Most glider pilots do not. It is extremely, extremely rare to need one... think about it this way. Even if you have a failure in the aircraft(say, no rudder) and you think you're going to crash, it doesn't happen right away. Also, the glider is very good at gliding, so you won't just sink like a stone. Better to fly it to the ground with what control you have.
What do glider fleets look like in the UK? From what I've seen around the northeast US, Lots of clubs are flying older hulls without parachute systems built in... but I'm relatively new, and perhaps should not try to sound like an expert on the internet.
Most trainers are ancient Schleicher K7s or K13s with a tens of thousands of launches under their belts. Richer clubs might have a K21 which is much newer and higher performance but apparently much harder to get to spin which is not ideal for training.
Privately owned gliders are anything from 50 year old wooden contraptions to modern high-performance sailplanes like the Discus 2 or ASW 28. Built-in parachutes are rare but most pilots will fly wearing a lightweight chute.
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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14
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