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Proficiency

If you have a suitable two-seat aircraft that will illustrate the differences that the transitioning pilots will encounter, a flight or two should be taken in it to demonstrate these points.

Most operations have a number of different aircraft, which may demand a wide range of pilot skills. As such there is both an art and a science to checking out pilots for both their initial flights in aircraft new to them or re-acquainting them after a significant layoff. Type checkouts are a good opportunity for pilots to benchmark both their basic skills and those particular to a specific aircraft. A good type check requires the pilot to demonstrate good attitudes, skills, knowledge, and habits. The instructor can help promote a good experience by starting with the attitude that this is more of a review than a test. If instructors show that they have good attitudes, skills, knowledge, and habits, the students will gain confidence that they are simply acquiring these from the instructor to be successful. Checkouts should only be performed by instructors who have instructional privileges on the type specified and should include a dual flight in an appropriate aircraft.  Each checkout presupposes that new pilots have:

  1. The minimum Pilot-In-Command time and skill requirements for the aircraft.
  2. Read the operating manual for the aircraft in question.
  3. Performed a Daily Inspection under the supervision of the checkout instructor.
  4. Consulted the current weight and balance information.
  5. Made the proper adjustments ahead of time to be comfortable in the aircraft.
  6. Received instruction on how to handle the glider properly on the ground.

Where any significant differences occur in a progression of aircraft types, it probably is a good idea to acquire some minimum experience on one type before moving on to the next. For most gliders, the progression is usually from high drag to low drag aircraft, with some complication in moving from standard class spans to those of the open class or into motor gliders in general. It is probably wise to acquire both pilot-in-command (PIC) time and a minimum number of launches and landings before progressing from one type to the next. Twenty hours PIC and twenty launches/landings are probably minimum requirements, until the pilot has accumulated 100 hours PIC. At this point a pilot would have flown several different types, and gained enough knowledge to cope with most situations in an unfamiliar aircraft, and can proceed to different types with less intervening flying experience.

These are minimum experience levels and apply principally to local flying. By definition this means staying within direct gliding range of the airfield. When you are new to an aircraft, it is probably not wise to risk an off-airport landing as a low-time pilot (less than 100 hours PIC in gliders).