Soaring: Learn to experience what it must be like to fly as a bird. Slip almost noiselessly through the sky, in harmony with the sky. Visit the Denver Soaring Society based at Boulder Airport.

What Is Gliding?

You may already have an interest in aviation but perhaps you have not yet discovered the joy and excitement of gliding. If this is the case let us share with you our enthusiasm for what we regard as the ultimate sport.

Gliding, sometimes called soaring, is motorless flight. Gliders use naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena, called "LIFT", to gain altitude and stay aloft.

Methods of Launch
A sailplane is typically launched by a power plane or by a powered winch. Aerotow launches are a widely used method of getting the glider airborne. The glider is pulled aloft by a rope secured by a special hook to the towplane. The glider pilot can release the towrope at any height desired.

Winch launching is achieved by attached a long wire to a powerful engine and then pulling the glider rapidly down the runway. The glider can achieve up to 2000ft in altitude using this method.

A newer alternative is the self-launching motorglider which has a fold away engine that can be used for launch and then folded back into the glider once in the air. Picture: self-launching glider

Regardless of the method of launch, once completed the actual soaring flight is about to begin.

Sources of Lift

Once aloft you begin looking for one of three forms of energy. Thermals are columns of warm, rising air. Ridge lift is created by wind flowing up the windward side of a hill. Wave lift is an especially exciting form of lift. This phenomenon occurs when strong winds blow perpendicular to a ridge or mountain. On the lee side of the ridge or mountain the wind is then deflected upward often with great force. Wave flights can reach altitudes well in excess of 30 000ft.

Once in a thermal the sailplane circles tightly to stay in the lift until high enough to strike out cross-country in search of the next thermal.

Gliding flights can be simple, local affairs or achieve great altitudes and distances. For instance, the world altitude record in a glider is more than 49000ft. Distance flights of more than 1000 kilometers are normal. The world distance record currently stands at slightly more than 2000 kilometers.

Learning to Fly
Your first step is to take an introductory flight in a glider. Commercial gliding operations and many clubs offer introductory flights with licensed instructors or commercial pilots.

Lessons can be booked to suit your diary. The closer together they are, the easier it is to build on the knowledge gained from previous lessons and the faster you will learn. In the glider used for your training the instructor will usually sit behind you and have a full set of duplicate controls. How long it will take you to solo depends on a number of factors. These might include any previous pilot experience, how open you are to your instructor’s guidance and how relaxed you are. Once you are able to fly the glider solo yet another new world will open for you.

The great thing about gliding is that it has so many levels. The competitive pilot has various goals from badge flights to records and keenly held contests peaking in the world championships. The best fiberglass sailplanes will be expensive and the more serious the pilot the more he will want to spend on instruments. Others prefer to form syndicate and share gliders, sometimes opting for an older, and much cheaper, machine. Another method is to hire a glider direct from a club or commercial operation. Whichever route you choose, gliding is still far cheaper than power flying and offers many more opportunities to have fun.