A High-Flying Adventure

A High-Flying Adventure
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1915220,00.html
TFK tests out the new Flightline ride at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park
By TFK Kid Reporter Claire Epting
Ever wondered what it's like to fly like a bird? At San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park in Escondido, California, you can! The park's brand-new Flightline ride is a zip-lining experience unlike any other. The ride allows you to soar high above the park and see the animal exhibits the way a bird would.

What is zip lining? It's a sport that involves using the force of gravity to "zip" from one end of a suspended cable to the other end. Participants wear a harness and pulley that is hooked onto the cable. The starting platform is higher than the landing platform. This helps riders to gain speed as they glide through the air to the other side.
A Hands-On Zoo
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is more than just an average zoo. Its main mission is conservation. The park is a 1,800-acre wildlife sanctuary that houses over 3,500 animals representing 260 species. It is also a botanical garden where more than a million plants can be found.
There are many unique ways for visitors to get up close and personal with the animals. One experience called Photo Caravan takes you on a safari through the African or Asian habitats. You can learn all about the park's conservation efforts by taking part in special experiences like the Photo Caravan, and of course, Flightline.
Prepare to Soar!
The Flightline experience begins with a training session on how to fly and use the gear. You can even rent special helmets with cameras on top to record your adventure. Then, it's off to the "fledgling" line. This is where you practice how to take off and how to land. The fledgling line is 470 feet long.
After practice, riders are driven up a hill to the main zip-line. Along the way, the trucks pass an area where California condors are housed and cared for. As part of the experience, visitors learn about the rare birds and other endangered animals and plants found at the park. Finally, you reach the top of the mountain. After reviewing safety and flying techniques, your harness is secured onto the zip-line cable. You overcome the butterflies in your stomach and push off. It's time to fly!
A Bird's Eye View
Four passengers can fly at one time. The zip-line is more than two-thirds of a mile long. It features a 421-foot drop in elevation. Riders can soar across the park as fast as 60 miles per hour, and are suspended between 36 and 130 feet above the ground. You fly right over the animals' exhibits and watch giraffes and deer stare up at you. After about two and a half minutes, you land at Kilima Point, and the ride is over.
It's a little scary at first, but the ride is so smooth that it quickly becomes fun and exciting. "There's no other ride quite like this one," says Adam Ringler, the park's director of operations. "The goal was to create something that gives people the experience of what it's really like to fly--while letting them also experience many of the animals from a unique, exciting angle."
If you're near San Diego this summer, I recommend a visit to San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park--and a ride on Flightline. Part of the proceeds from Flightline ticket sales will go directly to the park's condor conservation program. Special thanks to Dani Dodge and Adam Ringler and for making this report possible.

Max-This is a great game in the San Diego zoo. Instead of seeing 260 species and over a million plants, you can take a Flightline ride. First, you can take lessons on how to fly and use the gear. Then they will hook you to the fledging line and you practice how to start and land. Then, they will take you up the hill and to the main line. They will hook your harness to the zip cable and after reviewing the flying techniques, you fly off! The ride occurs a 421 foot drop and you glide as fast as 60 miles per hour. After two and a half minutes, you land and the ride is over. It is really scary game but it’s really exciting!