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AUGUST 29, 2008 - OTTAWA SOUTH WEEKENDER - PAGE 13
Gliding through the years: A brief history on soaring Nathan Jahn Weekender Staff Early flight began with gliders. The Wright Brothers even had to begin with rough glider designs in their quest to achieve true self-propelled flight. However, the sport of gliding originates mainly in Germany. After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles
imposed severe restrictions on the manufacture and use of single-seat powered aircraft. As a result, German aircraft makers began refining gliders and their associated technology, harnessing the powers of our atmosphere to fly farther and faster than previously in gliding history. The first recorded gliding competition was held at the Wasserkuppe (Germany for
Launching a glider Nathan Jahn Weekender Staff There are several ways to launch a glider. The Tow The glider is attached to the tow plane using a skinny yellow rope. This is the most common way to launch a glider. The tow pilot takes the glider to the desired height and place where the glider pilot will then release the tow line. During the tow, the glider pilot keeps the glider in one of two positions: a “low tow” or “high tow”, meaning below or above the wake of the tow plane. Going through the wake of the plane feels like going across the wake of a boat while in a tube. The Winch The winch involves attaching the glider to a large cable stretched down the runway and at the other end is a winch vehicle. The winch pulls the 3,000-5,500-foot cable and the glider ends up in the air, around 1,300 feet where the winch is then released. This method is apparently more common in Europe and gains a following due to its cheaper cost, but since flights start at a lower altitude, it can often translate to shorter flights. The Bungee Launch This is exactly how it sounds: Place the glider at the top of a gently sloping hill with a concrete block
under its wheel, attach the glider at the middle of the bungee and then have each end pulled by three or four people. Once the tension is suitable, the concrete block is removed or the pilot release the brake and is propelled down the hill and into the air. The theory behind this is similar to that of a kite: the faster it goes, the more lift will be generated by the air flowing over and under the wings. This is a very rare, but not extinct, way of launching a glider.
“water peak”), in 1920. The best flight lasted two minutes and set a world record for distance at two kilometres. Today, more than 500 pilots worldwide have travelled distances exceeding 1,000 kilometres. Gliding even achieved status as an Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Games as a
demonstration sport. It was slated to become an official event in the 1940 games, but the Second World War erupted, and the games were cancelled. As a result, Olympic competition has been replaced by the World Gliding Championships. With more than 100,000
active glider pilots worldwide, it makes for some fierce competition. Canada has approximately 1,200 of those pilots; Germany leads the pack with more than 34,000 licensed pilots. The Rideau Valley Soaring (RVS) club, which launched in 1973 with just
a few members, now boasts about 40 (despite poor flying conditions throughout much of the summer). The club offers ground training and flight training, both are required for licensing. Ground school runs from January to March. For more information, contact RVS at 613-489-2691.