On a cold foggy morning, about 20 people wait in front of a hanger at the Rockton Airport for the sun to break.
Visibility is low, creating unfavourable flying conditions, but the pilots at the SOSA Gliding Club at 1144 Cooper Rd. are waiting for their moment to get into the skies.
Bob Harvey has been gliding for the past 15 years after reading about a SOSA open house in an ad, and reminisces about his first time up in the air while the fog begins to dissipate.
"I thought I'd come out and have a look at the gliders and take a few pictures and go home," he said. "I was here for about 10 minutes and somebody said, 'Do you want to go for a ride?'"
The next thing Harvey knew, he was 3,000 feet in the air circling around Cambridge and the surrounding area. He recalls his first time gliding and the sense of amazement he had.
"The big thing with the first flight was just the view," he said. "The world just looks different from the air, like we're used to living on the ground and looking out, but when you can be up there, then you have full control."
Flying out of SOSA, passengers can see Hamilton Harbour, all of Waterloo region and, on a clear day, the Toronto skyline.
The club has about 10 gliders that they own personally for member use, and about 40 privately owned aircraft that they store on the property.
As the fog begins to break, the gliders are pulled onto the runway and into position by a small golf cart. The skies are now clear and calm.
The sound of an old prop plane's propellers starts to wind up, signalling that flight time has arrived.
Harvey climbs into his seat after doing his pre-flight check, and away he goes. When the glider reaches 3,000 feet the plane disengages, leaving the glider at the mercy of thermal pockets to help lift the wings of the small aircraft.
"If you look down there you can see African Lion Safari," he said as he steered the glider to get a better view.
The fall colours have painted the landscape crimson while farms are pieced together like puzzle pieces.
"When you're up here you get a different sense of the world," said Harvey. "There is no better view than this. That is why I keep coming back."
Not only are these gliders used for scenic trips, but some members will fly them distances upwards of 1,000 km.
Harvey explains that to fly, you also have to be an amateur meteorologist, reading air pressures, picking out cloud systems and finding the best places to hit thermals.
These thermals are essentially pockets of hot air that create lift. When the glider circles one of these pockets, it rises with the hot air, giving the pilot more time in the sky.
After a brief introductory flight, the glider circles the small grass runway at SOSA and lands next to the hanger. The members stick around and socialize as they wait for their turn to go up.
"Like a lot of other activities, if you ski, golf or boat, you're usually gathering with a bunch of people with a similar interest and what I found is glider pilots are extremely passionate," said Harvey with a chuckle.
The goal for SOSA is to make the first flight as enjoyable as possible for the passenger and show them the possibilities that come with joining their club.
Their membership is diverse, comprising pilots young and old. Harvey adds that if anyone is interested in signing up for an introductory flight, he bets they will fall in love with being in the sky.
There are currently more than 160 members at SOSA and they continue to grow and add new gliders to their fleet.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about SOSA and how to book an intro flight, visit their website.
"All it took for me was one flight and to see the view and I've been here for 15 years," said Harvey.
