

How do I find and choose a glider pilot school? If you are an experienced airplane pilot already, that number is cut back to just about 10 flights.Īs soon as you have your sign off, meet the FAA minimum requirements and pass your tests, congratulations – you are officially a glider pilot. This gives you ample time to practice a skill over and over so you can develop lasting muscle memory.Īccording to the Soaring Society of America (SSA), if you have no previous flight experience, you should expect to make a minimum of 30-35 flights before your instructor signs you off for solo flights. The closer together you schedule your lessons, the more you can build on your emerging skills instead of slipping backwards between lessons and having to keep building back up to the same level.Īim for at least one lesson a week and plan to make multiple flights per lesson. What is the fastest way to build a skill? Having 2 lessons a month for 3 months or having 2 lessons a week for 3 weeks? This means you get up in the air sooner and log your flights faster. If you start studying early, you will have basic knowledge in place and your flight instructor won’t need to spend valuable time remediating you on the core principals.
Paraglider models typesy license#
As with all piloting licenses, to obtain your glider license you will also need to be familiar with the theory and essentials of flight, safety, navigation and FAA regulations. Gliding is a technical sport and to become proficient, you will need to build a wealth of knowledge on topics like soaring techniques and meteorology. This means that you won’t have to spend as much time mastering the basics and instead can quickly move on to building glider-specific skillsets.

Many of the general piloting skills that you gained leading up to earning a private pilot’s license also apply to piloting a glider. If you are a beginner to any kind of flying, it will take longer than if you already have your private pilot’s license. Naturally your total flying experience comes into play here. The length of time that it takes for you to become a glider pilot depends on several factors including: Previous Experience How long does it take to become a glider pilot? Have endorsement from qualified instructor.Certified flight instructor-glider (CFIG) 200 hours of heavier-than-air aircraft flight time including 20 glider flights as pilot in commandĤ.25 hours of glider flight time and 100 glider flights as pilot-in command.Log minimum hours consisting of either:.Log 3 hours (or 10 flights) training in a glider.Log a minimum of 2 hours of solo glider flight time.Log a minimum of 10 hours of glider flight time over at least 20 total glider flights.May fly solo once in possession of a student certificate endorsed for solo flight (issued at the discretion of your CFIG).Usually must log 30-40 flights (roughly 10-12 flight hours) with an FAA-Certified Flight Instructor for Gliders (CFIG) before being allowed to fly solo.We’ll break down the requirements for each of the 5 types of glider pilot licenses available to you. No matter what skills you have and what you know, you still need to check all the FAA boxes to earn your glider pilot license. FAA requirements for glider pilot licensesįor now, let’s get into the rules.

Note that if you already hold a valid FAA power plane license, your path to a glider license may be a little bit different (more on that later).

If you simply want to be able to fly for personal enjoyment and with not-for-hire passengers, all you will need is a private pilot-glider certification.Ī commercial pilot-glider credential allows you to charge for taking others up on a flight, and of course if you want to teach one day, you will need your certified flight instructor-glider (CFIG) creds. No matter what, you will start out as a student pilot. Your license type will depend on what your glider piloting goals are. What type of glider pilot license do I need? In this post we will answer your questions and tell you everything you need to know to get started on the exciting journey of becoming a licensed glider pilot. There are soaring groups all around the U.S., so if you are interested in getting your glider pilot license and experiencing the thrill and delight of this sport, you are in good company. No engine, no fuel – just you, your sailplane and the currents. Pilots who enjoy soaring are often drawn to the intellectual challenge of reading the air currents like the birds do so they can stay aloft longer and sweep through the skies. Gliding or “soaring,” as it is often referred to, is one of the most graceful, exhilarating ways to experience flight.
