Student Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a lesson without committing to an annual club membership?
Yes. GBSC offers introductory flights. These can be purchased directly from the club and is the perfect way to discover that soaring is for you. If you decide to become a member, your fee is applied toward your club dues. When you come to the field, walk up to the desk and ask for an introductory flight - no appointment is necessary. Introductory flights are provided by either a commercially rated glider pilot or a glider flight instructor.
The
Soaring Society of America (SSA) also offers a
Fly A Sailplane Today
(FAST) package that
includes a ground lesson, flight lesson, pilot log book, text book, and a
three month membership in the SSA. You'll be sent a voucher that you will
bring to the airport. Please bring the actual voucher and not the receipt as
the receipt cannot be accepted. An appointment for a FAST flight is required as
we need to make sure that a flight instructor is available for the lesson.
NOTE:
the SSA FAST program has been discontinued and is no longer available for
purchase as of December 2024. Existing certificates will be honored.
All flights are scheduled on a "first come first served" basis. Since you'll be sharing the glider with club members, you may have a bit of a wait on good soaring weather days. Arriving and signing up early (10 AM) will put you closer to the top of the list. Do bring sun glasses and a hat.
For more info on intro flights, see this page.
Additionally, the club now also offers a 90 day trial membership. Get more information here.
Is club membership and soaring expensive?
I would say that the cost is comparable to skiing. GBSC rates can be found here. For some, the time commitment is more "expensive" than the monetary cost. For young people between the ages of 13 to 18, the cub offers a juniors program where work on the field can be exchanged for reduced membership and flying fees.
How long will it take to solo / get my license?
There are no easy answers to these questions. It depends on many factors, such as how often you fly, your dedication, and talent (some students learn quicker than others for a variety of reasons). The typical student, with no previous flying experience, will need about 35 to 40 instructional flights to solo. Your instructor will allow you to solo only when he/she determines that you have the required experience, skills and, (most important) judgment.
As a solo student pilot, your primary goal is to gain proficiency so that you can meet, if not exceed, the standards required to pass the FAA license test. This will happen fairly quickly if you practice the required skills on every solo flight. If, instead, you just casually fly around without really working, it will take you a lot longer to get your license.
Several students have gone from zero to license during a single season (April - November). Most students, however, take a little longer.
How much will it cost to solo / get my license?
Because of the variable factors cited in the previous section, this is also difficult to answer. A typical training flight (3000 foot high aero tow) will cost about $55. When close to solo, the typical student needs mainly to work on the landings. These training flights cost considerably less because you only get towed to a height of 1000 feet instead of the more typical 3000 feet. The club offers instruction by FAA licensed flight instructors at no additional charge.
Assuming that you need 35 training flights to solo, your cost would be around $1800. After that, you might need 20 solo flights and about 10 more lessons so add another $1600. Let's round that up to a total of $3500. This is a "ball park" figure and I can not over-emphasize that some students will spend more and some less.
What's the difference between a glider and a sailplane?
These days, the terms are interchangeable.
I fly powered aircraft. Does that help my learning to soar?
Yes, flying anything is a plus because much of your knowledge carries over. Licensed and current airplane pilots typically solo after around 12 to 16 flights. In addition, if you have logged over 40 hours in heavier than air aircraft, the minimum requirements needed to be eligible to take the FAA practical (flight) test are significantly reduced. Hang glider pilots already know how to fly and soar and really only need to learn another type of aircraft.
I'm thinking of getting my airplane license too. Which should I do first?
A case can be made for either airplanes or gliders being learned first and there are some practical advantages to learning powered flight first. Each new rating will make additional ratings faster and easier to get. But, in the long term gliding, contributes more to quality airmanship in power flying than the reverse, and it can be difficult to overcome the psychological dependency on a motor that comes with flying airplanes first. Most good glider pilots become excellent airplane pilots if they later chose that course. But the reverse is not always true.
I have trouble getting away on weekends. Is mid-week instruction available?
Yes, GBSC offers evening instruction (approximately May - September) one evening a week. The evening selected depends on the weather. Additionally, if the soaring weather looks good on a weekday, a group of pilots will often arrange for a tow pilot to come to the field. Students are welcome but it is their responsibility to arrange for an instructor to be present. No student solo flights are permitted unless an instructor is present to authorize the flight.
Can I take a few weeks vacation and fly full time at GBSC?
No, not at GBSC. We are a club, run by volunteers, and operate mostly on weekends - April through November.
However, there are commercial flight schools that do offer accelerated package deals. Some are local (and seasonal - Sugarbush VT) but most are located where there is favorable year round weather (Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and California, for instance). If you want to take a flying vacation, this may be for you. See the Soaring Society of America web page for school locations. See also club vs. commercial on this web site to get an idea of some of the plusses and minuses of each approach to getting your license.
How long does a lesson last?
It depends on the tow height and the weather conditions. If the weather is not conducive to soaring, a 3000 foot tow and glide back to earth lasts about 15 to 18 minutes. When the conditions are good, you could stay up all day. In reality, since there are usually other students waiting for lessons, we have a one hour limit.
What happens if the wind stops?
Nothing! The short (but incomplete) answer is that, for flights in our area, wind is not needed for a glider to stay aloft. Instead, gliders use the vertical motion of the air to climb. In still air, and without any "lift", a typical dual seat training glider, like our ASK-21's, can glide almost 6 miles for every 1000 feet of altitude. It is the job of the pilot to make sure that (s)he is within gliding range of a suitable field at all times. This is a skill that you will learn.
Is it normal to be nervous for the first few flights?Absolutely! You're in an unfamiliar environment. You'll get more comfortable as you gain familiarity.
I'm concerned about air sickness. Should I be?
Gliders spend a lot of time circling and, when weather conditions allow you to climb without an engine, some turbulence is likely to be present. This is not a problem for most students and for the rest, time and experience will cure any tendency toward air sickness. If you begin to feel uncomfortable during a lesson, do tell your instructor immediately - who will then fly "straight and level" as much as possible and return for landing.
I'm a bit on the heavy side, can I still fly gliders?
The upper weight limit for the front (student/solo) seat is approximately 230 - 245 pounds. If the instructor is heavy, the maximum front seat limit may be even less.
I don't weigh very much, can I still fly gliders?
The minimum front (student/solo) seat weight is approximately 150 pounds when flying solo. For solo pilots of lesser weight, lead ballast (typically mounted under or forward of the front seat) is available. When flying with an instructor, no additional ballast is usually necessary.
Do I need an FAA medical certificate or basic med?
No, that is only required to fly powered aircraft. However, you should be in reasonable health and not taking medications that may impair your reaction time or judgment. Basically, if you are fit to drive a car, you are fit to pilot a glider.
Is soaring safe?
Make no mistake, you can really hurt yourself and people do get killed flying sailplanes (7 U.S. fatalities in 2004, a typical year). That said, GBSC has about 110 members and has been in continuous operation since 1974. We have damaged a few gliders and have had some minor injuries, but nothing serious. Most soaring accidents are the result of a series of judgment errors so to a large extent, soaring is as safe as you make it.
