![]() ![]() Sometimes it isn’t possible to complete a flight so an outlanding at another airfield or a farmers field is something glider pilots are well prepared for. The usual aim is to return to the home airfield. With the right weather conditions gliders can fly for hours and cover hundreds of miles. There are larger gliders – most clubs will have a member or two with something around the 23m size – and there are some quite exotic gliders with wingspans over 28m. Larger gliders are often two-seaters. Most gliders have a wingspan of between 13m and 20m, with 15m being the most common. In the right hands they fly huge distances and at surprisingly high average speeds. They are fine-tuned and equipped with an array of high tech instruments to help get the most from their performance. The modern crop of glass and carbon fibre gliders are precision performance aircraft. Many of the first generation of glass fibre gliders, from the 60s/70s are still flying and are popular with pilots with a mid-range budget. Historic/classic gliders, made from wood and fabric, from the 30s/40s/50s are popular and have a unique charm and enthusiastic following. There are different types of glider being flown today. Thermals and wind being deflected upwards by mountain ridges are the most common form of lift used by pilots to stay in the air. Glider pilots use the term ‘lift’ to describe areas of rising air. ![]() Once launched, gliders are able to stay airborne by using rising currents of air. The engine may be retractable or embedded in the glider but with a retractable propeller. Some gliders are also able to self-launch using a small built in engine. Some clubs that are located on the top of ridges or hills, such as The Midland Gliding Club at The Long Mynd in Shropshire, occasionally ‘bungee’ launch off their ridge. At Talgarth we only use the aero-tow method. This is usually either by being towed into the air by a powered plane or ‘kited’ up using a powerful winch. Gliders are flown from gliding club airfields although some gliding clubs are based on a normal airfield and share it with powered light aircraft. Modern gliders are generally very efficient aircraft technically advanced, strong but relatively light compared to a powered plane.Ī glider needs help to get into the air. Today, gliding is typically a ‘club’ activity. The Wright brothers also built and flew gliders before their first powered flights in the early 1900s. He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders in the mid 1800s. Otto Lilienthal was a German pioneer of aviation. So when we talk about gliders we are normally referring to sailplanes. They are not designed for sustained soaring flight. But the space shuttle and military gliders are not sailplanes. And the military have used gliders to land troops. It’s always worth remembering that the Space Shuttle was a glider. - What is the longest a glider has flown for?Ī glider, often referred to as a sailplane, is an aircraft designed to fly without an engine.- What is the highest a glider has flown?.- What is the furthest a glider has flown?.- How long does it take to learn to glide?.- Can I try gliding before I join the club?.What is the longest a glider has flown for?.What is the highest a glider has flown?.What is the furthest a glider has flown?.How long does it take to learn to glide?. ![]()
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