding solo.

We flew over mountains, sand pits, lakes and forests. I felt somewhat superior to civilisation as I glared at it from miles above. Nothing could beat the sense of weightlessness. To spice things up the instructor performed a few thrilling aerobatics. That was like being on a rollercoaster, just thousands of feet higher. I decided to give navigation a try and pretty soon got a good hang of it. You end up feeling like your body is part of the aircraft and it in turn ends up being like an extension of you. In the end it's absolutely impossible to put into words how amazing the journey turned out to be. It's safe to say that I would repeat in a heartbeat.

Through my experiences I realized that the only thing these two sports hold in common is the fact that they are both performed in the air. Otherwise they are distinctively unique. It's similar to comparing a fast paced rock song to a classical symphony. Both regarded as music and yet fundamentally different. Skydiving offers to blow your mind in the most thrilling ways, while Hang Gliding offers the freedom to truly experience flight.