JACKSON, N.H. - When the magnetically secured doors click open and you drop out of the shoot on Wildcat Mountain's ZipRider the first question through your mind may be, "What in the heck am I doing here?"

But as you steadily pick up speed dangling in a comfortable seat-like harness, your mind imagines how cool your own personal flying machine would be. How cool it would be if this 45-second-or-so ride were a bit longer.

Yes, the ride is too short, but at least it doesn't give you long to contemplate the potential dangers as you skim up to 70 feet about the ground at up to 45 miles an hour.

If you do, know this: Wildcat ZipRider Commander Al Rehburg has your safety in mind. The retired ski patroller and part-time mountain man is at the launch pad and carefully straps you in. An occasional joke about the buckles aside, you are in good hands, or at least it feels that way.

Rehburg says he only once actually sent anybody against their will, a youngster who was screaming he didn't want to go, but dad said send him and Rehburg did. "He loved it," Rehburg said. "He was back up for another turn."

And what's not to love about Wildcat's 2,100-foot attraction - the only one in New England.

For a mere $20 - two slim Hamiltons or a singular Jackson - you too can fly. Second trips are $10 a zip and depend on how many others are waiting for a first trip. The ZipRider proved so popular last summer that Wildcat doubled its capacity from two lines to four to help alleviate any waits.

Still, Thomas Prindle, the resort's marketing chief, suggests showing up early on nice-weather days because it can get busy and it's first-come-first-serve.

The ticket gets you an 8-minute ride up a chairlift, a small hike to a great view of Mount Washington and then the plunge.

The ride takes you high above tree tops and above and beside the base lodge, where you can wave at all the weenies who were too chicken or cheap to go themselves. Keep in mind you have to weigh at least 75 pounds - sorry Olive Oyl - and can't be more than 275 pounds - you're out too Bluto.

The views as you zip down make you wonder what it would be like to ride on a cruise missile or maybe on the back of an eagle as it soars through the mountains. And while Lincoln Benedict, the photographer, and I found the ride fun and exhilarating, at least two riders seemed unimpressed. One man said it wasn't what he expected - not scary enough. Another ZipRider we met, Faina Guton of Marlton, N.J., said she also expected more. When asked if the ride was scary, Guton said, "No, at least not from what I expected."

High-flying fun but not scary, what could be better. I've been more scared landing at the JetPort in a snowstorm, that's for certain. It may be the security of the ride that makes it so fun.

A high-tech bundle of steel cable, a climbing like harness system and computer-controlled sensors that actually slow the descent at a point that allows a safe catch in the rat-a-tat-tat brake mechanism - the ride never leaves you feeling like there's much to go wrong. It's no county fair carnival ride or vomit comet, that's for sure.

Wildcat is one of a few ski areas on leased National Forest land, and is fairly devoid of development. There are no condos creeping up the slopeside and the resort's buildings have been kept low impact, which gives a greater feeling that you are in the wilds of the woods - or in this case flying over the wilds of the woods.

A ride down the ZipRider makes a great addition to any summer trip to New Hampshire's White Mountains, where you will find many, many other things to do as well. If winging down a high-tension steel cable just doesn't sound like your thing, see our list of other things to do. Weenie.

Wildcat is located in Jackson, N.H., west of Bethel, Maine.

Once in Bethel, take Route 2 west to N.H. and then Route 16 from Gorham, N.H. to Wildcat.

Drive time from Lewiston-Auburn: about 90 minutes.

Distance from L-A: 76 miles.

FMI: www.skiwildcat.com