Internal · Instructor Use Only
Private Pilot Glider, Oral Prep
Questions to ask the candidate, with bullet answers and source citations. Companion to the FAA-S-8081-22A (November 2023) Practical Test Standards.
PTS Reference
FAA-S-8081-22A, Private Pilot Glider
Areas of Operation I to XI
Areas of Operation I to XI
Miami Gliders
Homestead General Aviation Airport (X51)
How to use
Each Area of Operation and Task mirrors the Private Pilot Glider PTS. Under each Task is a question bank a DPE is likely to draw from, with bullet-form model answers and a short source citation.
Source abbreviations
- GFH, Glider Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13B)
- PHAK, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C)
- WBH, Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook (FAA-H-8083-1B)
- AWH, Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B)
- AIM, Aeronautical Information Manual
- 14 CFR §, Federal Aviation Regulations
- 49 CFR 830, NTSB notification rules
- AC, FAA Advisory Circulars
- GFM, Glider Flight Manual
I.Preflight Preparation
Refs: 14 CFR parts 43, 61, 91; GFH; PHAK; AIM; GFM.
A.Certificates and Documents
What documents must you carry as PIC of a glider?
- Pilot certificate
- Photo ID (driver's license or government ID)
- Glider PIC does not require a medical, but you self-certify fitness each flight
What documents must be on board the glider?
- A, Airworthiness certificate
- R, Registration
- O, Operating limitations (flight manual, placards, instrument markings, §91.9)
- W, Weight and balance data
What inspections does a glider need?
- Annual inspection, every 12 calendar months
- 100-hour inspection, only if used for hire / instruction for compensation
- Transponder check, 24 calendar months if installed and used
- Most VFR gliders skip altimeter / pitot-static checks (those are IFR-only items)
What are the recent-experience requirements to carry passengers?
- 3 takeoffs and 3 landings within preceding 90 days, in the same category and class
- For glider: 3 launches and 3 landings in a glider
- If carrying passengers at night (motor gliders): 3 takeoffs AND 3 landings to a full stop, at night, within the preceding 90 days, in the same category and class
- Flight review every 24 calendar months, without it, no PIC at all
What endorsements do you need for each launch method?
- §61.31(j): one-time ground and flight training in each launch method, plus an instructor endorsement for that method
- Separate endorsement per method: aerotow, ground tow (auto or winch), self-launch
- The glider rating alone does not authorize a launch method you were never trained and endorsed in
What are your privileges and limitations as a private pilot?
- May act as PIC carrying passengers, but not for compensation or hire
- May share operating expenses with passengers, paying at least a pro-rata share (fuel, oil, airport expenditures, rental)
- Narrow exceptions exist (for example, charitable events under §91.146)
What flight time are you required to log?
- Only the training and aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate, rating, flight review, or recent flight experience (currency)
- Endorsements (launch methods, solo, flight review) live in the logbook, so keep it current and bring it to the checkride
- Practical habit: log every glider flight with date, glider type, launch method, and pilot role
Airworthiness requirements: the PTS examines these as part of Task I.A (maintenance requirements, records, and ADs), so the next three questions stay in this task.
How do you determine the glider is airworthy before flight?
- All required documents on board (AROW)
- All required inspections current (annual, transponder if applicable)
- No ADs overdue; AD compliance documented
- Preflight inspection reveals no unairworthy items (broken or missing required equipment, structural or control rigging issues, fluid or fabric damage)
- PIC determines the glider is in condition for safe flight before each flight, §91.7(b)
Who is responsible for an aircraft's airworthiness?
- Owner / operator: keeping aircraft airworthy (§91.403)
What's an Airworthiness Directive (AD)?
- Mandatory FAA notice of an unsafe condition with required corrective action
- Compliance is required by the deadline stated in the AD
- Owner / operator must record AD compliance in the maintenance records
- Pilot should know which ADs apply to the airplane being flown
B.Weather Information
What weather products would you check before a glider flight?
- METAR / TAF, current and forecast at home airport and along route
- Surface analysis / prog charts for the big picture
- Soaring forecast, thermal index, lapse rate, lift altitude
- AIRMET / SIGMET / Convective SIGMET, turbulence, IFR, thunderstorms
- NOTAMs, TFRs and airport status
- PIREPs, what's actually being seen aloft
What is a thermal and how does it form?
- A column of warm rising air
- Sun heats ground unevenly, dark fields, parking lots, rocks heat faster than grass / water
- Heated surface warms the air above; that air becomes less dense and rises
- Thermal rises until it reaches air of equal temperature, often topped by cumulus cloud
What does instability mean, and how do you tell the atmosphere is unstable?
