Gliding

A recreational activity and competitive sport where individuals fly unpowered aeroplanes? usually called gliders? or sailplanes?, usually initially towed into the air by light powered aircraft and then sustained in the air by thermals?, localised updrafts of rising air which pilots learn to spot from cloud formations.

Glider aircraft are designed to have very high lift-to-drag ratios and support low-speed flight. With this in mind, they have very narrow bodies and very long, narrow wings. Some gliders are actually equipped with motors, usually retractable into the fuselage, some with minimal power, just enough to allow the glider to slowly climb without thermal assistance if necessary to reach a landing area safely. Others are equipped with motors powerful enough to allow the glider to launch itself.

While recreational glider enthusiasts enjoy the freedom, scenic views, and sheer enjoyment of controlling the planes, others concentrate on building their own craft, while still others compete in competitive events where the goal is to fly to certain geographical points as quickly as possible. These competitions test the pilot's (and the copilot, in two-seater gliders) ability to recognise and make use of local weather conditions as well as their navigational abilities with restricted equipment (navigational devices such as global positioning system receivers are banned, indeed as are compasses).

The sport is enjoyed in many countries, particularly those offering large areas of relatively flat, unpopulated terrain and fine conditions necessary for safe and enjoyable gliding.

A more minimalistic variation of the sport is hang gliding, where instead of a fully-fledged plane with full control surfaces and an enclosed cockpit the craft used is basically a fabric flying wing.