October Soaring Australia

Soaring Australia

1

Print Post Approved – PP225277/00002

ISSN 1832-4849

October 2009 1 How To Make Hanging Out At The Airfield Fun For Earthbounders 2 Happened Recently On An Airfield 3 Junior Journal 5 Letter To A New Female Hang Glider Pilot 12 On the Subject of Spiral Dive Training 14 GFA Treasurer’s Report – 2008/09 16 It’s On Again Already!

20 Vintage Gliding Corner 22 New Sporting Code 24 Paragliding Bali 2009 27 Letter To The Editor 28 Visitors to Bluff Knoll, Western Australia, Sunday 2 August 2009 29 Club Development 30 Escape Trainer Module Project 31 On Line Competition (OLC) and GFA Decentralised Competition (DCE) 32 “What’s that?!?”

33 Apology to Steven Chester

Official publication of the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA).

The Gliding Federation of Australia Inc. and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia are members of the Fédération Aéronautique Inter­nationale (FAI) through the Australian Sport Aviation Confederation (ASAC).

34 HGFA News 35 Soaring Calendar 36 GFA Executive Officer’s Report 38 Insurance Corner 39 GFA News 40 HGFA General Manager's Report 43 Special Resolution 44 Contact Addresses 46 Classifieds

Tobias Fetzer (front seat) and Ulrich Stauss (rear seat) thermal to the NW of Morgan during the SAGA Coaching Week at Waikerie Photo: Justine Thompson from the front seat of Bergfalke 4 GZQ flown by Anthony Smith

CREDITS Cover: Photo: Design: Printing: Mailing:

Paramotoring Bohdan Phillipa Suzy Gneist, Gneist Design Bluestar Print, Canberra ACT Bluestar Print, Canberra ACT

NOTICE TO READERS AND CONTRIBUTORS This magazine is a joint publication by the GFA and the HGFA and each association contributes 50% to the production cost and is allocated 50% of the content pages of each issue.

Contributions are always needed. Articles, photos and illus­ trations are all welcome although the editors and the GFA and HGFA Board reserve the right to edit or delete con­tributions where necessary. Materials of unknown origin won’t be pub­lished.

All contributions should be accom­panied by the con­tri­bu­ tor’s name, address and membership number for verifica­tion purposes.

Photographs should be printed on gloss paper either in black and white or colour or submitted on CD. Drawings, maps, cartoons, diagrams, etc, should be in black ink on white paper.

Lettering may be pencilled light­ly but clearly on the drawing, for typesetting.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the GFA, HGFA nor the editors. They are strictly the views of the contributor. Any GFA officer quoting his title will be responsible for submitting an official article.

Copyright in this publication is vested in the GFA/HGFA. Copyright in articles and other contributions is vested in each of the authors in respect of their contribution.

HGFA EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS The three contact points for HGFA members sub­mitting to Soaring Australia are the HGFA Sub-editor, the HGFA Office, and the Graphic Designer. These contacts should be used accord­ ing to the directions below.

GFA EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS The three contact points for GFA members sub­ mitting to Soaring Australia are the GFA Subeditor, the GFA Office, and the GFA Advertising Representative. These contacts should be used according to the directions below.

HGFA SUB-EDITOR HGFA OFFICE & SALES Suzy Gneist Ph: 03 9336 7155 Ph: 07 5445 7796 Fax: 03 9336 7177 <soaring.australia@hgfa.asn.au> <office@hgfa.asn.au> Post to: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, [www.hgfa.asn.au] Flaxton QLD 4560 4a-60 Keilor Park Drive,

Keilor Park VIC 3042 GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION EDITOR Suzy Gneist, Ph: 07 5445 7796, <sgneist@gmail.com>, Post to: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, Flaxton QLD 4560.

Articles HGFA members should send article contributions to the HGFA subeditor. Article text is preferred by email <soaring.australia@hgfa. asn.au> either as a Word document or plain text file, photos can be sent via post (57 Alice Dixon Drive, Flaxton QLD 4560) either as print copies or high resolution JPEGs or TIFFs on CD. Photos must be accompanied by full captions and photo­grapher names on a separate text file (.txt) on the CD. News, Letters to the Editor, New Products, Events Calendar entries HGFA members should send the above editorial items to the HGFA Sub-editor, Suzy Gneist, as text in the body of an email to <soaring.australia@hgfa.asn.au>.

Classifieds, Club Executive and Member Updates HGFA members should submit classifieds (secondhand gear for sale) and changes of address, etc, details (whether for Club Executives or individual members) to the HGFA Office <office@ hgfa.asn.au>. See HGFA Classifieds section at rear of this magazine for more details.

Display Advertising HGFA commercial operators wishing to place a display advert should email the Graphic Designer, Suzy Gneist <sgneist@ gmail.com>, to receive a booking form and detailed instructions.

GFA SUB-EDITOR GFA OFFICE & SALES Anne Elliott Ph: 03 9303 7805 Ph: 02 6889 1229 Fax: 03 9303 7960 <annell@hwy.com.au> <Secretary@sec.gfa.org.au> Post to: PO Box 189, [www.gfa.org.au].

Narromine NSW 2821 Level 1/34 Somerton Road,

Somerton VIC 3062

HGFA WEBSITE CONTRIBUTIONS Email Club News to <clubnews@hgfa.asn.au>, Email Comp News to <compnews@hgfa.asn.au>. The information is for­ward­ed to Soaring Australia and the maintainers of the HGFA website.

GFA ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE GFA Secretary, Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960, <Advertising@sec.gfa.org.au>, Post to: Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062 Articles, News, Letters to the Editor, Events Calendar entries GFA members should send article contributions to the GFA Subeditor, Anne Elliott. Article text is preferred by email <annell@ hwy.com.au> either as a Word document or plain text file, photos for articles should be sent in the post (PO Box 189, Narromine NSW 2821) either as print copies or high resolution JPEGs on CD. Photos must be accom­panied by full captions for each and photographer name.

Classifieds & Display Advertising GFA members wishing to submit a classified should do so via the GFA Office. See GFA Classifieds section rear of this magazine for more details.

Club Executive and Member Updates GFA members should send change of address, etc, details (whether for Club Executives or individual members) to the GFA Office <Membership@sec.gfa.org.au>.

DEADLINE FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS: 25th of each month, five weeks prior to publication.

Photos and materials will be returned after publication only if a stamped, self-addressed envelope is supplied.

Otherwise, photographs, whether published or not, will be filed and may be used subsequently in further publications.

HGFA AGM 24 October 2009 Melbourne, Victoria Please be advised that the HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Tullamarine, Victoria.

Commencing at 10am. The meeting will be conducted in the Tullamarine room.

Since historically there has never been a lot of member attendance, the meeting room has been booked with small numbers of attendees expected.

There is a standing agenda of reports including the Finance Audit and Insurance Reports.

Members are of course welcome to attend and we hope to be able to accommodate those who do.

2 Soaring Australia

October 2009

Soaring Australia

1

October 2009 1 How To Make Hanging Out At The Airfield Fun For Earthbounders 2 Happened Recently On An Airfield 3 Junior Journal 5 Letter To A New Female Hang Glider Pilot 12 On the Subject of Spiral Dive Training 14 GFA Treasurer’s Report – 2008/09 16 It’s On Again Already!

20 Vintage Gliding Corner 22 New Sporting Code 24 Paragliding Bali 2009 27 Letter To The Editor 28 Visitors to Bluff Knoll, Western Australia, Sunday 2 August 2009 29 Club Development 30 Escape Trainer Module Project 31 On Line Competition (OLC) and GFA Decentralised Competition (DCE) 32 “What’s that?!?”

33 Apology to Steven Chester

Official publication of the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA).

The Gliding Federation of Australia Inc. and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia are members of the Fédération Aéronautique Inter­nationale (FAI) through the Australian Sport Aviation Confederation (ASAC).

34 HGFA News 35 Soaring Calendar 36 GFA Executive Officer’s Report 38 Insurance Corner 39 GFA News 40 HGFA General Manager's Report 43 Special Resolution 44 Contact Addresses 46 Classifieds

Tobias Fetzer (front seat) and Ulrich Stauss (rear seat) thermal to the NW of Morgan during the SAGA Coaching Week at Waikerie Photo: Justine Thompson from the front seat of Bergfalke 4 GZQ flown by Anthony Smith

CREDITS Cover: Photo: Design: Printing: Mailing:

Paramotoring Bohdan Phillipa Suzy Gneist, Gneist Design Bluestar Print, Canberra ACT Bluestar Print, Canberra ACT

NOTICE TO READERS AND CONTRIBUTORS This magazine is a joint publication by the GFA and the HGFA and each association contributes 50% to the production cost and is allocated 50% of the content pages of each issue.

Contributions are always needed. Articles, photos and illus­ trations are all welcome although the editors and the GFA and HGFA Board reserve the right to edit or delete con­tributions where necessary. Materials of unknown origin won’t be pub­lished.

All contributions should be accom­panied by the con­tri­bu­ tor’s name, address and membership number for verifica­tion purposes.

Photographs should be printed on gloss paper either in black and white or colour or submitted on CD. Drawings, maps, cartoons, diagrams, etc, should be in black ink on white paper.

Lettering may be pencilled light­ly but clearly on the drawing, for typesetting.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the GFA, HGFA nor the editors. They are strictly the views of the contributor. Any GFA officer quoting his title will be responsible for submitting an official article.

Copyright in this publication is vested in the GFA/HGFA. Copyright in articles and other contributions is vested in each of the authors in respect of their contribution.

HGFA EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS The three contact points for HGFA members sub­mitting to Soaring Australia are the HGFA Sub-editor, the HGFA Office, and the Graphic Designer. These contacts should be used accord­ ing to the directions below.

GFA EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS The three contact points for GFA members sub­ mitting to Soaring Australia are the GFA Subeditor, the GFA Office, and the GFA Advertising Representative. These contacts should be used according to the directions below.

HGFA SUB-EDITOR HGFA OFFICE & SALES Suzy Gneist Ph: 03 9336 7155 Ph: 07 5445 7796 Fax: 03 9336 7177 <soaring.australia@hgfa.asn.au> <office@hgfa.asn.au> Post to: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, [www.hgfa.asn.au] Flaxton QLD 4560 4a-60 Keilor Park Drive,

Keilor Park VIC 3042 GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION EDITOR Suzy Gneist, Ph: 07 5445 7796, <sgneist@gmail.com>, Post to: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, Flaxton QLD 4560.

Articles HGFA members should send article contributions to the HGFA subeditor. Article text is preferred by email <soaring.australia@hgfa. asn.au> either as a Word document or plain text file, photos can be sent via post (57 Alice Dixon Drive, Flaxton QLD 4560) either as print copies or high resolution JPEGs or TIFFs on CD. Photos must be accompanied by full captions and photo­grapher names on a separate text file (.txt) on the CD. News, Letters to the Editor, New Products, Events Calendar entries HGFA members should send the above editorial items to the HGFA Sub-editor, Suzy Gneist, as text in the body of an email to <soaring.australia@hgfa.asn.au>.

Classifieds, Club Executive and Member Updates HGFA members should submit classifieds (secondhand gear for sale) and changes of address, etc, details (whether for Club Executives or individual members) to the HGFA Office <office@ hgfa.asn.au>. See HGFA Classifieds section at rear of this magazine for more details.

Display Advertising HGFA commercial operators wishing to place a display advert should email the Graphic Designer, Suzy Gneist <sgneist@ gmail.com>, to receive a booking form and detailed instructions.

GFA SUB-EDITOR GFA OFFICE & SALES Anne Elliott Ph: 03 9303 7805 Ph: 02 6889 1229 Fax: 03 9303 7960 <annell@hwy.com.au> <Secretary@sec.gfa.org.au> Post to: PO Box 189, [www.gfa.org.au].

Narromine NSW 2821 Level 1/34 Somerton Road,

Somerton VIC 3062

HGFA WEBSITE CONTRIBUTIONS Email Club News to <clubnews@hgfa.asn.au>, Email Comp News to <compnews@hgfa.asn.au>. The information is for­ward­ed to Soaring Australia and the maintainers of the HGFA website.

GFA ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE GFA Secretary, Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960, <Advertising@sec.gfa.org.au>, Post to: Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062 Articles, News, Letters to the Editor, Events Calendar entries GFA members should send article contributions to the GFA Subeditor, Anne Elliott. Article text is preferred by email <annell@ hwy.com.au> either as a Word document or plain text file, photos for articles should be sent in the post (PO Box 189, Narromine NSW 2821) either as print copies or high resolution JPEGs on CD. Photos must be accom­panied by full captions for each and photographer name.

Classifieds & Display Advertising GFA members wishing to submit a classified should do so via the GFA Office. See GFA Classifieds section rear of this magazine for more details.

Club Executive and Member Updates GFA members should send change of address, etc, details (whether for Club Executives or individual members) to the GFA Office <Membership@sec.gfa.org.au>.

DEADLINE FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS: 25th of each month, five weeks prior to publication.

Photos and materials will be returned after publication only if a stamped, self-addressed envelope is supplied.

Otherwise, photographs, whether published or not, will be filed and may be used subsequently in further publications.

HGFA AGM 24 October 2009 Melbourne, Victoria Please be advised that the HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Tullamarine, Victoria.

Commencing at 10am. The meeting will be conducted in the Tullamarine room.

Since historically there has never been a lot of member attendance, the meeting room has been booked with small numbers of attendees expected.

There is a standing agenda of reports including the Finance Audit and Insurance Reports.

Members are of course welcome to attend and we hope to be able to accommodate those who do.

2 Soaring Australia

October 2009

Soaring Australia

1

G FA

G FA

How To Make Hanging Out At The Airfield Fun For Earthbounders Anita Taylor Not all of us want to fly. Not all of us want to race motorbikes, jump off cliffs or

offers reciprocal membership rights?

Maybe there is a book club that meets on weekends? Perhaps a local winery would like to host afternoon tea or a wine evening. Are there bush walks or a cinema? During competitions and regattas this may be a good bargaining point for the pilots to encourage their partners to come along. Remember though, it’s the pilot’s responsibility to help sort this out before you get to the gliding club or comp.

play chess. That being given, how do those of us who DO want to fly, keep our partners and family interested in allocating part of the family leisure time and budget to gliding? I believe the key is keeping the whole ‘hanging out at the airfield’ experience pleasurable to all those involved.

F

or the non-flying partners, this means having friends, having something fun to do, maybe flying, maybe not, thinking of it as better than staying at home, or going shopping, or sitting around a hockey field…

For the kids this means having friends, having something fun to do, maybe flying, maybe not, thinking of it as better than staying at home or going shopping, or sitting around a hockey field…

I think you get the point.

The Women-Soaring yahoo chat group [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ Women-Soaring/] has been having some meaningful discussion in this area and here are some suggestions that may help convince your partner to hang out at the airfield for a weekend, or come to a regatta or comp and maybe even crew for you.

The Introduction Make sure you get the introduction right.

If necessary, invite gliding friends around for dinner before going out to the club, so your partner already knows someone else. Arrange for a few of the other partners to help out with making the ‘Newbie’ partner feel comfortable. I know of one pilot who arranged for a big breakfast at a local cafe early in a competition for the specific purpose of introducing his partner. It was good for us too, as we met her, could ask her to join us in our other activities and made her feel part of the group, rather than some random face left sitting in the car reading a book, and us feeling like a stalker trying to make her join in.

It’s also worth telling others that your partner is coming with you and 2 Soaring Australia

encouraging them to bring their partners too – communicate and encourage friendships, as a social outlet is important to many non-pilots. Name tags may seem silly, when most of us know each other, but for the newbie, they are a god-send.

Don’t Make Your Partner Work And If They Help Say Thank You (A Lot!) Just because the non-pilot isn’t flying, doesn’t mean their afternoon should go towards cleaning the club toilet! And while we are on the subject of toilets – make sure you have good facilities for both male and females, and plenty of them, and if the boys need to use the girls – PUT THE TOILET SEAT DOWN – please. Have the gliding club employ a cleaner if you have to, or make a roster of the pilots. There is nothing worse than giving up your leisure time to clean or work. This also goes for taking down launch times or catering. NEVER make your partner feel like they have to work while you are playing. If they are happy to do some jobs, ALWAYS make them feel appreciated and ALWAYS say thank you. Particularly if it’s not your partner doing it!

For things like catering, there are scout groups, P&C committees, Rotary, etc, who are looking for ways to make money and may be happy to come out to the club to do the evening barbecue, or make sandwiches and cakes/coffee for morning teas and lunches.

The Family-Friendly Clubhouse Have a decent lounge area, one that is airconditioned, clean and comfortable, with TV, DVD and music facilities. If possible, have two areas, so that you

can have a noisy lot separate from the relaxers/chatters. If the club isn’t that lucky, then find a way to make your family comfortable: buy a caravan or tent, stay somewhere that does have airconditioning and a pool, ask the local caravan park if you can use their facilities for a small fee. Buy a laptop with a car power connection so it is possible to watch DVDs or play games in the car at a launch point.

Often families with small children need a fenced area so they can let the kids play without worrying about them wandering off. It doesn’t have to be anything more than a roll of link wire and some star stakes fencing off a back door yard. Some shade would be good and maybe some donated kids’ toys. Perhaps it’s worth bringing a companion along for your family members (eg a playmate for your child). If there are good facilities for kids, other parents may be happy to watch your kids while you take family members for a hangar flight.

Internet Have a good internet connection with plenty of download/speed. This way, if your family wants to work, or play games, or sit on MSN all day, they can.

It’s no different from sitting at home on the couch. If you have to, buy wireless yourself.

Local Interests Get to know what businesses in the area have to offer. Perhaps there is a local beautician who is happy to offer discounts to gliding club members? Or a dirt bike/4WD club? Or maybe a craft group would be happy to come out and run a workshop? A local golf club that October 2009

Training If your partner is happy to help with the gliding operations, or doesn’t mind being a retrieve crew then: MAKE SURE YOU PROVIDE GOOD TRAINING. This seems obvious, but is often overlooked. Show your partner how to run a wing, or hook up the tow rope safely. No-one wants to feel foolish or in danger. Make sure there are good maps/diagrams of the best way to get to/from the launch point, or how to safely get a glider off the airfield, where to push or lift, etc.

Explain what is going to happen for the day. Give trailer hook-up and towing instruction. If you may outland, make sure you have an agreed procedure including a Navman (and how to program it) and what to expect on the roads. Have emergency procedures, ask a friend to go along and help for the first few times.

