Definition
A power-off descent flown at the airspeed and pitch attitude that produce the airplane's best lift-to-drag ratio (L/D max), resulting in the greatest distance traveled forward for each foot of altitude lost. The normal glide speed is published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the airplane's maximum gross weight and is flown with the propeller in the lowest practical drag setting.
Plain English
It's the steady, engine-idle descent flown at the specific speed that lets the airplane travel the farthest possible distance for the height it has available. Fly faster or slower than that speed and the airplane comes down sooner.
Context Anchor
Seen when practicing glides, power-off descents, approach planning, and simulated engine-out situations.
Derivation
Glide' comes from Old English glīdan, meaning to move smoothly without effort. 'Normal' here means the standard or reference glide — the one used as the baseline against which steeper or shallower glides are compared.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the normal glide lets a pilot reach the farthest possible landing spot if the engine fails.
Grounding Statement
In a normal glide, gravity keeps the airplane moving forward and downward while the pilot holds the correct speed and path.
Intuition Check
Normal does not mean the airplane glides by itself or that no control is needed. Here, normal means the standard, controlled glide used for training and routine procedure.
Example Sentence 1
After the simulated engine failure, the instructor pitched for the normal glide and turned toward the nearest field.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor had the student practice the normal glide to learn how far the airplane could travel without power.