glider training reciprocity between the US and NZ

[harrisonaero]

My son and I are kicking around the idea of going to New Zealand and getting sailplane instruction as a "flying vacation". Do any of you know if the dual and/or solo hours we get in NZ count towards our US glider rating? Will it require anything special like an instructor that has a certain qualification, etc.?

I've copied and pasted the US requirements below for reference.

Thanks!

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Glider Pilot Ratings

FAA minimum requirements

Glider licenses are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and in that regard is similar to that issued to power pilots or balloon pilots. The FAA maintains a list of frequently asked questions for new pilots and requirements for pilot licensing are included in Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The basic requirements are as follows:

Students Pilots
Student pilots may solo at a minimum age of 14 with a student certificate endorsed for solo flight at the discretion of a FAA-Certified Flight Instructor for Gliders (CFIG). Generally, 30 to 40 flights with a CFIG are required to solo. This is roughly equivalent to 10-12 hours of flight time and is dependent upon the progress of the student.

Private Pilot-Glider
After solo, student pilots may qualify as a Private Pilot-Glider provided they:

Are at least 16 years of age; and
Have logged at least 10 hours of flight time in a glider and that flight time must include at least 20 total glider flights, and
Have 2 hours of solo flight time in a glider, and
Have passed the FAA written examination; and
Have passed the flight exam with a FAA Examiner.
Commercial Pilots-Glider
Commercial Pilots-Glider must be at least 18-years of age, pass a written FAA examination, hold a Private Pilot license with 25 hours of flight time in gliders and 100 glider flights as pilot-in-command, or a total of 200 hours of flight time in heavier-than-air aircraft including 20 glider flights as pilot-in-command, 3 hours or ten flights training in a glider, and five solo flights in a glider and pass a flight test.

Certified Flight Instructors-Glider
Certified Flight Instructors-Glider must hold a commercial rating, pass a written and flight test and have an endorsement from a qualified instructor of aeronautical knowledge and flight of proficiency.

Additional Pilot Rating
Holders of a valid FAA Power plane license with 40 hours as pilot-in-command need a minimum of 10 solo flights to qualify to take the glider flight test. No written exam is required to add a glider rating to a power license. In all cases, refer to the Federal Aviation Regulations for details on pilot licensing.

[aldee]

Here's a link to our version of your Feds

https://www.caa.govt.nz/Advisory_Circulars/AC061_5.pdf

Try Home - Gliding NZ & search overseas visiting pilots

Good gliding lower South Island

Enjoy

[MarkerInbound]

The solo hours count because time is time. The dual time works under 61.41 for most of the requirements. The one square you'll have to fill 61.109 (f)(1)(i). The three training flights with an "authorized instructor" with in the last two months. "Authorized instructor" is FAA code speak for the holder of a FAA CFI certificate.

One area where the two may not overlap is takeoffs. I was in Auckland 20 years ago and found a glider club in Drewry (?) just out of town. They did all their launches with a winch. I had a FAA commercial glider and CFI but had never done winch launches. All most everyone in the US does aero tow and it's a different skill set. So you'll probably need more than three flights to learn the aero tow skills.

[Aussie Bob]

Does it really matter? Surely just taking the NZ experience back to the US is a good thing. Given that most do not the rating in the minimum time, whatever you do is a help towards the end goal whether it "counts" or not.

Enjoy your vacation!

[harrisonaero]

Good advice, thanks all.

A long time ago I saw a film about soaring in New Zealand. Think it was a father and daughter that were learning and then took a long flight along some beautiful mountains. Name of the movie escapes me.