lesson 15: spinning can be fun, just remember to dive

"You've already established that fact that you were not a cool teenager, but what was the coolest thing you ever did?"

"Well, when I was growing up, we belonged to a gliding club."

"Like, hang gliding?"

"No, glider gliding."

"And you like, watched, right?"

"When we started going to the club I was only four, so no I didn't fly then. It was an awesome place to grow up though. As kids we really had freedom there. We built big forts in the woods and swam and slid down cliffs of clay and explored. It was fabulous. It was an old army training base so there were lots of ruins in the woods too."

"OK. I admit it. That is cool."

"Yeah. There was a gang of us who really grew up together there. I also grew up flying with my dad in a two-seater, so when I was a teenager, I took lessons."

"You were probably scared."

"Nope. That is one thing I have never been, afraid of flying."

"Now you're just being smug."

"The best lessons ever was when I had to learn to recover from a full spin. It was excellent. We got towed higher than usual and then deliberately got the plane into a spin, it was the most incredible feeling... the ground coming towards you, the plane spinning. Awesome."

"You are certified. You do know that."

"The amazing thing was, is that the recovery was completely against all instinct. Opposite rudder, opposite stick to stop spinning then, go into a dive to make the wings fly again. There was no feeling like it... complete adrenalin rush. I loved it. I'd love to do it again."

"So the fact that you freakishly enjoyed putting yourself into the jaws of death... what did this teach you."

"Something about... I don't know... I could say something about sometimes your instinct will kill you, but then you'd tell me I'm being morbid. So I'll go with, you have more control than you think you do but it might feel strange to do what you have to."

"You're lesson's a bit cheesy, but it is cool that you flew gliders. Definitely cooler than chewing your finger nails."