Information is everything. If you find you can’t give good training without losing your temper, ask someone else to help. Perhaps someone could make up a handbook to give to all members (just because you are a pilot, doesn’t mean you are good at running wings!). And say THANK YOU – A LOT!

Keep It Gender Neutral We all know how a workplace expects us to act, so keep that in mind on the airfield too. Be sensitive to other pilot’s non-pilot partners. I’ve seen male pilots making stupid jokes to male non-pilot partners about needing a skirt to go and have lunch with the wives and it’s not helpful. If someone doesn’t want to fly, then don’t put them down – make them feel welcome anyway. Often they are extremely successful and respected in their jobs or hobbies and being made to feel wimpy or scared of flying is not constructive. Perhaps they play a guitar and could provide great entertainment in the evening – everyone has something to offer the club environment.

October 2009

HAPPENED RECENTLY on AN AIRFIELD Martin Feeg In recent weeks I did a fair bit of coaching. While I was sitting in the back seat blabbering away, the front seat pilot flew in a loose team with a single-seat aircraft. The pilot with me in the two-seat aircraft was less experienced than the one in the single-seater. As a result, my chap frequently followed the other glider. Nothing wrong with that, but for my taste he was quite often very close. Naturally I corrected him in flight and we also had a debriefing.

Close shave? One might say why? Nothing happened.

True, but it was unnecessary borrowing from safety. Put yourself in the situation being slightly above (30-100ft) and behind the aircraft in front.

Now the front aircraft has found lift and is turning. Do you have enough time to make your aircraft swing into evasive action? Consider the inertia of your aircraft as well as the front aircraft pulling up to enter the lift zone. If you are pressed hard to keep the situation smooth, you are too close.

Additionally, being in a tight formation you have to do exactly what the leader does and you can’t find your own path of best air. With enough distance you do not only improve the safety, but you can also take advantage by not going through bad air the sailplane in front just went through.

This does not only count for coaching, but for any flight when sharing the same path close to another glider.

Safe soaring.

Explain The Rules How interesting is it watching a game of football if you don’t know the rules or care about the teams? It’s not that hard to make the bar talk interesting to the non-pilots if you explain the task for the day, talk a little bit about what your personal learning challenges are, have a big map of the task area and say where you’ll be flying and how you expect the weather to be. Give good estimates of when you expect to be back at the airfield, radio ahead, or call ahead if you can. Talk about the other pilots, whether they be competitors, team mates or mentors. Quite a few pilots use SPOT or other tracking devices.

Having a computer in the clubhouse showing where everyone is can add to the drama of those on the ground and help them relate to your flight. Having a really good aerial and base radio on the local chat frequency can also be really entertaining for those listening.

Make Any Joyflights Enjoyable Many non-pilots get violently airsick.

If you are taking your partner for a fly, always make the first time short and sweet! Choose early morning or late afternoon (sunset is usually breathtaking) when turbulence or lift is minimal and the heat of the day isn’t an issue. Keep it straight and level, keep it smooth.

Get out a map beforehand, talk about

landmarks they may see or how the flight will proceed. If airsickness is possible, without drama, administer a motion sickness pill well before, casually point out a bag and be extra careful to fly smoothly. DO NOT THERMAL, at all, under any circumstances! I’ve seen many people put off gliding for life because their partner wanted to show them some landmark three hours on track, on a weak choppy day. Try to think of it as providing a romantic experience.

After a few of these flights you can ease into thermalling, if THEY want – don’t push it. Never make it a dual purpose flight where you want to try something new, or think you could stay up for an extra 20 minutes with just one thermal. You want them to rave about gliding to other friends, not start gagging at the thought.

Many sports become a mini-community, children of other families fall in love, have kids (and friends of kids), bring them along and it starts all over again.... it’s the way to keep a sport alive – make it part of the family. There is no reason why gliding can’t be the same. It may take a little effort at the start, but soon enough it will be like a rolling snowball. And I think the spin-off is, that if we increase our numbers, we increase the exposure of our sport and the likelihood that we’ll introduce the sport of gliding to someone who DOES want to fly!

Soaring Australia

3

G FA

G FA

How To Make Hanging Out At The Airfield Fun For Earthbounders Anita Taylor Not all of us want to fly. Not all of us want to race motorbikes, jump off cliffs or

offers reciprocal membership rights?

Maybe there is a book club that meets on weekends? Perhaps a local winery would like to host afternoon tea or a wine evening. Are there bush walks or a cinema? During competitions and regattas this may be a good bargaining point for the pilots to encourage their partners to come along. Remember though, it’s the pilot’s responsibility to help sort this out before you get to the gliding club or comp.

play chess. That being given, how do those of us who DO want to fly, keep our partners and family interested in allocating part of the family leisure time and budget to gliding? I believe the key is keeping the whole ‘hanging out at the airfield’ experience pleasurable to all those involved.

F

or the non-flying partners, this means having friends, having something fun to do, maybe flying, maybe not, thinking of it as better than staying at home, or going shopping, or sitting around a hockey field…

For the kids this means having friends, having something fun to do, maybe flying, maybe not, thinking of it as better than staying at home or going shopping, or sitting around a hockey field…

I think you get the point.

The Women-Soaring yahoo chat group [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ Women-Soaring/] has been having some meaningful discussion in this area and here are some suggestions that may help convince your partner to hang out at the airfield for a weekend, or come to a regatta or comp and maybe even crew for you.

The Introduction Make sure you get the introduction right.

If necessary, invite gliding friends around for dinner before going out to the club, so your partner already knows someone else. Arrange for a few of the other partners to help out with making the ‘Newbie’ partner feel comfortable. I know of one pilot who arranged for a big breakfast at a local cafe early in a competition for the specific purpose of introducing his partner. It was good for us too, as we met her, could ask her to join us in our other activities and made her feel part of the group, rather than some random face left sitting in the car reading a book, and us feeling like a stalker trying to make her join in.

It’s also worth telling others that your partner is coming with you and 2 Soaring Australia

encouraging them to bring their partners too – communicate and encourage friendships, as a social outlet is important to many non-pilots. Name tags may seem silly, when most of us know each other, but for the newbie, they are a god-send.

Don’t Make Your Partner Work And If They Help Say Thank You (A Lot!) Just because the non-pilot isn’t flying, doesn’t mean their afternoon should go towards cleaning the club toilet! And while we are on the subject of toilets – make sure you have good facilities for both male and females, and plenty of them, and if the boys need to use the girls – PUT THE TOILET SEAT DOWN – please. Have the gliding club employ a cleaner if you have to, or make a roster of the pilots. There is nothing worse than giving up your leisure time to clean or work. This also goes for taking down launch times or catering. NEVER make your partner feel like they have to work while you are playing. If they are happy to do some jobs, ALWAYS make them feel appreciated and ALWAYS say thank you. Particularly if it’s not your partner doing it!

For things like catering, there are scout groups, P&C committees, Rotary, etc, who are looking for ways to make money and may be happy to come out to the club to do the evening barbecue, or make sandwiches and cakes/coffee for morning teas and lunches.

The Family-Friendly Clubhouse Have a decent lounge area, one that is airconditioned, clean and comfortable, with TV, DVD and music facilities. If possible, have two areas, so that you

can have a noisy lot separate from the relaxers/chatters. If the club isn’t that lucky, then find a way to make your family comfortable: buy a caravan or tent, stay somewhere that does have airconditioning and a pool, ask the local caravan park if you can use their facilities for a small fee. Buy a laptop with a car power connection so it is possible to watch DVDs or play games in the car at a launch point.

Often families with small children need a fenced area so they can let the kids play without worrying about them wandering off. It doesn’t have to be anything more than a roll of link wire and some star stakes fencing off a back door yard. Some shade would be good and maybe some donated kids’ toys. Perhaps it’s worth bringing a companion along for your family members (eg a playmate for your child). If there are good facilities for kids, other parents may be happy to watch your kids while you take family members for a hangar flight.

Internet Have a good internet connection with plenty of download/speed. This way, if your family wants to work, or play games, or sit on MSN all day, they can.

It’s no different from sitting at home on the couch. If you have to, buy wireless yourself.

Local Interests Get to know what businesses in the area have to offer. Perhaps there is a local beautician who is happy to offer discounts to gliding club members? Or a dirt bike/4WD club? Or maybe a craft group would be happy to come out and run a workshop? A local golf club that October 2009

Training If your partner is happy to help with the gliding operations, or doesn’t mind being a retrieve crew then: MAKE SURE YOU PROVIDE GOOD TRAINING. This seems obvious, but is often overlooked. Show your partner how to run a wing, or hook up the tow rope safely. No-one wants to feel foolish or in danger. Make sure there are good maps/diagrams of the best way to get to/from the launch point, or how to safely get a glider off the airfield, where to push or lift, etc.

Explain what is going to happen for the day. Give trailer hook-up and towing instruction. If you may outland, make sure you have an agreed procedure including a Navman (and how to program it) and what to expect on the roads. Have emergency procedures, ask a friend to go along and help for the first few times.

Information is everything. If you find you can’t give good training without losing your temper, ask someone else to help. Perhaps someone could make up a handbook to give to all members (just because you are a pilot, doesn’t mean you are good at running wings!). And say THANK YOU – A LOT!

Keep It Gender Neutral We all know how a workplace expects us to act, so keep that in mind on the airfield too. Be sensitive to other pilot’s non-pilot partners. I’ve seen male pilots making stupid jokes to male non-pilot partners about needing a skirt to go and have lunch with the wives and it’s not helpful. If someone doesn’t want to fly, then don’t put them down – make them feel welcome anyway. Often they are extremely successful and respected in their jobs or hobbies and being made to feel wimpy or scared of flying is not constructive. Perhaps they play a guitar and could provide great entertainment in the evening – everyone has something to offer the club environment.

October 2009

HAPPENED RECENTLY on AN AIRFIELD Martin Feeg In recent weeks I did a fair bit of coaching. While I was sitting in the back seat blabbering away, the front seat pilot flew in a loose team with a single-seat aircraft. The pilot with me in the two-seat aircraft was less experienced than the one in the single-seater. As a result, my chap frequently followed the other glider. Nothing wrong with that, but for my taste he was quite often very close. Naturally I corrected him in flight and we also had a debriefing.

Close shave? One might say why? Nothing happened.

True, but it was unnecessary borrowing from safety. Put yourself in the situation being slightly above (30-100ft) and behind the aircraft in front.

Now the front aircraft has found lift and is turning. Do you have enough time to make your aircraft swing into evasive action? Consider the inertia of your aircraft as well as the front aircraft pulling up to enter the lift zone. If you are pressed hard to keep the situation smooth, you are too close.

Additionally, being in a tight formation you have to do exactly what the leader does and you can’t find your own path of best air. With enough distance you do not only improve the safety, but you can also take advantage by not going through bad air the sailplane in front just went through.

This does not only count for coaching, but for any flight when sharing the same path close to another glider.

Safe soaring.

Explain The Rules How interesting is it watching a game of football if you don’t know the rules or care about the teams? It’s not that hard to make the bar talk interesting to the non-pilots if you explain the task for the day, talk a little bit about what your personal learning challenges are, have a big map of the task area and say where you’ll be flying and how you expect the weather to be. Give good estimates of when you expect to be back at the airfield, radio ahead, or call ahead if you can. Talk about the other pilots, whether they be competitors, team mates or mentors. Quite a few pilots use SPOT or other tracking devices.

Having a computer in the clubhouse showing where everyone is can add to the drama of those on the ground and help them relate to your flight. Having a really good aerial and base radio on the local chat frequency can also be really entertaining for those listening.

Make Any Joyflights Enjoyable Many non-pilots get violently airsick.

If you are taking your partner for a fly, always make the first time short and sweet! Choose early morning or late afternoon (sunset is usually breathtaking) when turbulence or lift is minimal and the heat of the day isn’t an issue. Keep it straight and level, keep it smooth.

Get out a map beforehand, talk about

landmarks they may see or how the flight will proceed. If airsickness is possible, without drama, administer a motion sickness pill well before, casually point out a bag and be extra careful to fly smoothly. DO NOT THERMAL, at all, under any circumstances! I’ve seen many people put off gliding for life because their partner wanted to show them some landmark three hours on track, on a weak choppy day. Try to think of it as providing a romantic experience.

After a few of these flights you can ease into thermalling, if THEY want – don’t push it. Never make it a dual purpose flight where you want to try something new, or think you could stay up for an extra 20 minutes with just one thermal. You want them to rave about gliding to other friends, not start gagging at the thought.

Many sports become a mini-community, children of other families fall in love, have kids (and friends of kids), bring them along and it starts all over again.... it’s the way to keep a sport alive – make it part of the family. There is no reason why gliding can’t be the same. It may take a little effort at the start, but soon enough it will be like a rolling snowball. And I think the spin-off is, that if we increase our numbers, we increase the exposure of our sport and the likelihood that we’ll introduce the sport of gliding to someone who DOES want to fly!

Soaring Australia

3

•

Jun or

Journal

G FA

[www.joeyglide.com.au]

Sixth Junior World Gliding Championships at Rayskala, Finland Nathan and Grant Johnson

J

Andrew finishing

une 22 to July 4 this year saw two junior Australian pilots compete in the 6th Junior World Gliding Championships at Rayskala, Finland. Eighty six competitors flew in the two-class event, flying nine out of the possible 10 competition days.

Andrew Maddocks flew an LS8 in Standard Class and Nathan Johnson flew an LS4 in Club Class.

During the competition 870 tows were made at an average cross-country distance of 324km per tow. A total of 282 000km was flown with 147 000km

by Club Class (46 pilots) and 135 000km

by Standard Class (36 pilots).

Germany did well placing first and third in Club Class and first and third in Standard Class. Congratulations to Felipe Levin winning Standard Class in a Discus 2b and Volker Sailer winning Club Class in a ‘Standard Libelle’. (Libelle wings and winglets on a Mosquito fuselage!)

Here’s how we went with a little emphasis on Nathan’s recollections from flying Club Class and some abstracts from Grant on life on the ground.

Official Practice Day 1 Standard Class was set a 386km AST today with good conditions predicted. Club Class was set a 357km AST. Conditions were good and speeds were well over 100km/h in Standard Class. Not everyone flew the tasks as a lot of pilots were still sorting

Formation finishes on runway

out gliders. Andrew came seventh in Standard Class with a speed of 114.8km/h and I was 25th in Club Class at 92.8km/h.

Official Practice Day 2 The task was set a bit smaller to allow everyone to have a more ‘relaxing’ day of flying, as conditions were expected to improve even more over the following few days. Standard Class was set a 305km AST and Club Class 261km AST. This task was good in that it had us coming back on final glides over quite landable territory (coming in from the east) compared with coming in from the west which presents just trees and little lakes for over 10km. Andrew came 10th at 106.2km/h and I was third at 107.4km/h.

Day 1 The first briefing opened with a spectacular video by local Hubertus Huvermann (aka Hubi) that got everyone in the right mood, not that we weren’t already!

Hubi made other videos throughout the contest and they are well worth finding on the internet at [www.jwgc2009.fi].

Finally day one had arrived, and the tasksetters really made us feel welcome.

Standard Class was set a 623km AST and Club Class was set a 531km AST. Conditions were very good and most pilots found themselves having to cut climbs short before reaching cloudbase due to airspace restrictions (and this became normal during the rest of the comp). The day started early and many of the Club Class found flying in gaggles the only way to make it around, mainly due to the day ending early. It was also a big day with most pilots spending around seven hours plus in the sky. Andrew came 11th in Standard Class at 109.4km/h and I came 24th in Club Class at 94.5km/h.

Day 2

It was hot for some

4 Soaring Australia

Just when we thought they would go easy on us, they set 575km for Standard Class and 480km AST for Club Class. Once again we had quite good conditions with a bit more wind around. There was some

Photos: Grant Johnson

streeting in places. Speeds Nathan landing were still fast with Andrew coming second at 118.3km/h in Standard Class and I was 28th in Club Class at 98.3km/h.

Day 3 We were establishing a routine now – the LS4 was tied down each night so we dried it off, loaded the cockpit, etc and towed out over the scales around 7am. Briefing was typically at 9am so it was fairly relaxed and left plenty of time for Nathan to make peanut butter sandwiches. First launches were typically late morning or very early afternoon. The entire grid of 86 gliders was launched in about 75 minutes.

Just when we thought you couldn’t get such good weather in Finland, let alone five days in a row, Standard Class were set a 438km AST and Club Class 359km AST. Conditions were getting better. There were some blue gaps in the cloud in the northern part of the task area, which when you got low made it quite difficult. Despite this Club Class posted some good speeds, almost as good as Standard Class. Andrew came eighth at 120.5km/h and I came 32nd in Club Class at 103.5km/h.

Day 4 Cancelled A high band of cirrus came over the task area early in the morning so the tasksetters decided to give us a rest day. It ended up raining for a lot of the day. We were assured the following day would be a flying day.

Day 4 Take 2 This was our first day with an AAT. The task times were reduced on the grid as snifter flights weren’t showing anything promising early on. Standard Class was set three hours for 158km to 611km, while Club Class was set three-and-a-half hours and the same task. Speeds were down on the previous days with weaker conditions.

Andrew came 23rd in Standard Class at 87km/h flying 319km and I came 26th in October 2009

Club Class at 81.3km/h flying 312.4km.

On the ground, crews were getting into their own routine. Many pilots carried SPOT and crews could watch on a big screen in the briefing hangar (also the location of the bar and nighttime entertainment – it never really got dark for very long but I guess it was still considered night). The café was well patronized through the day and then what a fantastic experience going to the finish line each afternoon – the beach on the western end overlooking the lake is a spectacular vantage point.

Day 5 Day 5’s task was a 410km AST for Standard Class and 320km for Club Class. Conditions were good but not fast. Andrew came 19th in Standard Class at 87.3km/h.

I had a ‘crap’ day to put it simply. I had a logger failure just before the second turnpoint, and not realising continued on. Then I outlanded about 40km out from the airfield on the way home. Then, when driving home, we were pulling to a stop on a dirt road to see another pilot who had also outlanded, when the car/ trailer combination rolled into a onemetre deep ditch. The weight of the car and trailer caused the ground to give way on the edge of a well-concealed ditch, and the whole lot rolled into it. The car and glider were undamaged and with the help of a farmer and his tractor, we were back on the road heading home within an hour. The driver’s name will remain anonymous but it wasn’t the pilot and one of the two crew was too young to be driving, so I wonder who it was! I was scored for 118km instead of the 270km flown, ending up 46th for the day.

