Eric Greenwell wrote:

I'm still puzzled. Are you saying these skills (calculating W&B, ....)
are _additional_ skills a pilot needs before "checking himself out in a
new aircraft"?

I'm saying some of these skills are only post-solo, and some of these
skills (how to operate a retract) are not required for the PPL at
all. These skills are only learned by the pilot because he himself
accepts or maybe the insurance company requires some post-license training...

They seem to be requirements learning to fly, or things
you need to be learn before flying advanced gliders. All of them can
apply to a high performance two-seaters or can be taught with ground
training. I don't see any thing specific to "checking himself out in a
new aircraft", but perhaps I don't understand what you and Michael mean
by "checking himself out in a new aircraft".
Deciding how to load CG for the first flight, selecting
a long runway into the wind, choosing the launch method, researching
prior accidents, etc. are all things one can do to help
check oneself out in a new aircraft. None of this is required
by license, none of this requires dual training, but these things
and awareness of how to minimize risk flying something
completely new are developed pilot skills.

Or are you simply saying learning the minimun necessary to solo a 2-33
isn't enough to get you ready for a high performance racing glider? I"d
agree with that!

I'm saying that, and more. I'm saying that a license isn't
enough either. But it SHOULD give you the skills to form your
own training plan and an idea about how to smoothly progress to
flying higher performance aircraft with no increase in risk. As
experience grows, risk is reduced. To maintain the same level of risk,
we throw something new in. Maybe ballast, maybe retract, maybe
more sensitive pitch controls (spins easier). Pilots who understand
personal minimums and have a comprehension of how different
flight characteristics and experience relate to risk can
add one component at a time and through reading and careful
observation add components slowly so the risk doesn't "spike"
up.

When soloing, we have accepted a certain level of risk. Over
time, we maintain the same level of risk while increasing capability,
or we can just remain with our same glider, pilot, and conditions and
have the risk go down. Most pilots, at least to some level, choose to
increase capability. Instructors are an aid to some extent,
as are manuals and AD's and accident reports, etc. But the
pilot himself is the only one who can consistently enforce
a post-license training plan...

Whether this involves dual instruction, or a college aerodynamics course,
or talking to others who've flown the same glider, etc. is up to
the pilot at that point. A good advanced instructor teaches a
pilot how to use resources and generalize, not how tofly
one particular glider...teach a man to fish, right?
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Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA