Originally Posted by
chevvron
But you don't need that for 'ordinary' Air Cadet gliding. Cross country flying is/was reserved for those cadets showing the greatest aptitude as were single seat gliders.
Gliding 'proficiency' or 'Basic Gliding Training' as it was later called meant getting as many cadets as possible solo and hence enabling them to wear their gliding wings for which the L/D of about 20:1 and 40 - 45 kt speed range was perfectly adequate.
For most cadets, that 'first solo' (3 solo circuits in my day) was the end of their gliding training.
If you learn in something as different to a fairly bog standard early solo glass glider, the transition to one (should you be lucky enough to do it) is bigger. I find it sad that those 3 solo circuits were the end of glider training for most cadets - it barely scratches the surface of gliding in so many ways.