On 12/21/2016 10:39 AM, JS wrote:
Great observations, Casey.
Jim


Agreed, and FWIW here's one glider pilot's version of that grade school
english exercise, "What I did Over My Summer Vacation" entitled...

"How I 'Got Into' XC soaring"

I include my experience here strictly by way of noting that at the outset I
had no clues about, knowledge of, or 'plans for using' my PP/Glider rating. I
was simply one of those kids thoroughly enamored with flight, and who - upon
graduating college - happened to bumble into a sailplane pilot (my office
mate) who invited me to that side of the shared field before I'd had a chance
to make a cold call over at the power FBO. That was in 1972. It got me into
the air sooner, at less cash-flow. I never did obtain a power license, and I'm
still a flying nut.

I should also add that, despite 'being a hardcore flying nut' I was already
having slight problems imagining my power flying future beyond the license:
$100 hamburgers forever? aerobatics? ???. Nut that I was I was already
wondering if/how fight might retain its imperative power over me.

My soaring introduction/lessons obviated similar wonderings ever arising.
Somewhen during basic instruction, I learned 'that XC existed,' and, that 'I
would be expected to do it...someday.' IOW, XC was to soaring, as breathing
was to life. The way it was presented made perfectly good sense back then,
despite me being 'relatively normal' in that my second question about soaring
was, "What do you do when you can't find lift?"

My (sole) instructor 'taught me all I needed to basically know about selecting
good fields,' in a few sentences during my ab-initio training (probably mostly
to shut me up). I accidentally/unintentionally/successfully put his summary
knowledge to use within a month of obtaining my certificate, and exactly one
week before I, my instructor, and his other newly-licensed partner in our
1-26, went to a 3-day fun contest, whereat I completed my day's O&R task at
the blazing speed of 12 mph (the 1-26 winner that day averaging ~30). My
instructor landed out on his day (other 1-26s finished). We each had a blast,
and over the course of those two weeks, every significant and fundamental
question related to the sensibility-of/risks-accompanying XC that may have
been fermenting beneath my fevered brow, had vanished forever.

IOW, XC *was* a Big Deal, but in ways Completely Unrelated to my initial,
self-preservatory, ignorance-based concerns. Looking back, it was undoubtedly
then that for me the sport set its lifetime hook.

Bob W.