instrument rating worth pursuing?

I really liked the suggestion that if you really want to improve your
soaring start looking at purchasing a sailplane. You will fly more
plus it will give you plenty to do in the off season. You would be
surprised how much you can do (legally) to pet and spruce up your own
glider. As already mentioned it doesn't have to be expensive. I flew
my 1st contest at Ephrata in my 1-26.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

I gotta agree with Brian and the others who have posted this comment
about getting your own glider.

I started by getting my PPL (ASEL) before finding out how awesome
soaring is. I took a few flights in 2006 and got my Glider Rating in
early 2007. I have thought many times about getting Instrument-Rated,
but there are two reasons why I don't:

1) It takes money away from my soaring budget! Getting that
Instrument rating is about as expensive as getting your original PPL.
There are a LOT of materials to buy and study, and a lot of practice
in the air to learn all the different types of approaches and systems.

2) I study accident and safety reports a lot (Aviation Safety
Magazine, AvWeb's safety articles, APOA/ASF/EAA articles, etc). It
seems to me that a lot of pilots get into trouble by flying IFR when
they are not prepared for it. Flying through bad weather is not
something you can just casually hop in and do. You need to be
practiced and you need to be current. I decided that I do not have
the budget or the flying schedule that would take me IFR more than a
couple of times a year - and I would likely be "rusty" as a result.
That's no way to be when you're trying to fly in difficult
conditions! Since I can't/won't fly IFR with any regularity, I think
its safer for me personally to not have the license and the temptation
to try, when its not good flying weather.

....As far as glider ownership goes:

It took me almost a year to get in 30 flights (5 different
instructors) with my club, and get my glider rating.
I bought an inexpensive Russia AC-4a in June of this year, and have
LOVED it! I have put in 23 flights in 6 months - and averaged a
little over 2 hours per flight (we have pretty weak conditions in the
Seattle area, and cloudbase this year was rarely higher than 3k-4k
AGL). There are times when the lift is weak and spaced far apart that
I envy the 40:1 ships; but most of the time I can do well in the
glider. It handles like a sports-car, it rigs in about 5 minutes
(almost single-handedly with no rigging gear), and its light enough
that I can easily push it around the field single-handedly.

To give an idea of cost-of-ownership of an inexpensive glider like
this:
I pay about $270/month (on a $14,000 loan - long story, but basically
I put zero down)
Plus $20/month for trailer parking
Plus $800/year for insurance

It seems that people are doing syndicates less and less; but after
owning for 6 months I have to say that even with an aggressive flying
schedule like I had, a 2-person syndicate would likely have worked.
My local club has some mediocre gliders that I could have taken up on
the few days I would have been "bumped" from my Russia by a partner.
If you cut the above dollar-amounts in half it really makes a
compelling argument for private ownership! Its nice to have the
glider you want, with the panel & equipment you want, and to know the
condition of it all. :-)

Good luck!

Take care,

--Noel

On Dec 29, 1:20 am, " wrote:
Hi everyone:
I got my power license two years ago. Shortly after I saw the light
and was converted to gliders. I just passed my glider checkride a
week ago.
Here's my question to you all: to what extent can further training in
power flying, in particular the instrument rating, be of use in glider
flying? My personal goal is to pursue cross-country soaring. Would an
instrument rating broaden my horizons and sharpen my flying, or is it
better to conserve time, energy, and resources for gliders.

To those of you who have instrument ratings - how has the instrument
rating helped with your glider flying? Also, how has power flying
helped with your glider flying?

-Teresa

Teresa,

I firmly believe that you SHOULD pursue the instrument rating.

I had my PPASEL/Inst/Commercial ASEL/Commercial AMEL/Inst before being
lured into soaring.

After adding Commercial Glider (winch and aerotow, in the same day), I
later added ATP MEL.

What's missing? Helichoppers and Airships...but that takes even MORE
money.

My instrument training helped prepare me for what I feel is the most
overlooked aspect of cross country soaring in this thread: PRE-flight
planning. Yes, you can get some of this from VFR cross country flight
(power). You'll have far more opportunity for X-C (power) with an
instrument ticket (especially in WA).

One thing I noticed about all my flying (including aerobatics) after
taking a focused instrument syllabus: ALL of my flying was more
precise. I think my glider flying has become slightly more precise as
a result of adding the ATP after having soared for several years. I
suspect you will benefit from a similar transference of skills to your
soaring.

The instrument check ride is probably the hardest one you'll ever take
(notice, I've taken SIX of them)...well, maybe the ATP will be a
little harder, since it involves much tighter tolerances (+/- 50 ft vs
+/-100 feet on altitude, tighter airspeed and heading tolerances).
Many will tell you that the ATP is just a glorified instrument
checkride -- having them shut down an engine, etc., adds to the fun.
Oh, and FWIW, when I was about where you are in my flying career (20-
something years ago), I also swore I'd never get an ATP rating, let
alone do any work as a commercial pilot.

Bottom line: an instrument rating will make you a better PILOT,
period. Many will debate how much it will help you specifically with
soaring. Perhaps you'll one day use the instrument ticket to get out
of Seattle IFR to a VFR day at Ephrata, to really enjoy many different
types of flying in the same day. I've done that here in "sunny
southern California."

To shore up my soaring credentials, I own a 1-26, and I've flown it to
28,300 feet MSL, with a gain of over 21,000 feet -- and I've flown
diamond goal (300k Out & Return) in it. So I've got silver, gold and
two of the three diamonds in a 1-26 -- and yes, I'm hoping to add a
500k diamond distance flight when time, skill and soaring conditions
permit. I also own a 1948 Globe GC-1B Swift (power, retractable,
taildragger), and I sometimes use that to GET TO the
soaring...sometimes starting IFR.

Some are probably referring to me as the perfect masochist: six check
rides, 1-26 owner/diamond pilot, Swift Taildragger pilot (yeah, I used
to tow gliders...and banners, too).

I applaud your decision to take the instrument ground school. I
implore you to take at least a few hours of IFR FLIGHT training -- see
if it's FUN in some way (even if masochistically). It will make you a
better pilot. More precise. More confident. More comfortable
talking with FSS and ATC.

Lastly: don't EVER go IFR in an aircraft unless you and your aircraft
(glider OR power) are equipped to do so legally, proficiently and
safely. Look at all the power statistics and some of the glider
statistics: A VFR pilot/aircraft proceeding into Instrument
Meteorological Conditions (IMC) is a sure recipe for disaster.
Consider that when one is "sucked into IMC," an Instrument Rated pilot
has a _marginally_ better chance of surviving the encounter than a
pilot without instrument training. It's still not worth the gamble.

Best wishes in ALL your flying endeavors, and a happy new year to you,
too!!!

-Pete
#309