In most countries one is required to obtain a glider pilot license (GPL) or certificate before acting as pilot of a glider

Glider (sailplane)

A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...

. The requirements vary from country to country.

In many countries, licensing or certification is similar for gliders and powered aircraft. Training must be undertaken from a certified instructor, and a license or certificate is then issued by the government, limited to gliders only. The exception is when a pilot is flying under Ultralight (Ultralite) glider rules within the United States. The aviation knowledge and skill requirements for a glider are usually similar to those for a powered aircraft, taking into account the different requirements of the aircraft categories.

Most countries also require medical certificates for pilots, although in some countries "self-certification", i.e., a legal statement that one is fit to fly, is allowed for gliders. The United States does not require a medical certificate to operate a glider with a U.S. airman certificate. Canada also permits glider pilot license holders to self-certify, but requires regular medical examinations for gliding instructors.

In some countries, glider instruction and licensing are regulated by a national non-governmental organisation representing the gliding community. This is true in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. New Zealand also issues a government license to pilots who fly for fees and for those who who wish their qualifications to be accepted more readily overseas.

Countries vary in their acceptance of pilot licenses from other countries to fly aircraft registered in the home country. Many permit pilots to fly on their home licenses for short periods, others insist on conversion to their license. Generally, a pilot may fly an aircraft registered in their home country with their home country's license or certificate, in any other country, subject to international conventions.

United Kingdom

The minimum age for a solo glider flight in the UK is 16. A medical certificate is required from the pilot's own doctor, to the same standard as a provisional driving licence, unless the pilot already has an equivalent or higher certificate such as the JAA Class 2 medical needed by PPLs. Gliding in the UK is regulated by the British Gliding Association

British Gliding Association

The British Gliding Association is the governing body for gliding in the United Kingdom. Gliding in the United Kingdom operates through 85 gliding clubs which have 2,310 gliders and 9,462 full flying members , though a further 17,000 people have gliding air-experience flights each year.-History:A...

 (BGA) and by its member clubs. Training is based on standards defined by the BGA and is conducted by instructors who have been trained on its courses. Further practical training is required after solo, plus a multiple choice test, before a pilot is given an endorsement to fly cross-country. Most flights do not require radio contact with air traffic control units, but some pilots obtain a radio operator's licence should that eventuality arise.

There is no government-issued licence at present, but EASA

European Aviation Safety Agency

The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...

 regulations will change this, probably by 2012. At present the Gliding Certificate is issued by the BGA under delegation from the Royal Aero Club

Royal Aero Club

The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...

 and indicates the standard of achievement reached by the pilot. The certificate is endorsed for each requirement met, and also shows sporting achievements for the FAI's gliding badges, plus the UK's own 100 km and 750 km Diplomas.