Going like a rocket...

 As it was my 50th birthday last month and hubs' plan to take me to Iceland was scuppered by COVID - something on my to do list - he instead bought me a gliding experience. Now, I love to fly. Going up in an aeroplane is one of my favourite things to do. It's the closest I'll ever get to going up in a spaceship - alien abduction or a $300000 ticket both being unrealistic. 

So I was really excited about it. We went to a local airfield and spent some time watching the gliders being launched via a 'catapult' - a long tether pulled at speed which took the glider up at 45 degrees before releasing at some 1500 feet. 

When it was finally my turn, all strapped in at the front with my very own parachute, I was almost bouncing in my seat. They took up the slack on the tether, the helpers took the wings to keep the glider upright on its single wheel, and then we were off 

Not going to lie, I. Was. PETRIFIED! I was paralyzed, couldn't breathe. I really thought I was going to die from the fear. All the more of a shock because right up until that moment I'd been really looking forward to it 

And then the clunk of release, a sudden dip of the glider's nose, and we were flying free. And I could breathe again. The panic had gone, and I was giggling like a four year old.

The flight was quite short - normally 6-8 minutes, but I'd asked to have a go at actually flying which meant we came down a bit sooner. I got to take the controls and hold her steady as we glided above the world with nothing but the sound of the wind and the pilot's voice. It was amazing.

The landing was bumpy but not as bad as I'd anticipated having seen the others come down. The pilot praised me on the steadiness of my hand while taking control, before it was my eldest's turn. She loved it, including the take off but she's much more of an adrenaline junkie than I've ever been.

In all, I loved the experience but the utter inexplicable terror at take off means I'm not going to be rushing back. The only thing I can think off is that it reminded me too much of traumatic fairground rides - a thing of terror for me but much enjoyment for my daughter. Do I dare myself to try it again to see if familiarity will have lessened the fear or simply made it worse? Maybe I'll stick to imagining spaceflight instead of trying to attempt it...