Vacation and Add-on

It's not really all that hard for someone with good training and
experience to achieve a glider add-on rating in a couple of days. I
soloed on my 6th glider flight and, had I the time or inclination at the
time, could have banged out 10 solo pattern flights, an oral, and a
flight check. I do not mean to say that that would have made me a
glider pilot, only the holder of a certificate.

That said, it would be a very long 3 days...

On 12/23/2016 8:42 PM, Scott Williams wrote:
There's a world of difference between a "glider add on at a commercial operation"
and a commercial add on to a glider rating.

good luck,
Scott

--
Dan, 5J

I did a three day add-0n back in the days of Soar Minden, Mark 1. Scary to think how green I was durning the phase from ticket holder to real glider pilot. Where I lived did not offer glider instructions so I got a power rating and within a few weeks was down in Minden to get the rating I actually wanted.

Funny thing, after I got got my glider rating, I thought I finally learned how to fly airplanes, but I still don't know how to really fly a glider.

Dan's right, the fast add on does nothing to actually teach you how to soar like a glider pilot.
On Saturday, December 24, 2016 at 8:45:31 AM UTC-8, Dan Marotta wrote:
It's not really all that hard for someone with good training and
experience to achieve a glider add-on rating in a couple of days. I
soloed on my 6th glider flight and, had I the time or inclination at the
time, could have banged out 10 solo pattern flights, an oral, and a
flight check. I do not mean to say that that would have made me a
glider pilot, only the holder of a certificate.

That said, it would be a very long 3 days...

On 12/23/2016 8:42 PM, Scott Williams wrote:
There's a world of difference between a "glider add on at a commercial operation"
and a commercial add on to a glider rating.

good luck,
Scott

--
Dan, 5J

Dan's right, the fast add on does nothing to actually teach you how to soar like a glider pilot.
Agree, but it makes it faster learning to soar in a club environment if you already have a quickie add-on.

I forgot to mention that Franklin Burbank is also a DPE (designated pilot examiner.) Scheduling checkrides is pretty convenient.

Paul A.
Treasure Coast Soaring Club
Vero Beach, Fl

I'll second the recommendation for Franklin and his team at Citrus Soaring - great folks, very common sense based instruction, quiet airport conducive to condensed training and dedicated resources.

Your preparations are key to getting it done in such a short window. I'm constantly amazed at how folks who are not current, haven't studied and aren't focused expect accelerated add-on ratings or initial certificates - this holds true throughout aviation, not just soaring.

Best of luck!

Couldn't have been happier with my experience at Seminole Lake a couple of months ago. Others from my club have also gone since. First rate training and facilities combined with a wonderful group of people. I have no reservations recommending. if your goal is to knock out a rating and have fun, these guys should absolutely be in the consideration set...

On Thursday, 22 December 2016 23:35:47 UTC-5, wrote:
Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.

Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.

Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.

Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?

Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?

Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?

Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Let me add my reassurance to Rich Owen's about Seminole Lake. I'm a Canadian snowbird, and love SLG so much, I managed to get my wife hooked on golf so I could buy a condo close to the field. Golf, BTW, is a great solution to the "Honey, you're spending a lot of time at that airport").

Seminole is a mix of a commercial FBO offering training and Introductory flights, and a group of private owners who fly X/C there all winter. This gives it the efficiency of an FBO, and the fraternity of a club, exempified by the after-flying Sunday 'debriefing', which involves sharing a couple of beers and snacks around the pool. Newco0mers are welcomed warmly.

And Seminole is about 30 miles away from the parks, and all they offer families. The operation is humming along under Rich's guidance, and I highly recommend it; you couldn't, IMO, do better.