Sailplanes, or gliders, are high-performance aircraft that do not have engines aboard, but instead “sail” or “soar” on air currents like hawks and eagles. Glider pilots maneuver their aircraft by utilizing upward currents (lift) and downward currents (sink).
The wings and fuselage are typically made of lightweight wood with a covering of carbon fiber fabric, Kevlar, and several layers of gelcoat and must be built to withstand forces up to 14.5 tons. It takes three workers about a week to produce one sailplane, which weighs anywhere between 500 and 2,000 pounds, and which must go through a rigorous testing process before it’s air-worthy.
The late adventurer Steve Fossett holds the record for altitude in a sailplane. In August 2006, he soared 50,721 feet in Argentina aboard a Flugzeugbau DG-500.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires students at least16 years of age to log in a minimum 20 flights with a certified flight instructor, pass the FAA’s written and flight exam, and successfully complete a two-hour solo flight before being licensed as a private glider pilot.
