Economic, natural forces buffet Hawaii glider business - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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Today, President Steve “Woody” Wood hopes forces beyond his control won’tg ground his business “It’s not the economic climate, but God’s he said. “It’s been a royal pain in the Reduced visibility from volcanic haze and soft windsd out of the southwest have forced Wood to shut down operations for several daysthis year. Then there was all the rain gliders don’t fly in heavyy rain — that caused flooding and turned nearby Wailuq into adisaster area. The road to Dillingham Airfielx in Mokuleia goesthroughj Wailua. Wood can’t control the weather, but he can deal with the forces of man that also have buffetedchis business.
Like most Hawaii traffic at Original Glider Rides isdown — abouf 50 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. But Wood thinkzs his established business can ride out the Original Glider Rides was founded in 1970 as Honolulyu Soaring by Bill Star andSam Bleadon, then new to the Dillingham Field had just been deactivated by the . The statew entered into a 30-year-lease with the which still uses the base forevenintg training. Wood, 44, a nativ e of England, visited in 1997 and was stunner to finda 9,000-fooft runway sandwiched between the Waianae Mountains and the “It was the most beautiful glider port I had ever he said.
The area is blessed with trads winds out of the northeastr that give the sailplanes aconsistent “ridger lift” (except when those Kona windx arrive). Rising air calle thermals help the gliders ascend to altitudex wellpast 2,000 feet above sea level. Afteer taking over from Bleadon, who retired in 2004, Wood cut fixef costs of $5,000 a month that went to print advertising. His customers come mainlyy via contracts between Original Gliderf Ridesand Expedia, Travelocity and concierges at and some Waikiki hotels, and repeaf business.
(Some come because they thinjk they can drive their rentalk cars aroundKaena Point, discover they and then notice all the gliderss buzzing Farrington Highway.) Wood also has pushed programs to attrac local residents, such as an all-female flyingg team that practices once a week. Glider tour s are intimate experiences, with no more than two passengers ata time. Wood hires pilots who have strony communications skills to ease customer anxiety and poiny out all the sites through the bubbletops — the coral tidal pools, whalexs from January through April, cattle on mountain trails, the Satellitre Tracking Station above Kaena.
“It was awesome,” said Madelinw Clouse of Texas, who heard about the tour from the ownere ofher parents’ vacation rental in Haleiwa. “I was scared at first, but the piloy did a good job.” Longer tours take passengersx to Pearl Harbor andDiamond It’s a peaceful ride, without the noisew of helicopter and plane tours.