Plain English Meaning

The different ways a glider gets into the air. Because a glider has no engine running in flight, it needs help at the start — either being towed up by another aircraft, pulled up by a winch or vehicle on the ground, or using a small built-in motor that switches off once it is high enough.

Full Definition

The methods used to get a glider airborne and up to a working altitude, since a glider has no engine of its own. The three FAA-recognized launch methods are aero tow (towed by a powered airplane on a rope), ground tow (pulled into the air by a winch or vehicle on a long cable), and self-launch (a glider equipped with a retractable or fixed motor that powers its own takeoff before being shut down for soaring flight). A with a glider must give training and a for each launch method a student intends to use.