Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What is soaring?

Soaring is the art of sustained flight without a motor. Glider pilots learn to harness the energy in the sky – using solar power, which causes hot air to rise in currents called thermals, and powers the wind that blows across mountain ridges.

2.  I’m already a pilot. Why should every pilot learn to fly gliders?

Any aviation training you get is good training. Expanding your aviation expertise to include any additional category or class will reap benefits.  The best category of aircraft to learn to fly is gliders. Learning to fly without an engine builds confidence.  Glider pilots have to do all the same things that power pilots do, but without an engine. Air sense, the ability to assess risks, weather interpretation and manipulation, precision landings, off-field landings, situational awareness, coping with emergency situations, crew coordination, and navigation all are enhanced exponentially when learning to fly gliders. If you want to be a better pilot, the best thing you can do is to learn to fly gliders.

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3.  Gliders seem pretty boring…I get a tow to a couple of thousand feet, and then glide back to the airport. Why should I spend my time and money doing that? 

Because that is how we get you through your check ride…for the most part. Training also includes formation flying, premature termination of tow emergencies, slack line recovery emergencies, thermalling, ridge soaring, and precision landings. It is true though that most of your training will be a lot of up and down. However, the world of soaring really opens up once you get your pilot certificate. Glider pilots can fly cross country flights in excess of 600 nautical miles, climb to altitudes in excess of 25,000 feet in mountain wave, participate in races and aerobatic competitions, and occasionally fly in formation with birds of prey. While there is no utility to flying gliders, it is certainly not boring.

4.  Flying around without an engine seems pretty dicey. Is it safe?

Yes. The key to flying anything safely is to fly within the performance limits of the pilot and the aircraft and not to take any unnecessary risks. At the LVVSA, we have a large number of pilots with commercial and military backgrounds and they bring a robust safety culture with them from that environment. We “bake” safety into everything we do, not just sprinkle it on top. Every club member is a critical link in the safety chain. Our motto is: Pursuing Excellence, Ensuring Safety.

We teach our pilots how to fly and return safely under a variety of challenging conditions, all without having an engine. When an airplane pilot loses an engine, that’s a legitimate emergency. When a glider pilot flies without an engine, that is part of the challenge and fun. Our instructors have decades of flying and instructor experience, and we teach our students how to ensure that a safe landing area is within gliding distance, even when flying cross country, taking into account distance to fly, altitude, and winds, among other things. 

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5.  That sounds AWESOME! How do I get started?

First, keep reading the FAQ’s, even if you want to be a tow pilot or instructor. Most of your questions will be answered here. Second, go to the CONTACT US tab on our website and let us know that you want to get started. We’ll set you up with a demo ride and an opportunity to meet some of our members. If you want to join the club, there is a little paperwork to do, club dues to pay, a club orientation briefing, and then you start training. We will tell you how to schedule training with your instructor(s) and lead you through the process of getting your pilot certificate.

6.  What are the requirements for earning a private or commercial glider certificate? 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establishes the requirements for obtaining all pilot certificates under the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). For a private or commercial glider certificated:

• You must be 14 years old to solo in a glider (16 years old to solo in an airplane).

• You must be 16 years old to get a private pilot certificate in a glider (17 years old in an airplane).

• You must have a minimum of 10 hours of flight time, including 20 flights and 2 hours of solo (no instructor on board).

• You must pass a 100-question written exam.

• You will need to demonstrate your knowledge and practical skills and pass a flight exam (check ride) with an FAA examiner.

These are minimum requirements. Don’t expect to earn your certificate in minimum time. There is a lot to learn, even for pilots getting an additional rating, and you must demonstrate consistency in your flying before we recommend you for a check ride. 

For more specific requirements see FAR Part 61.103, 61.105, 61.107(b)(6), 61.109(f) for private pilots or FAR Part 61.123, 61.127(b)(6), 61.129(f) for commercial pilots. They can be found at www.faa.gov.

7.  Do I need an FAA flight physical?

No.

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8.  What is a check ride? Is it difficult? 

An FAA check ride is the final practical exam needed to obtain a pilot’s certificate or rating. It consists of an oral test and a flight test and is administered by a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). The check ride, or “practical exam,” assesses a pilot’s competency to safely operate an aircraft according to FAA standards. This includes knowledge of: aviation rules, flight planning, aircraft systems, and weather as well as flight skills such as takeoffs, landings, and emergency procedures.

Before the check ride, the pilot must have passed the written knowledge test and receive a recommendation from their flight instructor, who will ensure the student is prepared to meet Airman Certification Standards (ACS).

Check ride preparation is more difficult than the check ride, but the check ride is more stressful than the preparation. Our LVVSA instructors are very good, and you will be well prepared to ace your practical exam by the time you take it.  

