It is because of this mishap that I quickly learned to be vigilant and to always be looking out for others. The event occurred on a hot day in mid-June. The glider season was at a peak and so was the afternoon heat.  Rick, the club’s tow pilot, was taking a glider to the ridge overlooking the airstrip in Hood River. Bill, Stan, and I were under a tall pine tree trying to stay cool. Mark and a student pilot were addressing their flight plan.

When Mark and the student had finished, everyone went over to the Schweizer 2-33, the training glider, and the student got in. Then we waited for the tow plane to land. Three minutes later, Bill spotted the tow plane preparing to land. Mark radioed that we were moving the glider onto the runway and we began to take up pushing positions. I ran out to the wingtip, lifted it, and in one sweeping motion turned the glider towards the runway. As soon as the tow plane landed, we moved the glider onto the runway. Rick taxied from the end of the airfield and, in a gleeful fashion, whipped the tow plane around right in front of the glider. I ran to get the tow rope as Rick pushed the throttle down to put distance between the tow plane and the glider so that I could take the rope more efficiently. I ran back to the glider, rope in hand, and started coiling it at my feet. Once this was done, I took the rope to show to the student and Mark. This is the protocol to see if the ring is broken.

¨Is it good?¨ I said through the canopy.

¨Yes, but the knot is frayed and we might need to tie it sometime in the future,¨ replied Mark. The knot was very frayed, but it would not need to be lashed until the end of the season. I laid down under the glider and put the ring in the tow hook. Mark closed the tow hook from the cockpit and I stood up and walked to the wingtip.

¨Your aircraft,¨ said Stan, with monotony, who was holding the wing down.

¨My aircraft,¨ I repeated. Bending down I grabbed the wing and put my knee to the tarmac as I waited for the students signal to raise the wing. I adjusted my cowboy hat so that I could take it off quickly in order to signal the tow plane to take in slack. After completing his pre-flight checklist, the student gave the signal and I lifted the wing. I tore off my cowboy hat and swung it below my waist to signify to Rick that he was to take in slack. Once this was done, Rick waggled his rudder and so did Mark and his student. I gave the signal to Rick to take off and his engine roared. Still holding the wing up, I ran down the tarmac with the glider. I let the wing gain lift then I let go and ran off to the airstrip.

“Just another launch,” I thought, “I need some shade.” I turned around and started walking back the covered golf cart for some relief when I saw Stan’s face. I heard him swear as I turned around to look at the glider. It was right beside the tow plane! The glider’s left wing was also raised and it was turning sharply away from the tow plane. They were going to rip each other out of the air! Then I saw the tow rope go slack on the tow planes side. The glider did not even stop turning. It came back low over a building near the tarmac and barely missed some trees.

At this point, I took off sprinting towards the falling glider without even looking for traffic on the runway.

The glider swung over the grass with less than twenty feet of altitude. Without flaring, Mark pushed the nose down but the gliders right wing came up and he crashed the left wing into the grass.

“They are going to ground-loop and die,” I repeatedly thought. “I am going to see my friends die!”

The fuselage came crashing down next with a loud crash and the sound of groaning metal. The glider, Mark, and the student came to rest about 150 yards from where they touched down. It felt like I covered that ground in three seconds; I had so much adrenaline. When I arrived at the glider, I was relieved to find it intact and the Mark and the student shouting excitedly with each other.

“You guys alright?” I asked as Stan came raced over in the golf cart. As we pulled the glider back to the gliderport I learned from Mark that he had hit a thermal at the end of the runway. It was a thermal that was always there, but it was especially strong that day because of the heat.

Once Rick landed, we got the whole story. After feeling that the glider had hit the thermal and seeing it come up next to him, he cut the tow rope. He knew that when the slack in the tow rope it would break their aircraft apart when it became taught again.

Later, I realized that if Stan had not warned me about the glider I would have never known what was going on until it was too late. I concluded that I should always be watchful, not just for my own safety, but for the safety of others.

Most of all, I am sincerely glad that all of my friends came back to earth safely and for truly helpful people like Stan and Rick. Without the wisdom of Stan and Rick; this event may have had a different outcome.