Do glider pilots have a pilots licence?
Not in the UK. Unlike power pilots, glider pilots do not at present get a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. Fixed wing (sailplane) gliding is controlled by the British Gliding Association who issue a qualification certificate which is an approximate equivalent to a power private pilots licence (PPL). This allows glider pilots to fly cross country. A further qualification (as an instructor) allows a glider pilot to carry others for trial lessons and instruction. .
