Lift (soaring)

Lift (soaring)

Lift is a meteorological phenomenon used as an energy source by soaring aircraft and soaring birds. The most common human application of lift is in sport and recreation. The three air sports that use soaring flight are: gliding, hang gliding and paragliding.

Energy can be gained by using rising air from four sources:

• Thermals (where air rises due to heat),
• Ridge lift, where air is forced upwards by a slope,
• Wave lift, where a mountain produces a standing wave,
• Convergence, where two air masses meet

In dynamic soaring it is also possible to gain energy, though this uses differences in wind speeds rather than rising air.