The purpose of passenger carrying flight should be to introduce someone to the sport of soaring. Pilots should resist any tendency to show off for their passengers. Pilots wishing to carry passengers in gliders must first possess the appropriate qualifications or licence required in the jurisdiction they are flying in and be current in their flying skills. In addition it is recommended that pilots have:
- A minimum of ten (10) hours of pilot-in-command (PIC) time.
- Forty (40) post-solo flights, at least 30 of which must be in the initial two-seat glider they will be using for passenger carrying.
Pilots should feel that they have absolute command over the basics of flying the aircraft and can tolerate some distractions that will occur when flying with passengers. Many training units feel that more experience is necessary. Most gliders have tandem seating so it is also wise for low-time pilots, those with less than 60 solo flights in gliders, to pilot the glider in the front seat. Pilots with more experience than this can transition quickly to flying from the rear seat, with the passenger up front. This is only a reference point from a skill viewpoint. The experience for the passenger is usually better when they are in the front, however many glider operations prefer that the pilot always be in the front.
A good checkout consists of a briefing, an instructional flight, a debriefing session, a series of familiarization flights with other pilots rated for passenger carrying, and finally a checkout flight. The check instructor should ensure that the candidate meets the passenger carrying experience requirements dictated by their training unit and should check that the candidate possesses a valid glider pilot’s licence and is current.
Aside from the flight briefing, the pilot should also be informed of flight operation’s administrative procedures at this point such as the signing of waivers by passengers, flight payment etc. It is strongly recommended that no passengers be flown that are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Aside from the obvious reasons, this is illegal in many jurisdictions, and the pilot-in-command is always held responsible for the safety of the flight.
Pilots should as well be counselled at this time about the pressures that are involved in passenger flying. In particular they should be warned about getting distracted at critical periods. Conversations should be limited in the ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ zones (e.g. takeoff, tow, circuit, landing, thermalling). Pilots should resist the pressures from the passenger (no aerobatics, extended flights) and from themselves (doing foolish things to “give the passenger his money’s worth” etc.).
To maintain orientation to the airport during these flights in the face of distractions, it is a good idea to fly a course, which always has the airfield visible out the side of the cockpit. That is, course lines should be flown that are not directly toward or away from the field but rather parallel to it. This technique will minimize the risk of being too far away from the field to execute a proper circuit if you get distracted.