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My First CC flight

Training,
Books & Videos

Where to start? This page contains just a small amount of the vast information available to you. If you are a new student pilot or have been flying for many years, the internet will help you find what you are looking for.

As you begin your training you will be referred to a number of books, there are many out there. Start your library and read as much as you can.

 

Books, Manuals, Checklists, Patterns & Operating Procedures

FAA Glider Flying Handbook   Great place to start. Free on-line edition. Around $22 to purchase a hard copy. SSV has them. Or you can buy it at Tom Knauff’s website.
The Glider Flying Handbook will not teach you how to fly a glider. It is all theory and most of the info you will need to pass the FAA written test.

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge     

FAA Federal Aviation Regulations

On line sectional charts and airport lookup.  Airspace guide from AOPA

The best places to buy books are:
Bob Wander's Soaring Books and Supplies & Knauff & Grove Online Store

At SMQ we teach using Tom Knauff’s books Glider Basics, After Solo & Transition To Gliders

Study guide for written test: ASA test prep series.  And Bob Wander’s book
Private Pilot Glider Checkride… made easy!

If you are serious about learning to fly gliders you should join the Soaring Society of America and during your training, follow the ABC Badge Program. 

Soaring Safety Foundation    Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)

FAA Glider Practical Test Standards — Private, Commercial, Instructor

Glider Manuals —  2-33, 1-23, 1-26    2-33 & 1-26 Performance Curves

SMQ Standard Operating Procedures     Emergency Landing Fields    Patterns   Rope Break
RW08 Landing Safety Procedures

SMQ Landing Pattern animations on Google Earth. You must have Google Earth loaded on your computer for this to work. It’s a free download.    READ ME FIRST      Pattern RW26    Pattern RW08

SSA Standard Signals

Preflight Inspection Checklist  2-33, 2-22, 1-23, 1-26, Pilatus B4

Online Video Training of 2-33 Glider Preflight Inspection   Short Version

Pre Takeoff & Landing Checklist

2-33 Weight & Balance Calculator in Excel format.

Gliding distance around SMQ. Assume a loss of 400’ per nautical mile (6000’).
To arrive at the IP at 1000’ you need to be at least 400’ higher at 1 nm out,
800’ higher at 2nm out and so on. See the “My First CC Flight” page for all the
details of how to figure this out.

Why should you use a Checklist? Read this.

What is The Yaw String? And why do we have one on the glider.

What are the FAA requirements to solo a glider? Solo requirements for student pilots

Cockpit video of Takeoff, Box The Wake & Landing on SMQ RW26.
Requires Real Player. Free download.

Who’s the Boss? Things to do and think about just before take-off.
Who’s on first? What to do when two gliders enter the landing pattern at the same time.

SMQ glider pilots must contend with a very busy airspace. We are just outside the 20 mile ring around EWR and small jet traffic passes near SMQ between 3500’ and 5000’ on the way to Morristown and Teterboro airports. This is the navigation route they fly by. Watch to the SW for them coming. They are most likely not looking out for you. Also read the letter the FAA send to the SSA regarding a midair collision between a small jet and a glider in Nevada. The use of transponders will be in our future.

All SMQ pilots are required to complete the Wing Runners Training Course.

Jim Burch is a glider pilot examiner in Arizona and has put together a great website showing the top ten reasons why students fail a practical flight test.  His website has great information on it. The main links are below. http://www.jdburch.com/  Also don’t miss the online CD he created.

Landing, Performance Airspeeds, Collision Avoidance, Aerotow, Systems & Boxing the Wake

Landing

Boxing the Wake

Correct view of a simple turn

Incorrect view of a simple turn