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Types of Gliders

Go gliding to fly silently above the earth, like a bird. Gliding is a popular sport offering an economical way to fulfill dreams of taking to the skies. The Britannica online encyclopedia defines a glider as, "a nonpowered heavier-than-air craft, capable of sustained flight."Some modern types of gliders still resemble those designed by pioneers like the German Lilienthal brothers who flew one of the earliest models in 1891.

Sailplanes
- Sailplanes are another name for gliders. They are a small aircraft with elongated wings, a slender body and no engine, which seat up to two persons. Gliders are lighter than aircrafts with engines; this allows them to take advantage of rising currents of hot air (thermals) in the same way that birds do, to climb, gain speed and extend flights for up to five hours. Glider pilots recline with their legs stretched out in front of them, to permit the most aerodynamic shape possible for the cockpit; with no engine, design is optimized to prolong flights. Sailplanes are made from lightweight materials including fiberglass and carbon fiber. Common forms of launching include towing the glider into the sky behind a small aircraft or winch launching, where gliders are launched in the same manner as kites. Each method involves releasing the tow or winch cable at the desired altitude.
Hang Gliders
- A hang glider is a very small aircraft with v-shaped framed wings, launched by the power of the pilot's legs, who runs down a hill until enough speed is produced to lift the glider into the air. The Merriam Webster dictionary describes it as, "a kite like glider from which a harnessed rider hangs while gliding down from a cliff or hill." Since no cockpit separates pilots from the air, hang glider pilots get a 360 degree view of the surrounding terrain, often captured on video recorders strapped to the frame. Flights last as long as pilots find, "lifts" to ride. Ridge lifts occur when air hits a cliff and moves upwards, thermal lifts result from hot air rising from the earth, spiraling up in a column. Flights lasting several hours are not unusual for experienced hang gliders. Navigation involves shifting the glider's center of gravity by altering the pilot's position in the harness.
Paragliders
- Paragliders are one of the smallest aircraft used for sport and by the military for dropping troops into remote areas where no airstrip exists. They differ from hang gliders in the wings, which are not framed, permitting paragliders to pack up the plane into a backpack at the end of flights. As paragliders were developed from parachutes, rather than aircraft, the oblong canopy is less aerodynamic than a hanglider's, causing it to fly at slower speeds.

Aviation