Day 6 Today was the first wholly blue day. Blue conditions in Finland are considerably weaker than the days with cumuli, unlike Australia where blue days are still pretty good. Most of the pilots stayed in big gaggles as it was a day of struggling.

Standard Class had a three-and-a-half hour AAT with 221km to 490km, while Club Class had a three-and-a-half hour AAT task for 200 to 524km. Many of us found ourselves crossing the large areas of nothing but trees and lakes at best glide speed. It really showed how in a gaggle it was easier to get away again after getting low, with someone out of the 20 or so gliders finding something.

Andrew came fourth at 69.2km/h flying 316km and I came 32nd in my class at 65.6km/h flying 235km.

Day 7 The weather on this day was a little weird October 2009

and had some of us puzzled. Standard Class was set a two-and-a-half hour AAT and 183km to 420km. Club Class was set a two-and-a-half AAT and 175km to 375km task. The weather was blue before the start. We headed off in the blue to find that some mid-level cloud had moved in across the task area. At first the lift didn’t seem to correspond to the cloud but about halfway round the task we started to get lift lining up under some streeting. Some of us didn’t expect this to happen and almost came back too early as a result. Andrew came 21st at 85km/h in Standard Class flying 216km and I came tied 27th at 77.8km/h flying 194km.

Cloud street over finishing ceremony

Need we say more?

Day 8 With day eight came the possibility of early over development. Standard Class was set a 557km AST and Club Class was set a 344km task. In reflection, some of us started too late and ended up having to dodge rain. Both Andrew and I outlanded around the task, along with a lot of the field. I hung back from one of the gaggles to get just that little bit more height to cross the 20km of trees ahead.

This proved to be more comforting in that I got to the next landable fields with some height to spare, but outlanded after getting rained on. The others in the gaggle got to a climb before the rain, some with less than a thousand feet and only a lake to ditch in, but they got further around the task as a result.

Conditions as predicted overdeveloped early, then cycled again but just to die again. I outlanded after 137km coming 39th while Andrew did well to make it 491km and tie 21st in Standard Class.

Day 9 Cancelled The weather was more typical Finnish weather with rain. The day was cancelled and most took advantage of this to catch up on much need rest. As it turned out a task would have been possible from about mid-afternoon.

Day 9 Take 2 The last contest day, and the tasksetters were keen to get one more task into this already fantastic event. The weather was not looking promising with rain expected by the afternoon. Despite this Standard Class were set a two-and-a-half hour AAT and 157km to 421km. Club Class was set a two-and-a-half hour AAT as well of 152km to 423km. Conditions were testing: starting too early meant coping with average conditions to start and okay at the end, while starting too late meant some almost booming conditions early but rain on the way home. To the surprise of the many people on the

ground almost everyone made it home.

Some nice final glide photos were taken of gliders returning from a pretty murky sky. Andrew came eighth at 89.5km/h flying 229km while I came home in 43rd at 72.5km/h flying 181km.

The End and Lessons Learnt Well that was a wrap up of what was a very long competition. A lot was learnt during those few weeks of flying. Some of the big points were the importance of lookout and proper thermal entry and exit techniques, trying to join a gaggle of 30 or 40 gliders was a very steep learning curve. Gaggle flying was also noted as something that could be improved on.

It seems to be the most effective way to get around fast in environments like this.

It also had obvious benefits when low: if there were 20 gliders all together at the same height, everyone being spread out across the sky made it a lot easier to find that last thermal needed to get home.

I was impressed by the great airmanship during the contest – some of the competitors are ‘professional’ pilots with over a thousand hours whilst others had only a few hundred hours and not a lot of preparation. The massive amount of flying was almost without incident. Some of the larger teams had a huge advantage from team flying and it created some spectacular finishes! The competition organisers did a great job throughout.

Andrew finished in a very respectable 10th place overall in Standard Class while I finished in 38th place in Club Class. Both pilots flew over 60hrs each. On behalf of Andrew and myself we would like to thank Mike Maddocks as team captain, and the valuable crew persons of Julie Maddocks, Grant Johnson, Angie Johnson, and Brandon Johnson. A HUGE thanks also to the GFA and the Junior gliding community for all the support that inspired us and enabled us to get there.

Soaring Australia

5

•

Jun or

Journal

G FA

[www.joeyglide.com.au]

Sixth Junior World Gliding Championships at Rayskala, Finland Nathan and Grant Johnson

J

Andrew finishing

une 22 to July 4 this year saw two junior Australian pilots compete in the 6th Junior World Gliding Championships at Rayskala, Finland. Eighty six competitors flew in the two-class event, flying nine out of the possible 10 competition days.

Andrew Maddocks flew an LS8 in Standard Class and Nathan Johnson flew an LS4 in Club Class.

During the competition 870 tows were made at an average cross-country distance of 324km per tow. A total of 282 000km was flown with 147 000km

by Club Class (46 pilots) and 135 000km

by Standard Class (36 pilots).

Germany did well placing first and third in Club Class and first and third in Standard Class. Congratulations to Felipe Levin winning Standard Class in a Discus 2b and Volker Sailer winning Club Class in a ‘Standard Libelle’. (Libelle wings and winglets on a Mosquito fuselage!)

Here’s how we went with a little emphasis on Nathan’s recollections from flying Club Class and some abstracts from Grant on life on the ground.

Official Practice Day 1 Standard Class was set a 386km AST today with good conditions predicted. Club Class was set a 357km AST. Conditions were good and speeds were well over 100km/h in Standard Class. Not everyone flew the tasks as a lot of pilots were still sorting

Formation finishes on runway

out gliders. Andrew came seventh in Standard Class with a speed of 114.8km/h and I was 25th in Club Class at 92.8km/h.

Official Practice Day 2 The task was set a bit smaller to allow everyone to have a more ‘relaxing’ day of flying, as conditions were expected to improve even more over the following few days. Standard Class was set a 305km AST and Club Class 261km AST. This task was good in that it had us coming back on final glides over quite landable territory (coming in from the east) compared with coming in from the west which presents just trees and little lakes for over 10km. Andrew came 10th at 106.2km/h and I was third at 107.4km/h.

Day 1 The first briefing opened with a spectacular video by local Hubertus Huvermann (aka Hubi) that got everyone in the right mood, not that we weren’t already!

Hubi made other videos throughout the contest and they are well worth finding on the internet at [www.jwgc2009.fi].

Finally day one had arrived, and the tasksetters really made us feel welcome.

Standard Class was set a 623km AST and Club Class was set a 531km AST. Conditions were very good and most pilots found themselves having to cut climbs short before reaching cloudbase due to airspace restrictions (and this became normal during the rest of the comp). The day started early and many of the Club Class found flying in gaggles the only way to make it around, mainly due to the day ending early. It was also a big day with most pilots spending around seven hours plus in the sky. Andrew came 11th in Standard Class at 109.4km/h and I came 24th in Club Class at 94.5km/h.

Day 2

It was hot for some

4 Soaring Australia

Just when we thought they would go easy on us, they set 575km for Standard Class and 480km AST for Club Class. Once again we had quite good conditions with a bit more wind around. There was some

Photos: Grant Johnson

streeting in places. Speeds Nathan landing were still fast with Andrew coming second at 118.3km/h in Standard Class and I was 28th in Club Class at 98.3km/h.

Day 3 We were establishing a routine now – the LS4 was tied down each night so we dried it off, loaded the cockpit, etc and towed out over the scales around 7am. Briefing was typically at 9am so it was fairly relaxed and left plenty of time for Nathan to make peanut butter sandwiches. First launches were typically late morning or very early afternoon. The entire grid of 86 gliders was launched in about 75 minutes.

Just when we thought you couldn’t get such good weather in Finland, let alone five days in a row, Standard Class were set a 438km AST and Club Class 359km AST. Conditions were getting better. There were some blue gaps in the cloud in the northern part of the task area, which when you got low made it quite difficult. Despite this Club Class posted some good speeds, almost as good as Standard Class. Andrew came eighth at 120.5km/h and I came 32nd in Club Class at 103.5km/h.

Day 4 Cancelled A high band of cirrus came over the task area early in the morning so the tasksetters decided to give us a rest day. It ended up raining for a lot of the day. We were assured the following day would be a flying day.

Day 4 Take 2 This was our first day with an AAT. The task times were reduced on the grid as snifter flights weren’t showing anything promising early on. Standard Class was set three hours for 158km to 611km, while Club Class was set three-and-a-half hours and the same task. Speeds were down on the previous days with weaker conditions.

Andrew came 23rd in Standard Class at 87km/h flying 319km and I came 26th in October 2009

Club Class at 81.3km/h flying 312.4km.

On the ground, crews were getting into their own routine. Many pilots carried SPOT and crews could watch on a big screen in the briefing hangar (also the location of the bar and nighttime entertainment – it never really got dark for very long but I guess it was still considered night). The café was well patronized through the day and then what a fantastic experience going to the finish line each afternoon – the beach on the western end overlooking the lake is a spectacular vantage point.

Day 5 Day 5’s task was a 410km AST for Standard Class and 320km for Club Class. Conditions were good but not fast. Andrew came 19th in Standard Class at 87.3km/h.

I had a ‘crap’ day to put it simply. I had a logger failure just before the second turnpoint, and not realising continued on. Then I outlanded about 40km out from the airfield on the way home. Then, when driving home, we were pulling to a stop on a dirt road to see another pilot who had also outlanded, when the car/ trailer combination rolled into a onemetre deep ditch. The weight of the car and trailer caused the ground to give way on the edge of a well-concealed ditch, and the whole lot rolled into it. The car and glider were undamaged and with the help of a farmer and his tractor, we were back on the road heading home within an hour. The driver’s name will remain anonymous but it wasn’t the pilot and one of the two crew was too young to be driving, so I wonder who it was! I was scored for 118km instead of the 270km flown, ending up 46th for the day.

Day 6 Today was the first wholly blue day. Blue conditions in Finland are considerably weaker than the days with cumuli, unlike Australia where blue days are still pretty good. Most of the pilots stayed in big gaggles as it was a day of struggling.

Standard Class had a three-and-a-half hour AAT with 221km to 490km, while Club Class had a three-and-a-half hour AAT task for 200 to 524km. Many of us found ourselves crossing the large areas of nothing but trees and lakes at best glide speed. It really showed how in a gaggle it was easier to get away again after getting low, with someone out of the 20 or so gliders finding something.

Andrew came fourth at 69.2km/h flying 316km and I came 32nd in my class at 65.6km/h flying 235km.

Day 7 The weather on this day was a little weird October 2009

and had some of us puzzled. Standard Class was set a two-and-a-half hour AAT and 183km to 420km. Club Class was set a two-and-a-half AAT and 175km to 375km task. The weather was blue before the start. We headed off in the blue to find that some mid-level cloud had moved in across the task area. At first the lift didn’t seem to correspond to the cloud but about halfway round the task we started to get lift lining up under some streeting. Some of us didn’t expect this to happen and almost came back too early as a result. Andrew came 21st at 85km/h in Standard Class flying 216km and I came tied 27th at 77.8km/h flying 194km.

Cloud street over finishing ceremony

Need we say more?

Day 8 With day eight came the possibility of early over development. Standard Class was set a 557km AST and Club Class was set a 344km task. In reflection, some of us started too late and ended up having to dodge rain. Both Andrew and I outlanded around the task, along with a lot of the field. I hung back from one of the gaggles to get just that little bit more height to cross the 20km of trees ahead.

This proved to be more comforting in that I got to the next landable fields with some height to spare, but outlanded after getting rained on. The others in the gaggle got to a climb before the rain, some with less than a thousand feet and only a lake to ditch in, but they got further around the task as a result.

Conditions as predicted overdeveloped early, then cycled again but just to die again. I outlanded after 137km coming 39th while Andrew did well to make it 491km and tie 21st in Standard Class.

Day 9 Cancelled The weather was more typical Finnish weather with rain. The day was cancelled and most took advantage of this to catch up on much need rest. As it turned out a task would have been possible from about mid-afternoon.

Day 9 Take 2 The last contest day, and the tasksetters were keen to get one more task into this already fantastic event. The weather was not looking promising with rain expected by the afternoon. Despite this Standard Class were set a two-and-a-half hour AAT and 157km to 421km. Club Class was set a two-and-a-half hour AAT as well of 152km to 423km. Conditions were testing: starting too early meant coping with average conditions to start and okay at the end, while starting too late meant some almost booming conditions early but rain on the way home. To the surprise of the many people on the

ground almost everyone made it home.

Some nice final glide photos were taken of gliders returning from a pretty murky sky. Andrew came eighth at 89.5km/h flying 229km while I came home in 43rd at 72.5km/h flying 181km.

The End and Lessons Learnt Well that was a wrap up of what was a very long competition. A lot was learnt during those few weeks of flying. Some of the big points were the importance of lookout and proper thermal entry and exit techniques, trying to join a gaggle of 30 or 40 gliders was a very steep learning curve. Gaggle flying was also noted as something that could be improved on.

It seems to be the most effective way to get around fast in environments like this.

It also had obvious benefits when low: if there were 20 gliders all together at the same height, everyone being spread out across the sky made it a lot easier to find that last thermal needed to get home.

I was impressed by the great airmanship during the contest – some of the competitors are ‘professional’ pilots with over a thousand hours whilst others had only a few hundred hours and not a lot of preparation. The massive amount of flying was almost without incident. Some of the larger teams had a huge advantage from team flying and it created some spectacular finishes! The competition organisers did a great job throughout.

Andrew finished in a very respectable 10th place overall in Standard Class while I finished in 38th place in Club Class. Both pilots flew over 60hrs each. On behalf of Andrew and myself we would like to thank Mike Maddocks as team captain, and the valuable crew persons of Julie Maddocks, Grant Johnson, Angie Johnson, and Brandon Johnson. A HUGE thanks also to the GFA and the Junior gliding community for all the support that inspired us and enabled us to get there.

Soaring Australia

5

H G FA

H G FA

Letter To A New Female Hang Glider Pilot Helen McKerral We often read about getting out of the comfort zone, expanding the envelope, pushing through fear/limits/boundaries, racing to win… it works for many confident,

Left to right: Karen, Marlies, Helen, Birgit, Nic and Katha

sensation-seeking, competitive and/or testosterone-charged alpha-males. But what

hold of the right glider for training (Falcon 145), after which things went well.

‘Mrs Poser’ showed excellent technique on her first high glide and that’s no coincidence, just silver lining. Tall men may get away with sloppy technique, but short, light women who learn on gliders slightly too big for them are practically required to develop perfect control inputs! A new pilot, weighing just 40kg (88lb), after learning and flying on a Fun 160, said to me after her first flight on a Falcon 145, “Wow, it turns when I want it to!” You bet it does! The best remedy always lies in appropriate equipment, not in compensations by the pilot for poor fit.

Upper body strength does modestly affect groundhandling, when we’re not using our body weight to manipulate the glider, but instead leveraging with arm, chest, shoulder and back muscles. Weight training helps, but isn’t essential: good technique overcomes all!

if you’re not one of these? How to develop into a skilled pilot if your motivation and temperament are completely different?

T

his letter began as a response to a female pilot whose partner was concerned about her learning to fly. He thought she might not be strong or ‘gutsy’ enough.

The letter refines earlier ruminations and incorporates feedback from dozens of male and female, experienced and new HG pilots. It aims to inspire new female HG pilots to trust their own attitudes and accept their own flying style.

Of course, much of this article is equally relevant to many men, and to female PG pilots. New pilots of either sex take from it what you will, and be empowered!

G ’ D ay J a n e

Great that you want to fly!

First let me say there’s no reason you shouldn’t become a HG pilot, if it’s what you really want and you’re not just doing it because your partner flies. If you love the idea of flying for yourself, nothing will stop you. Women who decide to learn only because their partner flies are less likely to succeed, because it’s your own dream and desire that gets you through training, not someone else’s.

So I’m assuming that you want to fly.

Flying is certainly a dream come true for me! I’m not particularly coordinated or athletic, though I’m relatively strong and active. I started learning when I was nearing 40 and I’m 48 now. If you’re fit enough to ride a pushbike, you’ll be fine.

Although I’m tall, I know three female pilots (four if you include ‘Mrs Poser’ on the hanggliding.org list) who are below 157.5cm (5ft 2 inches). They’re all excellent pilots, because a good pilot is equally about attitude as physical skills.

In California, there’s an advanced rated woman HG pilot who is 150cm (4ft 11 inches) and 43kg (97 pounds)!

Don’t worry about Physical Strength – Learn on the Right-Sized Glider!

Helen McKerral

In the air, where we use our body weight to control the glider, women have no disadvantage; in fact, even in competitive cross-country flying, which is largely about attitude, confidence and strategic

thinking, top female pilots (even tiny ones like Corinna Schwiegershausen) can outperform men double their weight and triple their strength!

While learning, small women may be disadvantaged not for any difference in upper body strength, but because glider control frames are designed for men, who for any particular height are usually heavier, with wider shoulders, and longer arms and torsos. This means that the glider sits lower on our shoulders when groundhandling and launching, making both trickier if the glider is even slightly too big. Downtube padding helps, but doesn’t entirely solve the issue. In Australia, the smallest commonly available glider is a Fun 160, when most small women really need a Falcon 145.

Our lower body weight (proportionally more fat, lighter than muscle) also reduces effective leverage if the wing area is too big, making it more difficult to influence the glider and learn control inputs.

It’s MUCH harder to learn on a glider that’s too big for you – imagine learning to ride a pushbike with the pedals too far away – so, if you’re below 157.5cm (5ft 2 inches) or 55kg (121lb), it’s especially important for you to find a school that has a 160ft2 glider or smaller.

In fact, although accepted practice is to learn on the school’s gliders and to buy your own when training finishes, if you’re small, partway through training, and sure you want to continue, consider buying a glider the right size if the school doesn’t have one. You may put a few scuffs on it during training, but you’ll learn more, with much less work. The aforementioned 150cm pilot almost gave up until she got

Understand Population Differences I believe that women confront other unique issues when learning to fly. The following is mostly opinion, based on my experiences and those of female pilots I know personally or with whom I’ve corresponded. I’m no sports psychologist, but every female HG correspondent has confirmed the nature of these experiences, so they are not unique to me.

The population of men and women comprises overlapping bell curves. Any particular woman can be stronger/taller than a particular man, but if you’re an ‘average’ woman, you’ll have certain differences from an ‘average’ man, that will be relevant when you learn to fly.

Having expectations that match reality will help you assess your attitude by an appropriate yardstick – your own.

