by Darren Barakat | Maricopa Monitor

This was the view on Oct. 4 during a ride over northwest Pinal County in a two-person glider plane. Courtesy of Darren Barakat via Maricopa Monitor

Jason Stephens has spent about 8,000 hours of his life in the sky at the controls of various aircraft, including more than a few hours above the desert and hills of northwest Pinal County. He’s won five U.S. National Glider Aerobatic Championships and competed twice in the world glider championships.

So if I suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable when I realized I was 3,000 feet above the ground in a tiny aircraft with no working engine, Stephens was as cool as the air blowing through the cabin from the tiny window opening in the glass canopy.

“This is a pretty beautiful state we live in,” Stephens said. “This is one of the best ways to get a bird’s-eye view.”

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