Gliding in america
Gliding in america
I'm going to live in america for a while this year (phoenix, arizona). And i was wondering if anybody knows something about gliding clubs down there. I would really like to keep flying next summer. Anybody suggestions about where i should look or anybody from a club down there?
PH-1504, KOE
KLS?
These are two glider sites near Phoenix:
http://www.turfsoaring.com/default.htm
http://www.azsoaring.com/
These are two glider sites near Phoenix:
http://www.turfsoaring.com/default.htm
http://www.azsoaring.com/
. Funny you figured something like that Some of what you can do (from a legal standpoint) depends on which country you are from and what sort of licence you currently have (if any). Many non-US glider licences are either partially, or fully recognised as equivalent to the Federal Aviation Authority's glider cerifications, however not all of them are, so you'd be well advised to contact a club near where you are going to stay and find out if your qualifications will be regarded as equivalent to a full, or a student certificate. If you want to have your own current glider pilot licence recognised as valid for the US, there are some things you need to do, because this is not just a case of flashing your licence at an airfield, you need to get it verified by the FAA. So, you'll need to get two forms from the FAA, fill them in and send them to the FAA: These forms are: 'Verification of Authenticity of Foreign Licence' and 'Foreign Pilot's Certification'. Processing these takes a long time by the way (i.e. months rather than weeks), so do it well in advance of your trip. If your current gliding licence is ratified by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), as most of them are, then there's a good chance that the FAA will accept it as a viable equivalent to the FAA's Certificate.
Alternatively, if you can't be arsed with all that, you can obtain an FAA 'Student Certificate' while you are there. These can usually be processed in a matter of minutes, providing there is someone (i.e. a Designated Examiner) that you can get hold of (ask at a club about this). There are obviously some limitations to flying on a student licence, but if you just want to keep your hand in and do a bit of occasional flying, it will probably suit your needs.
The FAA's student certificate qualifications are not actually that stringent, typically if you are over 14 years of age, can speak, read and write English and are obviously not a raving lunatic, then you'll get the Student Certificate. When you have that, you'll usually be able to solo a rental glider providing you do a check ride and they see you know how to fly, although obviously, if you have something (in the case of the UK) like a BGA A badge/Royal Aero Club/FAI gliding licence, then you'll be in business, although make sure you take it with you, as they'll probably want to actually see it rather than just taking your word for it, although you could probably get away with quoting your licence number to them, but don't bet on it.
Might be an idea to take your log book too, as it will prove that you are current and help to persuade them of your experience when it comes to letting you loose on rented gliders. Like most other countries, keeping a log of your flights and having any record of a flight you made within the past few (five in the UK, not sure how long it is in the US) years available for examination by the authorities, is a legal requirement in the US, so you'll probably need it anyway. Since the 9/11 airliner attack on the World Trade Center, the US aviation authorities can be a bit snotty and paranoid about this by the way (i.e letting foreign pilots into their country), so having all your documentation with you is a good idea. To be fair, given how horrific those attacks were, you can kind of see their point about any concerns they might have.
As you probably know, strictly speaking you don't actually need any sort of licence to fly a glider in the UK and some other European countries (although typically most people do have one, since in the case of the UK, most BGA gliding sites wouldn't let you take off from there without one), but, in the unlikely event that you actually don't have a licence, then you might be expected to do a fairly stringent series of checks in order for them to be happy about letting you loose on a rented glider. You might also need to get some insurance too, which would be a wise precaution on the offchance that you injure someone whilst flying a glider in the US, although in most cases, this will be a mandatory part of the cost of renting a glider anyway, so you'll probably end up with it simply by virtue of renting a glider.
Like most other countries, note that you won't be able to be P1 with a passenger on board if flying on a student certificate, it's solo flight only on a student certificate, or you as P2 if with an instructor.
If you are going to be there for a while, you might want to consider doing the exams for a full FAA Certificate. This involves a flight examination (which is a simple matter if you are a reasonably okay pilot already), but there is also a written examination. Obviously, since the FAA's flight laws and rules are different to other countries, it would be wise to study for such an exam, rather than simply assuming you'll pass based on your experience in the country you normally fly in, because without studying a bit, you won't be able to answer the air law questions properly if you are unfamiliar with them in the US. This includes being aware of things such as the different transition altitudes in the US to the ones typically found in European countries, radio procedures, and stuff like that.
One other thing worth noting is that aerotowing is far more common in the US than winch launching, so if you are used to winching, it might be worth getting a few aerotows in before you go, to ensure you are not rusty on staying with the towplane. If you are all over the place when you take off behind a tow plane, they'll take a bit of a dim view about letting you rent something again, and of course, the tow pilot would probably just dump you if you can't stay with him properly, which would make for a rather short and rather expensive flight.
Don't forget that if you don't take your own parachute with you, you're probably going to have to rent one of those too, which will add a little bit to the cost of flying, so make sure you can actually rent them at the place you go to fly. And of course if you do rent a 'chute, make sure you check the data card on it and the wire seals etc.
Alternatively, if you can't be arsed with all that, you can obtain an FAA 'Student Certificate' while you are there. These can usually be processed in a matter of minutes, providing there is someone (i.e. a Designated Examiner) that you can get hold of (ask at a club about this). There are obviously some limitations to flying on a student licence, but if you just want to keep your hand in and do a bit of occasional flying, it will probably suit your needs.
