Photos: Flying on a wing and a battery

This map shows the route of a day trip Nadler took in the Antares 20E in September. He used the battery power for only about two minutes, then glided all day above New Hampshire's White Mountains; the Green Mountains and Sugarbush in Vermont; and parts of Western Massachusetts.

Those who want to take the glider even farther could first be towed high by another aircraft, which would save power on the climb up.

"With better batteries we won't have to do that," Nadler said. "But that's another few years."