Gliders arrive in the world of aerial filming

A new, still unexplored frontier brings new potential to the universe of shooting from above

The world of aerial photography, like the world of technology, is constantly evolving. This is shown by the fact that, even though shooting techniques using drones, telescopic poles and aerostatic balloons are still being studied and refined, with new developments appearing week after week, new tools, once used for other purposes, are already being tested. Gliders are the perfect example we are talking about today.

What is a glider?

A glider is an aircraft heavier than air (also called an aerodyne). They are mostly unpowered, although so-called motor gliders exist, whose engine is used for self-launched takeoff.
Gliders manage to fly, or rather to stay aloft, thanks to the dynamic reaction of the air against the wing surfaces, which allows them to proceed in 'free flight'.
Besides being divided into powered and unpowered, they are also categorized into sailplanes and hang gliders. Hang gliders have lower aerodynamic efficiency, while sailplanes are more capable of long free flights, thanks to wings with a high aspect ratio.

How has it been used in the past?

As often happens with great technological innovations, and as also happened with drones and aerostatic balloons, the first use of gliders was military. During the Second World War they were used (first of all by German troops) to transport special forces, who benefited from the incredible silence of these engineless aircraft.

But the history of gliders also boasts a predominant use in sport and training (for flight lessons for beginner pilots). There are in fact various gliding competitions around the world of different types and classes.

Why use a glider for aerial filming?

What additional potential does a glider have compared to other aerial filming tools, including multicopters?

• it is possible to map a large territory without having to constantly change batteries thanks to the long flight endurance (over 40 minutes),
• it has higher safety standards. (If an engine fails, the flying wing glides without major problems),
• a larger payload can be installed compared to a multicopter thanks to the greater aerodynamic efficiency of the flying wing itself,
• it costs slightly less than a multicopter thanks to the fewer components on board and
• for the same reason it also has lower maintenance costs

You can bet we will hear about it more and more often. As far as we are concerned, this is only the beginning!

More top news from the new frontiers of aerial photography coming soon!