"I'll have to look at Gliding - kind of discounted at as it didn't seem like "real flying"
Sorry, but I've gotta take exception to that comment!
I took up gliding about thirteen years ago as what I thought was a cheap route to real flying and suddenly realised that gliding is real flying and power is more akin to driving to and from work!
Ultimately I still hope to convert my gliding Licence and hours to either a JAR PPL or NPPL but in the meantime I honestly believe that whilst it is not as procedural, gliding teaches you much more about airmanship and handling skills than any other form of aviation. A view incidentally that was expressed by a CAA representative at a safety evening I went to a couple of years ago where he commented on how many power pilots ever truly flew their aircraft to the edge of the envelope, stalled or spun them regularly!
Try being miles away from home at the end of the day when the lift is dying and you are using every ounce of skill and technique to get you home - thats REAL flying!
I honestly believe that ex-glider pilots make better power pilots!