Training in the US

I moved to the US, settled down, got a job - I guess it's time to
resume training :-) The question is - are there any formalities to be
done before I can fly? Medicals, student pilot certificates, anything?
Or do I just call any gliding school, make an appointment, show up and
fly?

To clarify - I am talking about flying with an instructor. I soloed
last year, but haven't flown since, so I guess I am pre-solo again.

Thanks!
Bartek

On Jun 16, 5:35 pm, brtlmj wrote:
I moved to the US, settled down, got a job - I guess it's time to
resume training :-) The question is - are there any formalities to be
done before I can fly? Medicals, student pilot certificates, anything?
Or do I just call any gliding school, make an appointment, show up and
fly?

To clarify - I am talking about flying with an instructor. I soloed
last year, but haven't flown since, so I guess I am pre-solo again.

Thanks!
Bartek

Bartek: Right you a make an appointment and show up. You don't
need a medical or student pilot certificate right away (I presume you
still have a student certificate from the last time you soloed), but
bring your logbook. You'll be pre-solo, but it will come back to you
quickly. If you're near Minden, call us at 775 782-7627 and we'll
get you soaring in some of the best conditions in the world. Fred

Bartek: Right you a make an appointment and show up. You don't
need a medical or student pilot certificate right away (I presume you
still have a student certificate from the last time you soloed),

All I have is a BGA "A" badge and a logbook. Does either one mean
anything in the US?

but bring your logbook. You'll be pre-solo, but it will come back to you
quickly. If you're near Minden, call us at 775 782-7627 and we'll
get you soaring in some of the best conditions in the world.

I live in the Sacramento area, so I will certainly visit Minden -
sooner or later :-)

Thanks!
Bartek

brtlmj wrote:
I live in the Sacramento area, so I will certainly visit Minden -
sooner or later :-)

You might also want to visit Williams Soaring Center, an hour north of
Sacramento on I5:

http://williamssoaring.com/

Marc

On Jun 16, 9:43 pm, brtlmj wrote:
Bartek: Right you a make an appointment and show up. You don't
need a medical or student pilot certificate right away (I presume you
still have a student certificate from the last time you soloed),

All I have is a BGA "A" badge and a logbook. Does either one mean
anything in the US?

The logbook will count. The "A" badge will inform the instructor that
you achieved that level of proficiency, but has no official meaning.
( The badge system in the US is not related to your flying privileges
with the FAA. )

You won't need a medical to fly gliders in the US, and you only need a
student certificate to solo. Your flight school should be able to
arrange to get the student certificate.

Have fun.
Todd

Yes, from Sacrament we're only a couple of hours drive. The logbook
will help us determine what you've been doing and what you need to
do. And you'll enjoy our great soaring immensely! Fred

Thanks for all replies and recommendations!

Bartek

Having also been a foreign licensed Glider pilot(Canada), when coming
to the US its best to simply take the US training from scratch, if you
want a lifetime Glider Pilot lic.

In your case all your book logged flight time is credited towards your
US lic.

Just bring your log book, and you will need to be issued a US student
glider pilot permit, takes about 15 minutes at your local FSDO.

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/testing/index.cfm?print=go

Also start studying for your written test now(ASA Private Pilot Test
Prep), and take the online practice tests until you start getting 90%,
then you will be ready to take the actual written test at a testing
center. The pratice tests are identical to the actual.....although a
different subset of 30 out of a possible 500+ questions.

http://www.webexams.com/exam/view/153

Chances are high that you will get at least 5 of the 30 questions
exactly from the practice tests and are gifts from the FAA for those
doing the practice tests online.



Ray

Having also been a foreign licensed Glider pilot(Canada), when coming
to the US its best to simply take the US training from scratch, if you
want a lifetime Glider Pilot lic.

Yep - that's my plan. I guess I will just learn a bit faster than a
completely "fresh" student would.

In your case all your book logged flight time is credited towards your
US lic.

Cool! I won't waste my two hours solo ;-)

Just bring your log book, and you will need to be issued a US student
glider pilot permit, takes about 15 minutes at your local FSDO.

What documents will I need? My drivers license will probably by
necessary... anything else?

BTW - can anyone tell me what are the main differences between soaring
in the US and UK? Aerotow signals? Checklists? Landing patters shape?

Thanks!
Bartek

brtlmj wrote:
What documents will I need? My drivers license will probably by
necessary... anything else?

I got my US glider license in October 2001 when I was a pretty new
Silver C pilot. I just fronted up at the Denver FDSO with my log book
and a British Glider Pilot License. They looked both over and
grandfathered a PPL-G of the British GPL while offering to copy my hours
into a database in case I lost the log book. Then they issued me with a
temporary pilot license and pointed me at the nice folks at Mile High
Soaring at Boulder to do biennial checks. Job done.

About three months later my permanent license turned up in the post just
as they promised at the FSDO.

The BGA will issue a Glider Pilot License if you have a Silver C (and, I
think, if you have the Bronze badge). I can't tell you about the
procedure as you're pre-Bronze, but that's been covered already.

I thought I'd be quizzed on US air law, so I bought the glider FARs from
Knauf & Grove and swotted up on them, but nobody asked those questions
in any detail. Its worth knowing that American sectionals look
completely different from British air navigation maps, so if you get a
chance, take a look at a sectional.

BTW - can anyone tell me what are the main differences between soaring
in the US and UK? Aerotow signals? Checklists? Landing patters shape?

Differences I noticed:
- aero tow signals are different. You get shown your end of the rope
to check it isn't frayed before its hooked on. I didn't notice an
"up slack" signal. Waggling your rudder means "all out" so don't
kick it when hooked on unless you're ready to go with the canopy
locked.

- IIRC the other signals are much the same.

- I'd never launched without a wing runner he I didn't launch
with one in the US. Picking the wing up is easier than I expected.

- I used CBSIFTCBE after talking to instructors, etc. Nobody objected.

- circuits tend to be rectangular (no diagonal leg). I explained I
was used to the diagonal leg and folks were happy for me to fly that
pattern (at Mile High, Avenal, Williams Soaring and Minden).

- landing circuits are often constrained by powered traffic at the
field. Only Avenal and Williams were pure glider fields.

- on glider fields the runways can be narrow with very rough stuff on
either side. A 2000 ft x 20 ft sealed run seems pretty normal.
I sweated it before my first landing because I'd never tried to land
on anything so narrow before, but it wasn't a problem.

- on a shared GA field you should expect to use the radio joining and
in the circuit.

- Avenal is the only UK-type club I've flown at and I felt very much
at home there. All the others I listed are commercial operations.
Personal opinion: Williams was the friendliest commercial operation
I visited and had the best fleet.

- every UK pilot should fly a 2-33 once for the experience. Fortunately
the bigger operations have G.103 Acros and ASK-21s. Williams had an
immaculate SZD Junior. I was sorry I didn't get to fly a 1-26 - they
look like fun.

HTH


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |