About the Book

Each chapter of the Flight Training Manual for Gliders addresses a separate stage of flight, such as takeoff, aerotow, or landing.

Each chapter is divided into lessons that cover a specific task, skill, or maneuver.

Most lessons are explained in four parts; purpose, procedure, common errors, and completion standards. The “purpose” outlines the relevance of the task or skill. The “procedure” describes the task or skill in detail. The list of “common errors” points out the usual pitfalls. The “completion standards” are the performance criterion that must be met for the lesson to be considered mastered.

  • Covers every flight maneuver required for the FAA flight test
  • Follows FAA lesson plan format Clear, straightforward writing and illustrations
  • Logical, ordered, and complete presentation of material
  • 252 pages
  • 97 figures
  • 249 review questions
  • Includes a printable "Flight Training Progress Record"

    • At the end there are printable Review Questions that cover each lesson. They consist of a combination of original questions, and questions taken from the FAA Airman Knowledge Test Question bank. The book is also available in a hard copy at www.gliderbooks.com.

    About the Book

    Course Curriculum

    • 1
      INTRODUCTION
      • INTRODUCTION
      • PROGRESS RECORD (printable)
    • 2
      CHAPTERS
      • 1 | ORIENTATION, PRE-FLIGHT, POST-FLIGHT
      • 2 | TAKEOFFS
      • 3 | AEROTOW
      • 4 | IN-FLIGHT MANEUVERS
      • 5 | LANDING PATTERNS
      • 6 | LANDINGS
      • 7 | FLYING IN LIFT
      • 8 | EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
      • 9 | AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING
    • 3
      REVIEW QUESTIONS
      • QUESTIONS (printable)
      • ANSWERS

      About the Author

    • Russell Holtz

      Russell Holtz

      Russell is the author of two well-respected and widely-used soaring flight training books in the United States - the Glider Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Flight Training Manual for Glider Pilots.

      Russell grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.

      He obtained his Private Pilot Certificate in gliders in 1995, in airplanes in 1996, his Commercial Certificate in Gliders in 1998, and his Certified Flight Instructor rating in gliders in 1999. He completed the FAI Silver Badge requirements in 1997, and the Gold and Diamond requirements in 1998. Russell has given over 2,800 hours of primary, cross-country, contest, and aerobatic flight instruction, and has over 4,000 hours total time in gliders.

      Russell's passion for understanding and communicating soaring knowledge is evident in his teaching.