This applies to men too, but is particularly important for female pilots because we’re generally surrounded by male pilots, and it’s easy to begin to question our attitude if it differs significantly from those

around us. Both men and women are likely to have certain traits if they hang glide – extreme sports are called that for a reason! It’s what makes pilots such a fun bunch to be around.

I’ve always viewed men and women as equal and still do, but hadn’t realized the implications of certain differences.

Those differences were inescapable when I began flying. Nowadays it’s highly politically incorrect to even acknowledge any differences, but I think pretending they don’t exist is counterproductive.

Understand Tolerance of Risk Most men are prepared to take more risks than women. This is fact, and thought to be caused by a range of factors, including hormonal. Age makes a difference too, for both men and women.

So when you’re learning, or after you have your licence or rating, you may be perfectly happy boating around launch in sweet air, as new male &/or young pilots zoom into the distance. Don’t worry about it. If you’ve enjoyed your flight, you’re doing exactly the right thing. Why do I believe this?

Above a certain level of challenge, the perceived risk is too high for effective learning as fear overwhelms us. Conversely, insufficient challenge creates boredom and lack of progress… but I bet few, if any, female pilots have ever left this sport because they became bored.

Because of our increased aversion to risk, we’re likely to feel more fear than men do at any particular new skill challenge. For me, (and, I suspect, most women) the limits within which we learn a high-risk sport most effectively are therefore different than for many men.

The concept of pushing through the fear barrier is likely to fail with us if male pilots around us and, dare I say, instructors, fail to recognise that our optimal learning areas are different from men and instead impose their own.

A certain level of fear is normal and healthy, particularly when you’re new and relying on your instructor or mentor, but excessive fear is damaging: pilots who have an ‘incident’ and scare themselves out of the sport are depressingly common. However, my suspicion is that many new female pilots are actually flying an incident every time, even when the flights appear perfect to an outside observer and nothing ‘bad’ has happened. Pushing to the next level of proficiency while still significantly fearful of the current one is counterproductive because the pilot

Birgit launches at Corryong

then never experiences true enjoyment (challenge without excessive fear). If fear is too great, the pilot won’t have had fun.

Without fun, motivation falls. The female pilot then leaves the sport after a year or two, having developed her skills, but without once having experienced genuine fun. The answer is to develop proficiency at every stage of learning, at your own pace. Have fun. Enjoy every step of the journey, and the destination takes care of itself.

Later, a level of fear in new situations is also healthy and useful in your flying, keeping you alert. However, at any stage, only you can identify what is an acceptable level of fear for you, and when you are having fun or ready to move on. More important than your apparent

Nicola Bowskill thermalling up at Forbes

6 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia

7

H G FA

H G FA

Letter To A New Female Hang Glider Pilot Helen McKerral We often read about getting out of the comfort zone, expanding the envelope, pushing through fear/limits/boundaries, racing to win… it works for many confident,

Left to right: Karen, Marlies, Helen, Birgit, Nic and Katha

sensation-seeking, competitive and/or testosterone-charged alpha-males. But what

hold of the right glider for training (Falcon 145), after which things went well.

‘Mrs Poser’ showed excellent technique on her first high glide and that’s no coincidence, just silver lining. Tall men may get away with sloppy technique, but short, light women who learn on gliders slightly too big for them are practically required to develop perfect control inputs! A new pilot, weighing just 40kg (88lb), after learning and flying on a Fun 160, said to me after her first flight on a Falcon 145, “Wow, it turns when I want it to!” You bet it does! The best remedy always lies in appropriate equipment, not in compensations by the pilot for poor fit.

Upper body strength does modestly affect groundhandling, when we’re not using our body weight to manipulate the glider, but instead leveraging with arm, chest, shoulder and back muscles. Weight training helps, but isn’t essential: good technique overcomes all!

if you’re not one of these? How to develop into a skilled pilot if your motivation and temperament are completely different?

T

his letter began as a response to a female pilot whose partner was concerned about her learning to fly. He thought she might not be strong or ‘gutsy’ enough.

The letter refines earlier ruminations and incorporates feedback from dozens of male and female, experienced and new HG pilots. It aims to inspire new female HG pilots to trust their own attitudes and accept their own flying style.

Of course, much of this article is equally relevant to many men, and to female PG pilots. New pilots of either sex take from it what you will, and be empowered!

G ’ D ay J a n e

Great that you want to fly!

First let me say there’s no reason you shouldn’t become a HG pilot, if it’s what you really want and you’re not just doing it because your partner flies. If you love the idea of flying for yourself, nothing will stop you. Women who decide to learn only because their partner flies are less likely to succeed, because it’s your own dream and desire that gets you through training, not someone else’s.

So I’m assuming that you want to fly.

Flying is certainly a dream come true for me! I’m not particularly coordinated or athletic, though I’m relatively strong and active. I started learning when I was nearing 40 and I’m 48 now. If you’re fit enough to ride a pushbike, you’ll be fine.

Although I’m tall, I know three female pilots (four if you include ‘Mrs Poser’ on the hanggliding.org list) who are below 157.5cm (5ft 2 inches). They’re all excellent pilots, because a good pilot is equally about attitude as physical skills.

In California, there’s an advanced rated woman HG pilot who is 150cm (4ft 11 inches) and 43kg (97 pounds)!

Don’t worry about Physical Strength – Learn on the Right-Sized Glider!

Helen McKerral

In the air, where we use our body weight to control the glider, women have no disadvantage; in fact, even in competitive cross-country flying, which is largely about attitude, confidence and strategic

thinking, top female pilots (even tiny ones like Corinna Schwiegershausen) can outperform men double their weight and triple their strength!

While learning, small women may be disadvantaged not for any difference in upper body strength, but because glider control frames are designed for men, who for any particular height are usually heavier, with wider shoulders, and longer arms and torsos. This means that the glider sits lower on our shoulders when groundhandling and launching, making both trickier if the glider is even slightly too big. Downtube padding helps, but doesn’t entirely solve the issue. In Australia, the smallest commonly available glider is a Fun 160, when most small women really need a Falcon 145.

Our lower body weight (proportionally more fat, lighter than muscle) also reduces effective leverage if the wing area is too big, making it more difficult to influence the glider and learn control inputs.

It’s MUCH harder to learn on a glider that’s too big for you – imagine learning to ride a pushbike with the pedals too far away – so, if you’re below 157.5cm (5ft 2 inches) or 55kg (121lb), it’s especially important for you to find a school that has a 160ft2 glider or smaller.

In fact, although accepted practice is to learn on the school’s gliders and to buy your own when training finishes, if you’re small, partway through training, and sure you want to continue, consider buying a glider the right size if the school doesn’t have one. You may put a few scuffs on it during training, but you’ll learn more, with much less work. The aforementioned 150cm pilot almost gave up until she got

Understand Population Differences I believe that women confront other unique issues when learning to fly. The following is mostly opinion, based on my experiences and those of female pilots I know personally or with whom I’ve corresponded. I’m no sports psychologist, but every female HG correspondent has confirmed the nature of these experiences, so they are not unique to me.

The population of men and women comprises overlapping bell curves. Any particular woman can be stronger/taller than a particular man, but if you’re an ‘average’ woman, you’ll have certain differences from an ‘average’ man, that will be relevant when you learn to fly.

Having expectations that match reality will help you assess your attitude by an appropriate yardstick – your own.

This applies to men too, but is particularly important for female pilots because we’re generally surrounded by male pilots, and it’s easy to begin to question our attitude if it differs significantly from those

around us. Both men and women are likely to have certain traits if they hang glide – extreme sports are called that for a reason! It’s what makes pilots such a fun bunch to be around.

I’ve always viewed men and women as equal and still do, but hadn’t realized the implications of certain differences.

Those differences were inescapable when I began flying. Nowadays it’s highly politically incorrect to even acknowledge any differences, but I think pretending they don’t exist is counterproductive.

Understand Tolerance of Risk Most men are prepared to take more risks than women. This is fact, and thought to be caused by a range of factors, including hormonal. Age makes a difference too, for both men and women.

So when you’re learning, or after you have your licence or rating, you may be perfectly happy boating around launch in sweet air, as new male &/or young pilots zoom into the distance. Don’t worry about it. If you’ve enjoyed your flight, you’re doing exactly the right thing. Why do I believe this?

Above a certain level of challenge, the perceived risk is too high for effective learning as fear overwhelms us. Conversely, insufficient challenge creates boredom and lack of progress… but I bet few, if any, female pilots have ever left this sport because they became bored.

Because of our increased aversion to risk, we’re likely to feel more fear than men do at any particular new skill challenge. For me, (and, I suspect, most women) the limits within which we learn a high-risk sport most effectively are therefore different than for many men.

The concept of pushing through the fear barrier is likely to fail with us if male pilots around us and, dare I say, instructors, fail to recognise that our optimal learning areas are different from men and instead impose their own.

A certain level of fear is normal and healthy, particularly when you’re new and relying on your instructor or mentor, but excessive fear is damaging: pilots who have an ‘incident’ and scare themselves out of the sport are depressingly common. However, my suspicion is that many new female pilots are actually flying an incident every time, even when the flights appear perfect to an outside observer and nothing ‘bad’ has happened. Pushing to the next level of proficiency while still significantly fearful of the current one is counterproductive because the pilot

Birgit launches at Corryong

then never experiences true enjoyment (challenge without excessive fear). If fear is too great, the pilot won’t have had fun.

Without fun, motivation falls. The female pilot then leaves the sport after a year or two, having developed her skills, but without once having experienced genuine fun. The answer is to develop proficiency at every stage of learning, at your own pace. Have fun. Enjoy every step of the journey, and the destination takes care of itself.

Later, a level of fear in new situations is also healthy and useful in your flying, keeping you alert. However, at any stage, only you can identify what is an acceptable level of fear for you, and when you are having fun or ready to move on. More important than your apparent

Nicola Bowskill thermalling up at Forbes

6 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia

7

H G FA

H G FA your barometer, “Did I have fun? Am I satisfied with my launch and landing?

Did I learn something new today? Did I do something better today?” It’s helpful to build those first 20 hours as quickly as possible, flying often so muscle memory can establish.

Find the Right School and Mentors

Nicola flying at Corryong

skills, visible to all, is your own confidence in those skills, visible only to yourself.

I find that, without external pressure, my learning progress is – yes – slow… but it’s also natural, thorough and deeply assimilated. As I become more comfortable and proficient in each skill, I automatically look for new challenges to raise the level of interest.

Once I identified and accepted my own appropriate level of challenge, and was sufficiently assertive to ignore those of (male) pilots around me, my enjoyment of flying increased a thousandfold, accompanied by a deep sense of ‘rightness’. There was some fear, but I was having FUN!

Identify your Level of Acceptable Challenge As for developing technique, baby steps at my home site works for me; I best learn new skills and expand my envelope in a place I’m comfortable before transferring skills to new situations; I find it difficult and excessively scary to push envelopes in new environments, because the new environment is in itself already a big challenge. Many of my male flying friends are completely unaware that just flying a new site for the first time is pushing the envelope enough for me (even after almost a decade, numerous sites, thousands of flights and hundreds of hours). I love flying new sites, but the first-time newness alone is ‘just right’.

8 Soaring Australia

This approach also neatly implements ancient HG lore: never combine two unknowns. A new harness at a familiar site is okay. A new site with all familiar gear is okay. A new glider at a new site is asking for trouble. A new skill or flying technique is also one new thing. Again, this advice is already available in your flying community. All you need to do is ask!

I therefore believe it’s essential for every female pilot to understand challenge as it applies to her, and to be assertive in finding her own comfort level, because we’ll scare ourselves out of the sport if we consistently fly by someone else’s expectations of where we ‘ought’ to be. Surrounded by male pilots, it’s all too easy to succumb to peer pressure and adopt an inappropriate standard for yourself. Resist this local peer pressure, especially if it is unintended and unspoken. Instead read blogs by female pilots such as Corinna Schwiegershausen, Linda Salamone, and Jamie Shelden and be reassured by their honest and undeniably female approach to flying.

Although these women are competitive pilots and you are new, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you have more in common with them than with many of the guys in your local club!

As you gain regular airtime and flights, your envelope will automatically expand as you seek new experiences from a position of confidence. Make

I’ve been fortunate with excellent instructors who tailored my instruction to suit my needs, advancing me at a rate that suited my confidence and personality, and I urge you to seek a school that teaches to the individual and not the schedule. One pilot described it this way: “…the fly or die schools [are] unwilling to make concessions for women or [less confident] men. Throughput means income. The schools act as a filter for certain personality types. Some only pass the Mo’onia Gerrards of the world.”

Conversely, a flying school that simply charges for additional lessons beyond the ‘standard’ course will accept whatever pace you set for yourself.

Family nearby can hinder while you’re learning and many correspondents have strongly recommended that partners absent themselves from the training hill, even – or especially – if they’re pilots themselves. Partners may be supportive, but any distraction during training is detrimental. And there’s often too much emotional involvement for partners to be objective about any comments given or heard.

For all pilots, continued support in the first few years after they get their licence or rating is equally important: a number of insightful, experienced mentors were crucial in maintaining my confidence after experiencing setbacks. Surround yourself with such empowering people.

Nor should learning more advanced skills be terrifying! Although we all become independent and self-reliant pilots, it’s perfectly valid for us to learn new skills (everything from first top landings to first XC or even aerobatics) from more experienced pilots who say ‘follow me’ or ‘like this’ to bring big challenges into our optimal learning range. Experienced pilots also help new pilots to avoid unsafe options. Such mentors are a great way to safely advance skills beyond lessons, and a genuine mentor will be unconcerned about ‘missing’ a few opportunities because a new pilot needs safer options.

Good mentors exist in every flying community. They will welcome your questions and your desire to advance.

October 2009

Marlies Sue

Seek them out and don’t ever be embarrassed to ask for their advice.

Don’t avoid asking because you think it’s demeaning, weak, dependent or ‘girly’.

It’s not. Every good pilot – male or female – always seeks to improve in whatever ways suit them best.

One correspondent pointed out that very young female pilots are a minority within a minority, who may face particular social challenges in communities where many of the men are old enough to be their fathers. In this case, your new flying community may initially seem like a boys’ club of Old Farts, but remember that, as a pilot, your day job, share portfolio (or lack of one!), religion, race and, yes, age are irrelevant. Only flying is relevant – and that’s why you’re there.

View yourself as a pilot, let them see your commitment to the sport, be patient, and the differences will melt away.

Remember that Caution is a Strength, not a Weakness I also believe that women, because of this more cautious attitude and approach, make particularly safe pilots. FvS has, I’ve been told, never broken a downtube. I’ve broken just one in about 700 plus hours and more than 2000 flights. I’ve had bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones.

Even a female World champion like Kari Castle says she wouldn’t fly over tiger territory like the men and it was only when comp rules became safer that she started to compete. One correspondent recalls a King Mountain meet many years ago when Kari and he were on launch: “There was a storm brewing out front and to the left. [Kari] said something like, ‘This is stupid. If we were free-flying, we’d be driving down the hill to get beer by now!’ I agreed, and said (loudly, so many pilots could hear) that I was October 2009

breaking down now. She started to do the same. We were the only two to do so.

About the time we got our gliders folded (but not flipped over), we had a gustfront go through. Three miles per hour to 60mph in less than 15 seconds! Kari and I helped the other pilots break down their gliders, since it was all they could do to hold them down. The point is that even Kari, one of the top pilots in the world (not just among women), was willing to do the cautious thing.”

Current World champion Corinna wrote last year during the Women’s Worlds that she found the small LZs intimidating and wasn’t prepared to fly over an unlandable area; another day in the same competition NONE of the women set up as the men (in the rigid category) started to rig – the day was called.

In fact, although I believe that women can and should compete side-by-side against men in competitions, and fly with them as part of the local club community, attending a gathering of female pilots, be it a fly-in or comp, is uniquely valuable, especially for new female pilots.

For years I viewed myself as a ridiculously timid pilot, and it was enormously empowering to discover that I was actually quite confident in female risktolerance standards! It was a complete validation of my approach to flying!

I finally understood that what I’d previously viewed as shortcomings, were also strengths; I didn’t need to become something I was not, to be a ‘good’ pilot.

In their feedback, other female pilots have echoed this epiphany. Most male pilots, as part of the significant majority, attend a fly-in of peers every time they come out to the hill, and are less likely to understand the enormous value of women-only fly-ins.

Sue and Birgit

I was told once that women pilots worry about what might happen, whereas male pilots worry when it’s happening!

Often, I won’t venture somewhere because I think, “What if the wind changes, where would I land?” And at the same time, a male pilot with far less experience and skill than me, blithely heads exactly there!

A female pilot wrote that her first rule of flying was not “Can I launch?” but “Can I land in these conditions?”

In other words, we fly more carefully than men, just as we drive more carefully than men (as car insurers and actuaries know!). Of course, there are plenty of safe and highly skilled male pilots – identify them and make them your role models and mentors instead of the alpha male risk-takers.

It’s also important to differentiate between caution and indecision. An experienced pilot writes, “In hang gliding, you can be very cautious and still fly well.

But you do have to be decisive. I’ve seen people hurt themselves because they wait too long to decide. An acceptable decision now is often better than a perfect decision a few seconds from now.” The same correspondent adds that it’s essential to identify yourself as the ‘boss’ on launch and landing: Soaring Australia

9

H G FA

H G FA your barometer, “Did I have fun? Am I satisfied with my launch and landing?

Did I learn something new today? Did I do something better today?” It’s helpful to build those first 20 hours as quickly as possible, flying often so muscle memory can establish.

Find the Right School and Mentors

Nicola flying at Corryong

skills, visible to all, is your own confidence in those skills, visible only to yourself.

I find that, without external pressure, my learning progress is – yes – slow… but it’s also natural, thorough and deeply assimilated. As I become more comfortable and proficient in each skill, I automatically look for new challenges to raise the level of interest.

Once I identified and accepted my own appropriate level of challenge, and was sufficiently assertive to ignore those of (male) pilots around me, my enjoyment of flying increased a thousandfold, accompanied by a deep sense of ‘rightness’. There was some fear, but I was having FUN!

Identify your Level of Acceptable Challenge As for developing technique, baby steps at my home site works for me; I best learn new skills and expand my envelope in a place I’m comfortable before transferring skills to new situations; I find it difficult and excessively scary to push envelopes in new environments, because the new environment is in itself already a big challenge. Many of my male flying friends are completely unaware that just flying a new site for the first time is pushing the envelope enough for me (even after almost a decade, numerous sites, thousands of flights and hundreds of hours). I love flying new sites, but the first-time newness alone is ‘just right’.