9.  How old do I have to be to start flying? 

There is no age minimum to begin flight training. You need only be big enough to reach the flight controls and heavy enough such that the glider will be within weight and balance limitations when you fly. However, you cannot solo until you are 14 years old and cannot get your pilot certificate until you are 16 years old. So, the youngest that we recommend beginning flight training is 13 to 13-1/2 years old.  Parents, please take stock of your child’s academic activities, extracurricular activities, personal activities, and family obligations to ensure that they have the time to dedicate to flight training. They will be spending most of their Saturdays at the airport and will need to do 2-3 hours of homework each week.  You may also have to arrange for transportation to and from the airport every week as well. 

10. How much time will it take to get my pilot certificate?

It can take anywhere from 6 – 12 months before you get your pilot certificate. During your training, you will be spending most of your Saturdays at the club flying, helping others fly, helping with aircraft maintenance, etc. There is also a lot of homework: 2-3 hours of reading and study during the week. The 6 – 12 months depends on whether you are starting from scratch or adding on to your current rating, how diligent you are in training, and whether you finish with us or finish elsewhere. The main reason that training with LVVSA takes so long is that we are a club and only operate on weekends, as most members have regular day jobs. Additionally, the student load on the instructors is pretty heavy, and that only allows for each student to have one 3-sortie lesson per week. If student loads are light, lessons can be significantly longer.

For those who want to expedite their training, we recommend that you train with us through your FAA solo requirements, and then go to the Reno area or Phoenix area to finish up. This will get you done faster, but will also cost more money as these locations are commercial operators and therefore charge more money.  There is no flight examiner in Las Vegas, so you will be either going to Reno, Phoenix, or elsewhere for your check ride or paying the Designated Pilot Examiner to come here.

Please take careful stock of your personal and work obligations to determine if you have the time to complete this training. It is not uncommon for students to join the club, spend lots of money, and then quit because they did not understand how much time it takes to learn to fly.

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11. Is it possible to fly during the week?

Yes, but generally no. Since most members have regular jobs, it can be difficult to find an instructor, tow pilot, and/or wing runner during the week. However, flying during the week is not prohibited as long as sufficient crew can be gathered.

12. Club? Dues? How much will training cost?

Yes.  We are a club, not a commercial fixed base operation (FBO). You can check out the current club dues on the Price Sheet button on the Welcome page.  Youth (under 25 years old) dues are reduced. Membership in the Soaring Society of America (SSA) is also required for insurance reasons).

Students usually fly 3 flights per lesson. Each lesson usually runs $150 - $200. This number can be more or less depending on several of factors, such release height, flight time, and the glider flown. Scholarships may be available. Your first payment to the club (dues + first lesson) will be approximately $1,000. You can pay by cash, check, Zelle, or leave money on account and fly it off. Total cost of getting your private glider pilot certificate should be approximately $8,000. To get an add-on rating, it will cost about $5,000. These numbers can be more or less depending on several of factors as well. To put this in context, this is about half as much as it would cost to get an airplane private pilot certificate! 

13. Wow! That is fairly cheap to get a glider pilot certificate. How do you do that?

As a club, we are an all volunteer organization. Tow pilots and wing runners don’t get paid. None of our current instructors get paid. Only occasionally do our mechanics get paid. Our administrative staff does not get paid. We depend on all members to help out. 

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14. I’m a CFI, CFII, MEI, MEII, tail wheel endorsed, high power endorsed, 787 pilot with 132,845 hours and I’d like to get my glider rating knocked out in a weekend. When can I start?

See FAQ #5 and #10.  You will probably finish up in less than 6 months, but student loads and instructor availability will not allow for such an aggressive training schedule for any one individual. In any case, there is a lot to learn even for very experienced pilots. If you want to get your rating quickly, we suggest that you find a commercial operation that has the capacity to meet you scheduling needs. When you do get your rating, please come join us at the LVVSA. See FAQ #16 for more context about time required for training.

15. Are you looking for tow pilots?

Yes, we are always looking for tow pilots who have an interest in soaring. You need to have at least a private pilot certificate, tail wheel endorsement, high power endorsement, 100 hours of PIC time, and be a club member (FAQ #5 & #20).  The LVVSA Board and Chief Pilot have final authorization for any tow pilots and their required glider experience. Tow pilots do not get paid. (FAQ #13)

16. OK, I want to be a tow pilot. How long will it take me to solo in glider?

This question applies to anyone getting an add-on rating, not just those that want to be a tow pilot.  There are three ways to answer this question: how many sorties, how many hours, and how many weeks? Before I answer these questions, I want to address some of the challenges you will have in expediting your progress toward soloing. As stated in FAQ #10, our instructor workload usually only allows for one 3-sortie lesson per week per student. This means that the overall length of time you will spend in training may be longer than you would prefer, but there is not a lot we can do about that. Poor weather, maintenance problems, and personal and work related obligations will extend the overall time in training as well. If you are unable to train consistently, that can extend training time. Please don’t underestimate how dissimilar airplane and glider flying are. There is a lot to learn and turn into muscle memory, and that takes time. Conspiring against you in all this is the negative transfer that happens when your current muscle and sight picture memories that apply to what you fly now are counterproductive in what you will be flying. 

