Why a glider glides

Gravity is the engine: part of the weight pulls a glider along its path. Lift and drag decide how flat it glides, which is why gliders look the way they do, and speed and wind decide how far it gets.

What you learn

• Explain how gravity pulls a glider forward
• Say why glide ratio equals lift divided by drag
• Tell why gliders have long, slim, smooth wings
• Explain why flying faster or slower glides steeper
• Describe how wind changes the glide over the ground

In playlists

• Gliding and soaring

Also on

• Video course: Soaring