Soaring is easy to do. It is also very safe. Because of these factors even 14 year olds are permitted to get a solo certificate, and to get a license at only 16.
A series of minimum training requirements exist and the one that applies to you depends on how much flying experience you have under your belt when you start towards a glider rating. [These criteria are subject to change … so see the FAA page for most current info]
Basically these are the levels as of 8/97:
| Student Pilot | Private
Pilot Glider (PPG)
(<40hrs) |
Private
Pilot Glider
(PPG) (>40hrs) |
Commercial
Pilot Glider (CPG)
(<200 hrs) |
Certified Flight Instructor Glider (CFIG) | |
| Age/prerequisites | 14 with student certificate endorsed by CFIG | Minimum 16 plus have a valid solo student certificate or PP-airplane | PP-airplane | Minimum 18 w/PPG | CPG |
| FAA Written Test | Yes - by CFIG | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes |
| Ground Instruction | Yes + glider assy/disassy | Yes - must be in logbook too | Yes - must be in logbook too | Endorsed by another CFIG | |
| Pass a flight Test | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Other | 10
hours dual instruction and with 20 dual flights. 3 dual flights within
60 days of flight test.
2 hours solo and 10 solo launches. |
3
hours in gliders w/10 dual and 3 dual flights within 60 days of flight
test. 2 hours solo and
10 solo flights. |
25 hrs of pilot time including 100 flights in a glider as pilot-in-command, including 3 hours or 10 flights dual and 3 dual flights within 60 days of flight test. 2 hours solo and 10 solo flights. | 15 hours in aircraft category and class he's instructing in. |