Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Fixed wing aircraft definition / Gliders

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

milflyboy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Posts
205
Does Glider time qualify as Fixed Wing Aircraft time?
If so, would you ad it to your total time in an Airline application? (Why/Why not)
 
milflyboy said:
Does Glider time qualify as Fixed Wing Aircraft time?
If so, would you ad it to your total time in an Airline application? (Why/Why not)
By fixed wing time, I assume that you mean fixed-wing airplane time correct? All gliders, even motor gliders are certified as gliders and you can only log the time as glider time. It can be included in total time just as you can include helicopter time in your total time.
'Sled
 
Last edited:
Glider time v. airplane time

milflyboy said:
Does Glider time qualify as Fixed Wing Aircraft time?
If so, would you ad it to your total time in an Airline application? (Why/Why not)
A glider is a glider and an airplane is an airplane. "Fixed wing" means airplane. Therefore, unless there is room on the time grid for "other" flight time, you are SOL as far as counting your glider time as airplane time.

If there is another way to work in glider time on your app, do it. If anything, glider time can make for good interview conversation, and good interview conversation can get you hired.

Good luck with your job search.
 
Do you really think they care? I think an airline can tell what a glider vs. airplane is. Include it and explain if asked.
 
milflyboy said:
But doesn't Glider fall under the definition Airplane?

Judging from your handle, you are military, and not familiar with civilian (FAA) terminology. You need to look at definitions listed in Federal Avivation Regulation #1.1

"Aircraft" means ANY AND ALL devices used for flight in the air.

"Airplane" means an engine-driven, fixed-wing aircraft heavier than air...

"Glider" means a heavier-than-air aircraft... whose free flight does not depend principally on an engine.
 
Milflyboy...
It's the basic aircraft category and class thing. Category as used with respect to the certification, ratings, privileges, and limitations of airmen, means a broad classification of aircraft. Examples include: airplane; rotorcraft; glider; and lighter-than-air. Class as used with respect to the certification, ratings, privileges, and limitations of airmen, means a classification of aircraft within a category having similar operating characteristics. Examples include: single engine; multiengine; land; water; gyroplane; helicopter; airship; and free balloon.

Gliders are a class unto themselves, just as are rotorcraft and airplanes. Even if you flew the awesome, high performance (200 knot), fully IFR capable, turbojet-powered Caproni A-21SJ you couldn't count it as airplane time because it isn't an airplane, it's a glider. Can a pilot with just an PPL or higher in airplanes jump in a motorglider and fly off into the sunset - after all, some like the Grob-109 look very much like their airplane cousins? No. They are certified gliders and you need to have the glider rating. The glider time is logged in the "Total Flight Time" and "Glider" columns of your logbook. Also, you wouldn't log the time as "taildragger" either - it's a glider not an airplane.

When it comes to the airlines I'd definately figure out a way to show it. Will it help you? It can't hurt you, but it depends upon who's on the hiring board. Basically everyone applying for an airline job are pretty much equally qualified and are pretty much clones of everyone else. In my case, the fact that I had learned to fly and had a bunch of time in tail draggers and also had a glider rating set me apart from the crowd - go figure? (The chief pilot was a soaring enthuiast and he told me once that he could always spot guys with taildrager time when they flew a B727.)

'Sled
 
how could he tell?

(The chief pilot was a soaring enthuiast and he told me once that he could always spot guys with taildrager time when they flew a B727.)
 
Made a typo (Aircraft/Airplane). My initial statement was Fixed Wing Aircraft time not Airplane like I later mistakenly corrected it to.

So I guess a Glider would be considered a Fixed Wing Aircraft and I should include it in my application. Statement on SWA website:

"Southwest considers only Pilot time in fixed wing aircraft. This specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO etc. NO other time is counted"
 
milflyboy said:
Made a typo (Aircraft/Airplane). My initial statement was Fixed Wing Aircraft time not Airplane like I later mistakenly corrected it to.

So I guess a Glider would be considered a Fixed Wing Aircraft and I should include it in my application. Statement on SWA website:

"Southwest considers only Pilot time in fixed wing aircraft. This specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO etc. NO other time is counted"
Based on that, I don't think that they'll count it, since they're not counting helicopter flight time. I'd call someone and ask.

'Sled
 
Well it makes sense they don't count helicopter time since that is clearly not fixed wing, but I will call them and confirm. I is just a sleezy 100 hours.
 
Airplane v. glider

milflyboy said:
But doesn't Glider fall under the definition Airplane?
No. A glider is a glider and an airplane is an airplane. Both are aircraft, but are different categories. The only thing they have in common is wings.

Hope that helps some more.
 
Last edited:
milflyboy said:
yeah bobbysamd like I said a made a misprint I meant aircraft like I initially stated.
Once again, good luck with your job search. For SWA, with appropriate LORs, etc. and once you get your B737, you'll likely be called.
 
It's one of those things like logging PIC time. If you have to pick it apart and/or have to try to quote regs to make the time work out, you probably shouldn't use it for application purposes.

Nu
 
Actually PIC I have had to pick apart to make it look right in my logbook. I keep two PIC columns. One for Part 1 and one for Part 61

Bobbysamd, I just got my Type, so hopefully you are correct.
 
milflyboy said:
Actually PIC I have had to pick apart to make it look right in my logbook. I keep two PIC columns. One for Part 1 and one for Part 61

Bobbysamd, I just got my Type, so hopefully you are correct.
Good luck! Keep us updated.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top Bottom