are there any competitions of it held?
Local and national competitions along with biennial World Championships.
Gliding
al weather conditions as well as their flying skills. Local and national competitions are organized in many countries, and there are biennial World Gliding Championships.
how long do gliders stay in the air Glider pilots can stay airborne for hours by flying through air that is ascending as fast or faster than the glider itself is descending, thus gaining potential energy. is it a sport? Yes, a competitive air sport. how is it done? Pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. does it face any challenges? UNANSWERABLE
wiki:14186522
Gliding [SEP] Introduction
When conditions are favourable, experienced pilots can now fly hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airfields; occasionally flights of more than are achieved. Some competitive pilots fly in races around pre-defined courses. These gliding competitions test pilots' abilities to make best use of local weather conditions as well as their flying skills. Local and national competitions are organized in many countries, and there are biennial World Gliding Championships. Techniques to maximize a glider's speed around the day's task in a competition have been developed, including the optimum speed to fly, navigation using GPS and the carrying of water ballast.