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Soaring (not WAR...ing) in 1940's   Page 11      Hattie Meyers Junkin   

After a restless night we hurried up to "Souse" mt. The breezes were from the right direction. The hdkf [[handkerchief]] windsock high in the tree waved, "Hurry." When Soaring the time to take-off can mean split seconds to be shock corded into the thermal. No woman had earned a "C" license. I wanted to win mine..a yr. late so I would be #37. My group were also anxious for me to go first and cinch it. My son age 12, was checking the glider, telling me to get in. I was belted in my blanket and cushioned hammock seat, cowl put on. My movie camera handed to a man from the newspaper who I felt would keep grinding no matter what I did. The tail of the glider held by short rope under car wheels, I checked my safety belt, held the stick in position. The fellows picked up the shock cord held by glider noce [[nose]] release. With two each side of the shock cord "V"..came "WALK, Run." The shock cord tugged at the glider, tail released. The world stopped rotating, everything seemed to hold still for an instant. Then ZZZZZZZ I went out over the mt. edge, the shock cord dropping like a two bodied snake. I was projected far beyond flying speed which made me think I would go backwards sticking the tail skid into the mt. top! My son called, "Mom, cinch your license, don't do anything else." No, I wouldn't be scared. Then why was my left foot shaking on the rudder? Suddenly there was a puff of wind, I heeled with a flat turn parallel to the ridge, feeling suddenly like I was on top of a cement column, pushing me up. I was in the up-currents and Bill Enyart was clocking me to stay along the ridge for the required number of minutes before going into my airport good landing. My Instructor Bud Stickler was flying over me. I had the beginner's white strip tied on my wing skid which meant, "Keep out of my way, I'm too green to worry about traffic." No one has any idea of what coordiantion [[coordination]] means until you soar..alone.