On Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 8:46:10 AM UTC-6, Charlie Papa wrote:
The current issue of AOPA PILOT features an article I wrote about flying at Omarama New Zealand titled IN PRAISE OF SOARING. I think it can be accessed by non-AOPA members at https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...ise-of-soaring .

I wrote it for an audience of power pilots who often show an attitude of condescension to gliders. So I chose to use one of my fellow mountain flying course students, - Marty, and relate his remarkable tale of bailing out of an F-104 with a dead engine. Marty is arguably a pilot's pilot, with 2000 hours in fighters, and his current mount, a Turbine Legend (if you are not familiar with this one, start with the fact that it has an appetite for Jet A that consumes 52 gph).

Marty's third flight in a real glider, - if you discount the 104 ride, was after two conversion flights in a Grob 103, and was with the boss, Gavin Wills.

Marty's verdict: the best flight of his life!

So I hope it will give Power pilots cause to rethink their attitude to gliding, and even to get an add-on rating. I hope you enjoy it too.

Yes, that's a great article. I was very pleased to find it in AOPA.

One small general nitpick (not confined to this article): Most of the articles and videos promoting soaring are shot in mountainous areas. This reinforces the public's stereotypical view that soaring is something that can only be done in exotic mountain locales. I have met a number of people who steadfastly refuse to believe that gliders can sustain flight over flat land. I understand that mountains and gliders are a photogenic mix, but it sure would be nice for a change to have a well produced promotional vid that depicts flat land soaring.