- Unstable: a parcel of lifted air keeps rising on its own (good for thermals)
- Stable: a parcel of lifted air sinks back to its original level
- Indicators of instability: cumulus clouds, gusty winds, good visibility, showers / thunderstorms
- Indicators of stability: stratus clouds, smooth air, poor visibility, fog or steady rain
What are the basic VFR weather minimums for a glider in Class E below 10,000 MSL?
- 3 statute miles visibility
- 500 ft below clouds, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal
- Above 10,000 MSL: 5 SM, 1,000 / 1,000 / 1 SM
C.Operation of Systems
How does the airspeed indicator work?
- Compares ram air pressure (pitot tube) to ambient static pressure
- Shows dynamic pressure, calibrated to airspeed
- Color bands: green arc = normal, yellow = caution (smooth air only), red line = VNE (Never Exceed Speed)
- Blocked pitot reads like an altimeter; blocked static reads inversely with altitude
What does the variometer tell you, and what is total energy?
- Vario shows rate of climb / descent, like a sensitive VSI
- Standard vario reads any altitude change, including pitch-up energy trades (false positive)
- Total-energy (TE) vario subtracts the airspeed-change component → shows true air mass motion
- Glider pilots rely on TE vario to find lift, not just respond to control inputs
What does the yaw string tell you and how do you read it?
- Indicates yaw / sideslip; primary coordination instrument in a glider
- The tail of the string deflects toward the side you must NOT press; step on the rudder pedal opposite the tail
- "Step on the head of the snake": tail left = right rudder, tail right = left rudder
- Centered string = coordinated flight, minimum drag
When is a transponder required for glider operations?
- Class A, B, C airspace require a transponder
- Within 30 nm of a Class B primary airport (Mode C veil): the exception covers balloons, gliders, and aircraft never certificated with an engine-driven electrical system, operating outside Class A/B/C and below the lower of the Class B/C ceiling or 10,000 ft MSL (§91.215(b)(3))
- At and above 10,000 ft MSL: same exception list of balloons, gliders, and aircraft never certificated with an engine-driven electrical system (§91.215(b)(5))
- If installed, must be on and operating in Mode C / S
- ADS-B Out (§91.225) tracks the same airspace as the transponder rule, with the same carve-out: balloons, gliders, and aircraft without an engine-driven electrical system, operating outside Class A/B/C and below the lower of the Class B/C ceiling or 10,000 ft MSL (§91.225(e)). If ADS-B is installed, it must transmit at all times (§91.225(f))
- Self-launch gliders with an engine-driven electrical system: the conservative reading is that the relief does not apply, so confirm before relying on it
D.Performance and Limitations
What are the V-speeds for the glider you're flying today?
- For Blanik L-23: VS (Stall Speed) 32, Vg (Best Glide / Best L/D, per GFM) 48 dual / 43 solo, Vmin sink (Minimum Sink Airspeed, per GFM) 42 / 38, Vt (Max Aerotow Speed, per GFM) 81, VA (Maneuvering Speed) 81, VRA (Rough Air Speed) 86, VNE (Never Exceed Speed) 135 (per the TCDS for our S/N 938023; later serials differ)
- Approach speed = Vg + ½ headwind component (~55 kt nominal)
- Adjust upward in gusts
- Candidate should rattle these off without looking
What's density altitude and how does it affect the glider?
- Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature
- Increases on hot, high, humid days → less dense air
- Effect: longer takeoff roll, degraded climb on tow, higher true airspeed at the same indicated
- South Florida summer afternoons: density alt easily 2,500+ ft on the surface
How does load factor change with bank angle in a level turn?
- Load factor = 1 / cos(bank angle)
- 30° → 1.15 G, 45° → 1.41 G, 60° → 2.0 G
- Stall speed increases as √(load factor): VS (Stall Speed) at 60° = ~1.41× normal VS
- Why steep low-altitude turns are dangerous, stall margin shrinks fast
Walk me through a weight and balance for today's flight.
- Empty weight + arm from GFM
- Add pilot(s), parachutes, ballast, each at its arm
- Sum weight and moment; CG = total moment / total weight
- Verify CG within forward / aft limits AND total weight ≤ MTOW
- For Blanik L-23: MTOW 1,124 lb, useful load 440 lb
E.Aeromedical Factors
What is hypoxia and what are the symptoms?
- Oxygen deprivation in the body
- Symptoms: euphoria, slowed reactions, impaired judgment, headache, cyanosis (blue lips/nails), tingling
- Insidious, affected pilot rarely recognizes it themselves
- §91.211 ladder: above 12,500 ft MSL for more than 30 minutes, required flight crew must use supplemental oxygen
- Above 14,000 ft MSL: required flight crew use it the entire time
- Above 15,000 ft MSL: every occupant must be provided it
What's the alcohol rule under §91.17?
