Hobbies And Interests
Military Flight Training
The United States Air Force Academy uses gliders for basic cadet pilot training. All sophomore students receive training on flight controls, checklists, and awareness of the flight environment using the academy's large glider fleet. Select students receive additional training to become instructor pilots in their later years so that they can teach the underclass courses.
Combat
The United States and Germany used gliders during combat in World War II. The United States used large numbers of gliders as part of the Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944. The gliders carried soldiers and heavy cargo, including small vehicles, weapons and ammunition. The unpowered gliders flew to their landing zones silently, providing an element of surprise. Gliders also participated in the Operation Market Garden airborne operations later in the war as the Allies marched toward the Rhine River and Germany.
Recreation
Numerous glider schools and soaring associations exist throughout the country. Amateur glider pilots can take lessons and rent sailplanes for their personal use. Student pilots must pass a Federal Aviation Administration written test, as well as oral and flight proficiency tests before getting a license allowing them to fly with passengers. The Soaring Society of America's "Fly a Sailplane Today," or FAST, program, provides an inexpensive introductory flight with an instructor.