Transition from Glider to Power

[Dixie Sierra]

OK, it's not really a transition. As a glider pilot I think I'm pretty
much starting at zero from a requirements point of view. I may
eventually be able to count some long landouts in the glider as XC
time... if only someone will come fetch me.

I'm coming up on 6 years in gliders. I own a glider and fly XC
whenever possible. I have flown a couple of regional contests.

I've always thought of getting my ASEL. I just think there must be
some utility in having an engine!

Pro's
1) I can train in the winter when I can't fly XC in gliders
2) I will learn a lot, not least of which is how to better communicate
with ATC (assuming I learn from a towered field)
3) I can get a taildragger endorsement eventually... I've never seen
an ugly taildragger!
4) It's bound to be a great way to go sight seeing both locally and
when I travel

Con's
1) It's expensive
2) I don't see powered ownership in my near future. Is renting too
restrictive? (e.g. is it true that I won't be able to land on grass in
most rentals? That's a pretty severe limitation to a glider guy)
3) Continued VFR flight into IFR conditions seems to be a bigger
killer than stall/spin. Can I stop short of IFR and still use an ASEL
for anything more than $100 (must be $250 by now) hamburgers?
4) I can afford getting the ticket. But other than winter... Why would
I fly for $100+ an hour in an airplane when I can fly for less than
half that in a glider? (insurance, annuals, tow fees, club dues, etc)
5) If I want to fly something that will carry a passenger and a
weekend's worth of baggage... $100/hr will be a fond memory... true?


All of the above aside, I'm leaning pretty strongly toward doing this
in November.

I live far enough South that anything colder than 32F is considered
life threatening. Weather shouldn't be a big problem.

I work less than 10 minutes from a towered field and shouldn't have
any problem arranging 1.5 hour lunches. Assuming I can eat while I
drive, time for training should not be an issue.

Any advice?

Doug

[Morgans]

Post by Dixie Sierra
I've always thought of getting my ASEL. I just think there must be
some utility in having an engine!
Any advice?

How about sticking a little motor in that glider. You have the best of both
worlds, then.

[Clark]

Dixie Sierra <***@yahoo.com> wrote in news:1727960d-acbd-4cfc-b9e5-
***@p23g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:

[snip]

Post by Dixie Sierra
Pro's
1) I can train in the winter when I can't fly XC in gliders
2) I will learn a lot, not least of which is how to better communicate
with ATC (assuming I learn from a towered field)

Just remember that ATC folks are human too. Well, that's mostly true but
some of them like to work in really dark rooms so maybe they're part trog.

Post by Dixie Sierra
3) I can get a taildragger endorsement eventually... I've never seen
an ugly taildragger!

Some of the early Russian stuff was ugly...and then there's the Buffalo.

Post by Dixie Sierra
4) It's bound to be a great way to go sight seeing both locally and
when I travel

5) You can fly early in the day when it is still cool

Post by Dixie Sierra
Con's
1) It's expensive
2) I don't see powered ownership in my near future. Is renting too
restrictive? (e.g. is it true that I won't be able to land on grass in
most rentals? That's a pretty severe limitation to a glider guy)

Mostly true but not universal. The best deal is to find an owner that is
willing to let you fly their aircraft. Some owners know they don't fly
often enough and are happy to have someone else exercising their aircraft
every now and then.

Post by Dixie Sierra
3) Continued VFR flight into IFR conditions seems to be a bigger
killer than stall/spin. Can I stop short of IFR and still use an ASEL
for anything more than $100 (must be $250 by now) hamburgers?

Yup. The IFR ticket is nice to have but not required by any means.

Post by Dixie Sierra
4) I can afford getting the ticket. But other than winter... Why would
I fly for $100+ an hour in an airplane when I can fly for less than
half that in a glider? (insurance, annuals, tow fees, club dues, etc)

Umm, maybe because you wanted to go somewhere in particular such as a
weekend getaway?

Post by Dixie Sierra
5) If I want to fly something that will carry a passenger and a
weekend's worth of baggage... $100/hr will be a fond memory... true?

Naw, Skyhawks around here rent for a little less than $100/hr so it's the
current reality, not a memory.

Post by Dixie Sierra
All of the above aside, I'm leaning pretty strongly toward doing this
in November.