8 Soaring Australia

This approach also neatly implements ancient HG lore: never combine two unknowns. A new harness at a familiar site is okay. A new site with all familiar gear is okay. A new glider at a new site is asking for trouble. A new skill or flying technique is also one new thing. Again, this advice is already available in your flying community. All you need to do is ask!

I therefore believe it’s essential for every female pilot to understand challenge as it applies to her, and to be assertive in finding her own comfort level, because we’ll scare ourselves out of the sport if we consistently fly by someone else’s expectations of where we ‘ought’ to be. Surrounded by male pilots, it’s all too easy to succumb to peer pressure and adopt an inappropriate standard for yourself. Resist this local peer pressure, especially if it is unintended and unspoken. Instead read blogs by female pilots such as Corinna Schwiegershausen, Linda Salamone, and Jamie Shelden and be reassured by their honest and undeniably female approach to flying.

Although these women are competitive pilots and you are new, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you have more in common with them than with many of the guys in your local club!

As you gain regular airtime and flights, your envelope will automatically expand as you seek new experiences from a position of confidence. Make

I’ve been fortunate with excellent instructors who tailored my instruction to suit my needs, advancing me at a rate that suited my confidence and personality, and I urge you to seek a school that teaches to the individual and not the schedule. One pilot described it this way: “…the fly or die schools [are] unwilling to make concessions for women or [less confident] men. Throughput means income. The schools act as a filter for certain personality types. Some only pass the Mo’onia Gerrards of the world.”

Conversely, a flying school that simply charges for additional lessons beyond the ‘standard’ course will accept whatever pace you set for yourself.

Family nearby can hinder while you’re learning and many correspondents have strongly recommended that partners absent themselves from the training hill, even – or especially – if they’re pilots themselves. Partners may be supportive, but any distraction during training is detrimental. And there’s often too much emotional involvement for partners to be objective about any comments given or heard.

For all pilots, continued support in the first few years after they get their licence or rating is equally important: a number of insightful, experienced mentors were crucial in maintaining my confidence after experiencing setbacks. Surround yourself with such empowering people.

Nor should learning more advanced skills be terrifying! Although we all become independent and self-reliant pilots, it’s perfectly valid for us to learn new skills (everything from first top landings to first XC or even aerobatics) from more experienced pilots who say ‘follow me’ or ‘like this’ to bring big challenges into our optimal learning range. Experienced pilots also help new pilots to avoid unsafe options. Such mentors are a great way to safely advance skills beyond lessons, and a genuine mentor will be unconcerned about ‘missing’ a few opportunities because a new pilot needs safer options.

Good mentors exist in every flying community. They will welcome your questions and your desire to advance.

October 2009

Marlies Sue

Seek them out and don’t ever be embarrassed to ask for their advice.

Don’t avoid asking because you think it’s demeaning, weak, dependent or ‘girly’.

It’s not. Every good pilot – male or female – always seeks to improve in whatever ways suit them best.

One correspondent pointed out that very young female pilots are a minority within a minority, who may face particular social challenges in communities where many of the men are old enough to be their fathers. In this case, your new flying community may initially seem like a boys’ club of Old Farts, but remember that, as a pilot, your day job, share portfolio (or lack of one!), religion, race and, yes, age are irrelevant. Only flying is relevant – and that’s why you’re there.

View yourself as a pilot, let them see your commitment to the sport, be patient, and the differences will melt away.

Remember that Caution is a Strength, not a Weakness I also believe that women, because of this more cautious attitude and approach, make particularly safe pilots. FvS has, I’ve been told, never broken a downtube. I’ve broken just one in about 700 plus hours and more than 2000 flights. I’ve had bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones.

Even a female World champion like Kari Castle says she wouldn’t fly over tiger territory like the men and it was only when comp rules became safer that she started to compete. One correspondent recalls a King Mountain meet many years ago when Kari and he were on launch: “There was a storm brewing out front and to the left. [Kari] said something like, ‘This is stupid. If we were free-flying, we’d be driving down the hill to get beer by now!’ I agreed, and said (loudly, so many pilots could hear) that I was October 2009

breaking down now. She started to do the same. We were the only two to do so.

About the time we got our gliders folded (but not flipped over), we had a gustfront go through. Three miles per hour to 60mph in less than 15 seconds! Kari and I helped the other pilots break down their gliders, since it was all they could do to hold them down. The point is that even Kari, one of the top pilots in the world (not just among women), was willing to do the cautious thing.”

Current World champion Corinna wrote last year during the Women’s Worlds that she found the small LZs intimidating and wasn’t prepared to fly over an unlandable area; another day in the same competition NONE of the women set up as the men (in the rigid category) started to rig – the day was called.

In fact, although I believe that women can and should compete side-by-side against men in competitions, and fly with them as part of the local club community, attending a gathering of female pilots, be it a fly-in or comp, is uniquely valuable, especially for new female pilots.

For years I viewed myself as a ridiculously timid pilot, and it was enormously empowering to discover that I was actually quite confident in female risktolerance standards! It was a complete validation of my approach to flying!

I finally understood that what I’d previously viewed as shortcomings, were also strengths; I didn’t need to become something I was not, to be a ‘good’ pilot.

In their feedback, other female pilots have echoed this epiphany. Most male pilots, as part of the significant majority, attend a fly-in of peers every time they come out to the hill, and are less likely to understand the enormous value of women-only fly-ins.

Sue and Birgit

I was told once that women pilots worry about what might happen, whereas male pilots worry when it’s happening!

Often, I won’t venture somewhere because I think, “What if the wind changes, where would I land?” And at the same time, a male pilot with far less experience and skill than me, blithely heads exactly there!

A female pilot wrote that her first rule of flying was not “Can I launch?” but “Can I land in these conditions?”

In other words, we fly more carefully than men, just as we drive more carefully than men (as car insurers and actuaries know!). Of course, there are plenty of safe and highly skilled male pilots – identify them and make them your role models and mentors instead of the alpha male risk-takers.

It’s also important to differentiate between caution and indecision. An experienced pilot writes, “In hang gliding, you can be very cautious and still fly well.

But you do have to be decisive. I’ve seen people hurt themselves because they wait too long to decide. An acceptable decision now is often better than a perfect decision a few seconds from now.” The same correspondent adds that it’s essential to identify yourself as the ‘boss’ on launch and landing: Soaring Australia

9

H G FA

H G FA all, with every successful flight irrational fear incrementally diminishes, until only pleasurable butterflies of nervous excitement are left.

Don’t Compare Yourself

Sue

“…understand that you are in charge of the glider, not the wind. Technique is the cure, not muscle, but you do need to be [decisive] in actually using that technique and not waiting excessively.”

Remember, our lower tolerance of risk is a disadvantage only initially as we are trying to overcome fear and learning to fly, but an advantage in the long term as our caution makes us pilots who make safe decisions.

Differentiate between Rational and Irrational Fear Mastering (mistressing?) your fear is integral to learning to fly. Falling is a primal fear tiny babies possess, before they even understand what falling is.

Both men and women have this fear but, because women are more averse to risktaking behaviour, our desire to fly must be correspondingly higher to overcome that aversion. Accept that learning to fly does involve fear but that, when you choose your instructor wisely, you’re in safe hands. At the earliest stages of your flying, you just need to have complete trust in your instructor, knowing that • the instructor is more experienced than you in knowing what you are ready for, and • the instructor would never launch you if he or she thought you weren’t ready.

Your fear is less rational, the instructor’s knowledge more rational. Believe

10 Soaring Australia

and trust that the instructor knows, and that you don’t. Remind yourself that every pilot experiences fear to some degree and must overcome it. If the desire to fly is there, you WILL overcome it.

Once you get your licence, you’ll likely notice other pilots convey information differently. There’s no instructor telling you what to do. As pilot-in-command, it’s your decision, and yours alone, to launch. Over time, you’ll learn to assess the suitability of conditions yourself but initially you’ll make that decision based on advice from trusted experienced mentors. Rather than asking, “Should I fly?” your question should be, “What do you think about conditions (for me)?”

Because you’re making that decision rather than having the instructor make it for you, you may at times in the first six months or more find yourself pinned on launch by irrational fear, even in perfect conditions, and packing up at the end of the day feeling miserable that you didn’t fly. No one will tell you to launch, because that’s your decision.

However, something that worked for me early on, was a self-imposed rule: if I was on the hill (therefore in good physical and mental shape to fly) and my trusted experienced mentors said that conditions were good/excellent/great/perfect, then my decision would be to launch, no excuses. Not to launch would be a decision based on irrational fear. Best of

Men and women also process visualspatial data and navigation differently.

Men use landmarks differently and unfortunately those jokes about women parking and turning maps upside down are based in truth. Some researchers suggest that these differences are due to generations of selection for men going long distances hunting game, peering at distant landmarks to find their way home, and throwing spears at running antelope, while women gathered nuts and berries (we’re much better at remembering where the keys are). In my opinion, these differences come into effect when you begin to plan landings in threedimensional space (with training and experience, our skills equal those of men and the differences disappear).

For a long time when landing I had no idea whether I’d hit the paddock, let alone the landing spot. It was like driving up to traffic lights and braking, but not knowing whether I’d stop before, in or after the intersection. I only knew where I’d end up, when I ended up there! I couldn’t comprehend how male pilots could so easily hit the mark. Even when I’d been flying a year, I’d see fledglings do what I’d only just begun to learn!

Fortunately, practice overcomes any disadvantage. It’s hare and tortoise: natural pilots who learn effortlessly, but don’t fly often, are overtaken by less naturally talented pilots who fly regularly and hone their skills.

Because I was comparing myself to male pilots, I was disappointed in my landing approach progress. I thought I’d never learn, but I was actually learning exactly right… for me. I finally discovered a different ‘way’ to landing approaches that I later realised was more tailored to the way the female brain processes visual spatial information. You’ll see experienced pilots glance repeatedly at the spot – this repetition allows them to identify changing angles in their approach path and to make constant corrections. I use this technique now, but my initial breakthrough came when I broke the angles into a series of invisible points, combining them into an imaginary 3D road, culminating in the spot I needed

October 2009

to be to enter final. This technique may or may not work for you.

While you’re training, though, these issues don’t matter because your instructor will tell you when to make your turns, and for a long time your LZs will be beaches or paddocks big enough to land a Boeing! Men too find landing the most challenging part of learning to fly HGs. So be positive, remember the approaches that work for you and other pilots, be patient and visualise those perfect touchdowns.

Most importantly, remind yourself that every pilot’s rate of progress, whatever it is, is the right rate for that pilot.

It can’t be rushed, and in fact I believe pilots who learn gradually, build a particularly solid skill set. Of course, you could also be one of those ‘naturals’ for whom it all comes easily (LM was like this, I understand, as is my 40kg friend). Even if you’re not a natural, the skills WILL come as long as you don’t give up. The pay-off is worth it.

Regardless of the real differences between male and female pilots covered above, remember that you are first and foremost a pilot. The skills you develop and the air you fly in don’t care what sex you are. View yourself as a pilot with particular strengths and weaknesses, just like every other pilot. View yourself as a pilot, and others will also view and respect you as a pilot. On the hill, I consider myself ‘one of the boys’ in the best possible sense: I have many more things in common with male pilots, than I have differences, and even those differences are small in the overall scheme of things. You’ll likely have a certain positive outlook, enjoy the outdoors, laugh a lot – your male flying mates are equals who will probably become some of your closest friends.

Anyway, Jane, for me there is nothing better than flying (well, almost nothing!).

It’s an indescribable joy of living in the moment, more meditation than sport. If you want to learn to fly for yourself, and the memory of that tandem flight replays in your mind repeatedly, nothing but you will stop you from becoming a pilot.

After you get your licence or rating, practical tips to hone skills in ways that are appropriate and enjoyable for women as well as many men include: 1. Maintain a minimum of three landings per hour of airtime ratio 2. Utilise mother-ducking, whereby a mentor flies an overly challenging route or XC with you for the very first October 2009

time, to bring it within your optimal learning area 3. Expand your technique envelope in many small increments by practising skills at a home site where you feel safe and confident, rather than by expanding your envelope in huge and terrifying steps 4. Advance to a higher performance wing only when you have thoroughly consolidated your skills in a novice wing. This is important for all pilots, but crucial for short women because physical leverage affects the effectiveness of control inputs that become more critical in less roll-responsive higher performance wings.

5. Seriously consider retaining your novice wing when you buy an advanced one. This will allow you to ‘dial in’ the latter in ideal conditions, reserving the old glider, on which you’re most comfortable, for more challenging conditions. You can then gradually increase the challenge on the new glider until you’re completely comfortable on it, rather than scaring yourself by flying an advanced glider in crappy conditions.

6. Lift weights at the gym to increase shoulder, back, chest, and arm strength, or do simple resistance exercises (eg with bungee or elastic straps) to increase muscle strength at home.

7. All pilots should learn to think and plan for themselves, and overdependence on radio instruction directing every control input will be detrimental to this development.

However, limited radio advice from a skilled mentor can hugely boost confidence and be indispensable in the early stages of your flying, especially with more demanding landing approaches, at unfamiliar sites, or when learning new skills.

8. Attend women’s fly-ins and gatherings, and talk to other female pilots whenever you can.

9. Build those first 20 hours of airtime as quickly as possible, not just to consolidate muscle memory, but to increase confidence – long lay-offs between flights lead to increased nervousness before each one.

10. As you gain experience, learn to discriminate between rational fears and irrational ones. A degree of fear is inevitable when learning new skills and should be expected, even welcomed, and you’ll become

Sue launching

Tracey on tow and landing

better at judging whether the fear is manageable or appropriate, and also better at dealing with it as you develop. However, as you gain experience, trust your instincts: the little voice in your head screaming that something’s wrong may be a potential problem your subconscious has identified but your conscious has missed. In this case, seek a second opinion from an experienced fellow pilot, or trust your instincts.

11. Be assertive in mapping out your own preferred flying style and approach.

12. Don’t confuse caution with indecision.

Be decisive when you fly.

Jane, I’ll be happy to correspond more once you have your licence. Good luck and I look forward to flying with you soon!

Cheers from Downunder.

Soaring Australia 11

H G FA

H G FA all, with every successful flight irrational fear incrementally diminishes, until only pleasurable butterflies of nervous excitement are left.

Don’t Compare Yourself

Sue

“…understand that you are in charge of the glider, not the wind. Technique is the cure, not muscle, but you do need to be [decisive] in actually using that technique and not waiting excessively.”

Remember, our lower tolerance of risk is a disadvantage only initially as we are trying to overcome fear and learning to fly, but an advantage in the long term as our caution makes us pilots who make safe decisions.

Differentiate between Rational and Irrational Fear Mastering (mistressing?) your fear is integral to learning to fly. Falling is a primal fear tiny babies possess, before they even understand what falling is.

Both men and women have this fear but, because women are more averse to risktaking behaviour, our desire to fly must be correspondingly higher to overcome that aversion. Accept that learning to fly does involve fear but that, when you choose your instructor wisely, you’re in safe hands. At the earliest stages of your flying, you just need to have complete trust in your instructor, knowing that • the instructor is more experienced than you in knowing what you are ready for, and • the instructor would never launch you if he or she thought you weren’t ready.

Your fear is less rational, the instructor’s knowledge more rational. Believe

10 Soaring Australia

and trust that the instructor knows, and that you don’t. Remind yourself that every pilot experiences fear to some degree and must overcome it. If the desire to fly is there, you WILL overcome it.

Once you get your licence, you’ll likely notice other pilots convey information differently. There’s no instructor telling you what to do. As pilot-in-command, it’s your decision, and yours alone, to launch. Over time, you’ll learn to assess the suitability of conditions yourself but initially you’ll make that decision based on advice from trusted experienced mentors. Rather than asking, “Should I fly?” your question should be, “What do you think about conditions (for me)?”

Because you’re making that decision rather than having the instructor make it for you, you may at times in the first six months or more find yourself pinned on launch by irrational fear, even in perfect conditions, and packing up at the end of the day feeling miserable that you didn’t fly. No one will tell you to launch, because that’s your decision.

However, something that worked for me early on, was a self-imposed rule: if I was on the hill (therefore in good physical and mental shape to fly) and my trusted experienced mentors said that conditions were good/excellent/great/perfect, then my decision would be to launch, no excuses. Not to launch would be a decision based on irrational fear. Best of

Men and women also process visualspatial data and navigation differently.

Men use landmarks differently and unfortunately those jokes about women parking and turning maps upside down are based in truth. Some researchers suggest that these differences are due to generations of selection for men going long distances hunting game, peering at distant landmarks to find their way home, and throwing spears at running antelope, while women gathered nuts and berries (we’re much better at remembering where the keys are). In my opinion, these differences come into effect when you begin to plan landings in threedimensional space (with training and experience, our skills equal those of men and the differences disappear).

For a long time when landing I had no idea whether I’d hit the paddock, let alone the landing spot. It was like driving up to traffic lights and braking, but not knowing whether I’d stop before, in or after the intersection. I only knew where I’d end up, when I ended up there! I couldn’t comprehend how male pilots could so easily hit the mark. Even when I’d been flying a year, I’d see fledglings do what I’d only just begun to learn!

Fortunately, practice overcomes any disadvantage. It’s hare and tortoise: natural pilots who learn effortlessly, but don’t fly often, are overtaken by less naturally talented pilots who fly regularly and hone their skills.

Because I was comparing myself to male pilots, I was disappointed in my landing approach progress. I thought I’d never learn, but I was actually learning exactly right… for me. I finally discovered a different ‘way’ to landing approaches that I later realised was more tailored to the way the female brain processes visual spatial information. You’ll see experienced pilots glance repeatedly at the spot – this repetition allows them to identify changing angles in their approach path and to make constant corrections. I use this technique now, but my initial breakthrough came when I broke the angles into a series of invisible points, combining them into an imaginary 3D road, culminating in the spot I needed

October 2009

to be to enter final. This technique may or may not work for you.

While you’re training, though, these issues don’t matter because your instructor will tell you when to make your turns, and for a long time your LZs will be beaches or paddocks big enough to land a Boeing! Men too find landing the most challenging part of learning to fly HGs. So be positive, remember the approaches that work for you and other pilots, be patient and visualise those perfect touchdowns.

Most importantly, remind yourself that every pilot’s rate of progress, whatever it is, is the right rate for that pilot.

