Michael Cash  <mikecash@sunfield.ne.jp> wrote:
>On 26 Oct 2003 07:29:22 -0800, anotherfool@hotmail.com (another fool)
>belched the alphabet and kept on going with:
>>No idea - I have never had any interest in unpowered flight other then
>>hang gliders. 
>
>I bet if your engine gave out on you you'd develop a sudden
>all-consuming interest in it.

Engine-out landings is probably the most practiced manoeuver during
pilot training.  Before you go solo you need to know how to deal with
engine failure during takeoff and landing, and one of the first lessons
post-first-solo is what to do if your engine fails in mid-flight.  After
that, on pretty much every lesson between then and my flight test I could
count on my instructor to reach over and cut the engine at least once
during the flight.

Light aircraft glide surprisingly well with no engine power (high-wing
aircraft especially can be tough to make descend fast enough during 
landings).  That said, they don't glide anywhere near as well as gliders
that were designed for it.

To the original poster who didn't want anything to do with unpowered
flight:  I used to feel that way too.  The only reason that I originally
took up soaring is that I wanted a way to fly for cheaper.  But it ends
up being quite different from powered flight, and quite challenging and
exciting in its own right.  It's probably too late for this year, but
next spring I'd suggest at least going out for a demo flight...

 - awh