I've never understood why glider pilots take such a superior attitude, as demonstrated on this thread. Sure, it's a perfectly fine flying hobby, if that's what you enjoy. Each to their own and all that. That's not a reason to go on about it how it's the only way to learn to fly, or make it seem somehow superior.
My personal experience of gliding is that it's pretty boring, as much as any kind of flying ever can be, and disproportionately expensive. You get towed up, you descend slowly, you land, rinse and repeat. At an hourly cost exceeding flying the Pitts, which I promise is a LOT more fun. Now if you fly out of Minden, it can be a lot more exciting - I have a friend who got his PPL-G precisely so he could do that. But most places aren't Minden (next door to the Sierra Nevada, and home to several glider flying records).
And that's the US version of gliding, with powered, paid-for tows, a lot like renting a powered aircraft except without an engine or the ability to go anywhere. As I understand the UK version, and as described here, it consists primarily of standing round all day getting cold, in return for maybe 15 minutes of flying. No doubt a great, if chilly, social activity, but that's about it.
Last edited by n5296s; 21st Apr 2017 at 19:35.