- 8 hours from bottle to throttle
- 0.04 BAC limit
- While under the influence, no flight regardless of time elapsed
- Don't fly with any drug that impairs safety
What are common visual illusions on approach?
- Upsloping runway: feels too high → tend to land short
- Downsloping runway: feels too low → tend to overshoot
- Narrow runway: feels high; wide runway: feels low
- Featureless terrain (water, snow): feels higher than you are → undershoot
- Counter with sight picture and aim point, not feel
What is spatial disorientation?
- Confusion about position, attitude, or motion relative to Earth
- Usually happens after losing visual reference, clouds, low light, featureless terrain
- Body's sensors (inner ear, seat-of-pants) lie when the visual horizon is gone
- Trust the horizon and yaw string, not feel
- If you enter cloud VFR, exit immediately on a 180° course reversal
II.Preflight Procedures
Refs: GFH; GFM.
A.Assembly
What's the most important step of a glider assembly?
- Positive control check, one person at the stick, one resisting at each control surface
- Verifies every linkage is correctly connected
- Done after all pins / safeties are installed and inspected
- Never skip, the most common assembly fatality is a missed control connection
What's checked in the assembly sequence?
- Wings + main pins seated and safetied
- Tail surfaces + control connections + safety pins
- Pitot, static, antenna lines connected
- Positive control check
- Tape any gaps if specified by the GFM
B.Ground Handling
What are the rules for moving a glider on the ground in wind?
- Pilot at controls, plus a wing-runner; tail walker for distance moves
- Wing tip never leaves a hand
- Move slowly; never tow with controls unsecured
- Park into the wind whenever possible
- In strong / gusty wind, bring the glider into a hangar or trailer
Why secure the canopy when leaving the glider?
- Canopy can blow open and hinge-fail in a gust
- Plexiglass replacement is months on backorder and several thousand dollars
- Latch + lock + cover when parked outside
C.Preflight Inspection
Why use the GFM checklist for preflight rather than going from memory?
- Memory is unreliable, especially after distractions
- Checklist enforces a consistent flow
- If interrupted, restart that section of the checklist from the top
- Same checklist every flight, first one and ten thousand
What would you check on the tow rope and weak link?
- Adequate length, about 200 ft minimum per GFH; our operation's standard length is an SOP item, not a regulation. Strength is the regulatory item (§91.309)
- §91.309: towline breaking strength between 80% and 200% of the glider's maximum certificated operating weight
- A stronger rope is legal only with safety links at both ends: glider end 80 to 200% of glider max weight; towplane end stronger than the glider end but not more than 25% greater, and not more than twice the glider max weight
- No fraying, kinks, abrasion, sun damage
- Splices and rings undamaged
- Weak link strength matches GFM spec, too strong damages the glider, too weak fails routinely
- Both ends serviceable; correct hitch type
Found a small dent on the leading edge during preflight. Now what?
- Don't fly until evaluated, leading-edge damage can change stall behavior
- Document with photos; ask an A&P or knowledgeable mechanic
- If in doubt, ground it
D.Flight Deck Management
What's a proper passenger briefing?
- Seat belt and harness operation
- Canopy operation, locking, jettison if equipped
- Don't touch, point out anything they shouldn't move
- Bailout procedure if parachute equipped
- Communication during flight, motion sickness signals
Why secure all loose items in the cockpit?
- Negative-G or steep maneuvers throw loose items into controls or against the canopy
- A pencil under a rudder pedal at 200 AGL is a real emergency
- Nothing rides in the lap or on the seat unsecured
E.Visual Signals
What are the standard pre-launch signals?
- Hold, arms straight out at the sides, held steady
- Raise wingtip to level position, its own signal, given by the pilot
- Take up slack, arm swung slowly side to side through an arc
- Begin takeoff, rapid arm circles
- Stop, arms waved
- Emergency: release or cut towline NOW, arm drawn across the throat (distinct from the routine stop)
Who waggles the rudder, and what do the in-flight towplane signals mean?
- On the ground, the glider waggles its rudder: the glider pilot's ready-for-takeoff signal
- In flight, towplane fans its rudder (even just after takeoff): something is wrong with the glider, check it and close / lock your airbrakes or spoilers
- In flight, towplane rocks its wings: release immediately (towplane emergency)
- Never confuse the two; brief signals on the ground, never invent them in the air
III.Airport and Gliderport Operations
Refs: AIM; AC 90-66; GFH.
A.Radio Communications
What position calls do you make at a non-towered airport?
