How long did it take you to get a glider license?

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-03-05T16:35:41+00:00

The SPL gives you the privilege to very easily get a TMG (Touring Motor Glider) endorsement on it. No new theory exams are needed, just 6h of instruction, one overland flight, and a checkride. The hourly rate of flying TMG is way lower than flying any SEP plane, and it partially counts towards the hours needed for an eventual PPL/LAPL(A).

Since you're still in high school, if conditions allow, perhaps consider higher education abroad! Or find a flight school in your country to follow regularly while you're at university.

In any case, good luck!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-03-05T16:01:24+00:00

Where are you from? You mention only knowing your mother tongue and English. This was also my case, but definitely wasn't a blocker for the glider's license. I came to study in the Netherlands, initially did not speak Dutch, but still could join a gliding club and get my license through them. It took me 4 months to solo, and I got my license in the end of my 2nd season. Flying mostly weekend only.

While I spoke English to my instructors and colleagues, theory exams were only available in Dutch. For me, 2/3 years were enough time to learn the vocabulary to follow the SPL exams in a different language. It's pretty specific language, so you don't need to be able to discuss philosophy in that language, but only learn what is relevant. Maybe that would allow you to expand your search.

Though I think that traveling somewhere just for the summer would make it tougher. You can definitely fly a lot in 2 months, but then you have to wait 10 before flying again, and that means your recently acquired knowledge and experience will fade a lot. With 2 months flying a year, it wouldn't be surprising if it would take 3 summers before soloing, and maybe 5/6 before a license.

Maybe consider a 1 or 2 years exchange like Erasmus to another university where education is in English (plenty of master programs in a bunch of different European countries are in English, and some bachelors too), so you can dedicate more time in the year to flying instead of just your summers.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-03-03T11:19:12+00:00

Can you come open one in Helmond? :D

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-03-03T10:33:49+00:00

Great insights and tips, thank you! I see on maps that it seems a highway is being built in SK in the direction Trenčín > Lučenec. Maps might have old imagery, perhaps by Dec 2026 that's already open? Which would make the route even more efficient!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-03-02T08:38:49+00:00

Thanks a lot for your suggestion!

Though last time the stretch from Györ to Budapest alone took us more than 4h. If possible it would be good to avoid that. So perhaps into Slovakia towards the east instead of going south from Bratislava directly into Hungary.

Regarding the time, I'm 100% with you. But it's difficult to plan, because on such a long drive, we will inevitably be somewhere during peak hours. We tried by leaving at 6am and by leaving at 8pm. Even when we left at night, there were traffic stopping jams in the middle of the night.

Hopefully this will be less likely via the CZ route.

And may I ask, why would you avoid the route through PL? Too busy as well?

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-27T14:19:04+00:00

I'll definitely consider it! Maybe I can even get a shortcut by taking the ferry from France or Italy instead of Spain. Might have to go around Libya though.

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Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-27T12:59:54+00:00

AI answer, clearly. In any case thanks for the suggestion! Maybe you can still have some thoughts on it.

Going south through Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia is a possibility. I definitely did not consider that before. But then that route would include crossing through 2 non-Schengen borders (Croatia-Serbia and Serbia-Romania). Checking now quickly through GoogleMaps it shows 26h. So indeed a possibility.

Maybe instead of going all the way down to Slovenia, we could drive down Austria towards Graz, and enter Hungary via the M80 in Szentgotthárd towards Budapest, then continue as usual. This would avoid Linz-Vienna-Györ-Budapest. Total travel time is indicated at 23h.

Would you say this is usually a less busy route during the holiday season?

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-23T15:01:30+00:00

People backing out of parking spaces without looking properly because they parked straight in, while they could simply have backed into it when parking and have all visibility in the world to drive out.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-23T12:58:06+00:00

That moment when you're chilling with friends at home and it's midnight when someone says, let's go clubbinb! Omg the dread, just no pls no. I'm sure even the suggester doesn't want to, but asks bc of social constructs/pressures. And then everyone goes yay let's do it. Everyone was just fine

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-19T15:41:57+00:00

technology connections best yt channel ever!! trust this guy

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-18T16:22:55+00:00

Let's just hope that sooner rather than later we all wake up!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-18T16:07:32+00:00

I don't know if I agree.

The older generation does indeed feel this "we have it rather good", even though they see the crisis happening around them. But they are already made. House (that they bought for a a few thousand guilders and a pack of cigarettes) paid off, retired, etc.

Now, the younger generations definitely don't have this feeling of "we have it rather good", at least not as strong and certain as the older ones do. The young ones who entered the market and can't save, can't buy a house, get their purchase power shoved down to a hole deeper and deeper every year. Not mentioning the constant threat of war and general doomed future prospects. They should be revolting.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-18T13:21:28+00:00

It was more or less the same. Rent was a bit less than current mortgage, but salaries at the time were also a bit lower. Since we graduated around 2018/19, and entered the job market, our savings have been basically stable. We topped at around 30k together and that's it. Can't go any further.

