Thermal Soaring

Thermal soaring

2 gliders sharing a thermal

Wave Soaring

Wave soaring

A glider high in the wave

Don't believe gliders can do aerobatics?

Duo Discus

Think again! Look here.

Ridge Diagram

 

Ridge Lift

Another way of staying up requires a hill, or ridge, with the wind blowing against its face. Try to imagine it - as the wind hits the hill, it gets forced upwards. If the glider can be positioned in this upward moving air, the glider will go up as well.

With a long ridge, it's possible to go large distances without turning, generally flying fast and low to stay in the best lift close to the ridge.