- 10 mi out: airport, callsign, position, intent
- Entering pattern: "Homestead traffic, glider [callsign], joining 45 to left downwind 09, Homestead"
- Position calls on downwind, base, final
- Clearing the runway: "Clear of runway 09"
- Airport name first AND last on every transmission
What are the ATC light signals you'd see from a tower?
- Steady green, air: cleared to land; ground: cleared for takeoff
- Flashing green, air: return to land; ground: cleared to taxi
- Steady red, air: give way / continue circling; ground: stop
- Flashing red, airport unsafe / taxi clear of runway
- Flashing white, return to start point on ground
- Alternating red / green, extreme caution
Radio fails on tow. What's your procedure?
- Use pre-briefed visual signals with the towplane
- Release at planned altitude over a safe area if signals don't work
- At a towered airport, use light gun signals after release
- Lost-comm procedures briefed every flight, not assumed
B.Traffic Patterns
What's a standard glider pattern?
- 45° entry to downwind at ~1,000 ft AGL
- Glider patterns are flown closer-in than power patterns (finite glide range)
- "Initial point" or "IP" abeam touchdown on downwind = energy budget reference
- No go-around once committed; airspeed margin all the way to roundout
Approach airspeed, how do you set it?
- Best L/D + ½ headwind component
- Add for gust factor (typically ½ the gust amount)
- Pitch attitude controls airspeed; spoilers control glide path
- Never bleed below stall margin to make a precise touchdown
Why is the base-to-final turn the most dangerous part of the pattern?
- Low altitude + slow airspeed + bank → narrow stall margin
- An overshooting student tends to steepen the turn and pull → accelerated stall + spin
- PTS: bank not to exceed 45° when turning final (task III.B.8); our technique target is 30° or less
- Plan the base turn so a steep correction is never needed
- If you overshoot, accept long landing, go-around is not an option
C.Airport, Runway, and Taxiway Signs, Markings, and Lighting
What's the runway holding-position marking?
- Yellow ladder pattern, 4 lines, 2 solid + 2 dashed
- Cross only with proper communication / clearance
- Solid side faces the holding aircraft, dashed side faces the runway
Identify these runway lights: white, yellow, red.
- White, runway edge lights
- Yellow, instrument runways: edge lights turn yellow on the last 2,000 ft or half the runway length, whichever is less (caution zone)
- Red, end of runway from departure side; threshold green from approach side
X51 specifics: Runway 09/27 grass surface, no PAPI, no painted markings. Aim point judged by sight picture and windsock. Brief students on the visual cues that are there before launch.
IV.Launches and Landings
Refs: GFH; GFM. The evaluator selects the kind of launch based on your qualifications; expect every task in that launch group, plus all three landing tasks (downwind may be evaluated orally; the both-releases-fail scenario is oral only).
Aero Tow
A.Before Takeoff Check (Aero Tow)
Walk me through the before-takeoff check.
- CBSIFTCBE or similar GFM checklist
- Controls free + correct, Ballast within limits, Straps tight, Instruments set + altimeter, Flaps set, Trim set, Canopies closed + locked, (air) Brakes cycled + locked, Emergency plan briefed
- Plus launch-specific: hitch type, rope inspection, signals brief
- Verify controls full travel + correct sense, traffic clear
What should the pilot and tow pilot agree on before launch?
- Tow speed (e.g., 65 kt for Blanik)
- Release altitude
- Tow direction and pattern
- Wind / runway in use
- Emergency actions (X51 local brief): rope break below 200 ft AGL, between 200 and 500 ft, above 500 ft; tow plane power loss; release failure
- Signals: rudder waggle (check glider / close airbrakes), wing rock (release now)
B.Normal and Crosswind Takeoff
Walk me through a normal aero tow takeoff.
- Wings level, stick neutral, rudder ready
- "Take up slack" → "Hookup" → "Begin takeoff" signals
- Glider lifts off first, hold low position just above the runway
- Wait for the towplane, don't climb away alone
- Once towplane is airborne, transition to high tow position
What's the crosswind takeoff technique?
- Aileron into the wind to keep upwind wing down
- Rudder to maintain alignment with the runway
- Stay directly behind the towplane even if upwind of centerline
- Minimize sideload on the gear and the towline
C.Maintaining Tow Positions
What's the difference between high tow and low tow?
- High tow, glider above towplane wake; standard US position
- Low tow, glider below the wake; lower drag, smoother in turb
- Wake is between, never sit in it
What's the sight picture for correct high tow?
- Towplane wheels just above the horizon
- Towplane centered in your canopy view
- Towline trails slightly upward at the towplane end
D.Slack Line
What causes a slack line and how do you correct it?
