Glider Championships

Athens, TN (WDEF) – The best glider pilots in the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, are in McMinn county for the First Pan American Gliding Championships.

The pilot with the fastest speed and the longest distance will get the most points. The pilots use air currents and "thermals" to cover hundreds of miles.

"A lot of people get the misconception that gliders fly on wind, we don’t" said Kerry Kirby, a crew member from Toronto, Canada. "You rely on the sun hitting the ground, creating a warm pocket of air that rises of the ground and then releases to what we call a thermal."

This event differs from other glider competitions in the country, because it uses the same rules as International Championship events, making this the first time that’s been done in the U.S. since the 1970’s.

The competition will go through to April 17.