Sailplane Gliders

A glider, or sailplane, flies without an engine. The pilot (and sometimes one passenger) first gets inside the cockpit, and then another powered plane takes off and tows it along into the air. When the two planes are high enough, the glider is cut loose.
 
The way that gliders fly is called “soaring”. If conditions are good, warm rising air (called “thermals”) will lift the sailplane upward. This also occurs near mountain slopes, where winds often push the air higher. The pilot will try to find these places and let the rising air lift the plane higher and higher. On a good day, a glider can stay up in the air like this for several hours.