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British Grand Prix Gliding
A UK qualifying competition for the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix, a world gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ... competition, has been held every second year since 2006. Details and results References External linksSailplane Grand Prix Gliding competitions Sports competitions in the United Kingdom Gliding in the United Kingdom 2008 in air sports 2008 in British sport {{UK-sport-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands within the British Isles. Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea. The total area of the United Kingdom is , with an estimated 2020 population of more than 67 million people. The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 170 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Prix Gliding
FAI World Grand Prix Gliding Championships are gliding competitions promoted by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) for gliders that are both more spectacular and more easily understood by the public than conventional gliding competitions. Origins Gliding competitions existed before the Second World War but as the technologies evolved, the performance of the gliders has taken them away from the public view. Furthermore the scoring is complex and gliders can start at different times. Proposals were made in 1970 – Discussions between , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is also used for the sport. Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s. Initially the objective was to increase the duration of flights but soon pilots attempted cross-country flights away from the place of launch. Improvements in aerodynamics and in the understanding of weather phenomena have allowed greater distances at higher average speeds. Long distances are now flown using any of the main sources of rising air: ridge lift, thermals and lee waves. When conditions are favourable, experienced pilots can now fly hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airfields; occasionally flights of more than are achieved. Some competitive pilots fly in races around pre-defined courses. These gliding competitions test pilots' abilities to mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cambridge Gliding Centre
Cambridge Gliding Centre is a gliding club based near Cambridge in the United Kingdom on the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire county border. Nearby major towns include Bedford, Cambourne, Huntingdon, Royston, Sandy, St Ives and St Neots. The club is based at Gransden Lodge Airfield, where it moved to from Duxford Aerodrome in October 1991. Formerly known as the Cambridge University Gliding Club it became known as the Cambridge Gliding Club in the mid-nineties. In 2006 the club began trading as the Cambridge Gliding Centre. The Cambridge Gliding Centre provides flying lessons, and 'learn to fly' courses for aspiring glider pilots, along with advanced training, e.g. aerobatics, and conversion courses for more experienced pilots. Experience trial flight gift vouchers are also available and provide a steady stream of visitors to the airfield. The club boasts an active and growing membership, with many record holding pilots amongst their ranks. The Cambridge Gliding Centre operate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield is an aerodrome located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham. It was built in 1942 and was a Royal Air Force Station during the Second World War, many significant operations being flown from it. The RAF ceased operations at Lasham in 1948, but an aircraft company, General Aircraft Ltd, continued to fly from the airfield. From 1951 the main activity at Lasham airfield became recreational gliding. The airfield is now owned by the largest British gliding club, also one of the world's largest, Lasham Gliding Society (LGS). It is also the location for 2Excel Engineering Ltd., a company that maintains large jet aircraft. Pilots of powered aircraft visiting the airfield require prior permission and a briefing on its hazards: in particular dense concentrations of thermalling gliders (up to 100 gliders can be in the vicinity at once), winch cables up to above the ground, and occasional movements of large jet airliners. Over-flying aircr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schleicher ASW 27
The ASW 27 is a 15 metre Class glider built of modern fibre reinforced composites, which first flew in 1995 and was certified in 1997. The manufacturer of the ASW 27 is Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The "W" indicates this is a design of the influential and prolific German designer Gerhard Waibel. Design and development The ASW 27 has plain flaps, winglets, a retractable undercarriage and a water ballast system. The ASW 27 superseded the ASW 20 in the manufacturer's production line. The structure is a complex composite of carbon, aramid and polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ... fibre reinforced plastic. This permits a light structure with the strength to carry large amounts of water ballast, thus permitting the widest possible range of wing loadi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schleicher ASG 29
