I don't think there are "tens of thousands" qualified glider instructor
pilots in the US... I don't think an "airplane CFI" can endorse the
certificate/logbook for a power pilot to fly a "sport glider"

off to do more research..

BT

"Mark James Boyd" wrote in message
news:3fc642dd$1@darkstar...
I am not sure if I got the sense: would be this licence only available =
to power pilots who want to fly also gliders, or this licence would be a
=
licence which requires very limited knowledge check passing available to
=
those who want to fly gliders only? E.g. an retired person who dreams of
=
flying in his own PW-5 just to watch the California state from above. =
)

Janusz Kesik

In the US, current initial license requirements for a glider pilot
require flying with an "examiner or inspector." There are several
hundred of these in the nation.

The real benefit of the Sport Pilot initiative in the US
is that pilots who have already obtained a license in an
aircraft (for example a regular old airplane) could now
be approved for carrying passengers in another category of
aircraft (gliders) with just the signature of a US flight
instructor. There are tens of thousands of these instructors
in the US. So this would mean this option becomes maybe 100
times more available than having to use an "examiner or inspector."

This "sport pilot" privilege to fly a glider would only apply to
lower performing, lightweight gliders (like the 2-33 or Ka7) which
have a Vne less than 115 knots.

So what I'm wondering is what other countries require for
pilots who want to carry a passenger and transition from power
planes to gliders. Does it require a test like the original
license, or is it a simpler test given by a common,
everyday instructor?

In the US, pilots are already allowed to solo gliders with
just a checkout and signature by an instructor (no
FAA examiner or inspector) so this is not an issue in the US.