The art of using air currents to fly unpowered aircraft. Technically, gliding involves the gradual loss of altitude; gliders designed for soaring flight (utilizing air rising up a cliff face or hill, warm air rising as a “thermal” above sun-heated ground, and so on) are known as sailplanes. The sport of hang-gliding was developed in the 1970s.
Pioneers include George Cayley, Otto Lilienthal, Octave Chanute (1832–1910), and the Wright brothers, the last-named perfecting gliding technique in 1902. Launching may be by rubber catapult from a hilltop by a winch that raises the glider like a kite (in the UK, the only remaining site for catapult launches is Long Mynd in Shropshire); or by aircraft tow. In World War II, towed troopcarrying gliders were used by the Germans in Crete and the Allies at Arnhem.

Act of flying with the wings rigidly extended instead of being flapped (said of birds); act of flying with a glider; act of soaring; (Music) slur