Gliding is peaceful, calm, serene right? Not! Many people after suffering a spinal cord injury for whatever the reason feel compelled to go flying. On this quadriplegic gliding adventure my mates lifted me from my wheelchair into the front seat of the glider to fly like a bird. After strapping my legs together and a quick flight brief we were on our way. A powerful P75 tow plane quickly dragged us skyward to a height of 3000 feet. The turbulence behind the P75 makes for a bumpy ride.

Graham lifted into in the glider

The pilot behind me happened to be my sisters GP doctor. Really handy if we crash I thought. With a loud bang (not the kind of sound you want to hear in a plane) the towline is released from the nose of our glider. I had to ask if we were moving, as stupid as it sounds, for a few seconds you actually seem to be standing still. All goes quiet and you hang there suspended mid air above the world. A 360° view if you don’t have quadriplegia and a titanium metal plate and screws holding your neck together.

Gliding along peacefully admiring the scenery we found a thermal updraft — a column of hot air rising from the ground — that usually occour over rocky ground or dry burnt patches of ground.

Bill loaded ready to go gliding

It’s amazing how much lift these thermals can generate. We spiraled upward returning to 3000 feet in a matter of minutes. “Now we can have some fun. You know these things can do loop the loops, barrel rolls, and shandels?” Doc said. That prompted the second stupid thing I asked, “What’s a shandel?”

Tipping the nose we dove reaching 45 knots, the eerie noise of turbulence rushed over the canopy. Pulling back hard on the stick we flew skyward again and just before stalling Doc spun us around on the tip of one wing repeating the maneuver several times “Okay forget the barrel rolls,” I murmured.

Bill in the glider.. at the controls!

The aerobatics had wriggled my crippled legs over and were obstructing proper operation of the gliders elevation tail rudder. Coming in to land Doc was banging this lever hard into my knee as you can see they are dual controls. “We’re coming in to fast, move your leg!” He shouts. I nervously laughed, “Doc, You’re gliding with a quadriplegic remember?” With one good whack he was able to make my leg spasm enough for the lever to slide over my knee. We came to a stop in time no problem.

If we go disability gliding again I’ll book flights for our helpers. Serene or thrill-seeking it’s your call on this wheelchair adventure and a really cool way for people with a spinal cord injury to leave their wheelchair behind for awhile and experience what it’s like to fly like an eagle,  gliding through the sky. Get out there and spread your wings wheelchair thrillseekers.

Where: The Caboolture Glider Club, Caboolture Aerodrome, QLD. Australia.
Cost: $65 from 2000 ft 10 min, $95 from 3000 ft 20 min, $115 over 3000 ft 30-40 min.
Rating: ***** Heaps of fun, are weather dependent.