Originally Posted by
wanabee777
I fully concur!
I believe the U.S.A.F Academy cadets start out in sailplanes.
It certainly gave the GAF pilots an advantage in the early stages of WWII.
Let us be clear about what has happened in much of avaition over the last four decades.
Airlines used to select, pay for, and train pilots. Now it is often whoever comes with the money, and after 200 odd hours (and perhaps only flying in nice sunny Spanish or Arizona conditions), you are in. And then the training is all on the sim, and the sim cannot simulate many things, including fear,* sweaty palms, and negative g.
And the airlines will not pay for anything else. I pleaded with one to pay for extra circuits and bumps on a tailwheel for some underperforming fos (because sims do not simulate landings very well), but they refused. It was too expensive, even if writing-off a set of tyres would be far more expensive. Likewise, a two week gliding course would be about £1,500, full board, plus about £2000 of lost productivity - for the whole career of the pilot. Too much to ask? Yup, too much by far. Ticket prices must be less than £20, so the pilots have never done any real solo flying, by the seat of their pants, with little instrumentation, in real weather conditions - ever.
Good commercial strategy? Of course not, but it keeps the shareholders happy.
ST
* Fear - being well outside your comfort zone.
Try thermalling with 40 other gliders, if you are not fully comfortable with seat of the pants flying and using no instruments.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFuWRpBa84
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFuWRpBa84
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFuWRpBa84