I had another experience where I took off in a glider with only 90 degree flaps for glide path control. I was a very low time pilot and still figuring out the "pilot thing", not that I have it figured out now. For those that have not flown a 90 degree flapped ship, I was taught to put in the flaps at a steady pace as pitched to an attitude (standing on the rudder pedals) then check the airspeed, because if you did not pitch down you might lose your airspeed and never get it back. Well I took off and did not check my airspeed until I was on tow in the air. I had no airspeed indication (pitot was unplugged during maintenance). I landed fast going very fast as I did not want to stall.

Lesson learned. I always check my airspeed is "alive" while accelerating on the ground. This is actually part of any powered aircraft takeoff "airspeed alive...rotation speed". Second lesson learned was when a ship comes back from maintenance do a very careful and through preflight. At one point in my life I was flying a big complex cabin class pressurized twin. I always flew it to the maintenance shop, but I NEVER picked it up, they had to fly it to me after maintenance. Kind of like the parachute rigger than has to jump with the chutes he repacks.