Glider training - Commercial and CFI-G (initial) looking for suggestions.

MarkH

MarkH

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MarkH
I'm trying to plan my spring/summer and I have decided that this is the year I get my glider rating and CFI-G. I don't currently hold any commercial or CFI ratings, but I would like to travel somewhere I can train every day until I complete both ratings.

I work remotely and live in an RV, so I can go anywhere, but I would like to be out west because the terrain and thermals seem to make a fun place to fly gliders.

The challenge I am finding is finding somewhere that operates every day, most places I have found are clubs that operate on weekends and holidays.

Can anyone suggest a glider port or airport that has glider CFIs on staff and would be able to work with me to train in a (semi) accelerated manor? Bonus points if it has a motor glider in its fleet and RV hookups on the field or nearby that I could stay while I train.
 
You have glider private already? Big Q Aviation at KJWY (South of Dallas) is a commercial op flying 5 days a week.
 
I do not have a private glider rating, I intend to go directly for the commercial. Thats part of the reason I want somewhere I can stay and train daily for a longer period.
 
MarkH said:
I'm trying to plan my spring/summer and I have decided that this is the year I get my glider rating and CFI-G. I don't currently hold any commercial or CFI ratings, but I would like to travel somewhere I can train every day until I complete both ratings.

I work remotely and live in an RV, so I can go anywhere, but I would like to be out west because the terrain and thermals seem to make a fun place to fly gliders.

The challenge I am finding is finding somewhere that operates every day, most places I have found are clubs that operate on weekends and holidays.

Can anyone suggest a glider port or airport that has glider CFIs on staff and would be able to work with me to train in a (semi) accelerated manor? Bonus points if it has a motor glider in its fleet and RV hookups on the field or nearby that I could stay while I train.
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I was looking to do a Commercial add on a few years back. I was looking into these guys. https://www.azsoaring.com/ I went to these guys to start https://skylarknorth.com/ . There is an RV Park right at the airport. I was living in an RV at the time. But it was getting close to winter time and that's not always a good time to be there. I went to Romona, CA where there is a good RV Park. Not that far a drive from these guys, https://www.skysailing.com/ where I got as far as soloing. Life got in the way and I had to move on and didn't continue. I was very happy with the operation at Skylarknorth and Skysailing. Skylark North at Mountain View Airport in Tehachapi was particularly impressive. The FBO/building/school was high quality with a snack bar. The 'culture' there was great. There were pilots there from the Flight Test school at Edwards AFB taking gliding lessons there.
 
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MarkH said:
I'm trying to plan my spring/summer and I have decided that this is the year I get my glider rating and CFI-G. I don't currently hold any commercial or CFI ratings, but I would like to travel somewhere I can train every day until I complete both ratings.

I work remotely and live in an RV, so I can go anywhere, but I would like to be out west because the terrain and thermals seem to make a fun place to fly gliders.

The challenge I am finding is finding somewhere that operates every day, most places I have found are clubs that operate on weekends and holidays.

Can anyone suggest a glider port or airport that has glider CFIs on staff and would be able to work with me to train in a (semi) accelerated manor? Bonus points if it has a motor glider in its fleet and RV hookups on the field or nearby that I could stay while I train.
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If you’re still looking for a place, Soar Paso in Paso Robles, California flies 7 days a week
 
MarkH said:
I'm trying to plan my spring/summer and I have decided that this is the year I get my glider rating and CFI-G. I don't currently hold any commercial or CFI ratings, but I would like to travel somewhere I can train every day until I complete both ratings.

I work remotely and live in an RV, so I can go anywhere, but I would like to be out west because the terrain and thermals seem to make a fun place to fly gliders.

The challenge I am finding is finding somewhere that operates every day, most places I have found are clubs that operate on weekends and holidays.

Can anyone suggest a glider port or airport that has glider CFIs on staff and would be able to work with me to train in a (semi) accelerated manor? Bonus points if it has a motor glider in its fleet and RV hookups on the field or nearby that I could stay while I train.
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Doing Commercial Glider as your first Commercial is the hard way. You will need:

(f) For a glider rating. A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a glider category rating must log at least—

(1) 25 hours of flight time as a pilot in a glider and that flight time must include at least 100 flights in a glider as pilot in command, including at least—
(i) Three hours of flight training in a glider with an authorized instructor or 10 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part, including at least 3 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(ii) 2 hours of solo flight that include not less than 10 solo flights in a glider on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part;

If you do it as as Add-On Commercial you only need:

200 hours of flight time as a pilot in heavier-than-air aircraft and at least 20 flights in a glider as pilot in command, including at least—

(i) Three hours of flight training in a glider or 10 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part including at least 3 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(ii) 5 solo flights in a glider on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part.

