Vacation and Add-on

[[email protected]]

Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.

Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.

Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.

Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?

Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?

Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?

Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

[son_of_flubber]

Search this newsgroup for "Seminole"

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/rec.aviation.soaring/seminole%7Csort:relevance/rec.aviation.soaring/G2aV3gmBZKU/9yUUltjgLQAJ

The only reservation that I would have about training at Seminole Lake in June 2017 is that my personal preference runs towards cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and less intense Sun..

June-July is very pleasant at http://www.sugarbush.org/ Dry 80s during the day and 50-60s at night.

http://www.madrivervalley.com/ for accommodations and activities. Great food, craft beer, and lots of outdoors activities, Golf, tennis, hiking, waterfalls, swimming, mountain biking, rock climbing (indoors and outdoors) but nothing like Disney etc.. Burlington and Montpelier are great day trips.

[rec.aviation.soaring]

On Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 11:35:47 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.
>
> Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.
>
> Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.
>
> Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?
>
> Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?
>
> Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?
>
> Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.
>
> Thoughts? Recommendations?

I fly with "Miami Gliders," a commercial operation at Homestead General Airport (X51) in Sourhern Miami-Dade County. Owner is an Airline Pilot and a Designated Pilot Examiner. The Primary Instructor is a retired Air Traffic Controller. They have two Blanik L-23's and a Pawnee Tow Plane.

If you prepare before your trip and are reasonably proficient and the weather is normal, getting an add-on is possible in a week. There is also a good Sky Diving school on the field, and rental planes are available. You can stay on Miami Beach or in the upper Florida Keys (Key Largo) but we do have traffic so you will spend time driving. Lots of festivals and special events here for family in January and February and Everglades and Biscayne National Parks are close.

I recommend you take enough time to actually learn to thermal. Most days have some lift - at least for an hour or two. Without learning to actually soar your glider add-on is just a merit badge that allows you to take a sled ride down from tow release. Google "Miami Gliders" for lots of info online.

[[email protected]]

Marfa is another option. Reliable weather and scenic beauty. Family amusements are not going to complete with Orlando, but nowhere will for little kids. The national park on the Rio Grande is beautiful.
Between Gatlinburg, Chattanooga and the mountains there are for a number of options so how many family entertainment near Chilhowee.

[Rich Owen[_2_]]

On Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 10:35:47 PM UTC-6, wrote:
> Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.
>
> Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.
>
> Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.
>
> Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?
>
> Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?
>
> Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?
>
> Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.
>
> Thoughts? Recommendations?

Seminole-Lake Gliderport is a wonderful operation to pursue your glider add on goal. We provide training in 2 L-23 Blaniks, 1 Grob 103, and a PW-6. We have 3 Pawnees as towplanes. Located just 20 minutes from Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, and other major tourist areas, your family will not mind you being gone during the day. We have airline service from both Orlando and Tampa airports so a direct flight is possible from many areas of the US. There are accommodations on the airfield available on-site but your family may want to take advantage of the hotels located at the parks.

We have 2 individuals that seem to post very negative comments about the operation and a quick call to anyone in the soaring community will dispel any concerns you have.

Being in Florida we enjoy the weather many wish they had during this time of year. Although summer is hot, this time of year is perfect for soaring. Our best cross country weather is from November thru the second week of June. We can accommodate you training at any time except 2 weeks in March when we host the Senior Soaring Championship (largest single class sailplane race in the US) and the US Sailplane Grand Prix (a sailplane race that is a qualifier for the World event). Please view this short video to look at our facility. https://youtu.be/9R35sOl9Xyw Hope to meet you at Seminole-Lake Gliderport.

Rich Owen
Vice President
Seminole Flying and Soaring

[Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas]

See my FREE Checkrides at Marfa, Texas post further down on this group.

[Paul Agnew]

With a lot of personal prep time and studying beforehand, I did my Comm-glider add-on in three days with Franklin Burbank at Citrus Soaring. We had blocked out more days, but I was able to get my solos done all on Day 2.

The training was excellent, rates competitive, and Florida weather near perfect. Close to Orlando, Daytona, and the Space Coast for the family.

My highest recommendation...

www.citrussoaringclub.com

Paul A.
Treasure Coast Soaring Club

[John Cochrane[_3_]]

I recommend Williams, just north of Sacramento. You train in ASK 21 and can solo in ASK 23. The gliders are all in like new condition. First class instruction, great people, very professional operation. Weather is perfect for training during the winter -- no thermals to bump things around on most days, though you might get a valley thermal day or wave day to give you a glimpse of what lies ahead. It's easy to fly to sacramento or SFO and drive up. Plus a quick jump to wine country, SF, or tahoe if you want a day or two off.

John Cochrane (BB)

[Mike Schumann[_2_]]

On Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 11:35:47 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.
>
> Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.
>
> Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.
>
> Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?
>
> Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?
>
> Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?
>
> Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.
>
> Thoughts? Recommendations?

