Matthew said:
What's the trickiest part of getting started in one of those things? I understand that, with experience, you get a better eye for the weather and lift generating conditions, but how about just the basics of handling the aircraft?
I'd say the trickest part is making sure you can make it back to the airport. It's not really that hard. You always plan to be at the pattern entry point at 1000 feet. The farther you are away, the higher you have to be. You're always monitoring you Vertical Speed Indicator so you know if you are climbing or sinking, and at what rate. You also have to know what your glider is capable of. If you're in a glass ship, you lose altitude slowly and climb easier. If you are in a vintage trainer, you lose altitude fast and only climb in a strong thermal. If there are a lot of thermals, you dont' have to worry as much because you can always gain some altitude. But if thermals are sparse or weak, then you have to be more careful about getting too far from the field.
If you are going cross-country, and you can't find thermals, then you get to "land out". It's not a major deal because gliders don't need a lot of room to land and they are designed for easy disassembly and load onto a trailer.
The thing about gliders is that you are always "flying the plane". And when I say flying, I mean elevator, ailerons and rudder. The tow requires intense concentration. When you are thermalling, you are in a pretty good bank, with speed just above stalling. You are always adjusting your pitch, bank and yaw. You're always keeping track of where you are and if you can make it back to the field. And there are usually other gliders about that you have to keep track of. It's not unusual for multiple gliders to be circling in the same thermal. You get used to being a lot closer to other planes than you do flying just power.
In a nutshell, it's flying that requires a lot of thinking always. It's very similiar to sailing, in that it is challenging trying to accomplish something where your only resources are the environment and your knowledge. Then you can get into competition soaring, and compete against the environment AND other people.
What's nice about gliders is that you don't have to worry about losing your engine. You don't have one!
... Bill