Originally posted by Wolf14
A sailplane certificate is another possible option if not the better of the two. Its cheaper, takes about 10 hours of solo time off your powered plane certificate, you'll develop better approaches for landing, and you wont freak out to bad when your engine decides to fail and you have to dead stick in some field.
Unless the FAA has changed something recently in the FARs, getting a PPL-G doesn't reduce any time for getting a power rating. It does give you the skill to fly prior to taking that 1st power lesson, but you have all the same requirements as someone walking in off the street. In Europe (and maybe in Canada) glider time does count towards a power rating.
Now, someone with a power rating can transition to add the glider rating very easily. Transition takes only 3 hrs, 3 dual flights and 10 solo flights to take a check ride. BTW, for those with a PPL already, adding the glider rating can take the place of a bi-annual review just like adding any rating.
Personally, I think the FAA is behind the times for the way they refuse to allow glider time to count towards a power rating...but they are unlikely to ever change.
I started out in glider simply from a cost concern. I would guess that today it would take about $1500-$2000 total to get a certificate. Since I fly for fun and not transportation, soaring is the most economical way to have fun in a plane. With my local club, a tow to 2k is $20. I have my own ship, so I rarely take a club ship, but the cost of a club ship is $7/hr. Note that clubs vary from place to place, and there are some commercial glider ops that are very expensive. You will get the best deal from a private club where you join with a initial membership fee and pay monthly dues (ours are $30/mo)
Usually, the only limiting factor for me staying up is my bladder and butt (glider seats are not very comfortable)...my longest flight to date has been 3hrs, but most are in the 1hr range. Obviously, the longer you stay up, the cheaper the total hourly cost since the tow is a fixed cost.
To me soaring adds skills to flying that most power pilots don't regularly consider...staying in the air using nature alone, dead stick every landing, and flying in tight formation behind another aircraft.
Look at
http://www.ssa.org for the link to "Where to Fly" to find a glider operation near you.