So, what is the overall length of training to solo that you should expect? 6 – 12 weeks. I know that is a lot like the cable guy saying he will be at your house between 8am and 5 pm. I know it’s frustrating, but that is the way it actually is. Length of training depends on things that you can and cannot control, and I don’t want to over promise and under deliver.

How many sorties before you can solo? Probably 16 – 20 sorties before you can solo…minimum. For an airplane guy, that sounds like a lot. However, consider that each lesson will be a combination of high tows (3,000 – 4,000 feet) and pattern tows (200 – 1,000 feet). High tows will usually yield 0.3 hours and pattern tows will yield 0.1 hours. Altogether, your average sortie length will be about 0.2 hours per flight taking into account all sorties.

20 sorties x 0.2 hours/sortie = 4 hours. 4 hours is actually pretty aggressive to solo in an aircraft of a different category. For example, you will have to perform premature termination of tow (PTT) emergency procedures before you solo. We do these at 200 and 500 feet. To demonstrate proficiency and consistency, you will have to perform each of these at least 3 times. 6 of 20 sorties is 30% of total sorties to train to only 2 maneuvers. Additionally, solo ready for a tow pilot candidate is actually a solo+ requirement. We have to cover a couple of other maneuvers that a normal solo student wouldn’t have to, because as a tow pilot you need to know what a novice, experienced, and instructor pilot need, so training you only to a novice level will not suffice. Furthermore, you may find that some required training is outside your comfort zone. If that happens, a couple of extra sorties may be required to reach proficiency. We want to get you through training as quickly as possible, but not at the expense of safety, no matter how many hours of flying experience you bring with you. 

17. Can I tow in order to build flight hours?

Sure, but you will probably not accumulate flight hours quickly. We have a pool of tow pilots that all need to maintain proficiency, and the club only flies on weekends. So, typically tow pilots will only fly once or maybe twice a month and log 2 hours or so per day. It can be less and can be more, but towing is not a good way to accumulate time quickly.

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18. Are you looking for instructors?

Yes, we are always looking for instructors. Currently, none of our instructors require compensation. 

19. I don’t have any special skills and know nothing about aviation, but want to join, learn to fly, and be part of the team. How can I help out?

You are just the person we are looking for! We need wing runners, people to make weak links, organizational and logistical assistance for social and flying events, help with aircraft maintenance, help with facilities maintenance or assistance to the club officers. Once you are a full member, you can be on the Board of Directors, be a safety officer, chief pilot, chief instructor, etc. We can teach you how to do all of these things and they can be very fun and rewarding.  

20. What are the benefits and obligations of being a LVVSA club member?

Benefits are access to club aircraft, free ground (you may be required to pay for some ground training) and flight training, learning about aircraft maintenance from our club A&P’s (Airframe and Powerplant mechanics), being part of an aviation team and tight-knit social organization of like-minded aviation enthusiasts, participating in goal and safety oriented aviation activities, and participating in some of the most challenging and rewarding flying in the world. Plus, you can earn internationally recognized Federation Aeronautique Internationale awards for glider flying achievements, and there are still State, National, and International records to be broken! You will be bringing your skills and passion for aviation to make our, and your, club a better place, getting to know our members, who all have amazing aviation and personal backgrounds, and you might even get to fly in formation with a bird of prey.

We expect club members to participate in flight and support operations and social activities. This is an expectation because camaraderie yields a better, more efficient and more enjoyable organization for everyone. Without member participation, the organization atrophies and dies. Other members help you when you want to fly, and we need your help when we want to fly as well. There is a role for everyone, regardless of background, age, or flying experience. Remember, you don’t have to be a glider pilot to be cool, but if you’re cool, you are probably a glider pilot. 

21.  What sort of flying and social activities do you do?

Aside from normal flying, New Year’s Day family flying event, and Spring banquet, we try to do two auto weekend safaris at Roach dry lake bed each year, one week of cross country flying during our Tonopah safari each year, Christmas party, spot landing competitions, windsock hike, and BBQ’s. Families are always welcome but family members need to be monitored as the flight line can be a dangerous place for those unfamiliar with it. Pets are OK, but must be kept on a leash as the airport environment can be a dangerous place for pets. Coyotes are also sometimes seen nearby and they can be a threat to pets and small children too. Birds of prey can be threats to small pets as well.

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If you would like to join LVVSA or if you have any questions that were not addressed in the FAQs, please go to our CONTACT US page and submit a request.