Glider add-on question

hammerhat

Well-Known Member
So flying without engines has been a dream of mine for years. Unfortunately the glider schools situation in my area (Boston North Shore) isn't that good. The closest club is 2 hours away and it's a typical non commercial hangout, CFIs are never available, they work for free, and they're motivated to teach about as much as they're motivated to pay taxes.

I will have a week off in November and want to go somewhere to get a quick "license to learn" and then use it to learn on my own.

After looking at a bunch of schools I'm thinking about Sheble. I have read reviews on this and other forums and I realize that I'm not going to become a proficient glider pilot after their course. But all I want from them is a ticket and some minimum training just enough to be able to checkout in a local club and solo safely. Another reason is that it's the only school I found that offers combined commercial and CFI-G add-on.

So is this a good idea or am I not thinking straight?

And on a related note, perhaps someone can recommend another school or even a freelance CFI-G to do the accelerated commercial or commercial + CFI add-on?
 
There's a glider school about an hour and a half east of San Diego, Skysailing. Have done a couple of flights there and seems to be a professional group. http://www.skysailing.com/

Always willing to help out a fellow Bostonian. Grew up in Watertown..
 
Shebles will get you your ticket (s). From what I understand about soaring, alot of the ins and outs of soaring are learned with practice rather than training towards a rating.
 
I can tell you that of all the things I have done aviation related in the past 25 years, this is the one thing that added the most to my pilot skills. I suggest it highly.
 
Being safe to solo and being a safe glider pilot are two different things. Whenever you do end up doing your flying please seek the advice of experienced cross country pilots on the ins and outs of soaring.
 
Seminole lake in FL could probably get it done quickly for you as well.

BUT---

I don't know that it is necessarily a good idea to rush things. Soaring is not just flying without an engine, there is a lot of nuance. And I don't know that it is a good idea to add the CFI before flying for a bit.

Club may take some time, but soaring by definition involves a lot of waiting.
 
So I have my commercial ticket now and at the end of the day I'm glad I didn't go to Sheble. I don't know much about glider instruction at Sheble's but at the Turf Soaring they focus on sailplanes, the instruction is adequate and they teach good airmanship, not just how to pass the checkride. Definitely not a rating mill. No slack on the test either (well except some rope slack) and didn't need it anyways.

Thanks again for suggesting it.
 
Back
Top