Gliding or ppl?
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Join Date: Jan 2008
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Gliding or ppl?
Hi all,
I'm 21 years old (will become 22 in 2011) and study aeronautical engineering. I"ve been thinking about getting my PPL. But saving up for it is already taking me 3 years and I still have to go another 2 (working as a student doesn't earn much). I've been thinking to pick up an old hobby again: gliding. Though i'd spend around 800€ a year on it, I thought it was great fun (as long as the weather is good). On the long term I still want to do my PPL, but the stupid thing is time and money. As i'm still a student I don't have much spare time to study all the PPL theory. On the other hand, the price for getting a PPL(oil) might go up faster than what I earn as a student, which will result in longer working.
Are there any PPL and glider pilots out here? What do you personally enjoy the most? I know gliding was a very nice challenge to me, I loved it!
Greetings,
I'm 21 years old (will become 22 in 2011) and study aeronautical engineering. I"ve been thinking about getting my PPL. But saving up for it is already taking me 3 years and I still have to go another 2 (working as a student doesn't earn much). I've been thinking to pick up an old hobby again: gliding. Though i'd spend around 800€ a year on it, I thought it was great fun (as long as the weather is good). On the long term I still want to do my PPL, but the stupid thing is time and money. As i'm still a student I don't have much spare time to study all the PPL theory. On the other hand, the price for getting a PPL(oil) might go up faster than what I earn as a student, which will result in longer working.
Are there any PPL and glider pilots out here? What do you personally enjoy the most? I know gliding was a very nice challenge to me, I loved it!
Greetings,
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Why dont you combine the two and go motor gliding? You can get a PPL (of some kind...dont know regs in Belgium) and its a LOT cheaper than learning in normal fixed wing.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Why do you want your PPL so desperately?
If it's going to take you five years to save enough money for your PPL, you will probably not have enough money left once you have your PPL to use it regularly. So your PPL just becomes an expensive piece of paper in your wallet.
I have started gliding about two years after I got my PPL and I love it. It's totally different and I always see the difference between them as the difference between sailing and motor boating.
When you go sailing you are busy for a full day. You are very dependent on the weather (wind, mostly), continuously aware of what's going on, whether you can "make it" or need to do another tack, and so on. But at the end of the day the boat ends up at the same dock where it started in the morning.
Motor boating, in contrast, is a convenient and more reliable way of getting from A to B, at least compared to sailing. It isn't all that much work and as a consequence, far less rewarding.
I'm in the fortunate positiion that I have a good enough job to pay for both gliding and motorized flying. But if I were flying on a shoestring I'd probably go for gliding.
Oh, and if you want a PPL to better understand what they try to teach you in your aeronautical study, why not simply set your aim a bit lower? Why not aim for a first solo in a powered aircraft, or a first x-country solo? You don't have to go all the way to a PPL (or a cheaper option such as an NPPL(M)) to understand how an aircraft behaves.
If it's going to take you five years to save enough money for your PPL, you will probably not have enough money left once you have your PPL to use it regularly. So your PPL just becomes an expensive piece of paper in your wallet.
I have started gliding about two years after I got my PPL and I love it. It's totally different and I always see the difference between them as the difference between sailing and motor boating.
When you go sailing you are busy for a full day. You are very dependent on the weather (wind, mostly), continuously aware of what's going on, whether you can "make it" or need to do another tack, and so on. But at the end of the day the boat ends up at the same dock where it started in the morning.
Motor boating, in contrast, is a convenient and more reliable way of getting from A to B, at least compared to sailing. It isn't all that much work and as a consequence, far less rewarding.
I'm in the fortunate positiion that I have a good enough job to pay for both gliding and motorized flying. But if I were flying on a shoestring I'd probably go for gliding.
Oh, and if you want a PPL to better understand what they try to teach you in your aeronautical study, why not simply set your aim a bit lower? Why not aim for a first solo in a powered aircraft, or a first x-country solo? You don't have to go all the way to a PPL (or a cheaper option such as an NPPL(M)) to understand how an aircraft behaves.
When I was an aero-eng student, I took up microlighting, and got a lot from it - I still do.