It can’t be rushed, and in fact I believe pilots who learn gradually, build a particularly solid skill set. Of course, you could also be one of those ‘naturals’ for whom it all comes easily (LM was like this, I understand, as is my 40kg friend). Even if you’re not a natural, the skills WILL come as long as you don’t give up. The pay-off is worth it.

Regardless of the real differences between male and female pilots covered above, remember that you are first and foremost a pilot. The skills you develop and the air you fly in don’t care what sex you are. View yourself as a pilot with particular strengths and weaknesses, just like every other pilot. View yourself as a pilot, and others will also view and respect you as a pilot. On the hill, I consider myself ‘one of the boys’ in the best possible sense: I have many more things in common with male pilots, than I have differences, and even those differences are small in the overall scheme of things. You’ll likely have a certain positive outlook, enjoy the outdoors, laugh a lot – your male flying mates are equals who will probably become some of your closest friends.

Anyway, Jane, for me there is nothing better than flying (well, almost nothing!).

It’s an indescribable joy of living in the moment, more meditation than sport. If you want to learn to fly for yourself, and the memory of that tandem flight replays in your mind repeatedly, nothing but you will stop you from becoming a pilot.

After you get your licence or rating, practical tips to hone skills in ways that are appropriate and enjoyable for women as well as many men include: 1. Maintain a minimum of three landings per hour of airtime ratio 2. Utilise mother-ducking, whereby a mentor flies an overly challenging route or XC with you for the very first October 2009

time, to bring it within your optimal learning area 3. Expand your technique envelope in many small increments by practising skills at a home site where you feel safe and confident, rather than by expanding your envelope in huge and terrifying steps 4. Advance to a higher performance wing only when you have thoroughly consolidated your skills in a novice wing. This is important for all pilots, but crucial for short women because physical leverage affects the effectiveness of control inputs that become more critical in less roll-responsive higher performance wings.

5. Seriously consider retaining your novice wing when you buy an advanced one. This will allow you to ‘dial in’ the latter in ideal conditions, reserving the old glider, on which you’re most comfortable, for more challenging conditions. You can then gradually increase the challenge on the new glider until you’re completely comfortable on it, rather than scaring yourself by flying an advanced glider in crappy conditions.

6. Lift weights at the gym to increase shoulder, back, chest, and arm strength, or do simple resistance exercises (eg with bungee or elastic straps) to increase muscle strength at home.

7. All pilots should learn to think and plan for themselves, and overdependence on radio instruction directing every control input will be detrimental to this development.

However, limited radio advice from a skilled mentor can hugely boost confidence and be indispensable in the early stages of your flying, especially with more demanding landing approaches, at unfamiliar sites, or when learning new skills.

8. Attend women’s fly-ins and gatherings, and talk to other female pilots whenever you can.

9. Build those first 20 hours of airtime as quickly as possible, not just to consolidate muscle memory, but to increase confidence – long lay-offs between flights lead to increased nervousness before each one.

10. As you gain experience, learn to discriminate between rational fears and irrational ones. A degree of fear is inevitable when learning new skills and should be expected, even welcomed, and you’ll become

Sue launching

Tracey on tow and landing

better at judging whether the fear is manageable or appropriate, and also better at dealing with it as you develop. However, as you gain experience, trust your instincts: the little voice in your head screaming that something’s wrong may be a potential problem your subconscious has identified but your conscious has missed. In this case, seek a second opinion from an experienced fellow pilot, or trust your instincts.

11. Be assertive in mapping out your own preferred flying style and approach.

12. Don’t confuse caution with indecision.

Be decisive when you fly.

Jane, I’ll be happy to correspond more once you have your licence. Good luck and I look forward to flying with you soon!

Cheers from Downunder.

Soaring Australia 11

G FA

G FA

On the Subject of Spiral Dive Training

Spiral Dives

Richard Friday A few years ago the subject of spiral dive training was discussed at length by our instructor panel, as there was some conjecture regarding why we were only teaching it in theory. I note in the August 2009 issue of Soaring Australia that the letters to the editor contained a question of a similar nature.

T

hese are my recollections of our IP discussions at the time.

• The spiral dive is an inherently dangerous manoeuvre regardless of the skill level of the pilot. Unlike virtually every other attitude that we can twist and turn a glider into, the risks associated with a true spiral dive are very difficult to mitigate, even in a training scenario. In other words, a practice spiral dive can turn very bad, very quickly, regardless of how much sky is underneath you.

• It can be argued that the spiral dive has no valid place in flying a glider.

There is no aspect of a spiral dive that has a practical application to soaring that cannot be gained from some other exercise. It is not a recognised aerobatic manoeuvre nor is it a desirable or safe means of losing height.

• The mere fact that any pilot finds themselves in either an inadvertent fully developed spin or a spiral dive means that their training has already failed. The intent of the training is that a stall/spin/dive tragedy is averted at the incipient stage of the event. Intentional spins are a different matter entirely.

• Repeatedly exposing a training aircraft to spiral dives, regardless of the competency of the pilot(s), can be very hard on the airframe. There is a little understood concept of rolling g that the glider is subjected to during the recovery and whilst the airframe should certainly handle these twisting forces, it probably wasn’t the designer’s intent for it to occur on a regular basis over long periods. At the very least there is a distinct risk of accidentally breaching the placard-

12 Soaring Australia

ed Vne accidentally and often. This in itself is a serious matter.

• Practical spiral dive training comes down to an assessment of risk versus likelihood. The risk is that an accident or incident could occur from what is essentially a routine training exercise and that the likelihood of this occurring is unacceptably high. It was apparent that this risk needed to be managed in some other way.

Spiral dives are discussed simply to make the student aware that they exist and that it is something to be avoided.

Of course the dilemma for the student is that spiral dives are described as potentially deadly and that you must never find yourself in one. “But how will I know?” asks the student.

Steep turns are or should be part of a student’s training and can certainly be used to demonstrate some aspects of a spiral dive. Turn rate, g loading and stick load can all be alluded to, but it is doubtful that the connection between the urgency of a true spiral dive and the need to recover from one can be adequately conveyed to the student from what is essentially a normal turn with normal control inputs. Steep turns aren’t spiral dives.

The most likely pre-curser to a spiral dive is probably a mishandled spin recovery. It is worth noting then, that a spin (and hence the spiral dive) is prevented way back during the turn that led to it. It should be the focus of the training syllabus to spin-proof a student by placing the emphasis on recognition of all of the pre stall/spin signals. Whilst fully developed spins may have a place in the overall training process, it is the correct response to an incipient spin that

will ultimately prevent accidents and save lives.

It is truly a case of prevention being better than cure.

If a student is tasked with practising solo spins, then the instructor is obliged to ensure that the student’s recovery technique is of a suitable standard before authorising the exercise. If you mishandle a spin recovery then it’s a fair bet that you’ll mishandle the spiral dive recovery as well.

Some Notes about Spins and Spiral Dives

Spins In a fully developed spin the aeroplane is NOT flying. Typically it will be held in this configuration with specific and sustained control inputs. A fully developed spin is characterised by a high rotational speed and a very steep nose down attitude.

The indicated airspeed is largely irrelevant and may fluctuate wildly. The ASI may even ‘suck’ backwards and appear to register an alarmingly high speed. Ignore it. Recovery from a conventional, fully developed spin is as per the book. Read it. Practice with an instructor. In a certified glider the spin and its subsequent recovery is an entirely predictable and repeatable event. If it wasn’t, the glider would not be certified in this country.

Multi-turn spins should not be attempted as non-aerobatic gliders are not certified in this manner. If you are performing anything over one-and-a-half turns then you require test pilot certification, that’s a fact. The stabilised spin should be treated as a myth, it isn’t your job to prove otherwise.

October 2009

In a spiral dive the aeroplane IS flying.

A spiral dive is characterised by a much lower speed of rotation. Speed will be high and increase rapidly. G force will also build rapidly. The manoeuvre may be uncomfortable and disorienting. Vne will be reached in very short order and the +5.3 g load that the glider is certified to will also be rapidly approached and exceeded, though you probably won’t know this because the average glider pilot will struggle to maintain vision and possibly consciousness with a sustained g load over about +4, probably less. A steep turn may be allowed to degenerate into a spiral dive commencing with a modest nose down attitude and become rapidly steeper or it may be the result of a mishandled spin recovery.

The glider must be flown out of the manoeuvre with coordinated control inputs in all three axes. Simply pulling the stick back will tighten the turn and make a bad situation much worse. Vne and max g load will be critical limits to the use of elevator. Somewhat inconveniently these limits are in conflict with each other.

Control forces will be high, particularly elevator. Time is of the essence, you don’t have much. Airbrakes may or may not be used. If they are, they must be applied under firm control, the earlier the better.

Opening forces may be extremely high or extremely low depending on design.

Abrupt use of airbrakes may precipitate structural failure of the wing. The list goes on. There are so many variables that it would be impractical to attempt to replicate a ‘textbook’ example and expect our instructors to demonstrate the recovery technique in any meaningful way. In short, it is not a place anyone needs to be.

The term inadvertent means ‘unintentional’. Incipient means ‘initial stage’. This is where spiral dives are prevented. Teaching them in a practical sense has a lot to lose and not much, if anything to gain.

The standard GFA spin entry is remarkably difficult to reliably demonstrate, yet students seem to manage it with ridiculous ease! Teaching aerobatic spin entries might be fun, but does absolutely nothing to prevent the stall and spin off base leg that the pilot doesn’t walk away from.

October 2009

Pre stall/spin indicators are typically: • A steadily increasing backpressure just to maintain nose attitude during a turn • An extra ‘dab’ of uncoordinated rudder to ‘help’ the turn (students are good at sneaking this in!)

• A reduction in wind noise may be apparent depending on the glider type • Low indicated airspeed • Varying degrees of pre stall buffet These can all be pretty vague indicators at times and may not be readily apparent to a low time pilot or a fatigued pilot of any skill level for that matter, however there is one dead giveaway that the plan is about to fall apart. That is • An uncommanded roll in the direction of the turn Read the previous point again.

‘Uncommanded’ means that you didn’t do it. If the inside wing in a turn unexpectedly drops, then your response should be conditioned and instantaneous.

No time for thinking. EASE THE BACK PRESSURE. Push the stick if necessary. Get the glider flying again and then assess the likely cause.

With my students, I would place particular emphasis on this uncommanded roll and I found the following exercise to be of value if conditions permitted.

This exercise was typically performed in a Blanik. Other training aircraft may not behave so benignly.

A Blanik is capable of shaking and wobbling around a turn at 35kts or less and it is entirely possible to encourage the glider to demonstrate all of the pre-stall and incipient spin indicators as well as perform a recovery for a height loss of less than 100ft. Provided you can continually verify that you have a thermal to yourself, you can perform many repetitions of the exercise.

Start by getting some height, clear your airspace and then set up a slow turn with the intention of initiating the recovery the instant an uncommanded roll occurs. Once flying speed is re-established, bank into the turn and do it all again. Ten times in 1000ft should be achievable. You should be able to sense that the airflow is struggling to remain attached to the inside wing and the student should be able to pre-empt the instant that the airflow separates.

Ask them to imagine the stall starting inboard on the wing somewhere. The

‘dirty’ airflow impacting the tail plane can be felt through the stick as pre-stall buffet. At some point the stall propagates rapidly outboard causing the wing to drop without an appropriate control input. Rudder is the usual culprit, though out of turn aileron can sometimes be used to entice the stall if you can fly close enough to the edge. If this sounds a bit odd then ask someone who flies open class why they might use negative flap on their takeoff roll.

Listen to the aeroplane, it sounds daft, but it is talking to you. Keep doing it until the response is conditioned. Be very vigilant of the airspace below you.

The response is to ease the back pressure enough to re-establish the airflow with perhaps a dab of opposite rudder if needed, but not enough to yaw out of the turn. Don’t forget to do it left and right. It is a lesson that translates directly to climbing in tight, turbulent thermals.

IS28, 29 and 30 drivers will understand how quickly you can be pointing at the ground if you try to fly too slowly in a boisterous thermal.

There is a caution with this exercise though. When both pilots are of robust stature (how’s that for tact?) you run out of back trim and it is just plain hard work to keep flying slowly due to the forward C of G. The dear old Blanik makes it very clear after a while that it would prefer not to be mishandled this way. Sometimes the Blanik is just too stable and well behaved for training.

During the lesson AND as part of the post flight debrief you must emphasise that when the student practices this solo, the C of G will move rearwards and change the low speed characteristics of the glider markedly.

Note for students: The glider may not be as reluctant to fly slowly when you are flying solo. You may also have more back trim available that will further reduce stick load. The incipient stage of the spin may occur more abruptly than during the training exercise.

I recall a Nimbus 2 driver ‘having a moment’ before the start gate opened a few years ago at an Easter comps and the IS29 that I used to fly gave me numerous reminders about flying too slowly.

Happy flying. Never stop learning.

Always enjoy.

Soaring Australia 13

G FA

G FA

On the Subject of Spiral Dive Training

Spiral Dives

Richard Friday A few years ago the subject of spiral dive training was discussed at length by our instructor panel, as there was some conjecture regarding why we were only teaching it in theory. I note in the August 2009 issue of Soaring Australia that the letters to the editor contained a question of a similar nature.

T

hese are my recollections of our IP discussions at the time.

• The spiral dive is an inherently dangerous manoeuvre regardless of the skill level of the pilot. Unlike virtually every other attitude that we can twist and turn a glider into, the risks associated with a true spiral dive are very difficult to mitigate, even in a training scenario. In other words, a practice spiral dive can turn very bad, very quickly, regardless of how much sky is underneath you.

• It can be argued that the spiral dive has no valid place in flying a glider.

There is no aspect of a spiral dive that has a practical application to soaring that cannot be gained from some other exercise. It is not a recognised aerobatic manoeuvre nor is it a desirable or safe means of losing height.

• The mere fact that any pilot finds themselves in either an inadvertent fully developed spin or a spiral dive means that their training has already failed. The intent of the training is that a stall/spin/dive tragedy is averted at the incipient stage of the event. Intentional spins are a different matter entirely.

• Repeatedly exposing a training aircraft to spiral dives, regardless of the competency of the pilot(s), can be very hard on the airframe. There is a little understood concept of rolling g that the glider is subjected to during the recovery and whilst the airframe should certainly handle these twisting forces, it probably wasn’t the designer’s intent for it to occur on a regular basis over long periods. At the very least there is a distinct risk of accidentally breaching the placard-

12 Soaring Australia

ed Vne accidentally and often. This in itself is a serious matter.

• Practical spiral dive training comes down to an assessment of risk versus likelihood. The risk is that an accident or incident could occur from what is essentially a routine training exercise and that the likelihood of this occurring is unacceptably high. It was apparent that this risk needed to be managed in some other way.

Spiral dives are discussed simply to make the student aware that they exist and that it is something to be avoided.

Of course the dilemma for the student is that spiral dives are described as potentially deadly and that you must never find yourself in one. “But how will I know?” asks the student.

Steep turns are or should be part of a student’s training and can certainly be used to demonstrate some aspects of a spiral dive. Turn rate, g loading and stick load can all be alluded to, but it is doubtful that the connection between the urgency of a true spiral dive and the need to recover from one can be adequately conveyed to the student from what is essentially a normal turn with normal control inputs. Steep turns aren’t spiral dives.

The most likely pre-curser to a spiral dive is probably a mishandled spin recovery. It is worth noting then, that a spin (and hence the spiral dive) is prevented way back during the turn that led to it. It should be the focus of the training syllabus to spin-proof a student by placing the emphasis on recognition of all of the pre stall/spin signals. Whilst fully developed spins may have a place in the overall training process, it is the correct response to an incipient spin that

will ultimately prevent accidents and save lives.

It is truly a case of prevention being better than cure.

If a student is tasked with practising solo spins, then the instructor is obliged to ensure that the student’s recovery technique is of a suitable standard before authorising the exercise. If you mishandle a spin recovery then it’s a fair bet that you’ll mishandle the spiral dive recovery as well.

Some Notes about Spins and Spiral Dives

Spins In a fully developed spin the aeroplane is NOT flying. Typically it will be held in this configuration with specific and sustained control inputs. A fully developed spin is characterised by a high rotational speed and a very steep nose down attitude.

The indicated airspeed is largely irrelevant and may fluctuate wildly. The ASI may even ‘suck’ backwards and appear to register an alarmingly high speed. Ignore it. Recovery from a conventional, fully developed spin is as per the book. Read it. Practice with an instructor. In a certified glider the spin and its subsequent recovery is an entirely predictable and repeatable event. If it wasn’t, the glider would not be certified in this country.

Multi-turn spins should not be attempted as non-aerobatic gliders are not certified in this manner. If you are performing anything over one-and-a-half turns then you require test pilot certification, that’s a fact. The stabilised spin should be treated as a myth, it isn’t your job to prove otherwise.

October 2009

In a spiral dive the aeroplane IS flying.

A spiral dive is characterised by a much lower speed of rotation. Speed will be high and increase rapidly. G force will also build rapidly. The manoeuvre may be uncomfortable and disorienting. Vne will be reached in very short order and the +5.3 g load that the glider is certified to will also be rapidly approached and exceeded, though you probably won’t know this because the average glider pilot will struggle to maintain vision and possibly consciousness with a sustained g load over about +4, probably less. A steep turn may be allowed to degenerate into a spiral dive commencing with a modest nose down attitude and become rapidly steeper or it may be the result of a mishandled spin recovery.

The glider must be flown out of the manoeuvre with coordinated control inputs in all three axes. Simply pulling the stick back will tighten the turn and make a bad situation much worse. Vne and max g load will be critical limits to the use of elevator. Somewhat inconveniently these limits are in conflict with each other.

Control forces will be high, particularly elevator. Time is of the essence, you don’t have much. Airbrakes may or may not be used. If they are, they must be applied under firm control, the earlier the better.

Opening forces may be extremely high or extremely low depending on design.

Abrupt use of airbrakes may precipitate structural failure of the wing. The list goes on. There are so many variables that it would be impractical to attempt to replicate a ‘textbook’ example and expect our instructors to demonstrate the recovery technique in any meaningful way. In short, it is not a place anyone needs to be.

The term inadvertent means ‘unintentional’. Incipient means ‘initial stage’. This is where spiral dives are prevented. Teaching them in a practical sense has a lot to lose and not much, if anything to gain.

The standard GFA spin entry is remarkably difficult to reliably demonstrate, yet students seem to manage it with ridiculous ease! Teaching aerobatic spin entries might be fun, but does absolutely nothing to prevent the stall and spin off base leg that the pilot doesn’t walk away from.

