I wrote the first edition of this guide in 1996 because I couldn’t find a comprehensive guide to aid my friends and I when we began flying self-launching sailplanes. The majority of it is aimed at self-launching, high performance sailplanes in general, though much of it also pertains to sustainer equipped sailplanes, and even “touring” motorglider owners can benefit. Permission is granted for limited quoting and entire copies for personal use, provided credit is given to the author. I strongly encourage any reader to contact me if they believe there are errors, important omissions, a better or alternative way to do things, or if the clarity and accuracy of the guide can be improved.