FAA Private Pilot - Glider (PGL) study plan

Map every Part 61 and Part 91 requirement that applies to a private pilot glider certificate onto a one-page checklist, citing the specific section number for each item

Distinguish glider category and class privileges, recent flight experience, and medical/self-certification expectations by writing a short comparison table

Identify which documents must be aboard a glider (airworthiness certificate, registration, operating limitations, weight and balance) and explain the inspection intervals that keep them valid

Define preventive maintenance versus maintenance a certificated mechanic must perform, and list what a pilot may legally do on a glider

Explain how to determine that a glider is airworthy before flight using the aircraft's own documents and placards

Diagram the four forces in unaccelerated gliding flight and explain how each changes as airspeed and bank angle change

Compute best glide speed effects by working load-factor and stall-speed problems at 30, 45, and 60 degrees of bank

Perform a complete weight and balance for a two-place glider given empty weight, arm, pilot and passenger weights, and ballast, then state whether the result is within limits

Explain how wing loading, aspect ratio, and water ballast alter glide ratio, sink rate, and thermalling behavior

Describe the three types of drag and identify the speed region where total drag is minimized

Sequence the ground and in-flight steps of an aerotow launch from hookup through release, including signals and the boxing-the-wake position

Compare aerotow, winch/auto, and self-launch methods by describing the failure modes and immediate pilot actions for each

Explain the stall and spin entry sequence specific to gliders, including the role of yaw and the recovery inputs

Describe thermalling technique: centering, bank angle selection, and turn coordination, and explain how to judge lift strength from variometer and visual cues

Identify ridge and wave soaring setup requirements and the hazards unique to each

Decode a METAR and TAF line by line, naming each group and stating what it means for a glider flight decision

Explain stability, lapse rates, and the difference between the dry and saturated adiabatic rates, and use them to predict thermal strength and top of lift

Interpret a Skew-T or upper-air sounding to estimate convective condensation level, cloud base, and the likelihood of overdevelopment

Identify the weather hazards that most affect gliders: embedded thunderstorms, gust fronts, mountain wave turbulence, and low-level wind shear

Describe how surface heating, moisture, and wind aloft combine to produce good versus poor soaring days

Plot a cross-country glider task on a sectional chart, measuring leg distances and applying a headwind/tailwind component to each leg

Compute a final glide using the glider's polar data and a safety margin, and state the arrival altitude at the finish point

Classify every airspace type encountered along a planned route and state the entry requirements, equipment, and communication rules for each

Explain Class A through G boundaries and the specific rules for operating in Class E and Class G airspace without an electrical system or transponder

Write out radio phraseology for a glider self-announcing at a non-towered field and for requesting a clearance through Class D

Analyze the hazardous attitudes and apply the DECIDE model to two glider-specific scenarios such as continuing a flight into deteriorating lift or pressing on into rising terrain

Explain the physiological risks most relevant to gliding: hypoxia at altitude, dehydration, fatigue, and carbon monoxide in winter operations

Build an emergency checklist for rope break, towplane upset, mid-air avoidance, off-field landing, and canopy or control failure

Describe the off-field landing decision process, including field selection criteria, pattern setup, and the go-around commitment point

Explain how to use a ballistic parachute or emergency descent if the glider is so equipped, and how to plan for a landout with retrieval

Review the regulations most often missed on knowledge tests: right-of-way rules, minimum safe altitudes, and the rules for operating near clouds and congested areas

Re-derive the navigation calculations from week 5 without notes to confirm retention

Rehearse airspace and radio questions by answering them aloud as if in an oral exam

Identify weak areas from practice-test results and write a targeted review list for each weak domain

Recompute weight and balance and stall-speed problems under time pressure to build test-day speed

Re-interpret a fresh METAR, TAF, and sounding and justify a go/no-go call in under five minutes

Walk through launch, thermalling, and off-field landing procedures verbally as for a checkride oral

Consolidate all weak-area notes into a final review sheet and confirm each item is resolved