October 2009

Pre stall/spin indicators are typically: • A steadily increasing backpressure just to maintain nose attitude during a turn • An extra ‘dab’ of uncoordinated rudder to ‘help’ the turn (students are good at sneaking this in!)

• A reduction in wind noise may be apparent depending on the glider type • Low indicated airspeed • Varying degrees of pre stall buffet These can all be pretty vague indicators at times and may not be readily apparent to a low time pilot or a fatigued pilot of any skill level for that matter, however there is one dead giveaway that the plan is about to fall apart. That is • An uncommanded roll in the direction of the turn Read the previous point again.

‘Uncommanded’ means that you didn’t do it. If the inside wing in a turn unexpectedly drops, then your response should be conditioned and instantaneous.

No time for thinking. EASE THE BACK PRESSURE. Push the stick if necessary. Get the glider flying again and then assess the likely cause.

With my students, I would place particular emphasis on this uncommanded roll and I found the following exercise to be of value if conditions permitted.

This exercise was typically performed in a Blanik. Other training aircraft may not behave so benignly.

A Blanik is capable of shaking and wobbling around a turn at 35kts or less and it is entirely possible to encourage the glider to demonstrate all of the pre-stall and incipient spin indicators as well as perform a recovery for a height loss of less than 100ft. Provided you can continually verify that you have a thermal to yourself, you can perform many repetitions of the exercise.

Start by getting some height, clear your airspace and then set up a slow turn with the intention of initiating the recovery the instant an uncommanded roll occurs. Once flying speed is re-established, bank into the turn and do it all again. Ten times in 1000ft should be achievable. You should be able to sense that the airflow is struggling to remain attached to the inside wing and the student should be able to pre-empt the instant that the airflow separates.

Ask them to imagine the stall starting inboard on the wing somewhere. The

‘dirty’ airflow impacting the tail plane can be felt through the stick as pre-stall buffet. At some point the stall propagates rapidly outboard causing the wing to drop without an appropriate control input. Rudder is the usual culprit, though out of turn aileron can sometimes be used to entice the stall if you can fly close enough to the edge. If this sounds a bit odd then ask someone who flies open class why they might use negative flap on their takeoff roll.

Listen to the aeroplane, it sounds daft, but it is talking to you. Keep doing it until the response is conditioned. Be very vigilant of the airspace below you.

The response is to ease the back pressure enough to re-establish the airflow with perhaps a dab of opposite rudder if needed, but not enough to yaw out of the turn. Don’t forget to do it left and right. It is a lesson that translates directly to climbing in tight, turbulent thermals.

IS28, 29 and 30 drivers will understand how quickly you can be pointing at the ground if you try to fly too slowly in a boisterous thermal.

There is a caution with this exercise though. When both pilots are of robust stature (how’s that for tact?) you run out of back trim and it is just plain hard work to keep flying slowly due to the forward C of G. The dear old Blanik makes it very clear after a while that it would prefer not to be mishandled this way. Sometimes the Blanik is just too stable and well behaved for training.

During the lesson AND as part of the post flight debrief you must emphasise that when the student practices this solo, the C of G will move rearwards and change the low speed characteristics of the glider markedly.

Note for students: The glider may not be as reluctant to fly slowly when you are flying solo. You may also have more back trim available that will further reduce stick load. The incipient stage of the spin may occur more abruptly than during the training exercise.

I recall a Nimbus 2 driver ‘having a moment’ before the start gate opened a few years ago at an Easter comps and the IS29 that I used to fly gave me numerous reminders about flying too slowly.

Happy flying. Never stop learning.

Always enjoy.

Soaring Australia 13

G FA

G FA

GFA TREASURER’S REPORT – 2008/09

GFA F i n a n c i a l S u m m a r y – 2 0 0 8 / 0 9 (Financial Year ending 30 April 2009)

The following summary has been extracted from the audited results for 2007/08 and 2008/09.

Ian Grant, GFA Treasurer The GFA continues to operate in a stable business environment with a slight increase in membership and an operating surplus of $97 699 has been reported by the auditors (Ragg Weir). This large surplus is somewhat overstated due to an auditing adjustment which carried across $32,730 of income from the previous year. Please refer to Note 3 for further detail.

C

pital reserves are securely invested a in ANZ term deposits, protected by the Federal Government bank guarantee and the current financial crisis has not impacted the GFA reserves.

14 Soaring Australia

Establishment of the new GFA office in Somerton, Victoria, has made for a very busy year and provided the opportunity to clear old files, material, fitments and furniture to create a pleasant and modern working environment. Marcia Cavanagh, Tanya Loriot and Sharon Summersby have worked as a close knit team to take over the responsibility of airworthiness duties and gain CASA delegation authorities after the resignation of Ms Dianne Vistarini, the previous airworthiness secretary.

Job descriptions have been updated and, by using a team-based approach, improved service levels for airworthiness administration are being achieved.

The Somerton office has kitchen facilities and a large meeting room with video projector, conference phone and wireless internet which is providing an effective venue for hosting GFA meetings.

There is ample off-street car parking and the M&D Department has installed a very large eye-catching ‘Go Soaring’ sign readily visible to passing traffic.

Do come and visit us when you are in Melbourne as you will be assured of a very warm welcome.

After a delayed start, the IT project to implement a major upgrade of the IMIS membership system (Release 15.1) is underway and being project managed

by Edwin Grech Cumbo, chair of the airworthiness department – Edwin is a man of many talents! The upgrade will provide a range of new functions and enable members to directly renew subscriptions on-line as well as maintaining their

personal records. We will also achieve greater efficiencies in our administration processes which will free up staff resources to improve service levels across other areas. Members should note that this large upgrade will take some time to implement.

Behind the scenes Jerry Wells continues to provide extensive technical support for our IT systems along with Maurice Little who develops and maintains our comprehensive website.

As I commented at this time last year, the GFA is absolutely dependent on volunteer support across the broad range of GFA activities and the contribution of volunteers at every level is very much appreciated. Do show your appreciation to our volunteers, support them where possible and encourage other members to volunteer.

For next year there are likely to be financial challenges given lower interest rate earnings on our reserves, the prospect of a slow recovery from the economic recession and higher unemployment which could impact membership levels.

That said, the GFA is in a strong position with a significant surplus from 2008/09 and substantial financial reserves which can be drawn upon quite readily if required.

The following provide an analysis and comment of the financial results as a supplement to the report by the auditors, Ragg Weir. This report and the audit report are available on the GFA website.

October 2009

Income Details CASA Subsidy Full Membership Introductory Membership Short term Membership Club Affiliation Airworthiness FAI Badge Claims Product Sales Soaring Australia Magazine Competition fees Insurance commission Interest earnings & club loans Other income Total Income

2007/08

110,295 268,721 60,276 27,696 1,160 113,509 7,914 33,594 95,335 17,484 25,448 79,434 993 841,859

2008/09

112,195 320,594 75,003 27,712 76 117,052 7,008 30,519 103,891 38,112 27,066 97,001 988 957,217

Commentary on Financial Summary: 2008/09 Note 1: The annual club affiliation fee ($40 inc GST) was discontinued in May 2008.

Note 2: Soaring Australia Magazine charges were increased in 2008/09 as the subscription had been unchanged for some years and was no longer covering the increases in production and postage costs which had occurred over those years.

Note 3: For 2007/08 there remained $32 730 within membership income from the discontinued ITC levy (International Team Competition) and the auditors transferred these monies out of income and across to Trade Creditors pending re-assignment against world competition expenses during 2008/09. In 2008/09 these funds were

October 2009

Commentary

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

2007/08

2008/09

Expenditure Details Staff Expenses 204,660 Insurances 203,423 Soaring Australia Magazine 103,584 Executive Management 67,033 GFA Office building 20,394 Office Administration 27,158 IT Expenses 18,830 Airworthiness Dept. (excluding staff) 12,087 Operations Dept. (excluding staff) 29,127 Marketing & Development Dept.

14,109 Sports Department 33,682 World Competitions subsidies 15,430 Cost of sales 18,293 Audit Fees 9,800 Other expenses 37,941 Changes in stock inventories (3,668) Depreciation 9,470 Total Expenditures 821,353 Operating Surplus 20,506

209,134 232,909 88,687 62,168 35,791 22,400 1,194 12,920 17,552 17,809 35,212 44,000 15,970 9,800 23,644 10,827 19,501 859,518 97,699

re-instated as income under competition fees. The result is to introduce a significant disparity between these two years with revenues for 2007/08 understated and revenues for 2008/09 overstated.

Note 4: Insurance costs are higher in 2008/09 due to general rate increases and an extension of cover to $10mn on certain policies.

Note 5: The lower expenses in 2008/09 are a consequence of the printing company delaying some invoicing due to a company merger. The missing charges will be accounted for in 2009/10.

Note 6: The transfer of the GFA offices to Somerton incurred higher expenses in 2008/09.

However, these additional costs have already been offset by savings from holding executive and departmental meetings

Commentary

Note 4 Note 5 Note 6 Note 7

Note 8

Note 9

in-house at Somerton instead of the Attwood Motel & Conference Centre.

Note 7: A major upgrade of the IMIS membership system was scheduled for 2008/09, but could not be progressed due to the lack of a volunteer project manager. This upgrade project has recently commenced and is scheduled for completion during 2009/10.

Note 8: In 2008/09, subsidies were provided for the Australian teams competing in Rieti, Italy and Lüsse, Germany.

Note 9: Depreciation has increased as a consequence of the new furnishings, equipment and fitout of the Somerton office and (to a lesser extent) the writing-off of obsolete equipment from the Essendon office.

Soaring Australia 15

G FA

G FA

GFA TREASURER’S REPORT – 2008/09

GFA F i n a n c i a l S u m m a r y – 2 0 0 8 / 0 9 (Financial Year ending 30 April 2009)

The following summary has been extracted from the audited results for 2007/08 and 2008/09.

Ian Grant, GFA Treasurer The GFA continues to operate in a stable business environment with a slight increase in membership and an operating surplus of $97 699 has been reported by the auditors (Ragg Weir). This large surplus is somewhat overstated due to an auditing adjustment which carried across $32,730 of income from the previous year. Please refer to Note 3 for further detail.

C

pital reserves are securely invested a in ANZ term deposits, protected by the Federal Government bank guarantee and the current financial crisis has not impacted the GFA reserves.

14 Soaring Australia

Establishment of the new GFA office in Somerton, Victoria, has made for a very busy year and provided the opportunity to clear old files, material, fitments and furniture to create a pleasant and modern working environment. Marcia Cavanagh, Tanya Loriot and Sharon Summersby have worked as a close knit team to take over the responsibility of airworthiness duties and gain CASA delegation authorities after the resignation of Ms Dianne Vistarini, the previous airworthiness secretary.

Job descriptions have been updated and, by using a team-based approach, improved service levels for airworthiness administration are being achieved.

The Somerton office has kitchen facilities and a large meeting room with video projector, conference phone and wireless internet which is providing an effective venue for hosting GFA meetings.

There is ample off-street car parking and the M&D Department has installed a very large eye-catching ‘Go Soaring’ sign readily visible to passing traffic.

Do come and visit us when you are in Melbourne as you will be assured of a very warm welcome.

After a delayed start, the IT project to implement a major upgrade of the IMIS membership system (Release 15.1) is underway and being project managed

by Edwin Grech Cumbo, chair of the airworthiness department – Edwin is a man of many talents! The upgrade will provide a range of new functions and enable members to directly renew subscriptions on-line as well as maintaining their

personal records. We will also achieve greater efficiencies in our administration processes which will free up staff resources to improve service levels across other areas. Members should note that this large upgrade will take some time to implement.

Behind the scenes Jerry Wells continues to provide extensive technical support for our IT systems along with Maurice Little who develops and maintains our comprehensive website.

As I commented at this time last year, the GFA is absolutely dependent on volunteer support across the broad range of GFA activities and the contribution of volunteers at every level is very much appreciated. Do show your appreciation to our volunteers, support them where possible and encourage other members to volunteer.

For next year there are likely to be financial challenges given lower interest rate earnings on our reserves, the prospect of a slow recovery from the economic recession and higher unemployment which could impact membership levels.

That said, the GFA is in a strong position with a significant surplus from 2008/09 and substantial financial reserves which can be drawn upon quite readily if required.

The following provide an analysis and comment of the financial results as a supplement to the report by the auditors, Ragg Weir. This report and the audit report are available on the GFA website.

October 2009

Income Details CASA Subsidy Full Membership Introductory Membership Short term Membership Club Affiliation Airworthiness FAI Badge Claims Product Sales Soaring Australia Magazine Competition fees Insurance commission Interest earnings & club loans Other income Total Income

2007/08

110,295 268,721 60,276 27,696 1,160 113,509 7,914 33,594 95,335 17,484 25,448 79,434 993 841,859

2008/09

112,195 320,594 75,003 27,712 76 117,052 7,008 30,519 103,891 38,112 27,066 97,001 988 957,217

Commentary on Financial Summary: 2008/09 Note 1: The annual club affiliation fee ($40 inc GST) was discontinued in May 2008.

Note 2: Soaring Australia Magazine charges were increased in 2008/09 as the subscription had been unchanged for some years and was no longer covering the increases in production and postage costs which had occurred over those years.

Note 3: For 2007/08 there remained $32 730 within membership income from the discontinued ITC levy (International Team Competition) and the auditors transferred these monies out of income and across to Trade Creditors pending re-assignment against world competition expenses during 2008/09. In 2008/09 these funds were

October 2009

Commentary

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

2007/08

2008/09

Expenditure Details Staff Expenses 204,660 Insurances 203,423 Soaring Australia Magazine 103,584 Executive Management 67,033 GFA Office building 20,394 Office Administration 27,158 IT Expenses 18,830 Airworthiness Dept. (excluding staff) 12,087 Operations Dept. (excluding staff) 29,127 Marketing & Development Dept.

14,109 Sports Department 33,682 World Competitions subsidies 15,430 Cost of sales 18,293 Audit Fees 9,800 Other expenses 37,941 Changes in stock inventories (3,668) Depreciation 9,470 Total Expenditures 821,353 Operating Surplus 20,506

209,134 232,909 88,687 62,168 35,791 22,400 1,194 12,920 17,552 17,809 35,212 44,000 15,970 9,800 23,644 10,827 19,501 859,518 97,699

re-instated as income under competition fees. The result is to introduce a significant disparity between these two years with revenues for 2007/08 understated and revenues for 2008/09 overstated.

Note 4: Insurance costs are higher in 2008/09 due to general rate increases and an extension of cover to $10mn on certain policies.

Note 5: The lower expenses in 2008/09 are a consequence of the printing company delaying some invoicing due to a company merger. The missing charges will be accounted for in 2009/10.

Note 6: The transfer of the GFA offices to Somerton incurred higher expenses in 2008/09.

However, these additional costs have already been offset by savings from holding executive and departmental meetings

Commentary

Note 4 Note 5 Note 6 Note 7

Note 8

Note 9

in-house at Somerton instead of the Attwood Motel & Conference Centre.

Note 7: A major upgrade of the IMIS membership system was scheduled for 2008/09, but could not be progressed due to the lack of a volunteer project manager. This upgrade project has recently commenced and is scheduled for completion during 2009/10.

Note 8: In 2008/09, subsidies were provided for the Australian teams competing in Rieti, Italy and Lüsse, Germany.

Note 9: Depreciation has increased as a consequence of the new furnishings, equipment and fitout of the Somerton office and (to a lesser extent) the writing-off of obsolete equipment from the Essendon office.

Soaring Australia 15

H G FA

H G FA

It’s On Again Already!

Vicki Cain Every two years the hang gliding World Championships take place at a different venue.

This year the 17th Worlds was on in little town in the Provence area of the South-East of France called Laragne-Monteglin.

L

aragne is already famous amongst European hang gliding circles, the Brits and Dutch often hold their own Nationals here and speaking with them, they love flying here. The main launch is called ‘Chabre’ and is an amazing ridge line with a vertically sheer side. The photos you see of Chabre, don’t do it justice. Once you are up on top the site is breathtaking.

We arrived in Laragne via Milan and a six-hour drive. The Aussie team were already in town. Steve Blenkinsop, Cameron Tunbridge and Scott Barrett had been here for a week getting some early training in. Jonny had just arrived after competing in Spain at the Spanish Nationals. Curt had just arrived from Austria after spending a few weeks warming up with some local comps.

We headed straight to headquarters and were guided to the camping area for a casual welcome get-together.

The camping area is where most of the pilots stay and where most of the action happens. As it turned out six of the eight goals were back at the LZ in the camping area. Great food, wine and live music were available just about all the time.

We arrived at the camp area and had to pull out the winter woolies, it was really cold because the Mistral winds were blowing, a cold and strong wind from the north-west, coming down from the Alps, which normally blows in three, six or nine-day cycles. Everyone was already resigned to the fact that there would be no flying the next two days.

It was great catching up with all pilots, families and friends whom we only get to see every other year.

By the end of Saturday the registration of 122 pilots from 32 countries had been completed and everyone’s gliders measured and checked. A gymnasium in town had been set up to complete the dreaded sprog measuring, this was done by Dennis Pagen and Tomas Pellici. There was lots of talk and disapproval of the whole concept leading up to the Worlds, but in the end it all went very smoothly with very little fuss. The results of everyone’s measurements were printed, posted to the notice board and basically not spoken of again during the whole meet! The measurements can be seen at results page of the website [www.chabre2009.com].

Chabre launch

View of Chabre ridge at sunrise

The Opening Ceremony was a blast with all the teams dressed in their team uniforms, led by school kids carrying the team name and flags, being lead around the town by a drum band. Everyone was dancing and cheering all the way around.

The whole town was out to make a noise and help to open the competition.

Following were the formalities with speeches of welcome from the dignitaries.

Jonny sprog measure and look at my new carbon keel!

The town put on a tremendous show. Let the games begin!

T h e c o m p e t i t ion be g i n s Vicki’s bird’s eye view from the ground!

Day 1: Cancelled due to strong Mistral.

Day 2: A practice run up the hill, set up, then the day was cancelled because of the strong winds. The drive up to Chabre is something, with the road so narrow and winding cars can barely pass.

Day 3: Task 1 was on! 162km task from Chabre with goal at the campground. Having the first two days off allowed everyone to get rid of the first day jitters. First in goal was Jeff O’Brien from the USA flying Wills Wing, a good eight minutes before Alex Ploner from Italy, second on an Icaro and third for the day was Tom Weissenberger from Austria

flying Moyes. There’s live music in goal, a commentator announcing the pilots’ names as they land and a beer tent! What luxury! The big surprise for the day was Manfred Ruhmer coming in late and placing 16th for the day. Little did we know…

Day 4: Task 2 124.5km from Asprès launch with goal back at the camp area.

