Cost to earn a glider certificate?

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

On Jun 6, 8:34*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
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

I strongly suggest you talk to the club members. Costs vary wildly
between different clubs. It probably cost me somewhere near
$2,500.00. I didn't start until I was in my late 40's. Younger
people generally pick it up more quickly. It took 17 hours, roughly
36 flights, before I soloed, and something near 50 more flights
(mostly solo) before my instructor insisted I take my check ride and
get my ticket. I was a pretty 'slow' student.

Jim Logajan wrote:
Anyone have a rough idea of the amount to budget to earn a glider
certificate?


You're a student for only a short period of your gliding career and in
many clubs, there is no additional charge for instruction. So, your real
question (IMHO) should be "what does it cost to participate in soaring?".

That said, James's ball park estimate of US$2500 is probably a good
place to start.

Tony V. CFIG
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING

Jim Logajan wrote:

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

I like this one :-).

Rule #23(B)
“Any pilot or passenger seen grinning from ear to ear after a flight
will be doused with water until the grin disappears.” This sometimes
takes quite a lot of water.

On Jun 6, 9:34*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
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

I am not that familiar with the club or there cost, But I have worked
with their examiner, he is excellent and I have had several students
take their checkrides at this club.

You might also check out www.nwskysports.com in Hood River or the
Willamette Valley Soaring Club. They do a Soaring Safari at the Alvord
Desert every year in July where they specialize in ground launches.
There you might be able to arrange for a lot of training for a very
little cost.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
. ..
... your real question (IMHO) should be "what does it cost to participate in
soaring?".

Well said! Since much of soaring is done solo anyhow, and much of your
student flying is also solo, the cost to actually earn your certificate is not
terribly relevant. Flying is flying...certificate or not, and flying is a
wonderful thing.

Vaughn (CFIG)

First, this is a great sport. You will love it. Nothing will prepare
you for the wonderful silence after getting off tow for the first
time.

It appears that this club is slightly different than the norm (aren't
we all?). They have low yearly dues ($164 including SSA membership),
$10 per flight glider rental, $50 per 3000 foot tow and $30/hour for
an instructor. Let's assume it takes 30 rides to solo, each ride to
3000 feet lasting 30 mins (with ground school) over the course of one
year. That adds up to 164+30x10+30x50+30x30x0.5=$2414. So the $2500
was a pretty good guess.

My club is $650/year dues, no rental, no instructor fees, and $30 per
3000 foot tow. That adds up to 650+30x30=$1550.

Anyone have the numbers for a commercial operation?

However, you need to add in materials, FAA test fees (private), sweat
equity (it is a club after all) and the inevitable cost of the "I-need-
to-buy-my-own-glider" bug.

- John DeRosa

wrote:
On Jun 6, 8:34*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
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

I strongly suggest you talk to the club members. Costs vary wildly
between different clubs. It probably cost me somewhere near
$2,500.00. I didn't start until I was in my late 40's. Younger
people generally pick it up more quickly. It took 17 hours, roughly
36 flights, before I soloed, and something near 50 more flights
(mostly solo) before my instructor insisted I take my check ride and
get my ticket. I was a pretty 'slow' student.

For the record, here's my background:

I'm 52, have essentially no previous experience (Okay, I did have a 3rd
class medical and student pilot certificate in 1991, but while I passed
ground school I got almost no stick time! Mark it up to "life happened".)

Since I am self-employed I could probably dedicate a concentrated effort
for two to three weeks. But I suspect the trick to making that happen would
be finding a quiet zone between work projects (I find it tough to put off
clients) that also coincided with presumable good weather and instructor
availability.

"Vaughn Simon" wrote:
"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
. ..
... your real question (IMHO) should be "what does it cost to
participate in soaring?".

Well said! Since much of soaring is done solo anyhow, and much of your
student flying is also solo, the cost to actually earn your
certificate is not terribly relevant. Flying is flying...certificate
or not, and flying is a wonderful thing.

Yes, I understand the training cost is just part of a continuum of ongoing
costs. But I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that I'll be doing more
flying in a short span of time than I would once I earn a certificate. So
it's a spike in discretionary spending that needs to be planned for.

Brian wrote:
On Jun 6, 9:34*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
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

I am not that familiar with the club or there cost, But I have worked
with their examiner, he is excellent and I have had several students
take their checkrides at this club.

That is good to know.

You might also check out www.nwskysports.com in Hood River or the
Willamette Valley Soaring Club. They do a Soaring Safari at the Alvord
Desert every year in July where they specialize in ground launches.
There you might be able to arrange for a lot of training for a very
little cost.

Thanks for the tip!