National gliding associations
Encyclopedia
The sport of gliding
is managed in each country by national gliding associations, subject to governmental aviation authorities to varying degrees. Internationally the sport is co-ordinated by the FAI Gliding Commission
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Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
is managed in each country by national gliding associations, subject to governmental aviation authorities to varying degrees. Internationally the sport is co-ordinated by the FAI Gliding Commission
FAI Gliding Commission
The International Gliding Commission is a leading international governing body for the sport of gliding.It is one of several Air Sport Commissions of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale , or "World Air Sports Federation"...
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- Australia - Gliding Federation of AustraliaGliding Federation of AustraliaThe Gliding Federation of Australia is the governing body for the sport of gliding in Australia. It was founded in 1949. The GFA is responsible to Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the conduct of safe gliding operations in Australia. This includes the setting and maintenance of flying...
- Canada - Soaring Association of CanadaSoaring Association of CanadaThe Soaring Association of Canada is the national association for glider pilots in Canada. It was founded in 1945 to promote, enhance and protect soaring in Canada...
- New Zealand - Gliding New ZealandGliding New ZealandGliding New Zealand controls the sport of gliding in New Zealand for those clubs and other organisations that are affiliated to it. It was established after the Second World War to:...
- South Africa - Soaring Society of South AfricaSoaring Society of South AfricaThe Soaring Society of South Africa is the body to which you must belong, as stipulated in law by the South African Civil Aviation Authority , to pursue the sport of gliding in South Africa. It is affiliated to the Aeroclub of South Africa which in turn represents all the sporting bodies at the CAA...
- Turkey - Turkish Aeronautical AssociationTurkish Aeronautical AssociationTurkish Aeronautical Association is a non-profit organization with an aim of increasing public awareness and participation in aviation related activities and the national body governing air sports in Turkey...
- United Kingdom - British Gliding AssociationBritish Gliding AssociationThe 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...
- USA - Soaring Society of AmericaSoaring Society of AmericaThe Soaring Society of America was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw-Hill building on February 20, 1932. Its first objective was to hold a national soaring...
External links
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has a full list of national gliding associations, including:- Argentina - Federación Argentina de Vuelo a Vela
- Belgium (Flanders) - Liga van Vlaamse Zweefvliegclubs
- Belgium (Wallonia) - Fédération des Clubs Francophones de Vol à Voile
- Denmark - Dansk Svæveflyver Union
- France - Fédération Française de Vol à Voile
- Germany - Deutscher Aero Club
- Italy - Federazione Italiana Volo a Vela
- Japan - Japan Soaring Association
- Lithuania - Lietuvos Sklandymo Sporto Federacija
- Netherlands - KNVvL, Afdeling Zweefvliegen
- Norway - Seilflyseksjonen NLF/NAK
- Sweden - Segelflygförbundet
- Switzerland - Fédération Suisse de Vol à Voile