Anyone have a rough idea of the amount to budget to earn a glider
certificate?

The glider training closest to me appears to be at this club:

http://www.kpflight.com/coburg.htm

simply, it will cost you at least $2000

In detail, you added you were married, so $4000, after equal payback to the one who cannot be argued with.

In fact, you will get to the point when you want your own glider, after having happily spent tens of thousands on:

Fuel and vehicle expenses to and from your club
accomodation expenses whilst flying, quadruple those costs for the wife to accompany you
beer and food expenses for yourself, your crew and your new friends
better sunglasses, hats, shoes and clothes
books, maps, PDAs, software and upgrades
tow fees, tug pilots beer
bribe money for officials at contests
donations to the club to support newbies after you

Yep, tens of thousands of dollars

but you will spend it happily, and by then, gliders will be even better, and even more expensive


On the up side, when you are rugged up by the day nurse and sipping your tea with your new mates, all in wheelchairs at the wrinkly home, some 40 years away, one of your comrades will bring up a long conversation about how they had always wanted to try gliding.

You will smile, add your many hours of interesting experience in gliders to the conversation but they wont ever be able to understand.
Not ever, their option has passed and words alone cannot explain our sport
You alone will have done it, you alone went the extra step.
You will be the most content person in the conversation.
It cost you tens of thousands, you will find the money, trust me.

The cost is not the problem, the lack of time is.
You have to balance your spare time with the ones you love, your other passions and true relaxation.
One day, like everyone, you will die.

At that time, you will have not done enough gliding


bagger