Where are you located? An add on rating in 2-3 days sounds pretty unrealistic to me, unless you have some experience flying gliders.

[Scott Williams]

There's a world of difference between a "glider add on at a commercial operation"
and a commercial add on to a glider rating.

good luck,
Scott

[Dan Marotta]

It's not really all that hard for someone with good training and
experience to achieve a glider add-on rating in a couple of days. I
soloed on my 6th glider flight and, had I the time or inclination at the
time, could have banged out 10 solo pattern flights, an oral, and a
flight check. I do not mean to say that that would have made me a
glider pilot, only the holder of a certificate.

That said, it would be a very long 3 days...

On 12/23/2016 8:42 PM, Scott Williams wrote:
> There's a world of difference between a "glider add on at a commercial operation"
> and a commercial add on to a glider rating.
>
> good luck,
> Scott

--
Dan, 5J

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

I did a three day add-0n back in the days of Soar Minden, Mark 1. Scary to think how green I was durning the phase from ticket holder to real glider pilot. Where I lived did not offer glider instructions so I got a power rating and within a few weeks was down in Minden to get the rating I actually wanted.

Funny thing, after I got got my glider rating, I thought I finally learned how to fly airplanes, but I still don't know how to really fly a glider.

Dan's right, the fast add on does nothing to actually teach you how to soar like a glider pilot.
On Saturday, December 24, 2016 at 8:45:31 AM UTC-8, Dan Marotta wrote:
> It's not really all that hard for someone with good training and
> experience to achieve a glider add-on rating in a couple of days. I
> soloed on my 6th glider flight and, had I the time or inclination at the
> time, could have banged out 10 solo pattern flights, an oral, and a
> flight check. I do not mean to say that that would have made me a
> glider pilot, only the holder of a certificate.
>
> That said, it would be a very long 3 days...
>
> On 12/23/2016 8:42 PM, Scott Williams wrote:
> > There's a world of difference between a "glider add on at a commercial operation"
> > and a commercial add on to a glider rating.
> >
> > good luck,
> > Scott
>
> --
> Dan, 5J

[[email protected]]

> Dan's right, the fast add on does nothing to actually teach you how to soar like a glider pilot.
Agree, but it makes it faster learning to soar in a club environment if you already have a quickie add-on.

[Paul Agnew]

I forgot to mention that Franklin Burbank is also a DPE (designated pilot examiner.) Scheduling checkrides is pretty convenient.

Paul A.
Treasure Coast Soaring Club
Vero Beach, Fl

[Tow Pilot]

I'll second the recommendation for Franklin and his team at Citrus Soaring - great folks, very common sense based instruction, quiet airport conducive to condensed training and dedicated resources.

Your preparations are key to getting it done in such a short window. I'm constantly amazed at how folks who are not current, haven't studied and aren't focused expect accelerated add-on ratings or initial certificates - this holds true throughout aviation, not just soaring.

Best of luck!

[[email protected]]

Couldn't have been happier with my experience at Seminole Lake a couple of months ago. Others from my club have also gone since. First rate training and facilities combined with a wonderful group of people. I have no reservations recommending. if your goal is to knock out a rating and have fun, these guys should absolutely be in the consideration set...

[Charlie Papa[_2_]]

On Thursday, 22 December 2016 23:35:47 UTC-5, wrote:
> Looking to get a glider add on rating through a commercial school to do it quickly. Nothing near by me suits this so I must travel.
>
> Reading through this forum I could use some pointers of where to train.
>
> Planning on taking a week of vacation, buying airline tickets for the family so I need certainty that this is the right decision. I don't want to get down there and find out it's a bust.
>
> Gatlinburg seems nice with Chilhowee, but how reliable is the weather in this area?
>
> Seminole Lake in Orlando seems iffy after reading reviews of the owner in jail. Nice resorts in the area for cheap, but will it for sure be operating in 6 months from now?
>
> Dillingham in Hawaii looks awesome, but will that kind of flying prepare me for soaring in the 48 states given it's an island?
>
> Any solid recommendations where I can have a luxurious vacation and get an add on rating in 2-3 days.
>
> Thoughts? Recommendations?

Let me add my reassurance to Rich Owen's about Seminole Lake. I'm a Canadian snowbird, and love SLG so much, I managed to get my wife hooked on golf so I could buy a condo close to the field. Golf, BTW, is a great solution to the "Honey, you're spending a lot of time at that airport").

Seminole is a mix of a commercial FBO offering training and Introductory flights, and a group of private owners who fly X/C there all winter. This gives it the efficiency of an FBO, and the fraternity of a club, exempified by the after-flying Sunday 'debriefing', which involves sharing a couple of beers and snacks around the pool. Newco0mers are welcomed warmly.

And Seminole is about 30 miles away from the parks, and all they offer families. The operation is humming along under Rich's guidance, and I highly recommend it; you couldn't, IMO, do better.