Here’s the lead-in from a story about unmanned gliders that appeared in the Babbage (Science and Technology) column of Economist.com. We found the link at Streckenflug.at.

“ALTHOUGH undeniably graceful, gliding has until now been suitable only for pleasure flights. But this is changing, as researchers exploit wind power to enhance the capabilities of unmanned aircraft, especially small drones. Soon, these gliders will be able to stay aloft for weeks. They will thus be able to act as communication relays, keep a persistent eye on the ground below and even track marine animals thousands of kilometres across the ocean.”