Michael wrote:

This is exactly what I don't wish to do. He doesn't need a complete
transition course, power to gliding. He is already a competent glider
pilot. Repeating the basics would be a waste of time and money.

Agreed. But why not sit down with him and discuss the procedures? As I
interpret your posts, in the USA, you have fairly strict procedures
written on paper. In other countries, this is not nesseceraily so. I
don't know for Italy, but in Switzerland, it's pretty much up to the
individual instructor, which procedures he emphasises. E.g. you must do
a cross country with an instructor before you're allowed to take the
checkride. But nowhere it is written what the instructor tells you
during this cross country. So good instructors have you prepare the
flight, draw circles on the map around the airports, have you do all
kinds of calculations during the flight, often ask you where you would
land from here, ask you where the next thermal is supposed to be etc. If
you do the same flight with a bad instructor, then it's just a nice
flight from which you won't learn much. so I really think your best
choice would be to spend an hour and dicuss the procedures.

Stefan