It should go fairly quick for you. You've got all the aeronautical concepts
already so you'll just have to practice them in something loud and at
night. No big deal. Your instructor will be pleased by your ability to fly
in a coordinated manner. :-) As for me, I just claim the TC is mounted half
a ball off.

Post by Dixie Sierra
I live far enough South that anything colder than 32F is considered
life threatening. Weather shouldn't be a big problem.
I work less than 10 minutes from a towered field and shouldn't have
any problem arranging 1.5 hour lunches. Assuming I can eat while I
drive, time for training should not be an issue.
Any advice?

Plan on landing about two feet higher than you do the glider...and remember
to pitch the nose up a bit before touching down. Oh, and also remember that
going around is possible!

[Mark Hansen]

Doug,

I don't have any glider experience, so I can't speak about those
differences, however...

Post by Dixie Sierra
OK, it's not really a transition. As a glider pilot I think I'm pretty
much starting at zero from a requirements point of view. I may
eventually be able to count some long landouts in the glider as XC
time... if only someone will come fetch me.
I'm coming up on 6 years in gliders. I own a glider and fly XC
whenever possible. I have flown a couple of regional contests.
I've always thought of getting my ASEL. I just think there must be
some utility in having an engine!

That is true. Being able to carry passengers is a big plus for me.
Also, I expect that flying a glider is mostly about the flying,
while flying a power plane is both about the flying *and* about
the destination.

I realize I can drive to the same destinations (in most cases,
anyway) for less money, but there's just something about flying
there that makes it well worth the extra expense (for me).

Post by Dixie Sierra
Pro's
1) I can train in the winter when I can't fly XC in gliders
2) I will learn a lot, not least of which is how to better communicate
with ATC (assuming I learn from a towered field)

Even if you don't train at a towered field - if you want ATC
experience, just tell your instructor. I'm sure he can work as much
of that into your training as you desire.

Post by Dixie Sierra
3) I can get a taildragger endorsement eventually... I've never seen
an ugly taildragger!
4) It's bound to be a great way to go sight seeing both locally and
when I travel

Locally, yes. When traveling - well I'm not sure how easy that is to
do. My broadest concern is that of insurance. I belong to a club that
provides me with great insurance while flying the club planes. If I
fly any other planes, I'm on my own.

Also, you'll not likely be able to fly (on your own) any plane without
being checked-out by the local chief pilot (or his representative).
That may be 1-2 hours of plane+CFI time right there.

Post by Dixie Sierra
Con's
1) It's expensive

Well, that's relative :-) I guess it's more expensive that gliders.

Post by Dixie Sierra
2) I don't see powered ownership in my near future. Is renting too
restrictive? (e.g. is it true that I won't be able to land on grass in
most rentals? That's a pretty severe limitation to a glider guy)

Landing on grass is not really high on my list. My normal flights are
from airport to airport. If you really want to land at an airport
which has only a grass field, then talk to the FBO about it.

I really think your thinking about powered flight from a glider's
perspective though. Landing on grass may be important for a glider,
but not for a powered plane.

As far as renting vs. ownership goes, I feel I have a good balance
which works quite well for me (YMMV). I belong to a club which has
on the order of 300+ members and about 12 airplanes, including
C152s, C172s, C182-RGs and a light twin.

The membership includes really good insurance coverage, where I'm
a named insured (which means the insurance company won't come back
to me after an incident). It not only costs me only $19/month, but
the aircraft rental rates are the cheapest in the area.

There are some restrictions, but they aren't so hard to live with.

Post by Dixie Sierra
3) Continued VFR flight into IFR conditions seems to be a bigger
killer than stall/spin. Can I stop short of IFR and still use an ASEL
for anything more than $100 (must be $250 by now) hamburgers?

Well, this depends on where you live. Where I live (Northern California),
there is a great deal of time where long-range VFR flight is quite easy.

Post by Dixie Sierra
4) I can afford getting the ticket. But other than winter... Why would
I fly for $100+ an hour in an airplane when I can fly for less than
half that in a glider? (insurance, annuals, tow fees, club dues, etc)

Again, flying a power plane is not only about the flying, but about
the traveling. You can plan a flight to go somewhere, and go there.
Then fly back. You can carry passengers, luggage, etc.

