Leinad,
Gliding is a cheap way to learn to fly as Gliding clubs don't charge any extra for the instruction. And when there are thermals around , you get to fly for 60 cents a minute
. As a bonus you get to fly something that really flies, not just a brick with an engine on it.
I went solo on a power aircarft when I was 18. 30 years later I flew a power plane for an hour with an instructor , and did 6 'touch and go' circuits without any assitance . But after 90 hours of flying gliders, I found the power thing all a bit `fly by numbers'. The sport factor just isn't there for me. Give me the swish of the wind and the kick in the pants of a rising thermal any day .
Mark