Porsche 924: A Love story

My Porsche, My Glider

I had never owned a Porsche before, nor had I ever flown gliders. But after being disappointed by my last two girlfriends, I made a command decision to become a happy bachelor and was bound and determined to pursue my passions of driving Porsches and flying Gliders. 

Darell Schmidt - Confirmed Bachelor
Glider Pilot & Porsche Owner

My Porsche 924 on the Assembly Line

So, my first decision was to buy a Porsche.  It just felt right to me because I always wanted a sports car. I was free from any relationships and thought this was a perfect time to buy a Porsche.  I ventured into Bob Hagestad Porsche/Audi on West Colfax Avenue.  I was impressed at the Porsche cars on the sales floor and knew I had come to the right place. 

I knew the reputation that Porsche had developed over the years, and I wanted to own one. The salesman commented that every Porsche built grew from past successes and what Porsche learned from cars in the past.   They always had their eye on the future to improve each Porsche coming off the assembly line.

My Porsche 924 on My First Drive in the Rocky Mountains

After much deliberation, I fell hard for a Silver Porsche 924 on the sales floor and was awestruck by its sleek lines.  I climbed into the driver’s seat, put my hand onthe gear shift knob and admired the intricacies of the instrument panel, and imagined the thrill of driving my first Porsche. I knew this was the car I needed and arranged to complete the transaction, noticing that my monthly payment was affordable, costing one cent less than my house payment. 

I removed the sunroof and drove west after leaving the dealership and headed to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  The roads were winding as my altitude increased, with the car cornering with ease, as it embraced the road.  With the wind in my face and feeling the cool mountain air, I was finally forgetting my past relationships as I kept climbing higher and higher.  My Porsche 924 was talking to me, and I loved it!  

My Porsche 924 and the View of Denver Below

I could not help but notice how well the car hugged the road, responding to my steering input and my shifting into lower gears to keep the rpm high as I continued to climb, thoroughly enjoying the acceleration.  The city lights twinkled in the distance from the plains of Denver below. The Porsche 924 made me feel alive again and I began looking towards a bright future, with me and my Porsche 924.

My Glider

I then made my second decision to pursue flying gliders.

The next day, I drove south to Black Forest Glider Port and enrolled in Glider Training.  Tow planes used a long tow rope connected to the glider to lift the glider up into the sky.   The ground crew connected the tow rope to my glider and when I was at my desired altitude, I pulled a knob on the glider instrument panel to release the tow rope from the glider.  Breaking free from the tow plane, I pulled my nose up to climb upwards to the left as the tow plane quickly descended to the right to maintain separation.  After having had enough lessons to solo, I flew multiple flights and truly experienced the solitude and freedom of powerless flight.

 I was free again and roamed the skies every weekend, searching for lift, recording 52 flights in my logbook.

My Glider and The Rainbow Over the Rockies

I was leaving Black Forest Glider Port one day after flying my glider aloft for two hours.  I noticed a rainbow over the Rocky Mountains.  Looking for new beginnings, I decided to navigate towards the rainbow.  I could feel the rainbow drawing me nearer and nearer and would soon relinquish its gold. 

What I found was a mountain community named Perry Park with a golf course and hundreds of red rock outcroppings rising into the air beneath deep blue skies amidst white cumulous clouds.  Large stands of scrub oak were everywhere with multiple lots for sale. Driving about, I got increasingly excited and planned to return the next day to look further.

So having found my dream car and experiencing the solitude of soaring, I then focused on picking a lot on which I could build a unique home with a pool and jacuzzi close to the golf course.  I found a 1-acre lot backing to open space with red rock out cropping’s in multiple locations.

My Porsche and My Lot for my Bachelor Pad

So having found my dream sports car and experiencing the solitude of soaring, I then focused on picking a lot on which I could build a unique home with a pool and jacuzzi.  I found a 1-acre lot backing to open space with red rock out cropping’s in multiple locations.  I envisioned a Jacuzzi in a towering rock-cove protected by three large pines.

And a lot to build My Bachelor Pad

Meeting this Special Girl, Monte Re

Good friends of mine asked if I wanted to meet a special girl.  I hesitated but was intrigued on what they told me about her, so I agreed to meet her in the Golf Course Club House.

After all, I owned my own Porsche, flew on 52 glider flights bought a lot to build my Bachelor Pad and had hired a builder to start building my new home. 

Anyway, it was just a little meeting to meet a girl.  And then I met her.

My intrigue turned into a smile.  We chatted a bit and my smile widened with interest.  I had a feeling there was something different about her and I wanted to know more.

Monte Re

My Porsche In Front of my Bachelor Pad

After we met in the club house, I offered to take her to my lot in my new Porsche and show her my home that was under construction.  I designed the pool with an island and a water fall fed by a large recirculating pump cascading the waterover the face of the rock down to the water 22 feet below.

My Porsche 924

My Former Bachelor Pad And My Wife

And yes, we started seeing each other rather regularly and I fell for her, and she fell for me.  And in November 1980, I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.  I had a bottle of Dom Perignon in the refrigerator, and we celebrated our engagement.  And we were married on April 4, 1981, in Echo Hills in Perry Park.  We travelled to Hawaii for our honeymoon.  Next April we will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary.

My Former Bachelor Pad

Monte Re and Darell Schmidt

Happy Husband and Wife

Darell Schmidt - Husband
Glider Pilot & Porsche Owner