Sailplanes

Paul started flying sailplanes when he was 14 and had his private pilot license when he was 16 … he does an amazing job with composite sailplanes and composite aircraft.

Early gliders were mainly built of wood and metal but the majority of sailplanes now use composite materials incorporating glass, carbon or aramid fibres.

Gliders and sailplanes can share a number of features in common with powered aircraft, including many of the same types of fuselage and wing structures.

Gliders and sailplanes that are used for the sport of gliding have high aerodynamic efficiency.

Like hang gliders and paragliders, they are foot-launched and are in general slower, smaller, and less expensive than sailplanes.

Ultralight "airchair" Goat 1 glider A class of ultralight sailplanes, including some known as microlift gliders and some as 'airchairs', has been defined by the FAI based on a maximum weight.