wrote:
Hi all, I decided to take the plunge (no pun intended) and start
flying. I thought about going straight for a private glider license.
But, I do have the option of going for the powered pilot license first
- then the glider license second. Any thoughts? How many here have
both? Did you get your powered pilot license first?

First, I have yet to obtain any rating at all, so take this with a grain
of salt.

My first flight (aside from airline stuff) was in a glider when I was
maybe ten years old. I loved it, but I was too afraid to touch the
controls when offered.

A bit later on I started taking powered lessons. I was probably 11 or so
at the time. I took it very slow since I couldn't afford the time or money
to go often, plus there wasn't much of a point in going fast as I was
several years away from soloing or getting my license no matter what.

I kept it up at about once a month for years, soloed at 16, lost interest
in the whole thing and quit.

Fast forward ten years, I'm done with school, have the money to go flying
and realize I want to get back into it. I'd been playing with flight
simulators for a very long time and had recently become interested in
gliders in the sim, so I decided to try them in real life.

This past July I took my second glider flight, and I was *hooked*. It was
amazing. Then I came back for my next lesson and it was even better. Every
day I fly feels like it's the best it can ever get, and every day I fly I
prove the previous day wrong. I soloed in September on my 26th flight and
I'm loving every minute of it.

I love how connected you are with the airplane. To me, a glider feels more
like something you put on than something you get into. It's easy to forget
that it's even there and become almost one with the machine, something I
never even had an hint of in powered planes.

I also enjoy the club environment. Yeah, I spend a lot more time on the
ground doing stuff so other people can fly than I spend actually flying,
but on the other hand I'm constantly surrounded by really great people who
almost universally know way more about flying than I do, and their
enthusiasm is deeply contagious.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to try both and see how you feel. There
are a lot of people who appear to enjoy flying powered planes a great
deal, even though I never really figured it out. I think it's more
important to do the one you really feel great about first. Learning to fly
is hard work and you need to be able to stay motivated. This counts for a
lot more than minor details like not having to take a second written exam
if you get your powered rating first.

--
Michael Ash
Rogue Amoeba Software