What you will learn

Beginner Skills (Hang One)

  1. Glider assembly and preflight
  2. Ground handling, ability to evaluate wind speed and direction
  3. Hang check, hook-in check; look, touch and shake method
  4. Proper launch etiquette, assisted and unassisted
  5. Keeps eyes on target; pushes with shoulders; transitions to pulling with hang strap; rotates hands
  6. Relaxed hands and arms, upright body position, effective weight shift corrections
  7. Ability to recognize trim; recognition and transitions of airspeed changes
  8. Unassisted launches; 4 flights- 2 consistent airspeed, straight, on-feet landing; 2-varied airspeed
  9. Moves hands to shoulders (or ears), rounds out, lets to trim, tests for zoom, flares upward to a no step landing.
  10. Post landing pitch down nose control; unhook; clear for traffic
  11. FM radio usage *with helmet/radio purchase
  12. Beginner test material

Novice Skills (Hang Two)

  1. Successful confident aggressive launches in zero wind, and shallow slopes
  2. More effective ground handling and equipment storage in higher winds
  3. Use of knee hanger harness and effective weight shift (no cross controlling) and landing position
  4. Slipping turns to 90° azimuth (no greater bearing)
  5. No-wind on-feet landings, 45° cross-wind landings,
  6. Target landing techniques, 3 spot landings
  7. Verbal analysis of site, conditions, launch and landing technique
  8. Transitions from upright to prone and back without A of A changes.
  9. 30° crosswind launches
  10. Prone flying, parachute packing and usage clinic *with harness purchase
  11. Novice written test material

High Alitude Skills Part One

  1. Predicting weather and risk management clinic *with glider purchase
  2. Developing flight plans
  3. Analyzing specific mountain and tow launch conditions*
  4. Linked 180 turns
  5. Landing set-up and positioning (judging landing zones)
  6. Downwind, base and final and S approaches
  7. Flare/touchdown

High Altitude Skills Part Two

  1. Using your variometer as a flying coach clinic *with variometer purchase
  2. Linked 360 turns
  3. Very fast flight, recognition of PIOs and recovery
  4. Very slow flight, recognition of mushiness and recovery
  5. Stalls and recovery
  6. Crosswind flying
  7. Traffic Rules
  8. Soaring passes
  9. Gradients and ample flying speeds
  10. Spot landing