How I started
Hi Chuck,
I started flying in pretty much the way you suggest. I commenced flying gliders as a teenager in the late 50s. I learned on the Slingsby T21 and then converted onto the Kirby Prefect (winch launching only) and only then got the opportunity (i.e. some money) to learn power.
Gliding was where I learned my basic airmanship and handling skills. It gave me extra confidence later when learning to fly the Auster. It also taught me that a forced landing in a light aircraft is nothing to worry about as long as you have a decent field to put it down in and get your approach right first time.
Some years after getting my (power) PPL I went back to gliding for a couple of seasons (aero-towed Schleicher K7s and K13s). From that I learned a certain sensitivity to how air masses behave that I am sure pilots with power-only experience just don't have.
I'd like to see all pilots able to commence very young on gliders and then move up via some simple powered aircraft, like the Austers and Tiger Moths of yesteryear.
I firmly believe that the ideal basic (powered) training aeroplane on which one first learns should be non-radio, have well balanced handling, have a simple instrument panel, should NOT be vice-less and should have a landing approach speed of not much more than 60 kts maximum. I am convinced that very many student pilots today have extra hours added onto their training purely because they are flying aeroplanes are far too fast in the circuit and don't allow them sufficient time to think and are much too fast on the landing approach.
After the simple aircraft, they could then progress onto faster aircraft with multiple rows of knobs levers and dials.
Well that's my two penn'th.
BP.