preparation can help avoid becoming lost. Spend some time  studying the sectional chart for airports or other notable  landmarks along the route. A self-launching glider can give the pilot much more freedom  in exchange for a more complex and expensive aircraft. First,  a self-launching glider allows the pilot to fly from airports  without a towplane or tow pilot. Second, the engine can be  used to avoid off-field landings and extend the flight. In  theory, when low in a self-launching glider, simply start  the engine and climb to the next source of lift. This second  advantage has pitfalls and dangers of its own and has led to  many accidents due to engine failure and/or improper starting  procedures. Engines on self-launching gliders generally are  less reliable than those on airplanes and are susceptible to  special problems. For instance, in the western United States,  summer thermals often extend to altitudes where the air is  cold. The self-launching engine can become cold soaked  after several hours of flight, and may take more time to start  or may fail to start. If you are still lost after some initial searching, try to remain  calm. The first priority is to make sure there is a suitable  landing area within gliding distance. Then, if possible, try to  find lift, even if it is weak, and climb. This buys time and gives  a wider view of the area. Next, try to estimate the last known  position, the course flown, and any possible differences in  wind at altitude. For instance, maybe the headwind is stronger  than anticipated and not as far along the course as expected.  Try to pinpoint the present position from an estimate of the  distance traveled for a given period of time and confirm it  with visible landmarks by reference to the sectional chart.  For instance, if at point X, averaging about 50 knots, heading  north for about 30 minutes should put the glider at point Y.  Look again at the sectional chart for landmarks that should be  nearby point Y, then search the ground for these landmarks.  Thermaling while searching has the added advantage of  allowing a wider area of scan while circling. Overreliance on the engine may result in a false sense of  security. This can lead pilots to glide over unlandable terrain,  something they might not normally do. If the engine then  fails when needed most, the pilot has no safe place to land.  Some accidents have occurred in which the engine starting  system was actually fully functional, but in the rush to start  the engine to avoid landing, the pilot did not perform a critical  task, such as switching the ignition on. Other accidents have  occurred in which the engine did not start immediately, and  while trying to solve the starting problem, the pilot flew too  far from a suitable landing area. For a self-launching glider  with an engine that stows in the fuselage behind the cockpit,  the added drag of an extended engine can reduce the glide  ratio by 50 to 75 percent.  [Figure 11-17] Once a landmark is located on the sectional and on the  ground, confirm the location by finding a few other nearby  landmarks. For instance, if that is a town below, then the  highway should curve like the one shown on the chart. Does  it? If you are lost and near a suitable landing area, stay in the  area until certain of location. Airports and airport runways  provide valuable clues, like runway orientation and markings  or the location of town or a city relative to the airport. If all efforts fail, attempt a radio call to other soaring pilots  in the area. A description of what is below and nearby may  bring help from a fellow pilot more familiar with the area. Figure 11-17.  Effects on the glide ratio of the engine being extended but not running. 11-15 Cross-Country Flight in a Self-Launching  Glider