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By Greg Bartlett

GPS tracking devices are solving many challenges that businesses face on a daily basis. Did you know, though, that GPS tracking has also become an integral part of many racing sports? Runners, cyclists, orienteers, and boaters all are beginning to use this technology to track a variety of statistics, such as precise racing times and pacing along the track. One sport, however, has been completely revolutionized by the use of GPS tracking devices, and that sport is called “gliding.”

Gliding and GPS Tracking

When you think of gliding, imagine taking a highly-engineered aircraft, then remove the engine, and try not to crash. This exhilarating air sport requires a daring pilot to launch his aircraft from the ground and catch a wave of air that will propel them high into the sky. Once in the air, pilots must fly along carefully designated courses that range anywhere from 120 – 620 miles. Since being first introduced, GPS tracking devices have become crucial for this exhilarating, high-skill, high-risk sport.

At the dawn of this sport, gliding faced several major problems that weren’t adequately solved until the modern era. For instance, it was very difficult to really tell if contestants were flying along designated courses. Back in the old days, the best that race officials could do was station people or cameras at certain points along the race path, and watch to see if the racers were flying correctly. Gliding also faced difficulties finding crashed gliders if they crashed between waypoints during a race.

In modern days, however, GPS tracking devices have allowed this sport to blossom into a worldwide pastime. Modern gliding competitions require that each pilot install a sophisticated GPS tracking device into their glider. These “3D” GPS units track not only time, latitude, and longitude, but altitude, as well.

Needless to say, the innovation of GPS tracking has revolutionized the sport. Race paths can now be much longer, include complex turns and tight altitude limits that make the sport much more challenging and exciting for the racers and their crews. Cheating is almost impossible, as data from each racer’s GPS is carefully examined at the end of the race to ensure that every competition rule was properly followed. Glider safety has improved, as downed gliders are much easier to find than they were in the old days of the sport.

GPS tracking devices have taken an underexposed sport that the Wright Brothers practically invented and brought into its exciting modern golden age.