And those 100 flights as PIC will have to be solo flights as you are not rated in the Category.
 
Pinecone said:
Doing Commercial Glider as your first Commercial is the hard way. You will need:

(f) For a glider rating. A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a glider category rating must log at least—

(1) 25 hours of flight time as a pilot in a glider and that flight time must include at least 100 flights in a glider as pilot in command, including at least—
(i) Three hours of flight training in a glider with an authorized instructor or 10 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part, including at least 3 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(ii) 2 hours of solo flight that include not less than 10 solo flights in a glider on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part;

If you do it as as Add-On Commercial you only need:

200 hours of flight time as a pilot in heavier-than-air aircraft and at least 20 flights in a glider as pilot in command, including at least—

(i) Three hours of flight training in a glider or 10 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part including at least 3 training flights in a glider with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(ii) 5 solo flights in a glider on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(6) of this part.

And those 100 flights as PIC will have to be solo flights as you are not rated in the Category.
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I did my 100 flights in about 10 hours. 25 total hours is a lot less than 200 hours first and then adding on three. Like 178 less hours.
 
But if you have your ASEL rating, you may have close to the 200 already. That time does not have to be in gliders.

I did mine Comm G with exactly 20 solo flights.

A lot of flights can be reasonably cheap and easy now, but in the past, winch tows were not common, so everything was aero tow, so a more expensive per flight.
 
Pinecone said:
But if you have your ASEL rating, you may have close to the 200 already. That time does not have to be in gliders.

I did mine Comm G with exactly 20 solo flights.

A lot of flights can be reasonably cheap and easy now, but in the past, winch tows were not common, so everything was aero tow, so a more expensive per flight.
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Okay, but I responded to your statement above, which I direct quote: "Doing Commercial Glider as your first Commercial is the hard way." That sentence is written in present tense, and you've now switched to past tense. Sure, back in the day, things might have been different. Your statement in present tense today ignores patent facts of the matter: if one is to start from zero hours, in today's day and age, it is far cheaper to go to 25 hours in an economical self-launch glider than it is to go 203 hours in a combination of an economical airplane and self-launch glider.
 
SoarPaso said:
Okay, but I responded to your statement above, which I direct quote: "Doing Commercial Glider as your first Commercial is the hard way." That sentence is written in present tense, and you've now switched to past tense. Sure, back in the day, things might have been different. Your statement in present tense today ignores patent facts of the matter: if one is to start from zero hours, in today's day and age, it is far cheaper to go to 25 hours in an economical self-launch glider than it is to go 203 hours in a combination of an economical airplane and self-launch glider.
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He didn't say as your first rating, he said as your first commercial rating. That's how I did it, (pp-asel, pp-glider, comm-glider, comm-asel) and it's definitely more work. And requires an additional written test.
 
So you're assuming he's pp asel (never said he was), has plenty of hours powered, and can easily (and wants to) add on comm asel first? How is going pp asel to c-asel and then straight adding on comm-g any easier? That means 2nd class med, still taking an exam, 10 hours view limited device, 10 hours retractable gear & controlled pitch prop, etc etc. That's quite the leap. Since he said nothing about c-asel, it seemed implied he wasn't looking to do both. He wants cfi-g, plain and simple, and he may not even have an airplane rating to leap off of at all. I guess I see your point about IF he has airplane and wants the progression of ratings for both, stacking on top of a hypothetical airplane progression is slightly faster than stacking glider certs and then going back to airplane. That was just a huge series of assumptions to me...
 
SoarPaso said:
So you're assuming he's pp asel (never said he was), has plenty of hours powered, and can easily (and wants to) add on comm asel first? How is going pp asel to c-asel and then straight adding on comm-g any easier? That means 2nd class med, still taking an exam, 10 hours view limited device, 10 hours retractable gear & controlled pitch prop, etc etc. That's quite the leap. Since he said nothing about c-asel, it seemed implied he wasn't looking to do both. He wants cfi-g, plain and simple, and he may not even have an airplane rating to leap off of at all. I guess I see your point about IF he has airplane and wants the progression of ratings for both, stacking on top of a hypothetical airplane progression is slightly faster than stacking glider certs and then going back to airplane. That was just a huge series of assumptions to me...
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Are we still talking about the guy who posted this thread a year and a half ago and was planning to get his glider rating last summer?
 
I guess if all else fails, that's a decent go-to.
 
Pipistrel Virus SW is our current motor glider for training
 
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