Add on rating review Williams Soaring

I ended up getting my add on glider rating at Williams Soaring. For all the frustration my local club has caused me, earning the add on was easier than a solo check out with my club (Evergreen Soaring at KAWO), not an exaggeration.

I think it took 12 flights or so before I was ready for the checkride at Williams.

Williams Soaring has their stuff together. Safety conscious, highly experienced instructors, nice gliders! The weather is perfect for training flights, very smooth air year round, lots of VFR days, low stress calm atmosphere. Ability to schedule lots of back to back flights. Their CFIG Charlie Hayes is an excellent instructor, he lets you work at your own pace, really seemed to want to help me achieve the goal. He didn't try to re teach me everything I knew, VERY IMPORTANT. He understood the goal, recognized the areas I needed to work on and focused on those areas. I really like how they work with you to make you a better pilot rather than trying to start from square one and re teach you their way.

The checkride with Rex was low stress. Russell Holtz's book prepared me very well along with studying soundings and the RASP. There were no trick questions on the checkride. Although I was well prepared before I went to Williams, Charlie made sure I was ready for the test. He didn't spell out the test, (although he obviously knew what would be asked) however as most of you are aware a good CFI will know the DPE and their test and make sure the applicant is prepared before they sign them off for the checkride.

The DPE did not seem to have any pet peeves with respect to knowledge areas where he would expect you to be the worlds foremost expert on the subject.
He did ask very detailed questions about vario's, and the RASP. The flight covered the usual stuff. The calm air made it easy to fly better than standards. TIP, Practice slips in the ASK21 at altitude, also practice slack line recovery and spot landings.

Williams Soaring is the place to earn an add on rating if your on the west coast.