For current* private and commercial rated pilots, adding on a Glider Type rating is easy. You will fly with an instructor (usually only a few flights) until he solo’s you. You will then practice on your own until you meet cfr-61.109 (f) (Private Pilot) or cfr-61.129(f) (Commercial Pilot) and are ready for the oral and practical test with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).
Glider flying is all about energy management. Have you ever worried about losing an engine in the pattern or during cruise? Every flight in a glider is without an engine. You cannot do go-arounds, every landing is a precision landing. You will learn to manage the energy that the glider offers you along with the energy the earth provides to keep you aloft.
Did you know that glider pilots can stay aloft for hours and fly hundreds of miles on cross country flights, returning to their home field? Record glider flights are over 1000 kilometers and have reached altitudes over 76,000 feet. Here at Sky Soaring and in the Midwest, typical cross country flights range a few hundred miles with altitudes to 9000 feet. All this fun for cost of an aerotow or winch launch.
Contact us today and learn about club membership and how you can earn your Glider Type rating.
*=Must meet FAR 61.56 Flight Review