The Flying Apes
Joe Schmucker
Joe Schmucker «wingloader» writes:
I'll soon have paid off my business loan early. As soon as I finish paying it off, Sarah will allow me to fly again. In Nov 2015, I bought the business unit I created while employed at a local company here in Buffalo. I took out a five year loan and told my wife I wouldn’t fly again until I paid off the loan. That way if I bit the dust while flying she wouldn’t lose our collateral on the loan. I’ve almost paid it off. Of course I will have to get back into shape to get down to flying weight but that is the incentive I need. Maybe this fall, we shall see.
It looks like the writers of Planet of the Apes in 1974 were stoked about hang gliding too.
This is where it all started for me. I was watching an episode of Planet of the Apes (season 1, episode 14, December 20, 1974). I dreamed of flying (literally) ever since. In the fall of 2000, I discovered that I could learn to fly 86 miles to the East of Buffalo, NY with the Rochester Area Flyers. However, I had to lose 100 pounds to get to the max hook-in weight for the Eaglet training glider before May of 2001. I was so afraid I could not lose 100 pounds before the next spring, I took drastic measures and lost 60 pounds in 2 months. Yea, I know that’s not healthy, but it was worth it. Being 6’ 4” with a head full of rocks that was about as trim as I could get. I managed to get to 240 and our head instructor Henry Boesl said the glider would hold me but I’d have to run mighty fast to get airborne. I got my first high site flight that summer. My quadriceps still have funny lumps where I tore them during training.
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