Sport Pilot upgrading to private in glider
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:41 pm
Apologies if this isn't the right place to ask, but I remember some forum members mentioning they are glider pilots/fly gliders. I've been flying as a sport pilot for some time now, and of course the inevitable question of upgrading to private pilot comes up, mostly from other pilots 
. I have taken up an interest in trying out glider flying (found a club near me), as many have described it to me as the most pure and fun kind of flying out there and requires no medical. Now as a sport pilot I could go through two CFIs and get the add on but I keep the sport pilot restrictions, such as no flying above 10,000 feet. I looked at part 61 and with the experience I have now (53 hours), my requirements to get the full private certificate in a glider get reduced, to pretty much to a few hours solo/with a CFI before going for the checkride. Now since I'd be upgrading I'd have to take the written test, but other than that I still have to go through the reduced requirements listed in part 61? Another grey area I found was that for a private pilot glider I don't have to demonstrate knowledge/training in night flight, but there are also no FARs prohibiting glider pilots from flying at night, is this the case? I understand normal gliders wouldn't be equipped to fly at night anyway, but I would hope to get the self launch endorsement and a lot of motor gliders are equipped to fly at night it seems. With going this route I could get my commercial/CFI and end up teaching students which is my end goal anyway, and I'd be a full CFI rather than a Sport CFI.
. I have taken up an interest in trying out glider flying (found a club near me), as many have described it to me as the most pure and fun kind of flying out there and requires no medical. Now as a sport pilot I could go through two CFIs and get the add on but I keep the sport pilot restrictions, such as no flying above 10,000 feet. I looked at part 61 and with the experience I have now (53 hours), my requirements to get the full private certificate in a glider get reduced, to pretty much to a few hours solo/with a CFI before going for the checkride. Now since I'd be upgrading I'd have to take the written test, but other than that I still have to go through the reduced requirements listed in part 61? Another grey area I found was that for a private pilot glider I don't have to demonstrate knowledge/training in night flight, but there are also no FARs prohibiting glider pilots from flying at night, is this the case? I understand normal gliders wouldn't be equipped to fly at night anyway, but I would hope to get the self launch endorsement and a lot of motor gliders are equipped to fly at night it seems. With going this route I could get my commercial/CFI and end up teaching students which is my end goal anyway, and I'd be a full CFI rather than a Sport CFI.