Have you ever dreamt of flying? Not in an aeroplane or a helicopter, but soaring through the sky with nothing to keep you up but a wing, a frame and a harness?  If so, you are not alone - the appeal of flying like a bird seems deeply-rooted in so many people. Most hang-gliders talk about this when they explain the joy and freedom they feel when they launch off a mountain or hill and take to the air. However, this is not enough for an increasing number of aeronauts who want to literally dive and fly like an eagle falling on to its prey. Welcome to the world of speed gliding!

Hang-gliders control their flight by means of "weight shift" in the same kind of way that motorcyclists, skiers and skaters do. Like finding your balance for the first time when riding a bike, getting used to the weight shift dynamics of hang-gliding takes practice. However, after a few flights, many hang-gliders say that riding the air becomes second nature to them. The key to controlling a hang-glider is not strength but balance, endurance, and a light touch. On average, a hang-glider travels at speeds of up to 50 kph. By contrast, an expert speed glider or ‘pilot’ seeks to achieve speeds upwards of 90-130 kph.

Nowadays, speed gliding competitions are held in many different parts of the world.  The longest-running speed gliding event is the Chelan Speed Gliding Championship which takes place in the USA. Here, some of the world’s best pilots compete against each other.  Besides this, their main aim is to improve on their own performance by challenging themselves to do better than ever before. As such, most pilots happily pass on tips to each other on how to improve. This makes for a very good-natured event where camaraderie is more important than competition.

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Glossary

Aeronaut (n)
someone who flies.
 
Skim (v)
to move quickly over the surface of something.

Camaraderie (n)
friendship and trust amongst a group of people.