Glider Add-on

[GCA319]

Any glider pilots on here? I may be interested in doing an add-on and I'm looking for what to expect and any tips anyone may have for me (reccomended reading etc). I'm a Commercial pilot/CFI in airplanes, but I'll probably only want Private privileges in gliders for the time being (less solo flights required and less money than doing the Commercial add-on).

 

[Jim Logajan]

From what I understand about Gliders...be prepared to sit around and wait alot for the glider. When you finally get in it...you do the one landing and keep practicing those which evidentally takes a bit to learn. I waited 8 hours to get two flights in.

It seems to depend on the place you are training at. When I trained I got to go up three times in a row (sometimes more if I wanted) each Saturday. It all depended on who else showed up and wanted to go up. This was at a private grass field and the owner used his garden tractor to tow the glider around the field after it landed.

Sometimes I'd get there early enough that the only people around were the tow pilot (who owned the field next to his house and the tow plane) and the CFIG (his significant other.) It is how I learned how to do launches in their SGS 2-33 without a wing runner. You have to angle the glider so the drag of the down wing and pull on the nose yields a motion that gives you time to pick up speed before being dragged off into the weeds by the wing in contact with the ground. Aileron and rudder hard over at start and some quick reversal/centering when the down wing comes up and you're off! I actually enjoyed that small bit of challenge at the start; not sure why.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Post Mills 25 years ago?

No - Greer Airport (OG48) about 4 years ago.