- Cause: glider closes on towplane faster than the towplane pulls
- Common: towplane reduces power, glider exits a thermal, glider banks inside towplane's turn
- Correction: yaw away from the slack with rudder; small smooth spoiler input
- Don't dive, that loads the rope when it tightens
- If correction would overstress the rope or weak link: release
E.Boxing the Wake
What is boxing the wake and what does it demonstrate?
- Flying a rectangular, box-like pattern around the towplane's wake while on tow
- Demonstrates positive, coordinated control of the glider in every position around the wake
- Signal intent to the tow pilot before takeoff; perform outside the traffic pattern and no lower than 1,000 ft AGL
Walk me through the maneuver.
- From high tow, descend through the wake to center low tow (this also signals the tow pilot the maneuver is starting)
- Move to a lower corner and hold it momentarily, then climb the side of the box with the wings near level, keeping constant lateral distance from the wake
- Hold each corner momentarily; fly the top and bottom legs slightly outside the wake
- Return to center low tow, then climb back through the wake to high tow to complete it
- Smooth, coordinated inputs throughout; no abrupt position changes
F.Tow Release
Walk me through a normal release.
- Towline at normal tension, no slack
- Clear the area visually
- Pull the release, glider rises slightly as drag drops
- Glider turns right, towplane left (standard US, or pre-briefed)
- Confirm the rope is gone, look at the nose ring
- Trim for desired airspeed
When would you release immediately, even if not at altitude?
- Towplane rocks its wings: release immediately, the towplane has an emergency (do NOT confuse with rudder waggle, which means check / close your airbrakes)
- Inadvertent spoiler / dive brake deployment you can't close
- Towline malfunction or visible damage
- Towplane in trouble (smoke, abnormal flight path)
G.Abnormal Occurrences (Aero Tow)
Rope break at 100 AGL on takeoff. Action?
- Land straight ahead on remaining runway or clear area within 30° of nose
- Do NOT attempt 180° turn back, insufficient altitude, low airspeed, stall-spin risk
- Lower the nose to best L/D; manage energy to ground
- X51 rule: below 200 AGL, straight ahead, period
Rope break at 300 AGL?
- GFH bands: below about 200 ft AGL or insufficient runway, land ahead; at or above 200 ft, a course reversal is possible; at or above 800 ft, more options, abbreviated pattern
- At or above 200 AGL, 180° turn back may be possible, if briefed and conditions allow
- Best 180° technique: 45° bank, coordinated; a promptly flown 45° bank reversal costs well under 200 ft, which is why 200 ft AGL is the floor
- Land downwind on the remaining runway
- X51 local brief: above 500 ft AGL we fly an abbreviated pattern
Your release fails but the towplane's works. Procedure?
- Signal "glider cannot release": move out to the LEFT of the towplane and rock your wings (or use the radio)
- Stay on tow; the towplane brings you back and releases its end over the field at a safe altitude
- The rope falls back and below you; still pull your release to improve the odds the rope drops off the glider
Both releases fail. Procedure? (Oral-only scenario.)
- You signal "cannot release" by moving out to the left and rocking your wings (or radio); the towplane signals it cannot release either by repeatedly yawing its tail
- Land ON TOW: glider descends to LOW-TOW position; use spoilers / dive brakes to avoid overtaking the towplane
- Towplane flies a wide pattern with a long, shallow, stabilized final (200 to 300 fpm descent)
- Glider touches down FIRST; do not brake hard until the towplane is down
Ground Tow (Auto / Winch), if applicable
H to I.Before Takeoff & Normal Takeoff (Ground Tow)
How does ground-tow before-takeoff differ from aero tow?
- Verify belly / CG hitch selected (not nose)
- Coordinate tow speed and signals with the auto driver / winch operator
- Cable inspection end to end
- Rotation altitude and abort criteria briefed
- Wind component within glider + winch limits
Climb profile on a winch launch?
- Initial roll: stick neutral, wings level, accept acceleration
- Lift-off at min safe airspeed; no sharp pitch up
- Progressive rotation to the full climb attitude (roughly 30 to 45°, per the GFM), fully established by about 200 ft AGL
- Maintain target airspeed within GFM range
- Top of launch: relax pitch; cable releases or runs out
J.Abnormal Occurrences (Ground Tow)
Cable breaks during steep climb. Action?
- Push immediately to lower the nose, recover from steep pitch
- Establish best glide; do not stall
- Below ~200 ft: land straight ahead
- Higher: abbreviated pattern, downwind landing on remaining runway is normal
Self-Launch, if applicable
K to P.Self-Launch Operations
What's special about a self-launching glider?
