Is it Magic? 

Imagine taking a flight longer than the distance from Washington DC to Las Vegas, NV. It is not hard to imagine the 1809 air mile flight between the two cities.  Now try to envision the flight in an aircraft without a motor.   Believe it or not, an aircraft without a motor has flown further. 

A motorless aircraft has climbed to 50,721 feet and has flown at an average speed of 190 MPH on a flight of 310 miles.

Gliders, or sailplanes as they are also called, are the magical combination of aeronautical design, the latest composite materials and human ingenuity. The world altitude record in a glider is 50,721 feet (higher than a commercial aircraft can fly); the longest flight, 1,869 miles. A glider flew an average of  190 MPH on a flight of 310 miles.  Harnessing the enormous powers of nature, glider pilots claim flight records that would be amazing with a motor.

·          Free Distance Using Up to 3 turn points- 1869.7 miles/ 3009 km,

        Klaus  Ohlmann

·          Free out & return- 1,396.59 miles/ 2247.6 km, Klaus Ohlmann

·          Absolute altitude gain- 50,721 feet/15460 meters, Fossett/Envoldson

·          Speed 190.6 MPH/ over a 310 mile course/  306.8 km/h over  a  500 km  course, Klaus Ohlman

Links: 
- Gliding World Records Homepage
- FAI World Records Homepage - other sports
- FAI Gliding Commission's Homepage (IGC)

 Other Interesting Facts

· Aerobatic Gliders are capable of +7g to -4g’s. (Negative four to plus 7 times the force of gravity)
· High performance gliders can fly over a mile and only descend 100 feet in
altitude

· Every cadet entering the United States Air Force Academy begins his or her flight instruction in a glider
· Young pilots can solo at 14 and obtain a private pilot license in a glider at 16

· There are approximately 38,000 licensed glider pilots in the United States     The US has 180 soaring clubs and 150 commercial operators, including at least one in every state

· A private pilot glider rating requires about half the flying time needed for a
powered rating:
o     20 flights including at least 10 solo flights totaling 2 hours
o     A total of 10 hours of solo flying

· A private pilot glider rating requires about half the flying time needed for a single engine rating, and a FAA medical examination is NOT required for a glider license

· The Soaring Society of America has existed for 75 years as the non-profit representative of soaring in the United States. The SSA represents about 13,000 active members and the interests of all glider pilots in the US.

For more information about US and state soaring records:  www.ssa.org 

Read about a soaring adventure in New zealand:
www.vsoars.weebly.com