THE WINGS OF GLIDING

If in the chronology of the History of aviation, the glider preceded the plane, it nevertheless gained its letters of nobility, being today a very elaborate machine. Abandoning its remote rusticity, the modern glider is a sophisticated machine, using the latest technology in both aerodynamics and composite materials. Its piloting is however accessible from the age of 16! Like the hang-glider or the paraglider, like the sailing bird, raptor of plain or mountain, seagull or gull surfing on the waves in ground effect, the glider allows its pilot to practice gliding. The glider knows how to exploit the unsuspected richness of the atmosphere. The glider's performance allows it to cover hundreds of kilometres (faithfully recorded by the GPS recorder) without any greenhouse gas emissions. What can we say about gliding at nearly 200 km/h in the rumble of the air streams around the cockpit, except that the glider is the wings of gliding... Jean Molveau is an aeronautical journalist. A glider pilot, he has been editor-in-chief of the bi-monthly magazine Vol à Voile since 1990. Passionate about history and heritage, he is a collector and founder of the Historical Commission of the French Gliding Federation. He is also a member of the History, Arts and Heritage Commission.