In flight, a glider is always descending through the air. So, except
for minor excursions of trading airspeed for altitude, glider pilots can
only gain altitude by positioning their glider in an air mass that is
rising faster than their glider is descending. Therefore, one of the
most important aspects of learning to soar is learning how to find and
manage this rising air or "lift." Lift is created by various
interactions of weather and terrain. The most common types of lift are
thermal, mountain wave, and ridge.
There are two ways: aerotow and ground launch. Aerotowing, the most
popular method here in the United States, is where the glider is pulled
aloft by an airplane. The "towplane" and the glider are attached by a
rope. At altitude, the sailplane pilot pulls a tow-release mechanism in
the glider to release the glider from the rope. The tow-rope stays
connected to the towplane as it returns to land.
Ground launching is also used in the US, but is more common in
Europe. Ground launches are performed either with a vehicle (auto
launch) or an engine-driven reel on a stationary platform (winch
launch), pulling the glider.
A glider can fly as high, as far, and for as long, as there is lift.
On a typical summer day around California City, it is not unusual to
fly between 10,000 and 18,000ft in thermal lift. The world altitude
record for gliders is about 49,900ft msl, flown in mountain wave above
the Sierra Nevada Mountains by a sailplane that launched from the
California City Airport.
Distance records for gliders are set and broken all the time. Many
pilots have flown 1,000km (625mi) and many more have flown 500km between
takeoff and landing.
As for duration, there are physical and legal limits: gliders are not
equipped to fly after dark, and pilot fatigue is a major factor.
However, flights of 5 hours are not unusual; and when attempting
cross-country goal or record flights, pilots have flown for more than 8
hours without landing.
Yes; you must have a license issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration. You must complete a course of instruction that
encompasses the aeronautical knowledge and flight proficiency
requirements prescribed by the FAA. You must pass a written test, an
oral test, and a flight test. All of the requirements for pilot
certification are contained in
Part 61
The Federal Aviation Regulations state that a person must have a
minimum of 10 hours of flight training in gliders to be eligible for a
private pilot certificate with a glider rating.
How long it takes to complete the training and experience
requirements depends heavily on how often you fly and how diligently you
study. A person who flies regularly (one day every week) can reasonably
expect to solo in two months and be ready for the flight test in five or
six months. Cost will depend on where you receive training, your
progress, and the type of glider you train in. A very rough estimate is
$2500 - $3000 to complete your training for a private pilot certificate.
Anyone who is at least 16 years old and in reasonable health can
become a licensed glider pilot. There is no upper age limit. (You may
solo a glider at 14 years of age.)
No, but you do need to certify that you have no known medical defect
that makes you unable to fly a glider.
You will be better prepared to handle an emergency landing: every
landing in a glider is "engine-out" and off-field landings are part of
the cross-country soaring curriculum.
You will improve your basic flying coordination skills: gliders have
more adverse yaw than most modern airplanes, and a yaw string, so
coordination errors are more easily noticed and corrected. Knowing how
to use your feet is especially important if you want to fly aerobatics
or tailwheel aircraft.
You will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the
interactions of weather and terrain, and of weather in general. You will
be able to apply soaring techniques to your power flying to increase
your safety and efficiency.
Flying cross-country in a glider is a different (and to many a more
rewarding) kind of challenge. Besides: IT'S FUN!
You are required to have at least 3 hours of flight training in
gliders and 10 training flights. You do not have to take an FAA written
exam for for the new rating, but you will have to take an oral and
practical test from an examiner. (Adding a glider rating satisfies the
biennial flight review requirement.)
Visit a soaring site. If you live in Southern California, come visit
us at the California City Airport. If you don't live in SoCal, visit a
soaring club near you. Try looking under "Gliders" or "Flying Schools"
in your yellow pages or visit your local airport and ask around. Or,
check out SSA's list of soaring sites and
clubs to see if there is one near you.
Read about soaring. There are many good introductory books about
soaring, We've listed a few of them on the
LINKS
page.
