What is Gliding?

We reckon that gliding (or soaring, as it’s sometimes known) is about the best fun that you can have in the air.

It’s an exciting aviation adventure sport that delivers thrills right, left and centre. However, like most sports, you can take it whatever way you want. Some people just like turning up at their club and having fun flying. Others like to push themselves, seeking new challenges. For some people, this means trying to go further, faster or higher than they’ve managed before. Others go for the thrills and spills of glider aerobatics (if you don’t believe that gliders can do aerobatics without an engine, take a look at the video box on the right). For lots of people, gliding is all about the cutting edge of competition racing, a sport in which Britain leads the world.

Most non-glider pilots are gobsmacked when they hear what you can achieve in a modern glider. Belting in to the finish of a race, pilots will reach speeds of nearly 300kmph and heights of over 30,000ft can be achieved in this country (even with our rubbish weather!). The longest flight so far in the UK is just over 1100km (a bit further than London to Prague) although over twice this distance has been managed down in the Andes.

Of course, without an engine, you may wonder how you get airborne, and how you stay up. Follow the links on the left to find the answers to these questions and to find out more about our sport.