The author of this study guide, Jim Burch, has been a pilot for 60 years, a flight instructor for 33 years, and a pilot examiner for 18 years. The material presented here is based on his experience in learning, teaching, and testing what one needs to know to fly gliders safely and to pass the related FAA tests. Little if any of the material is truly original. It comes from observing and questioning other pilots and instructors and from study of much aviation literature. Some of that literature is also part of the subject matter references used by the FAA in their knowledge tests. Those used in preparing this study aid are included in the adjacent table. You will find some direct quotes from them in the material when their words seem to express an idea particularly well or if the actual words appear in a test question or answer. Passing the FAA knowledge test and practical test is not the only objective of this study guide. It also is intended to impart knowledge of practical value to the glider pilot. These objectives are not mutually exclusive, but in many cases information not contained in the FAA references will be provided.

REFERENCES (1) Federal Aviation Regulations (2) AC 00-6 Aviation Weather (3) AC 00-45 Aviation Weather Services (4) Aeronautical Information Manual (5) AC 60-22 Aeronautical Decision Making (6) Miscellaneous Advisory Circulars (7) Soaring Flight Manual (8) AC 61-23 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (9) FAA-H-8083-3 Airplane Flying Handbook (10) American Soaring Handbook (11) AC 61-21 Flight Training Handbook (12) Joy of Soaring (13) Airport/Facility Directory (14) Sectional Aeronautical Chart (15) Terminal Area Chart (16) Fluid-Dynamic Lift, Hoerner and Borst (17) Stick and Rudder, Langewiesche (18) FAA-H-8083-13 Glider Flying Handbook

The FAA has separate knowledge and practical tests for private pilots, commercial pilots, and flight instructors. The first ten sections of this guide apply to all three. The last will be of more interest to those preparing for flight instructor tests. Students are urged to study the material here and then review the applicable knowledge test questions. You can do that either of two ways. You can select the QUESTIONS column next to the chapter you have just reviewed and see all the private, commercial and flight instructor questions covered in that chapter, or you can select knowledge test format to review all questions that appear on either the private, commercial, instructor, or fundamentals of instructing test. You may want to look at the "knowledge test format" first in either case for an explanation of the question and answer format used for both.

adverse yaw	landing illusions
advisory circulars	landing long
aerobatic flight	landing out
aerodynamics	landing short
aeronautical decision making	lateral stability
aeronautical information manual	latitude and longitude
aerotow	launching a glider
aerotow signals	learning
aerotow takeoff	learning plateau
aerotow turns	learning transfer
air defense identification zones (adiz)	lecture
air masses and fronts	lesson plan
airfoils	levels of learning
airmet (wa)	lift and drag
airport marking and lighting	light signals
airports	load factor in turns
airspace equipment requirements	load factor vs airspeed
airspeed adjustments for wind	longitudinal stability
airspeed in a slip	low level wind shear alert system (llwas)
airspeed indicator	maccready speed-to-fly
alcohol and drugs	magnetic compass
alert areas	maintaining runway alignment
altimeter	maintenance
angle-of-attack vs speed	maneuvering speed
anxiety	memory
application for certificate	military operations areas
approach and landing	minimum safe altitudes
arrival and departure routes	minimum sink speed
attitude indicator	moisture
automated surface observing system (asos/awos)	motion sickness
automated terminal information service (atis)	motivation
automatic direction finder (adf)	national transportation safety board
aviation area forecast (fa)	navigation
aviation routine weather report (metar)	newton on gliders
aviation terminal forecast (taf)	obstacles to learning
avionics	oral quizzes
barograph	overbanking and yaw in a turn
barriers to communication	oxygen systems
behavioral traps	parachutes
best glide speed	parasite drag
boxing the wake	pattern references
briefings	pattern speeds
carbon monoxide	perceptions
category and class	personal checklist
centrifugal force, centripetal force, and lift	phonetic alphabet
change of address	pilotage
chord, camber and angle-of-attack	pirep
class a airspace	planning instruction
class b airspace	plotting a course
class c airspace	position lights
class d airspace	preflight
class e airspace	principles of learning
clearance	private pilots
clearing turns	professionalism
cloud height	pseudo-adiabatic chart
clouds	radar summary charts
collision avoidance and airspace	radar traffic advisories
commercial pilots	radio communication
communication	radio navigation
composite moisture stability charts	regulations
computer based training	relative humidity and dew point
constant pressure analysis charts	release from tow
convection	remembering
convective outlook charts	required certificates
convective sigmet (wst)	restricted areas
coriolis	ridge soaring
crabbing	right-of-way
critique and evaluation	rollout
crosswind landings	scuba diving
currency requirements	seat belts and harnesses
decide model	side slip
decision making steps	sigmet (ws)
defense mechanisms	significant weather prognostic charts
dehydration	signs and surface markings
demonstration-performance	skew-t/log-p charts
density altitude	skids vs slips
deviation from regulations	slack line
dew and frost	slips
directional stability	soaring forecast
domains of learning	spatial disorientation
downwind landing	speed-to-fly for distance
dropping objects	speed-to-fly for speed
e-6b computer	spins
effect of drag on glide ratio	spiral dive
effect of turning	sport pilots
effect of weight	stability
electrical systems	stall
emergency locator transmitter (elt)	standard atmosphere
final glide	stress
flaps	stress & fatigue
flight instructors	student pilots
flight restrictions	surface analysis charts
flutter	syllabus
fog	teaching
forces acting on an airfoil	teaching methods
forces on the glider in straight flight	telling and doing
forgetting	temperature lapse rates
forward slip	temporary flight restrictions (tfr)
glide ratio	the atmosphere
glider assembly	the pitot-static system
glider axes of motion	thermaling speeds
glider controls	thermaling techniques
glider polar curve	thermals
global positioning system (gps)	thunderstorms
go-ahead point	time zones
going places	total energy compensation
ground effect	touchdown
ground instructors	traffic pattern and landing
ground launch	trailing vorticies
group learning	transcribed weather broadcast (tweb)
guided discussion	transponder
gyroscopic instruments	trapped air
hazardous attitudes	turn coordinator
hazardous inflight weather advisory service (hiwas)	turns
heading indicator	unstable air
hierarchy of needs	variometer
high tow vs low tow	vectors
highs and lows	very high frequency omni-directional range (vor)
hyperventilation	vfr visibility and cloud clearance requirements
hypoxia	victor airways and mtrs
icing	vision considerations
illusions	visual approach slope indicators
in-flight aviation weather information	wake turbulence
inclinometer and yaw string	wave soaring
induced drag	weather
insight	weather chart symbols
inspections	weather charts
instructional aids	weather depiction charts
instructor responsibilities	weather reports and forecasts
integrated flight instruction	weight and balance
interception procedures	wind shear
isobars and wind	wind triangle
knowledge and practical tests	winds and temperatures aloft (fd)
land and sea breezes	written tests
landing gear