GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — It’s the closest thing to flying like a bird. No engine, no runway — just a pair of wings and a little bit of courage.

The cooler temperature and cloudless sky were simply too much for Jim Yokom and Kevin Carter to ignore. The conditions were perfect for them to fly.

High atop Lookout Mountain has been a popular spot to catch the wind for over 50 years.

“It’s very magical,” Carter said. “We are so lucky to have this,” Yokom said.

Man has wanted to take flight since he gazed up into the sky with envy, watching other creatures soar the heavens. Thanks to Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, now he can.

‘Spreading my arms and flying’

Yokom has been hang gliding since 1978.

“All my life, I’ve had dreams about flying. Since I was a little kid, I would have dreams about spreading my arms and flying,” Yokom said.

“The dissecting, the invisible energy of the air, was so compelling and so addictive,” Carter said.

While their heads may be in the clouds, their feet are on the ground — safety comes first.

“That is my parachute. It’s an emergency parachute, so if something happens when I’m flying in the air, you pull this thing and you throw out that parachute. I’ve never had to use one,” Yokom said.

When the two are soaring the Colorado blue like birds, it is not only them flying. So is time, and once again, it is time for them to be earthbound.