The Schleicher ASG 29 is a German sailplane manufactured by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co since 2006. It can be flown as an 18 metre Class glider or as a 15 metre Class glider. The 'G' indicates a design by Michael Greiner. It is a refinement of the popular ASW-27 and for certification purposes it is designated the ASW-27-18. It has been replaced by the Schleicher AS 33. Development The ASG 29 has plain flaps and winglets. The structure is a complex composite of carbon, aramid and polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ... fibre reinforced plastic. This permits a light structure with the strength to carry up to 170 liters (322 pounds) of water ballast, thus permitting the widest possible range of wing loadings for weak and strong soaring weather. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schempp-Hirth Ventus
The Schempp-Hirth Ventus is a sailplane produced during 1980–1994 by Schempp-Hirth, a German sailplane manufacturer. It was designed by Klaus Holighaus and replaced the Schempp-Hirth Mini-Nimbus. Schempp-Hirth manufactured 613 Ventus sailplanes. Design and development The decline in the cost of carbon fibre during the 1970s allowed sailplane designers to design large components from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The use of carbon-fibre lay-ups, designed to reduce aero-elasticity of wings, has allowed CFRP gliders to be designed to cruise at much higher speeds than those with wings made from fibreglass (GFRP) or wood, as well as take advantage of thinner aerofoil sections. The Ventus has a 15-metre wingspan, using CFRP in its structure, complying with 15 m Racing Class specifications. Extended wingtips can be fitted to increase the span to 16.6 metres for competition in the Open Class. The fuselage was also produced in two sizes to suit pilots of different heig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bicester Airfield
Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester, is an airfield on the outskirts of the English town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. Dating back to 1916, this military airfield is notable as the location of the first flight of the prototype Handley Page Halifax in 1939 and was later the home of No. 71 Maintenance Unit, RAF (Royal Air Force); the RAF finally left in 2004. The airfield consists of of well-drained short-mown grass, with two nominal runways (not marked) of 06/24 () and 16/34 () long. The airfield surface is bumpy in places, due to collapsing field drains, requiring care on the part of pilots operating aircraft in those areas. History In 1911, flying first took place on the site, when Lt H.R.P Reynolds landed a Bristol Boxkite biplane on the field. Organised flying began in 1916 when a Training Depot was established. In January 1917, the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) moved into the site, then , with the arrival of 118 night bomber squadron. Canvas-covered Bessonneau hangars wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gliding Competitions
Some of the pilots in the sport of gliding take part in gliding competitions. These are usually racing competitions, but there are also aerobatic contests and on-line league tables. History of competitions In the early days, the main goal was to stay airborne for as long as possible. However, flights could last for days and some pilots killed themselves by falling asleep. This type of duration contest was abandoned by 1939. From the earliest days of gliding there was also 'free distance' flying. Pilots launched themselves from a hill top, attempting to glide as far as possible. Once pilots learned to exploit ridge lift and thermals, flights could be extended further. Eventually they mastered flying from thermal to thermal, resulting in ever longer retrieves. As the pilots and gliders became better, the winner of a competition day might fly so far that they could not get back to the competition site for the next day. Turn-points were therefore used. Those pilots who ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sports Competitions In The United Kingdom
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, through casual or organized participation, improve participants' physical health. Hundreds of sports exist, from those between single contestants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. In certain sports such as racing, many contestants may compete, simultaneously or consecutively, with one winner; in others, the contest (a ''match'') is between two sides, each attempting to exceed the other. Some sports allow a "tie" or "draw", in which there is no single winner; others provide tie-breaking methods to ensure one winner and one loser. A number of contests may be arranged in a tournament producing a champion. Many sports leagues make an annual champion by arranging games in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gliding In The United Kingdom
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is also used for the sport. Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s. Initially the objective was to increase the duration of flights but soon pilots attempted cross-country flights away from the place of launch. Improvements in aerodynamics and in the understanding of weather phenomena have allowed greater distances at higher average speeds. Long distances are now flown using any of the main sources of rising air: ridge lift, thermals and lee waves. When conditions are favourable, experienced pilots can now fly hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airfields; occasionally flights of more than are achieved. Some competitive pilots fly in races around pre-defined courses. These gliding competitions test pilots' abilities to mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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