The FAA's student certificate qualifications are not actually that stringent, typically if you are over 14 years of age, can speak, read and write English and are obviously not a raving lunatic, then you'll get the Student Certificate. When you have that, you'll usually be able to solo a rental glider providing you do a check ride and they see you know how to fly, although obviously, if you have something (in the case of the UK) like a BGA A badge/Royal Aero Club/FAI gliding licence, then you'll be in business, although make sure you take it with you, as they'll probably want to actually see it rather than just taking your word for it, although you could probably get away with quoting your licence number to them, but don't bet on it.
Might be an idea to take your log book too, as it will prove that you are current and help to persuade them of your experience when it comes to letting you loose on rented gliders. Like most other countries, keeping a log of your flights and having any record of a flight you made within the past few (five in the UK, not sure how long it is in the US) years available for examination by the authorities, is a legal requirement in the US, so you'll probably need it anyway. Since the 9/11 airliner attack on the World Trade Center, the US aviation authorities can be a bit snotty and paranoid about this by the way (i.e letting foreign pilots into their country), so having all your documentation with you is a good idea. To be fair, given how horrific those attacks were, you can kind of see their point about any concerns they might have.
As you probably know, strictly speaking you don't actually need any sort of licence to fly a glider in the UK and some other European countries (although typically most people do have one, since in the case of the UK, most BGA gliding sites wouldn't let you take off from there without one), but, in the unlikely event that you actually don't have a licence, then you might be expected to do a fairly stringent series of checks in order for them to be happy about letting you loose on a rented glider. You might also need to get some insurance too, which would be a wise precaution on the offchance that you injure someone whilst flying a glider in the US, although in most cases, this will be a mandatory part of the cost of renting a glider anyway, so you'll probably end up with it simply by virtue of renting a glider.
Like most other countries, note that you won't be able to be P1 with a passenger on board if flying on a student certificate, it's solo flight only on a student certificate, or you as P2 if with an instructor.
If you are going to be there for a while, you might want to consider doing the exams for a full FAA Certificate. This involves a flight examination (which is a simple matter if you are a reasonably okay pilot already), but there is also a written examination. Obviously, since the FAA's flight laws and rules are different to other countries, it would be wise to study for such an exam, rather than simply assuming you'll pass based on your experience in the country you normally fly in, because without studying a bit, you won't be able to answer the air law questions properly if you are unfamiliar with them in the US. This includes being aware of things such as the different transition altitudes in the US to the ones typically found in European countries, radio procedures, and stuff like that.
One other thing worth noting is that aerotowing is far more common in the US than winch launching, so if you are used to winching, it might be worth getting a few aerotows in before you go, to ensure you are not rusty on staying with the towplane. If you are all over the place when you take off behind a tow plane, they'll take a bit of a dim view about letting you rent something again, and of course, the tow pilot would probably just dump you if you can't stay with him properly, which would make for a rather short and rather expensive flight.
Don't forget that if you don't take your own parachute with you, you're probably going to have to rent one of those too, which will add a little bit to the cost of flying, so make sure you can actually rent them at the place you go to fly. And of course if you do rent a 'chute, make sure you check the data card on it and the wire seals etc.
Came across this software to help prepare you for the FAA exams (if you want to do them). Don't know how good it is, but apparently there's a demo you can check out (the demo only has 5 percent of the questions that the full product offers, but I guess it would give you an idea of what to expect for the FAA's oral exam):
http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/ ... 3godjQW4DA
Actually, it's worth a look at that site just to laugh at some of the cheesy pictures. I couldn't stop laughing at this one, it reminded me of Peter Graves as Captain Oveur in Airplane:
Capt. Oveur: You ever been in a cockpit before?
Joey: No sir, I've never been up in a plane before.
Capt. Oveur: You ever…seen a grown man naked?
http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/ ... 3godjQW4DA
Actually, it's worth a look at that site just to laugh at some of the cheesy pictures. I couldn't stop laughing at this one, it reminded me of Peter Graves as Captain Oveur in Airplane:
Capt. Oveur: You ever been in a cockpit before?
Joey: No sir, I've never been up in a plane before.
Capt. Oveur: You ever…seen a grown man naked?
cheers for the info guys. I don't think i'm going to fly solo anyway. At the moment i'm doing an ATPL cource, so i don't have time to fly in the Netherlands atm, but i need to keep current in oder not to lose my lisence (Glider Pilot Licence).
I don't know what the rules are if you just do some flights with an instructor. I probably won't have any issues with the FAA because i'm going to learn to fly with propellor aircraft for my CPL anyway. I've got insurence with "the dutch FAA" which covers me abroad as well.
And i've got not much experience aerotowing as well, so i defenately wouldend do that solo, on a new airfield with a glider that i may never have flown before!
I don't know what the rules are if you just do some flights with an instructor. I probably won't have any issues with the FAA because i'm going to learn to fly with propellor aircraft for my CPL anyway. I've got insurence with "the dutch FAA" which covers me abroad as well.
And i've got not much experience aerotowing as well, so i defenately wouldend do that solo, on a new airfield with a glider that i may never have flown before!
PH-1504, KOE
