![]() A glider can fly about 10 km for each 1000 feet of height, so there is a good chance that an airfield will be within reach. When the thermals stop working, the glider will gradually descend. The world record for a flight in a straight line is 2000 kilometers. In the summer, flights of hundreds of kilometers are commonplace. The world height record is 14,102 metres (46,000 ft). Thermals can go as high as 14,000 ft or more. Gliders can fly as slowly as 35 knots (65kmh) to approx 135 knots (250kmh) How high can a glider fly? After the pilot reaches the top of the thermal, they fly off, gradually losing height, until they reach the next one. If a glider is flown to stay in that column of rising air, by circling, the glider will also be swept aloft. When the ground is heated by the sun, periodically a parcel of heated air ascends, often to many thousands of feet, as the temperature of the air close to the ground becomes higher that its surroundings. By far the most common is called thermalling. Gliders can stay aloft by a number of means. The glider is attached to the tug by a rope, and the glider pilot follows the tug as they are pulled up to the release height when the glider pilot releases the rope. Our gliders are launched by aerotow using our high powered Piper Pawnee tugs. When circling in thermals, gliders are drifted along by the wind, but otherwise are unaffected by the wind. Nothing! Gliders are not dependent upon the wind to stay aloft. When learning to fly, you will be taught how to find & stay in thermals, and a thermalling flight is much longer. In the absence of thermals, which gliders use to stay in the air, an average flight to 3000ft will last approximately 20 minutes. An average student will be ready for their first solo flight after approximately 20 to 40 flights at a cost starting from around $2000. To learn to fly a glider, the costs are largely dependent upon the aptitude of the student and how frequently you come flying - obviously if you are able to come to the airfield each weekend for a few consecutive weeks, you will learn faster than if you were to come flying only one day a month. See our page about Air Experience Flights for the cost of taking your first flight in a glider. In the unlikely event of an accident occuring, there is no fuel to burn. ![]() Gliders are very strongly built, and there is no engine to fail. While any form of aviation carries an element of risk, gliding is relatively safe. Questions that are often asked about gliding
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