Flights worth mentioning

One thing about hang gliding, is that it seems that every flight contains unexpected events, sometime good and sometimes bad.  Here are a few good ones. 

I launched on a no wind day at Woodstock VA, anticipating the most boring of all flights, a simple sled ride into the landing field.  However since there was no wind or lift in the air, I thought why not just skim the tree tops all the way down, the flight path being totally predictable in still air.  Then I discovered indentations along the ridge which I flew into, so I was flying with trees on 3 side of me, keeping an open window to the landing field .. never had I ever been so close to the trees and got an eye full of nature that cannot be properly described in words.  

There was a balloon launching at the flight park in Ridgely MD where I routinely fly via aero tow.  I though, why don't I launch right after the balloon launches then fly around it just for fun.  When I got off tow I was quite a distance above the balloon and abandoned my plan to fly around it.  However, as I watched it I was strangely attracted to all the pretty colors and eventually I was flying around this immense colorful structure, that appeared to be at rest in the air like a 4 story building with people in the basket.   I felt like I had a fly on part in the Wizard of Oz, and this was an experience of great enchantment, totally unexpected. 

 I was having a routine flight at Ridgley flight park, and I was not finding any lift and was on my way down to the landing field.  I saw a vulture about 200 feet below me, and thought, I will dive it and see if I can touch its back.  As I approached it looked up and then rapidly descended 50 feet keeping its distance.. The interesting thing about this vulture's descent was how it was done.  It turned all its wing feather 90 degrees and opened it wings up as one would open venetian blinds.  and it dropped itself instantly 50 feet and closed the feathers to return flying. I pursued it no further.