Glider (sailplane)

This article is about recreational gliding. For the armed forces aircraft, see Military glider.

Rolladen-Schneider LS4
(video) A glider sails over Gunma, Japan.

A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring).[1][2] This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplanes are aerodynamically streamlined and so can fly a significant distance forward for a small decrease in altitude.

In North America the term 'sailplane' is also used to describe this type of aircraft. In other parts of the English-speaking world, the word 'glider' is more common.

  1. ^ "FAA Glider handbook" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. ^ Definition of gliders used for sporting purposes in FAI Sporting Code