My personal interest is aviation. I have been flying since 1983 when I learned to fly sailplanes in England. Since then I have had 7 airplanes, flown 30 different aircraft and accumulated about 2,000 hours in the air and countless more dreaming on the ground.
There is something about that moment of lift-off that inspires and relaxes me. The air is much like the ocean - although much less forgiving. Soaring soundlessly on air currents is pure freedom.
Soaring in a high performance sailplane with no visible means of support for me is the ultimate. I truly feel like a bird - at one with the air - using every wisp of rising air to go hundreds of kilometres from home and back again.