What can I expect?

Today is my birthday, and my wife has arranged for me to go up in a glider this weekend at TKI (Mc Kinney, TX). There is a short training class before I go up, so I'm sure the intructor(s) will do a good job of answering most of my questions. Does anyone here have any pointers or tips? The area is mostly flat, no mountains.

Of course I sim a lot, but obviously there are an infinite number of elements missing when I'm sitting in front of the PC I've heard the controls are very touchy in the real world.

This will be my first time at the controls of a (real world) airplane 

Don't pull the big red knob unless the instructor tells you to...

It's the ejector seat.


Hey - it's what I used to tell my first-time Air Cadets. Some of 'em actually believed me!

Never soared myself, but i've heard that the throttle can be hard to find in those birds.


Enjoy... you're in for a treat, from what i've heard.

I'm too late, by now you have probably been up already.

I would have said, Pick the sleek and shiny one, go up at 1pm when the thermals are kicking butt, core the thermal aggressively and dont let it spit you out. Keep a sharp lookout at ALL times, coming off a sim, you will want to watch the instruments, don't, watch your horizon and use the wind noise as your speed guide, only glance at the instruments for confirmation.

Be prepared for the ride of your life, it's rough and sensational (if it's a good day). Don't freak out when things start groaning and creaking, if you hear a BANG!..... your probably going too fast, it's either turbulence or you lost the elevator. Don't let the instructor do 5 consecutive loops or exceed rough air speed (if it's rough). Don't freeze on the controls or the instructor will punch you in the back of the head. If the trees and buildings below are going around and around and getting larger and larger, you are in a spin.

5 G's is enough on your first flight.

Vomit in the sick bag, not your lap or hat  

oops........... 

They will point you towards the old doggy trainer, which is ok, but go sit in the finest open class glider you can find, preferably a single seater, and THAT is what you aspire to.

They are magnificent machines, truly you will soar like an eagle.

Best to keep your Sim talk to yourself while at the field, at least until the flight is over. I made the mistake of flying well first time and got branded with an "over-confident" tag that took a long time to shake. (they were just jealous!)

and then.....................................?

Wind ?.....are you going slope soaring ?

......or maybe they just have a short runway and need more airspeed to assist in shortening the take-off run ?

In any event, fly safe and have fun......... 8)

It's one of those things "ya need to do".............

Enjoy.