The Sport of Soaring

Here are some interesting Soaring facts and links to other soaring sites:

Soaring Facts and Records:

• There are over 20,000 FAA licensed glider pilots in the US, over 100,000 world wide.
• Soaring exists in every state in the nation including Alaska and Hawaii.
• National Distance record - Out and return 1023.42 miles, April 25, 1983 flown by Thomas Knauff from Ridge Soaring, PA.
• National Altitude Record - 49,009 ft, February 17, 1986 flown by Robert Harris from California City, CA.
• World Speed Record over 100KM triangle - 135.09 mph, March 3, 1997 flown by James M. Payne from California City, USA

Wikipedia Gliding

"Gliding." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
The Wikipedia Gliding section has grown to cover everything from sources of lif to competition soaring.

A great, simple explanation and introduction to the sport from York Soaring in Canada. Straightforward and nicely illustrated.

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The english version of a fantastic site from Sweden. A nicely illustrated introduction to Soaring and Sailplanes with some great photographs. If you want to learn more about our sport this is an excellent starting point.

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A great site from Tayside Glider Club in Scotland. A summary of what one student pilot experienced when learning to fly. From first flight to solo condensed into one imaginary flight.

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