However, I think definitely in your position you should go for gliding -you'll gain as much towards your understanding of flight, and you'll almost certainly find a better social scene as well. Compared to some of us, you still have relatively more time than money as well, and this suits gliding well. Also there are often cheap university gliding clubs.
When it's time, and you have the money, turning your gliding experience into a PPL will be straightforward enough.
G
However, I think definitely in your position you should go for gliding -you'll gain as much towards your understanding of flight, and you'll almost certainly find a better social scene as well. Compared to some of us, you still have relatively more time than money as well, and this suits gliding well. Also there are often cheap university gliding clubs.
When it's time, and you have the money, turning your gliding experience into a PPL will be straightforward enough.
G
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Some good advice above.
I'd echo BackPacker's sentiments, and say that if you can only afford to do one, then gliding is the sensible option. If you go for the PPL, have you considered how you're going to fund your flying after you get the ticket?
I'd also second matkey's comment about motorgliding. I have a PPL(A) TMG, which in practical terms is exactly the same as a PPL(A) SEP, with the exceptions that a) you fly in aircraft with a decent glide ratio, and b) it's significantly cheaper to get.
My 2c is to get back into your gliding, and when you've got a bit more $ to spend after you've finished studying, see if you can convert any of your gliding time to a motorgliding PPL. I don't know the rules in Belgium, but I think that gliding time counts towards issue of the UK NPPL with SLMG rating.
Best of luck whatever you decide!
I'd echo BackPacker's sentiments, and say that if you can only afford to do one, then gliding is the sensible option. If you go for the PPL, have you considered how you're going to fund your flying after you get the ticket?
I'd also second matkey's comment about motorgliding. I have a PPL(A) TMG, which in practical terms is exactly the same as a PPL(A) SEP, with the exceptions that a) you fly in aircraft with a decent glide ratio, and b) it's significantly cheaper to get.
My 2c is to get back into your gliding, and when you've got a bit more $ to spend after you've finished studying, see if you can convert any of your gliding time to a motorgliding PPL. I don't know the rules in Belgium, but I think that gliding time counts towards issue of the UK NPPL with SLMG rating.
Best of luck whatever you decide!
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I'd take gliding over power flying any day. I think theres more of a challenge to gliding and I think the social scene/club atmosphere is much better too. Just my humble opinion of course. Do whatever floats your boat. Thats the great thing about flying, it comes in all sorts of shapes and forms. Soaring a wave bar at 15'000 feet in the peace and quiet floats mine.
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Gliding or power?
absolutely, link on to a university club in your area, or do what Sven did, come to our club, stay in the bunkhouse, very cheap, and do a week's intensive course, practicing the english in the bar, of course. Mine's a Famous Grouse, please.
(google Shenington Gliding Club for terms and conditions!) Sven actually stayed 2 weeks, went solo, did his 5 hours in a K8, and got his Bronze qualification. It is still possible, I believe, to use the gliding qualifications toward the PPL.
(google Shenington Gliding Club for terms and conditions!) Sven actually stayed 2 weeks, went solo, did his 5 hours in a K8, and got his Bronze qualification. It is still possible, I believe, to use the gliding qualifications toward the PPL.
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I've been gliding, flown models, done power flying and motor-gliding, flown kites and also fly for a living. But the flights I can remember are mainly trips in gliders, one in a Pitts Special and some "flying" in/from a kite in the surf in Oz. And the last time I went gliding was nearly 20 years ago... So yes, I'd suggest you go gliding. And unfortunately, as cjboy has said, some smaller gliding clubs can become a benefit organisation for one individual. Avoid these like the plague.
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You guys have all very valid points, thank you for that! The main reason I would want to get my PPL is to travel. I know I'm not in a great financial position now. So I guess it would be the best to pick up gliding again (which I loved) and start the PPL once I graduate or have a decent full time job.
Thanks everyone
Thanks everyone
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I flew gliders before power and have never regretted it. I "think" it makes you a better pilot and is a much more social sport. I then spent 18 years or so only flying power before going back to gliding (though I haven't flown anything recently). I was amazed how poor my situational awareness had become and how sloppy my flying was! In the gliding world you are far more nurtured .... Gliding as a first option every time!
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