Maybe so, but let me relate my history with the switch. I started with a two channel hand launch/high start gliders - the Sig Riser. It survived well enough to get me through the basics and my friend/mentor and I sailed or gliders until we parted for college. I then had a few sessions with a COX foam (we had "foamies" in 1978) three channel trainer in the Avaition Club (flying, not taking off or landing) in the pre-buddy box or simulator days of yore.

Then I tried to build my own four channel Sig Kadet. I wanted it slow, so I chose the least powerful "recommended" engine. I built it heavy, and further complicated things by needing to add a LOT of nose weight to balance it. As I remember I put a dozen lead .357 bullets (.27 pounds - 4 ounces) in the nose to hit the proper C.O.G.

Then, on the advice in a book I had from the library, I hand launched the Kadet (engine off & no fuel) to be sure it was trimmed properly. First rebuild added all the more weight. First powered flight eventually getting the engine to run resulted in a stall on takeoff and another rebuild (it was horribly underpowered with a .25 and was likely also nose heavy). Many crashes with no real success and I sold ALL my R/C gear and was out of the hobby for the next 18 years or so. I had even done glow free-flight and control-line and I was stymied with a four channel powered trainer.

So, yes, gliders can teach you to fly. Powered gliders even better probably. But having someone get you running and trimmed on that first flight can save a LOT of grief.


As a PS -

I have a reputation in our club of being unflapable with deadsticks. With a glider every flight is a deadstick. A few years ago I thought the $77 new .50 Kangke engine sounded like a deal. That summer I had probably 50 deadsticks from two minutes into my flights. Never put the model down off the runway or even hard enough to damage her. Though I was keeping some height because the engine was suspect. Same model went to pieces a year later when I did an inverted limbo at full throttle and caught a wingtip on the ground (reengined with a Super Tigre G-51).

Is there a lesson here?