National Ride the Wind Day (August 23rd)
There’s no better feeling than the wind in your hair as you look out at a beautiful horizon. National Ride the Wind Day is an excellent opportunity to marvel at all things flying, and perhaps take part in some flying yourself. Wind powers movement in many different ways, helping us Travel through air and over water, as well as providing us with energy to use in our homes.
Learn about Ride The Wind Day
Created to celebrate the anniversary of the first man powered flight, National Ride the Wind Day is a fun day that all members of the family can take part in. Some ideas for celebrating this special day include kite flying, windsurfing, hang gliding, making and sailing boats, watching birds soar through the sky or simply a picnic on a windy day, watching the wind in the trees. Children will love making paper aeroplanes or other flying toys and watching them zoom through the air.
The holiday itself is a play on the phrase “run like the wind” from the English language, which means to run very quickly. It is sometimes utilized in the context for running away from something or someone, for example, there is a song called Ride Like The Wind that was released in 1980 by Christopher Cross, who is an American singer and songwriter. In this, he recounts the story of an outlaw who flees Mexico in order to avoid punishment. We also see the phrase sometimes attributed to incidents whereby we do something without a purpose. Just in the way that the wind is able to change its direction at any time without warning, someone who is riding like the wind has the power to change their life’s course without any reason, rhyme, or warning either.
History of Ride The Wind Day
Ride The Wind Day was created in order to commemorate the anniversary of the first flight that was powered by humans to be awarded with the Kremer prize. It was on the 23rd of August in 1977 that the first ever course in a figure-eight was flown by the Gossamer Condor 2. This had been set out by the Royal Aeronautical Society. This incident took place in California at the Minter Field in Shafter. The aircraft Traveled a distance of 2,162 meters, slowly cruising at a speed of 11 mph.
Dr. Paul B MacCready built the Gossamer Condor 2. The pilot was hang-glider pilot and amateur cyclist, Bryan Allen. Today, you can find this aircraft at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, if you are interested in seeing what it looks like.
Of course, in order to understand this day a bit better, we also need to understand wind better. The wind is the flow of gases on a monumental scale. On the Earth’s surface, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In a number of different Sports, wind figures prominently, for instance, windsurfing, sailing, paragliding, kite surfing, kite landboarding, snowkiting, kite flying, hot air ballooning, and recreational hand gliding. In gliding, wind gradients just above the surface, impacting both the landing and taking off phases of flight for the glider.
For an aerodynamic aircraft, which is going to be operating relative to air, ground speed is impacted by the wind. Moreover, in the cases of vehicles that are lighter than air, the wind could play a solitary or significant role in their movement and ground track.
How to celebrate Ride The Wind Day
Of course, one of the ways that you could celebrate this day is by taking a trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which you can find in Washington D.C. By doing this, you will be able to see exactly what the aircraft looks like. It really is an incredible experience. Plus, there are a lot of other exhibitions that are going on here. If you are unable to visit in person because it is too much of a trekk for you, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum even has some online exhibits, so you can spend the day taking a look at these and expanding your knowledge, it is certainly an insightful experience.
You can also do some more digging online to find out more about the History and Science of the human powered flight. There are a lot of excellent resources, so we are sure you will have a lot of fun finding out interesting statistics and truly getting into the nitty gritty regarding flight and the mechanics behind it.
There are plenty of other ways that you can celebrate this day as well. For example, why not take a flying lesson and truly ride like the wind? A lot of people think that flying lessons are difficult to obtain or that they are going to cost a fortune, but this is not the case. There are a lot of experience-based gift companies that offer different packages, and so you will be able to fly high in the sky without breaking the bank. It is definitely something that is worth looking into if this is an experience that interests you.
If doing a flying lesson does not sound like your sort of thing, don’t worry; there are plenty of other ways that you can get the feeling of the wind in your hair without having to jump on an aircraft. For example, why not take your bike out for a spin and feel the wind in your hair in this way? We’re sure that this will give you the sense of freedom you are searching for. There are some other great ideas and suggestions as well. This includes hopping in a sailboat and going for a ride, taking a motorcycle, hang glide, parachute, or fly a kite. The options are endless! It is all about getting the wind into your hair and doing what makes you feel free.
Another way to have some fun is to make your own kite and take it outside. This is something that you can do with your children. There are lots of great guides online for people who want to create their own kits. All you are going to need is a little handsaw, ribbons and/or yarn, a yardstick, packing tape or masking tape, string, pencil, scissors, and two round wooden dowels, as well as a full sheet of newspaper. This will give you all of the supplies that you are going to need in order to enjoy this fun art project, whether you do it on your own, with your children, or even with friends. You can then go outside and have fun flying your kite. There is something special about flying a kite when you have created it.
So there you have it: everything you need to know about National Ride the Wind Day! Whatever you decide to do on this date, make sure that you let the wind fly through your hair and feel as free as can be!
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