Glider Training
 

Question for you glider people:

I currently hold my Commercial ASEL, ASES, AMEL, AMES. I've never done a bienniel... I try to substitute it with a checkride, and will try to do that until I run out of ratings (I have NO idea how I'll do airship :D). The way I look at it, it's two years to learn something new. I'd be interested in getting my commercial glider.

How long would it take (hours-wise), and how much would it cost, to go from 0 glider time to commercial? I probably will never make use of a commercial glider, but (and maybe it's just me) I'd like to hold at least a commercial in everything I can fly.

A Comm add-on only requires 20 solo flights. To solo you'll have to show you can do steep turns (don't worry about holding altitude) and stalls (all power off.) The big difference is launch failures. Almost everyone in the US does aerotows so you deal with the rope breaking at 200 feet. You also have to show you can maneuver on tow, almost like doing formation flight. And you have to plan your pattern. I don't see it in the regs anymore but it used to say land and stop within a 100 feet of a line but not cross the line (simulates landing in a field with a fence.) Going at it, it can be done in a couple of weekends. There are commerical operations and clubs. The commercial schools are more like a normal flight school. The clubs will charge a fee to join but the rates are cheaper. If you're just going to add the rating and move on, I'd say do the commercial operation. If there is a club in your area and think you might stick with it (need to renew the CFI?) clubs are lot of fun. Check out SSA.org.

I don't think I spent a grand but that was 20 years ago.

That's it? There's no checkride?

Yeah, there is a normal checkride, oral, and practical (Written? Can't remember), but 20 solo flights is I believe the only requirement before you can take the commercial checkride. It's 10 for private. You can download or buy a PTS for glider and that will have what you need to do on the checkride. As for your training the requirements in the FAR/AIM is a good guide because there really isn't much. I've been procrastinating for years on my commercial glider and CFI-G, but I started in gliders then went to airplanes.

Oh, I see what he was saying. It did sound a little odd to me. Thanks for both your inputs.

It was late, I should have been clearer. There is no written for Comm add-on. The CFIG has a reduced number of questions if you've got an airplane CFI already

I just had a brain fart. So just the oral and the checkride... that's not bad. I don't hold a CFI, and unfortunately, I don't see myself getting it. I had a chance while I was in school, but that workload paired with the courses I was taking at the time would've just been too much on my plate. The farthest I got was getting signed off to take the written.

Someday, maybe.

I would add, of course, the three training flights with a CFIG in the 60 days prior to the check, in preparation for the ride.

I soloed a guy in 1991, and he did his 20th solo this year and took his comm'l ride in AZ a couple months ago.