Glider classes explained
Open, 18 m, 15 m, Standard, Club, two-seater and 13.5 m class: what they mean, typical gliders and why many gliders fit several classes.
Why classes matter
Competition classes group gliders with similar rules, mostly by wingspan, flaps and water ballast. Even if you never fly a competition, the class tells you a lot about a glider's performance, handling and price. On SoaringMarket you can choose one or more classes above the search results.
The classes
- Open: no span limit, the highest performance, for example Nimbus 4, EB 29 or JS1 with long tips.
- 18 m: up to 18 m span, flaps and water ballast allowed, for example ASG 29, Ventus 3 or JS3 18 m.
- 15 m: up to 15 m span with flaps, for example ASW 27, Ventus 2a or Diana 2.
- Standard: 15 m span without flaps, water ballast allowed, for example LS8, Discus 2 or ASW 28.
- Club: older and simpler gliders compared by handicap, without water ballast, for example LS4, ASW 19 or Standard Cirrus.
- Two-seater: two-seat gliders up to 20 m span, for example Arcus, Duo Discus or DG-1000.
- 13.5 m: small, light gliders up to 13.5 m span, some of them with a sustainer engine.
Vintage is not a competition class: it covers classic gliders such as the Ka 6, Ka 8 or Foka that are flown and restored by an active community.
One glider, several classes
Many modern gliders take wingtip extensions. An LS8-18 flies in Standard or 15 m with short tips and in 18 m with long tips. Sellers on SoaringMarket can choose every class their glider fits, so it appears in each of those searches.
More guides
- Buying a used glider: the checklistWhat to check before buying a used glider: documents, airworthiness, damage history, inspection, trailer, instruments, contract and payment.
- Selling a glider: price and listingHow to price a used glider, which documents to prepare, how to take good photos and what to watch out for at the handover.