I just had an "a ha!" moment.

If I wanted to teach the best survival skills of flying to anybody (including Scouts) for the least amount of money, I'd stay away from powered flight.

Instead, I'd look at gliders. You learn 95% of the same things as for powered flight, but you master the MOST important aspects of flying in terms of maintaining situational awareness and landing without an engine.

If I were ever a passenger in a single-engine airplane that lost its engine, I'd want the pilot to be an accomplished glider pilot. That's the skill that will save your life, and it's a fraction of the cost of learning to fly a powered aircraft.

Uncle Steve

Very true, an 'ol instructor pilot told me early on in bush flying ,..... "You must divert part of your attention now and then for a landing spot in case your engine craps out....." then he would pull the throttle at a time when the endless drone of the engine, the big lunch you had and your thinking of that date with Molly Moosejaw catches you woolgathering. Of course the wind is all wrong, or all you see are trees and rocks.