In spite of the fact that I too did the gliding thing because I enjoyed gliding, (I had a share in a K6e). I must agree with Broomstick, I have spent many a weekend driving tractors & winches to find myself finally airborne just before the red light got switched on at the clubhouse! Gliding is a dedication thing, very satifying staying up in marginal lift, etc, but if one actually wants to fly & go somewhere with a reasonably good chance of arriving at the previously chosen destination, then a fan on the front is a necessity. Gliding will improve your flying skills, yes, there is a cameraderie among those glider pilots that are prepared to muck in together. but there are them that phone up at 7 am asking to be put on the flying list, then turn up at 1030 expecting to jump in & go! These are called Plonkers!! As for "posers", Mary, I fly a 1959 taildragger out of a usually deserted grass strip, no bar to lean on, no bimbos to impress. I just drive home happy after Iv'e managed to put all 3 wheels on the ground at the same time & stopped in 100yards. What other people think, *&^%$£"!. Mighty Ducks, If your exercises are "not going too good" then your instructor either didn't get it across, or didn't try to! or you didn't get it. Either way it is no use going on to the next bit until you do. I would be a bit suspicious of only doing one take off in 8 hours, our instructors would let you do that at lesson 2 or earlier.