Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)It's a nice little book, reflections of flying hang gliders and living life. But given such a great subject, the content is a little unoriginal and it never really lifts off. There are some nice quotations and some cute little pictures.
However there are serious mistakes that show a lack of attention to detail -- something every pilot should strive to avoid! Hemingway is credited with a slightly misquoted Ursula K. LeGuin line from 'The Left Hand of Darkness.' Other quotes are not quite exactly as originally written. And there is a huge aerodynamical blunder when she states in words and a diagram that the four forces in glider flight are lift, drag, gravity and momentum. Er mo what? Powered aircraft have thrust, gliders have no thrust. And momentum is most certainly not a force. The force for airspeed acceleration is provided by the forward component of gravity. This is basic stuff, and to have a chapter in a hang glider book titled 'The Forces of Flight' and then get them so wrong shows a fundamental lack of flying knowledge. The author also states that, "I don't know if visualization works" -- well, lots of serious research shows visualization works great for motor coordination tasks, and it is used everyday by aerobatic and competition pilots.
I feel a little bad critizing such a nice little book from what I'm sure is a kind motivational speaker. But it never soars free, and the mistakes and aerodynamic errors are hard to ignore. I hope you find this review helpful.
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Hang glider pilots launch into thin air, find lift in the turbulence, and soar. You can use the same techniques to launch into your future. You can identify opportunities and be ready to take advantage of them. You can soar, too. This book is your pilot's manual.
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