A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors; Airspace Structure
During a visual approach to runway 14R at Omaha; my First Officer and I had to perform an evasive maneuver in order to avoid colliding with a glider.  The weather at Omaha was VMC. We were initially cleared to intercept the ILS approach to 14R at the CIVRA waypoint and cleared to an altitude of 4000 MSL.  As we got closer to the airport; the approach controller vectored us to a 050 heading for traffic and cleared us down to 3000 MSL.  This vector took us an estimated half mile south of the Blair; NE (BTA) airport.  Approaching Blair; I noticed what appeared to be a general aviation airplane flying over Blair airport and headed toward the south.  Initially it looked like it was higher than us and further away.  This turned out to be an illusion due to the size and speed of the glider.  A couple seconds later my First Officer and I realized we were on a collision course and we made an immediate right turn and descended to avoid colliding.  I would estimate we missed the glider at 200 FT or less both vertically and laterally.A review of the VFR sectional shows that we were operating in class G airspace at the time of the incident.  The sectional also shows glider activity at Blair airport.  We were not told by the controller to watch for gliders however.  It also appears the glider did not have a transponder as we did not get a TCAS RA or advisory. Since both the glider and our flight were being operated legally all I can to is suggest the company make pilots aware of the possibility of glider traffic while flying approaches to the south/southeast at Omaha.This event could have been prevented [if] the controller had alerted us to possible glider activity.  The company should make the pilot group aware of possible glider activity near the 14R localizer and glide slope to runway 14R in Omaha.
An A319 captain reported experiencing an NMAC with a glider in the vicinity of 3NO (Blair) while being vectored for a visual approach to Runway 14R at OMA.