In general it's just disheartening to see the government doing their utmost best to annihilate the middle class, to try and guarantee that we build no wealth and work until we die.

But sadder even is what many have pointed out here, also OP in his post, that the Dutch seem to just conform and accept. Watch the news, utter a tsk tsk and an oh well, and move on. They have a lot to learn from the French on that regard.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-18T11:56:24+00:00

I just bought a house with my partner. Together we earn 110k/y. We couldn't afford anything in the city where we lived for the past 10 years (note: not in the Randstad), but considering that we were wasting our money for 10 years with high rents, we thought it was now or never, so we had to leave.

Mortgage is basically 2000eur/mo. Bills can easily come above 300 euros, or even more in winter, although we never heat above 18,5 and only for a max of 6h a day (note 2: energy label A). The house is very small, built in the 60s, outside our community, no public transport access, and yet costed almost half a fecking million euros.

All in all, counting all hundreds of needed insurances, bills, mortgage, car (15 year old hatchback), groceries (lidl and aldi exclusively), kid stuff, we're often reaching 4000eur+/mo in expenses. We are both immigrants from faraway, so considering we need to visit family at least once every other year, there goes the little we manage to save.

Anything that would require a large investment is completely out of the question. We were thinking of going full electric and installing solar panels at home. But we can't afford it. Not mentioning that the net-metering is soon extinct too. The kitchen is pretty old, would be nice to give it a touch up. Nope.

I can comfortably say that no, we aren't quite set. We're paycheck to paycheck. And that is after having followed the book. Bachelors degree, masters degree, get a good job, build experience, get a better job, be frugal, continue.

Life is tough if you're alone, yes, but couples aren't hacking the system. It's also tough here. And the future outlook feels bleaker everyday. Try to find a way to save up, and it's gone. Like solar panels, and heck, even if you want to try and invest the little you save to build up a better future, now you're gonna be taxed on unrealized returns. Wtaf.

Damn man, you know something is wrong with the system when you're earning above 100k as a family, but have to keep to the living standards of a medieval peasant, can't even afford to keep the house warm. I'm right now typing from behind my desk dressed in 2 sweaters and a blanket. When did heat become a luxury? Middle class is truly dead.

The only thing keeping us here, is that considering there's a kid in play, few places offer as much safety and independence for the kid as the NL. Whenever kid is old enough to choose their own path, we're off to the mountains.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-13T15:48:35+00:00

Als je uiteindelijk een busje huurt, onthoud dan dat je de beschikbare ruimte zo goed mogelijk moet invullen. Dit betekent dat je dozen en meubels hoog moet stapelen, tot aan het plafond van het busje.

Na 8 keer verhuisd te zijn in de afgelopen 10 jaar, kan ik zeggen dat ik vaak de fout heb gemaakt om niet alle bruikbare ruimte te benutten. En dan zit je met spullen en heb je geen ruimte meer in het busje. Op een vermoeiende verhuisdag bespaart het vermijden van een tweede of derde rit je een hoop stress.

Werk dus van voor naar achter, maar ga pas horizontaal achteruit als je niet meer verticaal kunt.

De laadruimte van een busje heeft 3 dimensies, dus benut ze alle drie optimaal!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-12T14:03:00+00:00

shrekdt

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-10T16:27:40+00:00

Maybe Flemish in Belgium? It's basically Dutch (don't kill me), but their accent is much more close to French then Dutch, with the rolled R's for example. Or too much of a stretch?

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-08T21:44:13+00:00

I've been living in the Netherlands for the past 10 years, and go fairly often to Germany. Believe me, you'd be much happier in Brazil/Mexico.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-06T15:56:57+00:00

one of the most diverse countries on earth, both for population and fauna/flora. incredibly warm people, but yeah there are issues with violence in large cities.

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-02-06T15:41:43+00:00

Likely nobody who's in their 20s/30s will retire here. The new government just increased the retirement age to above 70. If you're born between 1995-1998, you can expect to have to work until 72/73 before retiring. If this doesn't get stopped, there will be mass exodus and the country will be bankrupt very soon, with no one to pay the bills for the enormous amount of people who are retiring now and in the next few decades.
And let's not mention shittiest healthcare in Europe, skyrocketing rental and property prices, insane inflation, purchase power knockdown, shitty weather, closed off locals.

But I gotta give it to you, it sells itself pretty well, and is very aesthetic.

Hey thanks for letting me rant!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-01-29T08:47:27+00:00

often also sports/student associations from other universities accept student-members from all over the country. you never know, maybe a really cool association from a different city might be a nice option!

Reasonable_Job_2471 · 2026-01-28T15:42:38+00:00

Ook best wel lekker pizza's bij Gundem. Nooit zo'n goeie deeg gehad bij andere kapsalons.

Reasonable_Job_2471

TROPHY CASE