Its important to have tested out the plane you fly, as to how well it glides. I remember doing a flight test once in an Arrow, where the examiner asked me, when returning to an airport, to cut the power when I was sure we could get in. I told him it would be very late because the aircraft glided like a brick. I told him when I wanted to cut the power and he thought I was mad. So he made me go round again and then he told me where to cut the power. I told him there wasn't a cat in hells chance of making the field. He laughed and took control - and was very surprised when he realised we didn't have cat in hells chance of making the field!!!!! He tried a couple more times and still didn't manage it, at which point he gave me back control!!! I passed I hasten to add. But it just goes to show that a) aircraft don't always glide as well as you think they will and b) experience doesn't count for everything.