Gliding

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Gliders and Gliding

So where do Gliders come into the picture then? The home page told us when the first sustained and powered flight took place but what about Gliders?

Gliding came in before the Wrights really – there was a boom of ‘heavier than air’ flight and aircraft from around 1850ish but it really only became a popular sport or pastime after the First World War

Once “the war to end all wars” finished there were serious concerns about Germany re-equipping themselves for round two! – so there were a number of specific restrictions placed upon them. One of which concerned the building & use of single seat powered aircraft.

Whilst most of us were furiously designing and manufacturing better and faster powered aircraft, the Germans were refining the design of Gliders and really understanding how to use them to best and most efficient effect. They learned to really ride the forces of the weather.

If you want to learn a bit more have a mooch over to the British Gliding Association’s website -
www.gliding.co.uk
if you feel you want to have a close up looky-see - visit the Bowland Forest Gliding Club. You can get their details on their website which is
www.bfgc.co.uk