- Engine ops per GFM, start sequence, warm-up, climb at VY (Best Rate of Climb)
- Engine-out plan briefed at every 100 ft of climb until safe glide range to runway
- In-flight shutdown: cooling schedule, feather sequence, static-source switching
- Restart altitude floor, below it, commit to landing, don't try to restart
Landings
Q.Normal and Crosswind Landing
What's the standard glider approach airspeed?
- Best L/D + ½ headwind component
- Add for gusts
- For Blanik L-23: ~55 kt nominal in still air
- Trade airspeed margin for spoiler authority, never bleed below stall margin
Crosswind landing technique?
- Wing-low (sideslip from final), common in gliders, hold upwind aileron and opposite rudder all the way down so the longitudinal axis stays aligned with the runway
- Alternative: crab and kick, crab on final, transition to slip just before touchdown
- Touch down on upwind main first
- Roll out with progressively increasing aileron into wind
PTS standard for the landing?
- Recommended approach airspeed +10/-5 kt
- Touchdown smoothly within designated area
- No appreciable drift, longitudinal axis aligned
- Stop within 200 ft of designated point (Private; commercial is 100 ft)
R.Slips to Landing
When would you use a slip and what does it do?
- Forward slip, lose altitude without gaining airspeed; ground track unchanged
- Side slip, for crosswind alignment
- Cross controls, opposite aileron and rudder
- Useful as glider's "extra brake" beyond spoilers, especially on overshooting final
What does a slip do to the airspeed indicator?
- Pitot is no longer aligned with relative wind → reads low
- Don't chase the indication; fly attitude (sight picture)
- Recover from the slip well above flare height; verify airspeed once aligned
S.Downwind Landing
When and why would you land downwind?
- Off-airport landing forced by terrain or wind shift
- Higher groundspeed → significantly longer roll-out
- Indicated airspeed same as headwind landing; airplane "feels fast"
- Resist urge to bleed airspeed, airspeed is the only stall margin
- GFM may have a max tailwind limit (typically 5 to 10 kt)
X51 emphasis: Runway 09/27 grass surface, ~3,300 ft usable. 200 ft AGL rope-break rule, below, land straight ahead; at or above, a 180° turn back may be attempted. Brief on every takeoff. No go-around once committed to the pattern.
V.Performance Airspeeds
Refs: GFH; GFM.
A.Minimum Sink Airspeed
Define minimum sink airspeed.
- The airspeed at which the glider has the lowest rate of descent in still air
- Slower than best L/D, slightly higher sink per mile, but lowest sink per second
- For Blanik L-23: 42 kt dual / 38 kt solo
- Used for: thermalling, staying aloft in weak lift, holding over a known thermal
B.Speed-To-Fly
Define best L/D airspeed.
- The airspeed at which the glider achieves maximum lift-to-drag ratio, flattest glide in still air
- For Blanik L-23: 48 kt dual / 43 kt solo
- Above or below this speed, glide ratio decreases
- Adjust upward in headwind, downward in tailwind
When would you use min sink vs best L/D?
- Min sink, when staying aloft is the goal: thermalling, weak lift
- Best L/D, when covering distance: cruising between thermals, final glide home
- Min sink doesn't change with wind; best L/D does
What is speed-to-fly?
- The airspeed that gives the best achieved glide over the ground for the current sink and wind
- Fly FASTER than best L/D in sink or a headwind; slower in lift or a tailwind
- A MacCready ring or flight computer gives it; without one, work from the polar and rules of thumb
PTS standard for this task?
- Determine the speed-to-fly for the given situation and hold it ±5 kt
- Same ±5 kt standard applies to minimum sink airspeed (task V.A)
VI.Soaring Techniques
Refs: GFH.
A.Thermal Soaring
How do you recognize a thermal in the air?
- Vario shows positive indication; one wing lifts
- Glider yaws toward the lift in some thermal structures
- Birds circling; cumulus cloud forming above; haze dome
- Other gliders already circling: join in the same direction, entering tangentially without interfering, never directly above or below them
Initial entry technique once you find lift?
- Slow to thermal speed (just above min sink)
- Bank into the lifting wing, usually 30 to 45° initially
- Roll out briefly to feel for the strongest core; re-bank into it
- Adjust bank to stay in the strongest part
If two gliders are thermalling, what direction does the second join in?
- The first glider in the thermal sets the direction; every joining glider circles the same way
- Enter tangentially, bleeding off speed before the thermal, so you never interfere with gliders already established
- Position yourself across the circle from gliders at your height to keep them in sight
- NEVER directly above or below another glider, small climb-rate differences close that gap fast
B.Ridge and Slope Soaring
What conditions produce ridge lift?
- Wind of roughly 10 to 15 kt blowing within about 30 to 40° of perpendicular to a long ridge
- Air forced up the windward face → continuous lift band
- Below crest height, the best lift sits close to the ridge (within a few hundred feet of it)
- Above the crest, the best lift moves farther upwind as you climb
Rule for approaching a ridge?
