A Club Versus A Commercial Flight School
There are 2 routes to earning your glider pilot license - a club
or a commercial flight school. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Note that what follows are generalizations and some points may not apply to
specific environments.
club advantages
- It's less expensive (most clubs are non-profit).
- You are a member of the organization and you'll gain many
friends.
- Your lesson does not go by the clock. If the soaring
conditions are good, you can stay up an hour or more.
- You get to fly with a larger number of instructors since
different instructors are assigned each day. Because each instructor may
stress important points a little differently, you will get a more thorough
flying education.
-
Because members help out with club duties, you'll learn more
things - like assembling gliders and performing simple maintenance (as
permitted by the FAA).
-
Most clubs have high performance single seat gliders that you can transition
to after you get your license.
club disadvantages
-
Many clubs operate on weekends only.
-
Clubs are volunteer operated (including instructors and tow
pilots) and you are expected to
"volunteer" for club duties and chores.
-
Because sailplanes can stay up for a long time on good soaring days,
you may have to wait for your lesson.
-
It may take longer to get you license (for the above reasons).
-
Some students learn better by having a single instructor (this
can be arranged at GBSC but is not typical).
commercial school advantages
- Many are open 7 days a week
- Fixed price and/or accelerated courses may be offered.
- It's possible to get your license faster.
- Lessons are made by appointment - you show up and fly.
- You typically have one instructor.
- No commitments - you pay your money and leave.
commercial school disadvantages
- More expensive than a club (they are there to earn a living, after all).
- Many commercial schools lack the cohesive social environment,
typical of many clubs.
- You typically have one instructor.
- Lessons are often by the clock because the glider and instructor
need to be back in time for the next scheduled lesson. If the soaring conditions are
great, that's just too bad.
For a list flight schools in the United States, visit the
Soaring Society of America
web page.
Also understand that getting your license is just the first step in your
soaring career. If you learn at a commercial school, what will you do after the
license is earned? You'll likely want to fly higher performance single seat
gliders instead of the trainers. Will the school have suitable equipment for you to
rent?