Question about what type of plane

[Pinecone]

Let’s just say I bet I’m not the only one who is glad you’re not king. As for me I don’t get the whole glider thing, that just scares the crap out of me. I mean you have to glide in a Cessna when the engine quits, why glide on purpose? I have little to no experience but I will be perfectly happy to stick with powered flight!

my apologies for being combative your Majesty..

You really should try it. Awesome experience.

And even a basic training Schweitzer 2-33 has a glide about 3 times that of a trainer Cessna.

I have flown to 18,000 feet in a glider, and no, I was not towed that high. And I have done a 6 hour flight in one.

 

[Pinecone]

Curious about your rationale. Military training programs all start with powered flight. Tailwheel training is not needed (especially in the military). Instrument training includes everything — why limit training to VORs?

Input from others with similar experience is welcome.

Actually cadets at the Air Force Academy fly gliders.

Glider flying and tailwheel teach you what those pedals are for after you take off. They impart skills that make you a better pilot. I used to to fly with a friend in his Cherokee 180D. It drove him nuts that I flew his airplane about 4 knots faster at the same power setting. Because I was not letting the tail wag.

The VOR training is for initial cross country. No child of the magenta line until a basic learning of pilotage and VOR navigation.

 

[Pinecone]

That will always depend on the need. I was certainly not among the most highly qualified, but during the Vietnam war, the military had a huge need for pilots. The "exhaustive selection process" required me to be healthy, have a college degree, and a strong desire to avoid being drafted into the Army. There were a couple of written tests, but nothing challenging for anyone with average intelligence.

I was selected when they were ramping up after overly drawing down after Vietnam. But the numbers I heard were:

About 27,000 applied to fly in the Air Force that year. No one can count how many considered it, but never applied.
About 2,700 passed the tests (written, physical exam, officer interview) and were accepted
About 1,400 accepted and showed up to UPT
About 900 made it through the program and got their wings.

So, about 3.5% of those who applied became USAF pilots.

 

[Pinecone]

Does that mean that glider training is/should be a mandatory prerequisite for civilian training? It’s not, and I’m only questioning why one would think it should be.

It would make all you without glider training be better pilots.

 

[jbarrass]

A very basic plane for the private pilot. Learn to fly, beat up someone else's toy. Tailwheel if you can find it.

Then do the instrument in a SR22 or TAA of some relevance. Or yours if you can swing it. It's pretty easy on the aircraft (not so much on your brain) amd you'll be ready to go.

Getting 25 in type on a rental will probably save you the equivalent money in insurance on an SR22 FWIW.

 

[KJT]

It would make all you without glider training be better pilots.

I actually agree. But, as far as I know (even at USAFA), flight training doesn’t start with gliders. It sure didn’t at Fort Rucker. Power-off flight in a helicopter is an emergency.

 

[somorris]

I think you would be better served to start in the 172

 

[Pinecone]

I actually agree. But, as far as I know (even at USAFA), flight training doesn’t start with gliders. It sure didn’t at Fort Rucker. Power-off flight in a helicopter is an emergency.

Not sure about now, but for many years, the USAFA did glider training. And then power training. Then went straight to UPT, bypassing Flight Screening Program.

Seems they still do.

https://www.usafa.edu/military/airmanship/

"Soaring
Most fourth-class (freshman) cadets are first exposed to airmanship during their Introduction to Soaring course, which includes four glider flights culminating in the opportunity for basic aerobatics. Third-class (sophomore) cadets can enroll in Basic Soaring for the opportunity to solo pilot a glider. Graduates of this course are then eligible to apply to become Cadet Soaring Instructor Pilots. Those selected complete a year-long upgrade program during third-class year where they earn G-Wings and eventually conduct 95 percent of all glider flight instruction."

 

[francisco collazos]

There's a soaring club about one hour from me in orlando that I used about 15 yrs ago. I ended up soloing in about 8 hrs before life got in the way. Gliding in many ways is easier than engine powered planes. I don't remember ever learning about stall-spin in final. You work a lot on learning how to thermal and the gliding distance, well it's just amazing. In fact, a lot of times you need spoilers to REDUCE you glide. It really is an amazing experience to fly gliders. That field is really nice and a couple of times I saw some hand gliding racing near by. Imagine seeing 50 hand gliders flying around.

 

[Hank Gibson]

If you can afford it and are planning on moving to the Cirrus anyway, having all that extra time in an SR20 for private training will make you a much more proficient Cirrus pilot. Nothing wrong with doing private in the 172 and transitioning to the SR20 prior to instrument. It will be cheaper, but a Cirrus lands differently than a 172 and if that's what you are going to spend your flying career in, start with the Cirrus if you are able to.

 

[Crashnburn]

If you can afford it and are planning on moving to the Cirrus anyway, having all that extra time in an SR20 for private training will make you a much more proficient Cirrus pilot. Nothing wrong with doing private in the 172 and transitioning to the SR20 prior to instrument. It will be cheaper, but a Cirrus lands differently than a 172 and if that's what you are going to spend your flying career in, start with the Cirrus if you are able to.

I think you should rent while you're pre-solo so you'll be beating up someone else's plane in the pattern. I have no idea what the relative stall speeds are, so I'm not going to comment on that.

For the C-172, Rod Machado recommends 65 knots as you start your final approach.

 

[Pinecone]

While more time in type is good, I am a believer in the more different makes and models you fly, the better. You learn how to figure out a different platform, instead of doing everything the same way all the time.