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Do wingsuits and gliders have radar signatures detectable by typical aviation radar systems?
Executive summary
Typical aviation radars can and do detect many unpowered aircraft such as traditional gliders; their radar returns are often described as “about as visible as a large bird,” and civil ATC may need transponders or special tuning to reliably show them [1] [2]. Small, low-signature objects such as a person in a wingsuit present a much smaller radar cross‑section (RCS) and are less likely to be reliably visible to routine civil radar screens, though military radars and Doppler processing can detect small moving targets under some conditions [1] [3] [4].
1. How radar “sees” objects: size, shape, material and motion
Radar detection is controlled by the radar cross‑section (RCS), which depends strongly on object size, shape, orientation and materials — not just physical volume — and also on Doppler signatures from motion [3]. Radar returns are aspect‑dependent, and moving parts or motion produce Doppler modulations that help separate targets from clutter; that is why speed and motion matter as much as raw reflectivity [3] [4].
2. Gliders: often detectable but variably so — “like a large bird”
Multiple practical sources and pilot experience report that modern gliders commonly produce small but measurable radar echoes. Veterans who flew gliders in ADIZ exercises recall military radars could tell where gliders had been and described a glider as about as visible as a large bird but faster, so it can be identified on radar [1]. Civil ATC displays and workflows may not always show or prioritize glider returns without transponders or operator tuning; military radar systems are generally more sensitive and better at pulling weak targets out of clutter [2].
3. Materials matter: composites versus metal and carbon
A glider’s RCS is influenced by construction. Glass‑fibre airframes reflect mainly from discrete metal components (control rods, fittings), while carbon‑fibre structures can be more conductive and therefore more reflective at radar frequencies, increasing detectability [1]. In practice this means similarly sized gliders can have different radar signatures depending on their build and installed equipment [1].
4. Civil radar practices and transponders: why some light aircraft “disappear”
Civil ATC relies heavily on transponders/ADS‑B for identifying small/light aircraft; gliders are exempt from some ADS‑B mandates and commonly use FLARM or OGN tracking instead of being visible as a primary radar target. Systems like the Open Glider Network and FLARM provide alternative tracking precisely because many gliders are marginal targets on standard civil radar [5] [6] [7]. So absence from a public radar feed (e.g., Flightradar24) often reflects lack of ADS‑B/FLARM data rather than absolute invisibility to radar [7] [6].
5. Wingsuits and very small targets: low RCS, hard to see on routine ATC
Available coverage in the current reporting does not give measured RCS numbers for a person in a wingsuit. Piloted commentary and radar theory imply a human‑sized, low‑profile wingsuit has a tiny radar return relative to even a small glider; such targets are unlikely to appear reliably on routine civil ATC radar unless very close, in a simple background, or using specialized detection modes. Military radars and Doppler‑based processing — which exploit motion and have higher sensitivity — can detect much smaller or low‑RCS moving targets in some scenarios [3] [4]. Wired’s reporting on specialist lifting bodies and stealth‑oriented designs notes that small lifting configurations can be advertised as “extremely low” radar signature, underscoring that design matters [8].
6. When detection improves: speed, altitude, radar type and operator settings
Detection probability rises with larger RCS, higher radial speed (stronger Doppler), favorable aspect, proximity to the radar and use of frequency bands or processing suited to small targets. Military airborne or ground radars tuned for low‑RCS or Doppler separation can pick out targets that civil radars ignore. Radar textbooks and tutorials stress that RCS is aspect‑dependent and that Doppler features and modulation are often more diagnostic than raw amplitude alone [3] [4].
7. Practical takeaway and safety implications
For operational safety, glider operators typically rely on transponders, FLARM/OGN devices or procedures to be seen by civil ATC and other pilots, because relying on primary radar returns is inconsistent [5] [6] [7]. For wingsuit flyers and other tiny, low‑altitude human‑scale flyers, available sources do not provide measurements proving reliable detection by standard civil radars; military sensors and advanced signal processing can, however, detect much smaller moving objects under favorable conditions [3] [4].