Any Glider pilots here? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Any Glider pilots here?

sid_for_speed

sid_for_speed

Well-known member
Any top gun, glider pilots on this forum? I'm thinking of getting my wings next year. I beleive ground school starts in April '21.

Experiences? thoughts? Any one into aerobatics?
 
I have friends with private pilot licenses and friends that paraglide. Macdoc is the only glider pilot I know of. FWIW, from my experience the powered options cost more but get a lot more use as they can be stored and used much closer to home while the unpowered options have very few locations where they can get into the sky and a smaller weather envelope. The paraglider only gets used a time or two a year while on trips to cool launch locations, the powered plane gets used multiple times a week (like going for a quick ride to clear your head).
 
I used to fly in gliders when I was a lot younger in the UK. I’ve flown a few different types always with a pilot though. You have to remember that if you’re towed or they use the winch line and you’re unpowered flights can be as short as a few minutes if you don’t catch a thermal. I’ve also flown a kind of cheater glider that has a small engine for take off and that was a lot more versatile, could also do aerobatics in that one too. I have to say though that there’s nothing like an hour or so long flight in an open cockpit glider, it’s the very definition of peaceful. I don’t know if I’d bother getting my wings though. Nearest place for me is Hawkesbury 2h+ away and you can’t really plan on using it as a viable means of transportation.
 
Wife's old boss was one. Took all his vp's, directors and managers up for a team building exercise. I don't think he passed the idea through corporate. She really enjoyed it.
 
They need to come up with an electric assist motor and a folding prop :| Sounds like a great sport for lottery winners.
 
Trials said:
They need to come up with an electric assist motor and a folding prop :| Sounds like a great sport for lottery winners.
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I beleive they already have one! over 100K euros though
 
GreyGhost said:
I have friends with private pilot licenses and friends that paraglide. Macdoc is the only glider pilot I know of. FWIW, from my experience the powered options cost more but get a lot more use as they can be stored and used much closer to home while the unpowered options have very few locations where they can get into the sky and a smaller weather envelope. The paraglider only gets used a time or two a year while on trips to cool launch locations, the powered plane gets used multiple times a week (like going for a quick ride to clear your head).
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I'd love to get my PPL but I'm not sure about renting aircrafts, if there are any to begin with...

Gliding is a cheaper option and there's flying schools not far from GTA that allow rentals at affordable rates, provided you join their clubs for a nominal fee
 
sid_for_speed said:
I'd love to get my PPL but I'm not sure about renting aircrafts, if there are any to begin with...

Gliding is a cheaper option and there's flying schools not far from GTA that allow rentals at affordable rates, provided you join their clubs for a nominal fee
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I don't think renting planes is an issue (especially at airports with flight schools). Hourly rate for a powered plane is probably substantially higher than for a glider. If you want to make yourself feel better about saving money, look at helicopter rates and you realize that planes are almost free in comparison.
 
My brother is a member at Toronto Soaring. Its just west of Shelburne. His in laws have a place in Kincardine so he will go spend an afternoon there.

When he told me the prices I thought they were actually very reasonable. You can rent a glider for around $0.60 a minute so you could be up there for an hour for around $30, and another $30 for the tow.

Never been up but would love to sit in one day.
 
GreyGhost said:
I don't think renting planes is an issue (especially at airports with flight schools). Hourly rate for a powered plane is probably substantially higher than for a glider. If you want to make yourself feel better about saving money, look at helicopter rates and you realize that planes are almost free in comparison.
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Renting is easy. Lots of people rent out their planes to offset the costs. Buddy has his license and we went up in an old Piper Cub he rented. Cost about $200 in fuel for 3-4 hours. He now has his aerobatic rental that he uses but I haven’t been up in that.

Cousin has his heli license in Australia....there is no such word as cheap or efficient when it comes to helicopters.
 
mimico_polak said:
Renting is easy. Lots of people rent out their planes to offset the costs. Buddy has his license and we went up in an old Piper Cub he rented. Cost about $200 in fuel for 3-4 hours. He now has his aerobatic rental that he uses but I haven’t been up in that.

Cousin has his heli license in Australia....there is no such word as cheap or efficient when it comes to helicopters.
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For a private person renting their plane, typical insurance wording is cost recovery only (fuel + maintenance). If you are charging enough that it could be considered making money or a business your insurance is void. Obviously commercial plane insurance does not have these limitations (but costs more up front). My buddy figures his plane is ~125/hr to fly (fuel+maintenance).

Aerobatic flying would be a riot, but at the same time, there is a high likelihood that you end up as a greasy spot. By definition, you are pushing the limits of the plane and pilot.
 
