Desperate to Fly
by Kai Gertsen
DESPERATE TO FLY
By: Kai Gertsen
General Description
Desperate to Fly - In this memoir, Gertsen tells vivid stories of Danish traditions, his passion for gliders, which he discovered during World War II, he finds his passion – gliders – and forges friendships that last a lifetime. He describes his families’ move to the Yukon Territory with humor and pride, despite the dire living circumstances, which lacked “the finer things” they had become accustomed to in Denmark. After leaving the Yukon, he finds Helga, moves to the U.S. and gets back into soaring. For the next 55 years, he pours his life into cross–country soaring, with amazing flights to show for it – and not just on the good soaring days.
This book includes his widely used instructional manuals on Cross–Country Soaring, Off–Airport landings, and Spinning.
| Author | Kai Gertsen |
| Dimensions | 6.7″ x 9.6″ x 0.4″ |
| Page Count | 206 Pages |
Foreword by Tim Wells
"Kilo India, Four Miles"
On the good days, the difficult days and the "totally hopeless" days, Kai always made it back from his soaring journeys. I often told him that when I found myself low with few to no options, I would ask myself "What would Kai do in this situation?" He always laughed his engaging laugh dismissing my assertion, but it was true. Kai had more focus and drive than anyone I know. His story told in this book demonstrates that.
Kai was a great friend and soaring companion as we explored the limitless skies together. He often commented on how lucky we were to live just at this point in time when we have the technology, means and freedom to soar with birds. We all miss his infectious presence and enthusiasm, but I miss it most of all when I soar away from Harris Hill on another journey through the sky.
Foreword by John Seymour
We first met this Danish fellow at the airfield in Batavia, NY, sometime in 1956. Enthusiasm one might say - boundless enthusiasm for most things, especially for gliding machines and the people who flew them. It was the start of a friendship that lasted for decades and grew stronger with time.
In those days with little disposable income and glider performance to match, we had great fun in spite of it, and looking back, we had incredible dreams of sleek flying machines and flights to match. Helped of course by Kai's remarkable clairvoyance or perhaps his brand of "mind over matter" thinking, Often, while driving to the airport under grey skies and with intermittent windshield wipers, the Gertsen forecast was always "it's going to be good". and somehow, it usually was.
These memoirs are of the early years in Denmark, the Yukon, Canada, and finally in Rochester, NY. The chapters are remarkable in content, and with his flair for writing, they come alive with detailed descriptions of life, and accounts of sometimes amazing adversity and triumph over the impossible. It is indeed a pity that Kai was unable to finish the chapter of the later years, and, as he said to me, "the really good stuff", referring to the contest flying in those sleek flying machines that we once only dreamed about, and to his love of family and friends. It is without saying, however, that his many lifelong friends can help fill in the chapters not written with their own memories and stories about Kai and Helga, team Kilo India that could, and did it all.
Foreword by John Seymour and Tim Wells...9
Chapter 1: Denmark...11
Chapter 2: Discovering Gliding...31
Chapter 3: Three years in the Yukon...57
Chapter 4: Back to Civilization...79
Chapter 5: Land of Dreams...87
Chapter 6: Essays...93
ENCORE...107
Appendix 1: Spinning...109
Appendix 2: Off-Airport Landings...121
Appendix 3: Introduction to Cross-Country Soaring...151
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Tim Wells
"Kilo India, Four Miles"
On the good days, the difficult days and the "totally hopeless" days, Kai always made it back from his soaring journeys. I often told him that when I found myself low with few to no options, I would ask myself "What would Kai do in this situation?" He always laughed his engaging laugh dismissing my assertion, but it was true. Kai had more focus and drive than anyone I know. His story told in this book demonstrates that.
Kai was a great friend and soaring companion as we explored the limitless skies together. He often commented on how lucky we were to live just at this point in time when we have the technology, means and freedom to soar with birds. We all miss his infectious presence and enthusiasm, but I miss it most of all when I soar away from Harris Hill on another journey through the sky.
