The glider is basically an aircraft with no engine. The initial gliders were created by Sir George Cayley who, after a series of experimental models, succeeded in producing a glider reliable enough to lift a boy in 1849 and then his coachman in 1853.
With the achievement of powered flight in 1903 by Wilbur and Orville Wright, gliding stayed out of the limelight until competitions were held in Waserkuppe, Germany in 1920 and 1921. Since these meetings took place, the interest in the sport of gliding has grown considerably, spreading throughout the world.
Launching a glider may be accomplished in two different ways. The first is by using a winch, a lengthy cable of steel is wound onto a powered drum and similar to a kite the glider is launched into the air.
The second option is to use another aircraft to tow the glider into the air and release it at its required height.
A glider's controls are fundamentally the same as an aircraft including the use of flaps when they are fitted. Many gliders also have air-brakes to assist in landing and limiting speed, some of the sports gliders also have tail parachutes which act as air-brakes and enable them to land in small restricted areas.
Gliders can also be fitted with airspeed indicators, altimeters and variometers (which show vertical rise and sinking speed); oxygen equipment and radios are also carried, but it is mostly the competition gliders which are equipped with such hi-tech equipment.
A water ballast inside the wings can be jettisoned to increase speed and execute a better gliding angle.