GreyGhost said:
For a private person renting their plane, typical insurance wording is cost recovery only (fuel + maintenance). If you are charging enough that it could be considered making money or a business your insurance is void. Obviously commercial plane insurance does not have these limitations (but costs more up front). My buddy figures his plane is ~125/hr to fly (fuel+maintenance).

Aerobatic flying would be a riot, but at the same time, there is a high likelihood that you end up as a greasy spot. By definition, you are pushing the limits of the plane and pilot.
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I've done aerobatics in a plane piloted by an active RAF fighter pilot and also piloted by an ex RAF fighter pilot. It is a riot but there’s one big issue...every amusement park ride you ever go on will be boring afterwards.

The ex fighter pilot was obsessed will pulling as many G as he could in loop the loops. It was pretty amazing.
 
jc100 said:
...every amusement park ride you ever go on will be boring afterwards.
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They already are, that is exactly my problem. Halladay was probably having tons of fun playing with his new toy right up until the second he wasn't and it was lights out.
 
GreyGhost said:
I don't think renting planes is an issue (especially at airports with flight schools). Hourly rate for a powered plane is probably substantially higher than for a glider. If you want to make yourself feel better about saving money, look at helicopter rates and you realize that planes are almost free in comparison.
Click to expand...

Renting isn't difficult but going anywhere in a rental can be problematic with a club. They expect a reasonable number of hours per days so you can't fly to Peterborough from Brampton, visit friends for a weekend and return without paying for a lot of down time.

If the weather in Peterborough changes to IFR and you can't fly back you're still on the hook. If the IFR continues long enough you may have to pay an IFR pilot to return the plane if it is IFR equipped. You take a bus home. It makes for an expensive weekend.

Renting from a private owner would be like renting someone's motorcycle. Too personal for me.

Sometimes people form an ownership group where 4-5 people share in the purchase and pay a cost per hour to run the operation. Most private pilot's fly less that 50 hours per year and take 40 years to time out an engine. Sometimes the group works and sometimes it doesn't.

A friend was in one and IIRC each of the six put up $20,000 to buy a plane. Someone blew the engine and some accepted it as a shared expense ($30,000) but others didn't. The guy flying it at the time walked away.

Having your own is the best but southern Ontario isn't that great for destinations. Where are you going to fly to other than another remote airport for lunch? Ground transportation from most rural airports isn't great.

I enjoyed having my Cherokee for the accomplishment but the motorcycle was more fun.

I've always wanted to try a glider but it's on the bucket list, near the bottom.
 
nobbie48 said:
Renting isn't difficult but going anywhere in a rental can be problematic with a club. They expect a reasonable number of hours per days so you can't fly to Peterborough from Brampton, visit friends for a weekend and return without paying for a lot of down time.

If the weather in Peterborough changes to IFR and you can't fly back you're still on the hook. If the IFR continues long enough you may have to pay an IFR pilot to return the plane if it is IFR equipped. You take a bus home. It makes for an expensive weekend.

Renting from a private owner would be like renting someone's motorcycle. Too personal for me.

Sometimes people form an ownership group where 4-5 people share in the purchase and pay a cost per hour to run the operation. Most private pilot's fly less that 50 hours per year and take 40 years to time out an engine. Sometimes the group works and sometimes it doesn't.

A friend was in one and IIRC each of the six put up $20,000 to buy a plane. Someone blew the engine and some accepted it as a shared expense ($30,000) but others didn't. The guy flying it at the time walked away.

Having your own is the best but southern Ontario isn't that great for destinations. Where are you going to fly to other than another remote airport for lunch? Ground transportation from most rural airports isn't great.

I enjoyed having my Cherokee for the accomplishment but the motorcycle was more fun.

I've always wanted to try a glider but it's on the bucket list, near the bottom.
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I keep trying to convince my buddy he needs to throw a mini bike in the back of his plane. Transportation issues solved.
 
I flew remote controlled airplanes in my early 20s (30 years ago)...does that count? LOL And I had them doing some pretty cool aerobatics (both intentionally and unintentionally LMAO).

Seriously though, gliders look cool, however, I'd rather get my PPL if I had a choice (alas, I get sick in airplanes, so no go for me) :(
 
nobbie48 said:
Having your own is the best but southern Ontario isn't that great for destinations. Where are you going to fly to other than another remote airport for lunch? Ground transportation from most rural airports isn't great.
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Maybe get a sea plane( I know there's a seperate rating for it) and then try out landing on different lakes? Some areas in Northern Ontario can be accessed very easily by aircraft.
 
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