Introduction

When I first flew in a glider (sailplane) I was captivated by unpowered flight. I had never seen so clearly from an aircraft nor felt such a real sense of flying. We floated softly, high above the countryside, and the only sound was the gentle hiss of the slipstream.

In gliding, the engine is replaced by your ability to understand and use the power of the atmosphere. This power comes from the sun which causes warm air to rise and generates winds over ridges and mountains that can carry you to amazing heights. In a glider you constantly scan the sky for evidence of lift and then try to stay in it. Experienced pilots can climb tens of thousands of feet and travel hundreds of miles over many hours.

When I was training I couldn't find web sites that explained what would happen next and how it felt. So I created this web site to capture my story. You can follow the links on the menu on the left.

I hope you find this helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please send an email to brian4488 at hotmail dot com