The way I read the FARs,..... it takes 20 Flights in a glider,
aeronatical experience, if you do not have a power license. This could
be done in areas where there is good lift, rather teach SOARING by
flying one or two hrs at a time, than making all those launches the
way they do it in Germany in many places. Interesting that there is no
requirement for minmum time, like in power training (hrs)! The only
requirement is the two hrs of solo flight time mentioned, which in no
lift sites could take quite a few launches.

The difficult thing in soaring is not the soaring. It's the landing.
You only have one try. That is fundamentally different from powered
flight. That means a lot more training has to be put in to it. I think
80-100 launches is quite reasonable to be safe.


With a power rating, or 40 hrs of power time under your belt it could
be done with 13 flights.

I hate to think of encountering someone holding a licence after only
13 flights. We have had power pilots taking up soaring. They are
usually a bit faster, but not a lot, to get to the exam.


PS A well organized school with paid instructors,...

With that you are automatically back to the 3000$ Tom mentioned. Or
how little do you think an instructor would want to earn?