This appears to be a regular glider, so it requires towing by a regular (carbon-spewing) airplane to get airborne. It must be amazingly cool and fun, but it’s always felt to me a bit like cheating.
Much more interesting are paragliders. There’s a documentary about a couple of crazy guys who literally crossed the Karakoram using the wind and updrafts and nothing else. That really captured my imagination.
These self-launching electric gliders are actually getting pretty impressive - the FES (Front Electric Sustainer) systems only weigh about 35kg but can give you enough power to launch and even maintain altitude if you hit sink, making cross-country flights way more accesible without needing a tow plane.
This appears to be a regular glider, so it requires towing by a regular (carbon-spewing) airplane to get airborne. It must be amazingly cool and fun, but it’s always felt to me a bit like cheating.
Much more interesting are paragliders. There’s a documentary about a couple of crazy guys who literally crossed the Karakoram using the wind and updrafts and nothing else. That really captured my imagination.
The pilot is flying a self-propelled glider that uses an electric motor to get airborne, seen at 1 minute into the video.
Well that’ll teach me for not watching before commenting.
Many gliders are also pulled up by winch and not airplane, and those winches are typically electric as well.
Interesting. Didn’t know that.
These self-launching electric gliders are actually getting pretty impressive - the FES (Front Electric Sustainer) systems only weigh about 35kg but can give you enough power to launch and even maintain altitude if you hit sink, making cross-country flights way more accesible without needing a tow plane.