CHARLESTOWN, N.H. – William N. Blood Jr., born on Jan. 22, 1921, in Pepperell, Mass., served in the U.S. Army, earned a degree in mechanical engineering, and taught at UMass Lowell. He held a master’s rating in hang gliding granted by the United States Hang Gliding Association and famously introduced hang gliding as a college-credited course.
Blood is a founder of the UMass Lowell Hang Gliding Club. This program offered an adventurous and unique hang-gliding course to students. The club was active from 1974-1996. It provided an accredited course option that met its physical education program requirements. Club activities were geared towards gaining practical skills and the development of experimental gliders. Intercollegiate meets were held across the U.S. and Canada. Morningside Flight Park in Charlestown, N.H., was a destination hosting annual hang-gliding meets over the years. This program was responsible for increasing interest in the sport and brought hundreds of pilots to the area.
On Father’s Day of this year, Gigi Dierks, manager of Morningside Flight Park, led a group of pilots in honoring Blood, who died on Aug. 13, 2024, by releasing his ashes mid-flight, at the request of his daughter, Mary Blood. Morningside Flight Park invites advanced pilots and new students who would like to work towards a flight in his honor to schedule an appointment with the goal of spreading his remaining ashes. “We are flexible to people’s schedules who would like to take part in honoring Bill…we have pre-sorted bags, [to be] opened prior to launch, and released into the wind during a fly-over for anyone who may wish to take part in honoring Blood in this way.”
If you’re curious about the sport and would like to learn more, please join Morningside Flight Park’s instructors at Mount Ascutney State Park on July 18, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., for Introduction to Paragliding. It’s a great opportunity to learn about paragliding history and gear. You will be able to see and feel the wing spread out and watch permitted pilots take off and fly. For more information about the course, visit www.vtstateparks.com/content/introduction-paragliding-mt-ascutney-state-park.
Tentatively, a similar hang-gliding demonstration will take place at Mount Ascutney in September or October.
For more information on hang gliding and paragliding offerings at Morningside Flight Park, call 603-542-4416 or visit www.flymorningside.kittyhawk.com.