I don't think you have quite the utility with a glider certificate (
but I could be wrong - I'm not a glider pilot).

Post by Dixie Sierra
5) If I want to fly something that will carry a passenger and a
weekend's worth of baggage... $100/hr will be a fond memory... true?

My club rents IFR-qualified C172s for about $85/hr wet. I'm currently
flying the club's R182 (182 complex) for about $136/hr wet. I don't
really need the addition weight capacity or speed of the 182, but
my wife and I are both on the large side, and the cabin on the 182
is quite a bit wider, making it much more comfortable to fly.

Post by Dixie Sierra
All of the above aside, I'm leaning pretty strongly toward doing this
in November.

Sounds great!

Post by Dixie Sierra
I live far enough South that anything colder than 32F is considered
life threatening. Weather shouldn't be a big problem.

Well, it's not just cold. It could be thunderstorms, hurricanes, etc. :-)

Post by Dixie Sierra
I work less than 10 minutes from a towered field and shouldn't have
any problem arranging 1.5 hour lunches. Assuming I can eat while I
drive, time for training should not be an issue.
Any advice?

Yes. When I got my certificate, I flew twice a week. Once in the afternoon
on a work day, and once in the morning on a weekend day. This made it
possible for me to not have to miss any work.

I don't think you'll want to go during your lunch hour. Try it for yourself
and see, but I think you'll be too wiped out after each lesson to go
back to work.

Another advantage of my schedule was to allow for early morning flights,
when the weather would be cooler and more stable (read, easier landings)
while still getting late afternoon practice when I would have to deal
with warmer temperatures, thermals, rougher landings, etc.

Post by Dixie Sierra
Doug

Welcome to the wonder world of powered flight!

[Dixie Sierra]

Thanks for the input from all... not sure what I'll do.

I guess I need to get a reasonable estimate of costs based on local
rates. I probably wan't get it done within the minimums, but I should
be close.

Doug

[Mark Hansen]

Post by Dixie Sierra
Thanks for the input from all... not sure what I'll do.
I guess I need to get a reasonable estimate of costs based on local
rates. I probably wan't get it done within the minimums, but I should
be close.
Doug

I don't know about that. I would think you've got a pretty good leg-up
at this point. You already understand the basics of flight and airplane
control, regulations, etc.

You may be the perfect candidate for getting done within the mins.

Best of luck.

[Æslop]

Post by Dixie Sierra
1) It's expensive

Yes, it is.

Post by Dixie Sierra
2) I don't see powered ownership in my near future. Is renting too
restrictive? (e.g. is it true that I won't be able to land on grass in
most rentals? That's a pretty severe limitation to a glider guy)

I am in a club, and GRAVEL is a no-no, grass is no problem.

Post by Dixie Sierra
3) Continued VFR flight into IFR conditions seems to be a bigger
killer than stall/spin. Can I stop short of IFR and still use an ASEL
for anything more than $100 (must be $250 by now) hamburgers?

I am in the Southwest, and weather is not a big issue outside of summer.
I fly all over, and am planning on going to Northern Cal next year for the
US Open for a week.

Post by Dixie Sierra
4) I can afford getting the ticket. But other than winter... Why would
I fly for $100+ an hour in an airplane when I can fly for less than
half that in a glider? (insurance, annuals, tow fees, club dues, etc)

No idea.

Post by Dixie Sierra
5) If I want to fly something that will carry a passenger and a
weekend's worth of baggage... $100/hr will be a fond memory... true?

Again, I am in a club, probably the most cost effective solution for someone
that flies
100hrs or less per yr. I paid $2K to get in and $100/mo. We have 182s and a
172
(all IFR) for $100/hr.

Post by Dixie Sierra
All of the above aside, I'm leaning pretty strongly toward doing this
in November.
I live far enough South that anything colder than 32F is considered
life threatening. Weather shouldn't be a big problem.
I work less than 10 minutes from a towered field and shouldn't have
any problem arranging 1.5 hour lunches. Assuming I can eat while I
drive, time for training should not be an issue.

I can't imagine NOT doing it. But that's me. And I did. I am actually
considering going the other way, getting glider certified. But I am finding
it hard justifying the cost. Imagine that :-)