Chuck has an interesting post in the 'Mary Meagher' thread.
Flying sail planes is hands down one of the best type of flying I have ever done.
Now here's a question for you then Chuck and something of a torch I carry; would you say that PPL's should have the first part of their training on gliders? I'm firmly of the opinion that they should. I'm not a flying instructor and have heard that some instructors give a little inwward groan if they get a glider pilot as a stude, much as they do if they get a flight sim expert. I have no doubt that my gliding experience made:
a) learning to fly powered no problem at all, apart from the R/T.
b) Makes me look at powered flying from a slightly different point of view to folk who have flown nothing but powered: in terms of I always fly looking for a field to land in, an engine failure in the cruise would just be an inconvenience and I understand how to spot land without the option of having another go.
I know that there is a very divided camp on this, and I don't want this to fall into the 'us and them' category that you often get with glider pilots and powered on this forum which I find a bit banal TBH. I fly gliders and powered and thoroughly enjoy both, they are both completely different disciplines and are for doing completely different things. You can't soar like a bird with outstanding visibility in an Arrow and you can't shove a couple of mates in a Discus and go to France for a crate of wine apiece.
Opinions from the great and good?