Peace of Mind Organizing

Give the gift of flight

9 December 2008

If you have anyone on your gift list who has a problem with clutter, please, I implore you, consider giving them an experience or a service, rather than a thing. Chronically disorganized folks tend to attach sentimental value to items easily, making them difficult to part with. If it’s a gift, it’s especially hard to pass along to someone else. So your well-intentioned gift might turn into clutter.

Today I have an idea for a unique gift that’s truly an experience. Give the gift of a glider ride. My husband, Barry Marcus, is passionate about flying gliders. I’m talking about powerless aircraft. The type you sit in. The quiet ones. He belongs to Silvercreek Glider Club, where he and his fellow club members fly on the weekends, weather permitting. Barry’s even on the board of the club (he’s the treasurer). Silvercreek’s glider port is located across the river in New Douglas, Illinois.

Silvercreek is like many soaring clubs around the country, in that they offer glider rides to interested people. I don’t know about other clubs, but with Silvercreek, you can order a gift certificate for a glider ride that they’ll send you in the mail. (Specifically, Barry will send it to you.) The gift certificate is attractive and would make a lovely gift. To order the gift certificate, email Barry at barry@jbma.com. Tell him Janine sent you.

To redeem, your gift recipient contacts the club to arrange a day to come out to the gliderport (on a weekend). During the flight, he or she will go up in a two-seated glider with a seasoned pilot. The glider is towed up by a powered plane. After the glider pilot releases from the tow rope, the glider is off on its own for a quiet, peaceful ride. It’s a unique experience. The ride costs $75. The length of the flight depends on the weather conditions (the thermals) that day.

If you don’t live in the St. Louis area, you can go to the website of the Soaring Society of America and use their interactive Where to Fly map to find a club or other facility where you can purchase a ride as a gift. (Use the text-only of the Where to Fly map in order to specify that you want to buy a ride.)

If you have an aviation lover on your gift list, this could be a terrific gift.

Tagged with: gift giving, silvercreek glider club, soaring

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