Fly high for just Rs187 in Pune

If you envy the birds that seem to soar effortlessly in the sky, then you’re lucky because there’s a place in Pune where you can do the same. The Gliding Centre at Hadapsar, Pune, an initiative of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, gives you an opportunity to learn gliding as well as experience joy rides.

Every Sunday, there are scores of people waiting to experience the joys of flying. At Rs187 per flight, it’s a bit more affordable than other adventure sports and just as exciting.

There are usually about five to six pilots that are certified to take passengers for joy rides. The centre also offers a learning course and a trainee pilot can complete this course in about two to 12 months.

Gliding is a thrilling experience for virgin flyers. You get strapped in the two-seater glider and the pilot in front readies himself for the launch. The controller waves the yellow flag when the wind picks up and then again waves the flag above the head to intimate the control panel.

The winch, tied to the glider, then goes taut, pulls forward and the glider starts moving at a great speed. Almost before you realise, there’s a sudden lurch in the pit of your stomach, a thrill of excitement and you’re up in the air!  

The next minute you’re floating in the sky with birds around you and the city beneath. It’s peaceful, an almost calming experience as there are no engine sounds to disturb the tranquillity and you fly wherever the wind takes you.

Ravi Mahbubani, who has been flying for more than 12 years, described his fascination for the sport. “For me personally, gliding is like therapy. You can fly without any noise and in that soothing silence, you’re closer to nature.” Mahbubani visits the centre almost every Sunday to de-stress himself after a hectic week.

Gliding entirely depends on the weather conditions so one can never be sure how long the flight will last. The glider has to be pulled up and once the winch has attained a certain height, it is released.

The pilot then circles around trying to find a thermal, a hot column of air, that helps the glider climb higher and take a longer flight.

The gliding club recently set a new record for completing 101 flights, the maximum number of flights conducted in a day. The regular pilots involved in the feat included Captain Charbe, Eric Menezes, Srinivas Nyayapati, Adil Bharucha and Ravi Mahbubani.

“Luck and efforts were on our side and we completed our target just before the sun set,” explained Mahbubani. So if you want to fly with the birds, head to the Gliding Centre on a Sunday and experience the thrill first-hand.