After launching, glider pilots search for rising air to gain height. If conditions are good enough, experienced pilots can fly many hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airfields and occasionally flights over 1,000 kilometres are made. However, if the weather deteriorates, they may need to land elsewhere, but some can avoid this by using engines.While many glider pilots merely enjoy the sense of achievement, some competitive pilots fly in races around pre-defined courses. These competitions test the pilots' abilities to make best use of local weather conditions as well as their flying skills. Local and national competitions are organized in many countries and there are also biennial World Gliding Championships