- Approach at 45°, never head-on
- From the windward (lift) side; never from leeward at low altitude
- Cross only at altitude high enough that the rotor on the lee side won't slam you down
- Plan turn-around well before reaching the ridge
C.Wave Soaring
How does mountain wave form?
- Wind of at least 15 to 20 kt at mountaintop level, increasing with altitude, within about 30° of perpendicular to the ridge
- A stable layer near the crest → wind oscillates downstream of the ridge
- Wave crests visible as lenticular cloud caps
- Lift on upwind side of crest; sink on downwind; rotor turbulence below
What's the difference between wave lift and rotor?
- Wave, smooth, steady, often very strong (1,000+ fpm); above the rotor zone
- Rotor, violent turbulence in a roller cylinder downwind; can break a glider
- Entry into wave goes through rotor, minimize time at VA (Maneuvering Speed)
- Above 18,000 MSL = Class A. Entry for gliders is by ATC authorization under §91.135(d), normally a standing wave-window Letter of Agreement with the ARTCC, activated by request before climbing
VII.Performance Maneuvers
Refs: GFH.
A.Straight Glides
What does the straight glides task ask of you?
- Track toward a prominent landmark at a specified airspeed; pitch attitude controls the airspeed
- Demonstrate the effect of flaps, spoilers, or dive brakes on pitch attitude and airspeed, if equipped
- Standard: hold the specified heading ±10° and the specified airspeed ±10 kt
B.Turns to Headings
What's the standard for turns to headings?
- Enter and hold an appropriate rate of turn with smooth, coordinated control
- Standard: airspeed ±10 kt, roll out within 10° of the specified heading
- Lead the rollout by roughly half the bank angle
C.Steep Turns
PTS standard for a Private Pilot steep turn?
- Bank 45° ±5°; turn extent is at the evaluator's discretion
- Airspeed ±10 kt
- Rollout within 10° of the desired heading
- Coordinated; no stall
What's overbanking tendency?
- In steep turns, the outside wing travels faster, generates more lift → bank wants to steepen further
- Counter with slight opposite aileron (out of the turn) to maintain bank angle
- Common error: pilot continues into turn → bank steepens past PTS limit, stall margin shrinks fast
VIII.Navigation
Refs: PHAK; AIM. Oral evaluation.
A.Flight Preparation and Planning
What's the difference between pilotage and dead reckoning?
- Pilotage, navigation by reference to ground features
- Dead reckoning, computed track from heading, airspeed, time, wind
- Cross-country gliding combines both, plus moving-map GPS as a check
Walk me through your cross-country flight profile.
- Current charts; plot the course with prominent checkpoints
- Minimum altitudes at go-ahead points: at each one, enough height to continue or to reach a landable field
- Glide calculator or computer set with an arrival reserve of about 1,500 ft
- Lift strategy between climbs: where the next lift should be and the speed-to-fly to get there
- Landable areas identified along the whole track, not just at the ends
- ATC coordination if the route touches airspace that requires it
How would you select an off-airport landing area cross-country?
- Size, at least 1,000 ft of usable length plus margin
- Surface, smooth, firm; avoid plowed, recently planted, high crops
- Slope, uphill if possible; never downhill in tailwind
- Surroundings, clear approach corridor; avoid wires, fences, trees
- Stock / structures, livestock, irrigation pivots, posts
- Surface wind, landing into the headwind direction
B.National Airspace System
List the airspace classes and the basic operating requirement of each.
- A, 18,000 MSL up to FL600. IFR only. ATC authorization required (wave window LOA).
- B, surface or floor up to typically 10,000 MSL around busy airports. Two-way radio + clearance.
- C, surface to 4,000 AGL around medium airports. Two-way radio.
- D, surface to typically 2,500 AGL around towered airports. Two-way radio.
- E, controlled, generally everywhere not A/B/C/D, starting at 700 or 1,200 AGL up to 17,999 MSL
- G, uncontrolled, surface to base of E
Give me the full VFR visibility and cloud-clearance table.
- Class B: 3 SM, clear of clouds
- Class C and D: 3 SM; 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal
- Class E below 10,000 MSL: same as C/D (3 SM; 500/1,000/2,000). At or above 10,000 MSL: 5 SM; 1,000/1,000/1 SM
- Class G day, at or below 1,200 AGL: 1 SM, clear of clouds. Night: 3 SM; 500/1,000/2,000
- Class G day, above 1,200 AGL (below 10,000 MSL): 1 SM; 500/1,000/2,000
- At X51: Class G runs only from the surface to 700 ft AGL; Class E begins at 700 ft AGL (magenta vignette, 6.5 NM radius, established 2010). Our 800 to 1,000 ft pattern is therefore IN Class E: 3 SM and 500/1,000/2,000 apply
Right-of-way order, glider, airplane, balloon?
