With no motor and no propellers, glider soaring is about as close as it gets to flying like a bird. Glider pilots harness thermals — rising columns of air — to gain and maintain altitude. Gliders can easily rise 5,000 feet and soar 80 miles an hour.

“The experience was fantastic,” recalled Michael Deitchman of D.C. “The sailplane bucked and swerved while being towed, not content to be held back from free flight. But once the tow line released, the ride was smooth and the noise of the air rushing over the canopy and wings was all that remained.” Time raced until “the ground quickly rose to meet our landing; touchdown was smooth to a gradual stop.”