PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Gliding as alternative to Power
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Old 1st Jun 2009, 18:49
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Other things:
- No cleared take-off and a sedate take-off roll. With gliders it's the wingman lowering his arm and you're up and away in less than three seconds. Winch-launching that is.
- Lots of things in metric. Speeds, altitudes.
- A glider needs a lot of hands on the ground before it can be launched and after it has landed. Bring some tough boots - you'll be walking several miles each day retrieving gliders from the landing field and towing them to the take-off field.
- Landing can be mayhem. Everybody looking for a bit of grass inbetween the other gliders to put down. Left, right, center, landing short or over the heads of other gliders doesn't matter. Go-around is not an option.
- Most glider operations are completely non-radio. And as far as peace & quiet is concerned, well, you fly without a headset and flow/wind noise can be loud too.

Also your JAA Class II medical is more stringent than a glider medical, so it can be used instead of a glider medical.
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