The Glider Pilot’s Glossary

The glider is towed into the air behind a powerful single-engine aircraft and released at the
Aerotow
required altitude

Aileron Control surfaces on the trailing edge of the wing. They control the glider's movement in roll

Large vertical plates/planks which can be extended from inside of the wing. They control the
Airbrake
rate of descent of the aircraft, and this is how the approach to land is controlled.
The call made by the Launch Point Controller (LPC) to signal that the launch cable has been
All Out
pulled tight (up slack) and the glider is about to launch

Altimeter A cockpit instrument to measure the gliders height

Altitude The height of the glider

Angle of Attack The angle between the glider wing and the oncoming air/ direction of flight

Approach The final part of a flight as the glider comes in to land

As Cat Assistant Category Instructor - Trained to carry out most instructional duties

The Air Speed Indicator is a cockpit instrument which measures speed of the glider, normally
ASI
measured in knots
The position of the glider relative to the horizon, this could be nose up or down and banked
Attitude
left or right
Most gliders have a minimum pilot weight, if you are under this you will need additional
Ballast
weights known as ballast put in the glider

Bank Movement of the glider rolling over on one side

The attachment point under the glider (often near the main wheel) which is used when winch
Belly Hook
launching the glider

BGA British Gliding Association - The governing body of gliding in the UK

BI
The first level of instructor who can teach a new pilot for their first few flights
(Basic Instructor)
Bath, Wiltshire & North Dorset Gliding Club, this is Bath University's host club, we fly from their
BWND
site, 'The Park' and use their gliders

Cable Release The yellow pull handle in the glider cockpit which releases cable hooked onto the glider
The clear plastic lid of the cockpit. This must be handled with care and held when it is open as
Canopy
they are very expensive.

CFI The Chief Flying Instructor - The instructor in charge on site

A planned flight path undertaken prior to landing, designed to ensure that the aircraft arrives
Circuit
at the correct height at the correct place to make the final approach to landing
The part of the glider where the pilot/pilots sit. If two people are in the glider the student sits
Cockpit
in the front.
Control Column / The stick in front of the pilot which is used to move the controls around, always held with one
Control Stick hand
The ailerons, elevator and rudder are the control surfaces, which control the glider in pitch, roll
Control Surfaces
and yaw respectively
A flight away from the airfield, often a set task to fly to certain places and return to the airfield.
Cross Country
Often set as a distance such as 500km
 Wind at an angle to the direction of travel of the aircraft, especially important during take-off
Cross Wind
and landing

Cumulus Large fluffy clouds which often mark the location of thermals

DI The safety inspection of all equipment from the gators used to tow gliders around, the winch
(Daily Inspection) and tug planes and the gliders prior to every day's gliding

Elevator Part of the gliders tailplane which can be moved by the pilot to control pitch

A general word used to describe things which might go wrong on a flight, normally during the
Eventualities
launch
When a glider pilot cannot get back to an airfield they may have to land in a field, this is a
Field Landing controlled landing (not a crash!) and training in field landings is done before going cross
country
Final Turn The last turn a glider does in a circuit to line up with the airfield

A control surface of the back of the wing which changes the stall speed of a glider. None of The
Flaps
Park's gliders have flaps
Full Cat Full Category Instructor - Trained to carry out all instructional duties

The small green vehicles used to tow gliders around, training should be done prior to driving
Gator
them
Often given as a ratio it is how far a glider will travel in comparison to how much height it will
Glide Angle lose. For example a glide angle of 30:1 means 30 meters travels for every meter height lost.
May also refer to BWND's monthly newsletter by the same name!
The seat belt in a glider. Most will be 4 or 5 straps and will go over your shoulders as well as
Harness
around your waist

Knots A unit for measuring airspeed; 1 knot is 0.515m/s or 1.15mph

This is the position on the airfield where gliders will start their launches. This can change day to
Launch Point
day depending on wind direction.
This is what glider pilots look for to stay in the air for a long as possible. There are several types
Lift
of lift; thermal (which is the most common at our site), wave and ridge.
A powered aircraft which can also be used like a glider in the air, excellent for getting time on
Motorglider
the controls in the winter.

Pitch The movement of a glider to point its nose up or down

Private Pilot’s Licence - Qualification to fly small powered aircraft, not needed for gliding but
PPL
flying gliders will make it easier to learn power flying and get a PPL
To collect a glider with a vehicle, could be a gator if it has landed on the airfield or a car and
Retrieve
trailer if there has been a field landing

Rig/De-Rig The process of putting a glider together or taking it apart

Roll The movement of a glider to put one wing down and the other wing up
As the glider gets close to the ground during a landing the pilot control the glider so it goes
Round Out from pointing at the ground to flying parallel to the ground ready for touch down, this is
known as rounding out.
Rudder Vertical control surface on the tailplane It controls the glider's movement in yaw

Sailplane Another word for glider, often used in America

Sink The opposite of lift, will make the glider loose height quicker
 Soaring To stay flying for longer by finding lift, may be referred to as a soaring flight

Flying solo is when the clubs instructors are happy with your level of flying and you will be
Solo
allowed to fly alone in a glider
Where the glider descends rapidly while turning tightly. A spin may occur for a variety of
Spin
reasons; you will be trained how to control and get out of a spin before you go solo.
Even though gliders have no engines they can still 'stall'. This is when the wing can't produce
Stall enough lift (often because the nose is too high and the speed to slow). You will be trained how
to deal with a glider stalling before you go solo
Stick See control column/control stick

Task When cross country flying, a task is a set route or challenge for the pilot

A column of rising air, often marked by clouds at the top of it. Thermals provide lift allowing
Thermal
gliders to do longer flights
A control in the cockpit which changes the resting position of the stick so that the glider flies at
Trim the desired speed without the pilot needing much force on the controls. A glider should be
'trimmed' during a flight.
Tug The powered aircraft used to provide an aerotow launch

Up Slack / Take Up The call made by the Launch Point Controller (LPC) to signal that a glider is ready to launch and
Slack the launch cable can be pulled tight

V.N.E Velocity Never Exceed - The maximum safe speed for the glider
The cockpit instrument which tells the pilot the vertical speed of the glider (if it is losing or
Vario (Variometer) gaining height). There are often two in the cockpit and they will provide a sound, high pitched
beeping if gaining height, low pitched if loosing height.
A small device which is added to the tow rope. It is designed to break before the forces on the
Weak Link
glider are above the gliders safe limits.
Where a glider is attached to a long cable which is pulled in by a winch to pull the glider
Winch Launch
upwards into the sky

Yaw The movement of a glider to turn bringing one wing forward