Gliding

Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft, called gliders or sailplanes, by riding naturally occurring currents of rising air to stay airborne; the sport is also called soaring. It began in the 1920s, when pilots first aimed simply to stay aloft longer and soon began attempting cross country flights away from their launch point. Using ridge lift, thermals, and mountain waves, experienced pilots can now fly hundreds of kilometers, and occasionally more than a thousand, before returning to their home airfield. Competitive pilots race around set courses testing both their reading of the weather and their flying skill, with local and national contests held in many countries alongside a biennial World Gliding Championships.