- Balloon, has right-of-way over any other category of aircraft
- Glider, has right-of-way over powered aircraft
- Airship, has right-of-way over other powered aircraft, except an aircraft towing or refueling
- Aircraft towing or refueling other aircraft, has right-of-way over all other powered aircraft
- Aircraft in distress has right-of-way over everyone
IX.Slow Flight and Stalls
Refs: GFH; AC 61-67.
A.Maneuvering at Minimum Control Airspeed
What is "minimum controllable airspeed"?
- An airspeed where any further reduction in airspeed or increase in AOA causes immediate stall
- Used to demonstrate flight characteristics near the stall
- Builds awareness of pre-stall cues
Characteristics of slow flight?
- Mushy controls, large stick movement for small response
- High deck angle, high AOA
- Aileron less effective; rudder more important
- Adverse yaw very pronounced
- Sudden inputs can stall
B.Stall Recognition and Recovery
Indications of an imminent stall?
- Decreasing airspeed
- High pitch attitude
- Mushy / reduced control effectiveness
- Buffet, aerodynamic shake on wing or stabilizer
- Stall warning if equipped
Stall recovery procedure?
- Reduce AOA, push the nose down decisively (not violently)
- Level the wings with coordinated aileron + rudder
- Recover to level flight; do not exceed VNE (Never Exceed Speed)
- Minimum altitude loss is the goal, not zero
- For glider: AOA-reduction is the only tool (no power)
Why is the low base-to-final turn the classic stall-spin scenario?
- Low altitude + slow airspeed + bank = narrow stall margin
- Pilot pulls back to "save" the turn → accelerated stall
- If uncoordinated → spin entry, no altitude to recover
- Plan the base turn so a steep correction is never needed
X.Emergency Operations
Refs: GFH.
A.Simulated Off-Airport Landing
Decision sequence when lift dies away from the field?
- Best L/D speed first, preserves glide range
- Pick the general AREA no lower than 2,000 ft AGL
- Pick the FIELD by 1,500 ft AGL, circle, evaluate, choose
- COMMITTED at 1,000 ft AGL: no more thermalling, no field changes; fly the approach and landing
How do you estimate wind direction without an instrument?
- Smoke from chimneys / fires
- Dust raised by wind
- Cloud movement, especially low ones
- Water surface: the glassy band hugs the upwind shore; wind blows FROM the calm side TOWARD the ripples
- Cattle and horses usually stand tail to wind; birds on the ground face into the wind
- Track yourself across a known feature for drift
B.Emergency Equipment and Survival Gear
What should be carried for cross-country?
- Water, at least 1 quart per person
- Cell phone + portable radio
- PLB or 406 ELT
- First aid kit, signal mirror, whistle
- Climate-appropriate clothing
If parachutes are worn, what does the FAA require?
- Required when intentional maneuvers exceed 60° bank or 30° pitch with passengers
- Pack within 180 days by appropriately rated rigger
- Brief bailout: jettison canopy, release straps, push out, count, pull
Do gliders need an ELT?
- No. §91.207 applies only to airplanes, so gliders are simply outside the rule
- A voluntarily installed ELT should be maintained per the manufacturer (battery dates)
- Portable PLB is good practice for cross-country
When do you have to notify the NTSB?
- Immediate notification to the nearest NTSB office for an accident or any of the listed serious incidents (flight control failure, crew incapacitation, in-flight fire, etc.)
- File Form 6120.1 within 10 days of an accident, or for an incident only when the NTSB requests it
- Accident = death or serious injury, or substantial damage, between boarding with intent to fly and disembarking
XI.Postflight Procedures
Refs: GFH; GFM.
A.After-Landing and Securing
What's the procedure after touchdown?
- Maintain directional control; aileron progressively into wind
- Apply wheel brake smoothly to stop at designated point
- Clear the runway / landing area as soon as practical
- For self-launch: shut down engine per GFM cooling schedule
What's the post-flight inspection looking for?
- Damage from the flight: dings, dents, bug strikes, control freedom
- Hard-landing indicators: cracked skin near gear, deformed gear strut
- Loose / popped fasteners
- Tire condition; brake function
- Note anything for the next pilot
Securing for parking outside overnight?
- Tie-down all three points (wings + tail), facing into prevailing wind
- Lock control surfaces (control lock or gust lock)
- Cover canopy and pitot
- Chock the wheel
- If thunderstorms forecast, disassemble and store in trailer or hangar