Asprès launch is huge, with lots of room for set-up and take-off and littered with shell fossils. The scenery is amazing.

Manfred Ruhmer blasted in first, nine minutes before Christian Ciech and 36 minutes before Attila in third. Manfred is back! 60 in goal.

Day 5: The weather is looking 50/50, with possible storms. Everyone heads up the mountain, but the day is cancelled.

Day 6: Cancelled at the team leader briefing due to strong winds.

Scott Barrett on Aspres launch

Cameron Tunbridge on Aspres launch Opening ceremony and the Aussie team (right)

16 Soaring Australia

Paella and Pizza night at Ribiers

Jonny Durand launching Aspres

The road up to launch

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia 17

H G FA

H G FA

It’s On Again Already!

Vicki Cain Every two years the hang gliding World Championships take place at a different venue.

This year the 17th Worlds was on in little town in the Provence area of the South-East of France called Laragne-Monteglin.

L

aragne is already famous amongst European hang gliding circles, the Brits and Dutch often hold their own Nationals here and speaking with them, they love flying here. The main launch is called ‘Chabre’ and is an amazing ridge line with a vertically sheer side. The photos you see of Chabre, don’t do it justice. Once you are up on top the site is breathtaking.

We arrived in Laragne via Milan and a six-hour drive. The Aussie team were already in town. Steve Blenkinsop, Cameron Tunbridge and Scott Barrett had been here for a week getting some early training in. Jonny had just arrived after competing in Spain at the Spanish Nationals. Curt had just arrived from Austria after spending a few weeks warming up with some local comps.

We headed straight to headquarters and were guided to the camping area for a casual welcome get-together.

The camping area is where most of the pilots stay and where most of the action happens. As it turned out six of the eight goals were back at the LZ in the camping area. Great food, wine and live music were available just about all the time.

We arrived at the camp area and had to pull out the winter woolies, it was really cold because the Mistral winds were blowing, a cold and strong wind from the north-west, coming down from the Alps, which normally blows in three, six or nine-day cycles. Everyone was already resigned to the fact that there would be no flying the next two days.

It was great catching up with all pilots, families and friends whom we only get to see every other year.

By the end of Saturday the registration of 122 pilots from 32 countries had been completed and everyone’s gliders measured and checked. A gymnasium in town had been set up to complete the dreaded sprog measuring, this was done by Dennis Pagen and Tomas Pellici. There was lots of talk and disapproval of the whole concept leading up to the Worlds, but in the end it all went very smoothly with very little fuss. The results of everyone’s measurements were printed, posted to the notice board and basically not spoken of again during the whole meet! The measurements can be seen at results page of the website [www.chabre2009.com].

Chabre launch

View of Chabre ridge at sunrise

The Opening Ceremony was a blast with all the teams dressed in their team uniforms, led by school kids carrying the team name and flags, being lead around the town by a drum band. Everyone was dancing and cheering all the way around.

The whole town was out to make a noise and help to open the competition.

Following were the formalities with speeches of welcome from the dignitaries.

Jonny sprog measure and look at my new carbon keel!

The town put on a tremendous show. Let the games begin!

T h e c o m p e t i t ion be g i n s Vicki’s bird’s eye view from the ground!

Day 1: Cancelled due to strong Mistral.

Day 2: A practice run up the hill, set up, then the day was cancelled because of the strong winds. The drive up to Chabre is something, with the road so narrow and winding cars can barely pass.

Day 3: Task 1 was on! 162km task from Chabre with goal at the campground. Having the first two days off allowed everyone to get rid of the first day jitters. First in goal was Jeff O’Brien from the USA flying Wills Wing, a good eight minutes before Alex Ploner from Italy, second on an Icaro and third for the day was Tom Weissenberger from Austria

flying Moyes. There’s live music in goal, a commentator announcing the pilots’ names as they land and a beer tent! What luxury! The big surprise for the day was Manfred Ruhmer coming in late and placing 16th for the day. Little did we know…

Day 4: Task 2 124.5km from Asprès launch with goal back at the camp area.

Asprès launch is huge, with lots of room for set-up and take-off and littered with shell fossils. The scenery is amazing.

Manfred Ruhmer blasted in first, nine minutes before Christian Ciech and 36 minutes before Attila in third. Manfred is back! 60 in goal.

Day 5: The weather is looking 50/50, with possible storms. Everyone heads up the mountain, but the day is cancelled.

Day 6: Cancelled at the team leader briefing due to strong winds.

Scott Barrett on Aspres launch

Cameron Tunbridge on Aspres launch Opening ceremony and the Aussie team (right)

16 Soaring Australia

Paella and Pizza night at Ribiers

Jonny Durand launching Aspres

The road up to launch

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia 17

H G FA

H G FA

Goal at camp ground Attila and Vicki congratulate Alex with a birthday kiss

Mison Castle

Molly and Bill Moyes with top Moyes Boys Jonny Durand and Tom Weissenberger

Day 7: Task 3 163.8km from Chabre with goal the camp area. First is Christian Ciech from Italy flying Icaro, second Christian Voiblet from Switzerland flying Aeros and third Zac Majors from the USA flying Wills Wing. The Icaro team

Bill Moyes congratulates Alex Ploner

18 Soaring Australia

is looking good with first, second and third. 44 in goal and many exciting landings just short.

Day 8: Task 4. We head up to Asprès, a task is set, but we sit on the hill all day. A couple of guys launch and don’t get up, no one is keen to go. Manfred launches to try to entice everyone off but the launches are iffy. Manfred, Jonny and Antoine launch and fly out of sight, we catch glimpses of them circling out in the valley. The day is cancelled at 4pm.

Day 9: Task 5 127km task from Chabre with goal at camp. The fickle wind on launch slowed things down with the sky filling with big ugly clouds. Eventually the clouds won the day and the task was stopped. The day was scored as a 1000 point day, Ciech who is in the lead gets punished with taking the second start and loses the lead dropping out of the top 10.

Attila moves into third place.

The next day at the team leader briefing the Italian team leader argues that a stopped task should not be a 1000 point day, after much discussion a vote is taken and almost everyone agrees and the day is rescored with a maximum score of 918 points. Ciech’s position changes very little. Primoz Gricar from Slovenia flying Aeros wins the day, Hiroshi Suzuki from Japan flying Icaro comes second and Pedro Morelli from Spain on Aeros third.

Day 10: Task 6 Asprès launch, we are halfway on the one-hour drive to Asprès when we get a call that Nils from Norway has left his glider back at the motel, we turn around to pick it up and arrive at

Alex Ploner pays his respects to Bill Moyes

launch after half the field have taken off.

Nils is in no rush as the writing is on the wall: it’s already started to overdevelop.

We arrive at the goal of the Asprès airfield to learn that the task was stopped before the start gate even opened.

Day 11: Task 7, a 109.5km task with goal at Ribiers. It’s a Moyes day in goal!

Antoine in first, Gerolf second and Curt third – all very happy campers! There’s lots of gliders coming into goal, it looks rough and choppy. Gordon Rigg lands and screams for a radio, fellow team mate Carl Wallbank has crashed on the top of Mison, Bruce Kavanagh stays circling above him to get his exact coordinates.

Carl is okay and able to radio his coordinates to Bruce who relays them to Gordon.

Carl suffered a broken thumb, a couple of broken ribs and a bad cut on his shin. He replaces his keel overnight and is able to fly the last day. Attila bombs and blames the fact he has not worn his lucky Tomas Suchanek T-shirt, he drops out of the

Jonny congratulates Alex and films for his blog!

Curt Warren happy in Ribiers goal

October 2009

Jonny launches

Steve Blenkinsop

top 10. Jonny wins the day by taking the second start and moves into third place.

There are around 30 pilots in goal when we find out the task has been stopped for threatening storms, the time used for scoring is 15 minutes before the actual stop, so in the end only 19 pilots are given goal. Lots of top pilots missed out.

Going into the last day the overall results are Ruhmer, Ploner, Durand.

Molly remarks that she has never been to a World Championship where the top 10 changed so drastically every day.

Day 12: Task 8. The last day! A 151.7km task from Chabre with goal at camp.

Manfred’s wife is at HQ when she gets a call from him that he has landed at the first turnpoint. The news spreads like wild fire. The journalists at HQ had already written their press releases that Manfred Ruhmer has won his 4th World Championship title – they throw them in the bin!

We all head to goal, it’s very exciting, the competition is wide open. Nene Rotor from Brazil is first in goal with Jonny 13 minutes later, then Swiss Nick in third.

Alex said later that he was so nervous October 2009

when he heard that Manfred had landed, he knew all he had to do was get to goal and he would be the new World Champion. Davide Guiducci from Italy comes in fourth and radioes Alex the conditions on final. Alex just has to get there. When he does the Italian Team, drivers and team leader go crazy. We all know Alex has won. The emotions ran high – they were screaming and crying, it was beautiful to watch.

Forty-five pilots make goal. It’s an absolutely gorgeous afternoon in the south of France, the sun is shining, there is a light breeze and good friends to share a laugh with, Alex Ploner of Italy flying Icaro is the new World Champion, the Italian Team are the new World

Jonny waves the Australian flag after receiving his second place medal

Champions. The 17th World Championships is over. See you in Monte Cucco!

Top 10

1 Alessandro Ploner (ITA) Icaro2000 Z9 5046 2 Jon Durand (AUS) Moyes Litespeed RS3.5 4935 3 Thomas Weissenberger (AUT) Moyes Litespeed RS4 4695 4 Zac Majors (USA) Wills Wing T2C144 4594 5 Gordon Rigg (GBR) Moyes Litespeed S4 4581 6 Antoine Boisselier (FRA) Moyes Litespeed RS4 4568 7 Dustin Martin (USA) Wills Wing T2C144 4558 8 Nene Rotor (BRA) Wills Wing T2C144 4556 9 Dan Vyhnalik (CZE) Aeros Combat L14 4547 10 Manfred Ruhmer (AUT) Icaro 2000 Laminar Z9 4535 Team Results

1 2 3 4 5

Italy Austria France Brazil Australia

Alex Ploner of Italy is World Champion 2009

Soaring Australia 19

H G FA

H G FA

Goal at camp ground Attila and Vicki congratulate Alex with a birthday kiss

Mison Castle

Molly and Bill Moyes with top Moyes Boys Jonny Durand and Tom Weissenberger

Day 7: Task 3 163.8km from Chabre with goal the camp area. First is Christian Ciech from Italy flying Icaro, second Christian Voiblet from Switzerland flying Aeros and third Zac Majors from the USA flying Wills Wing. The Icaro team

Bill Moyes congratulates Alex Ploner

18 Soaring Australia

is looking good with first, second and third. 44 in goal and many exciting landings just short.

Day 8: Task 4. We head up to Asprès, a task is set, but we sit on the hill all day. A couple of guys launch and don’t get up, no one is keen to go. Manfred launches to try to entice everyone off but the launches are iffy. Manfred, Jonny and Antoine launch and fly out of sight, we catch glimpses of them circling out in the valley. The day is cancelled at 4pm.

Day 9: Task 5 127km task from Chabre with goal at camp. The fickle wind on launch slowed things down with the sky filling with big ugly clouds. Eventually the clouds won the day and the task was stopped. The day was scored as a 1000 point day, Ciech who is in the lead gets punished with taking the second start and loses the lead dropping out of the top 10.

Attila moves into third place.

The next day at the team leader briefing the Italian team leader argues that a stopped task should not be a 1000 point day, after much discussion a vote is taken and almost everyone agrees and the day is rescored with a maximum score of 918 points. Ciech’s position changes very little. Primoz Gricar from Slovenia flying Aeros wins the day, Hiroshi Suzuki from Japan flying Icaro comes second and Pedro Morelli from Spain on Aeros third.

Day 10: Task 6 Asprès launch, we are halfway on the one-hour drive to Asprès when we get a call that Nils from Norway has left his glider back at the motel, we turn around to pick it up and arrive at

Alex Ploner pays his respects to Bill Moyes

launch after half the field have taken off.

Nils is in no rush as the writing is on the wall: it’s already started to overdevelop.

We arrive at the goal of the Asprès airfield to learn that the task was stopped before the start gate even opened.

Day 11: Task 7, a 109.5km task with goal at Ribiers. It’s a Moyes day in goal!

Antoine in first, Gerolf second and Curt third – all very happy campers! There’s lots of gliders coming into goal, it looks rough and choppy. Gordon Rigg lands and screams for a radio, fellow team mate Carl Wallbank has crashed on the top of Mison, Bruce Kavanagh stays circling above him to get his exact coordinates.

Carl is okay and able to radio his coordinates to Bruce who relays them to Gordon.

Carl suffered a broken thumb, a couple of broken ribs and a bad cut on his shin. He replaces his keel overnight and is able to fly the last day. Attila bombs and blames the fact he has not worn his lucky Tomas Suchanek T-shirt, he drops out of the

Jonny congratulates Alex and films for his blog!

Curt Warren happy in Ribiers goal

October 2009

Jonny launches

Steve Blenkinsop

top 10. Jonny wins the day by taking the second start and moves into third place.

There are around 30 pilots in goal when we find out the task has been stopped for threatening storms, the time used for scoring is 15 minutes before the actual stop, so in the end only 19 pilots are given goal. Lots of top pilots missed out.

Going into the last day the overall results are Ruhmer, Ploner, Durand.

Molly remarks that she has never been to a World Championship where the top 10 changed so drastically every day.

Day 12: Task 8. The last day! A 151.7km task from Chabre with goal at camp.

Manfred’s wife is at HQ when she gets a call from him that he has landed at the first turnpoint. The news spreads like wild fire. The journalists at HQ had already written their press releases that Manfred Ruhmer has won his 4th World Championship title – they throw them in the bin!

We all head to goal, it’s very exciting, the competition is wide open. Nene Rotor from Brazil is first in goal with Jonny 13 minutes later, then Swiss Nick in third.

Alex said later that he was so nervous October 2009

when he heard that Manfred had landed, he knew all he had to do was get to goal and he would be the new World Champion. Davide Guiducci from Italy comes in fourth and radioes Alex the conditions on final. Alex just has to get there. When he does the Italian Team, drivers and team leader go crazy. We all know Alex has won. The emotions ran high – they were screaming and crying, it was beautiful to watch.

Forty-five pilots make goal. It’s an absolutely gorgeous afternoon in the south of France, the sun is shining, there is a light breeze and good friends to share a laugh with, Alex Ploner of Italy flying Icaro is the new World Champion, the Italian Team are the new World

Jonny waves the Australian flag after receiving his second place medal

Champions. The 17th World Championships is over. See you in Monte Cucco!

Top 10

1 Alessandro Ploner (ITA) Icaro2000 Z9 5046 2 Jon Durand (AUS) Moyes Litespeed RS3.5 4935 3 Thomas Weissenberger (AUT) Moyes Litespeed RS4 4695 4 Zac Majors (USA) Wills Wing T2C144 4594 5 Gordon Rigg (GBR) Moyes Litespeed S4 4581 6 Antoine Boisselier (FRA) Moyes Litespeed RS4 4568 7 Dustin Martin (USA) Wills Wing T2C144 4558 8 Nene Rotor (BRA) Wills Wing T2C144 4556 9 Dan Vyhnalik (CZE) Aeros Combat L14 4547 10 Manfred Ruhmer (AUT) Icaro 2000 Laminar Z9 4535 Team Results

1 2 3 4 5

Italy Austria France Brazil Australia

Alex Ploner of Italy is World Champion 2009

Soaring Australia 19

V

intage gliding corner

Photo from ‘Gliding in Australia’ by Alan Ash

Flying the Altair Rob Moore

I

was saddened to hear of the passing of Cliff Gurr, who with Ron Adair designed and built one of Australia’s classic gliders Before I go into my experience of flying the Altair I would like to write a little about my experiences that led to the flight.

As a young 18-year-old I joined this magical place, the Adelaide Soaring Club, where a group of very enthusiastic people took to the air in gliders.

Reg and I had wanted to fly since we were eight years old but had to wait 10 years before our mother would let us get involved.

We had one experience flying gliders before we joined and that was in 1953, as 11-year-olds at Pt Pirie with a pilot who is still active in the club today, Geoff Horwood.

Another experience had been to visit the Mitcham workshops of the club where members were building our early two-seaters, the ES49s. Noel Roediger has one of them in bits somewhere on the aerodrome at the moment; there were others building a BG12, and somewhere there was this mystical aircraft, the Altair, taking shape.

As a very early teenager I was fascinated to see people actually making aircraft in which they would be able to fly.

My next encounter with the Altair was in the club workshop in the early 60s, where I guess it was having its annual inspection. It was a very impressive aircraft for its time with what seemed like a huge wingspan and a very streamlined fuselage.

I thought: “Wow, I would love to fly that machine, it must be fantastic and

20 Soaring Australia

G FA

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au] the glide angle was said to be well in to the 30s.” I would never be allowed or competent enough to fly it, I thought.

I never actually saw the Altair flying at Gawler because I think Cliff had stopped flying by the early 1960s and his partner in designing and building the glider, Ron Adair, had moved to Sydney.

The next time I saw the aircraft was when I was competing against it at a national gliding competition out of Narromine and, although it was outclassed by all the modern fibreglass gliders that were flying by then, I still lusted to fly it.

My chance came to fly it during the Waikerie Gliding Club’s 50th birthday celebrations in the 1980s. The glider now belonged to Alan and Ian Patching who had brought it over from Melbourne for the weekend.

Ian was offering rides to some of the gathered pilots and me, not being shy, asked for a flight and was very excited when Ian said: “Well you’re next.“ Here I was about to go and fly in an aircraft I had wanted to fly since I saw it in the workshop all those years ago.

It was a lovely warm clear spring afternoon as I strapped in and did my cockpit check.

The cockpit was of an adequate size for my frame at the time and all the controls fell to hand easily. The glider had a fixed wheel, only spoilers as I remember and no trim.

As I launched behind the Waikerie Pawnee I was prepared for the need for a lot of back pressure on the control column and this was indeed the case for the rest of the flight.

After release I was able to find a thermal or two and climb to over 4000ft and stayed aloft for 46 minutes.

The glider was very graceful to fly and had a good rate of roll and adequate rudder for coordinated turns. It handled like the 17m Glasflugel Kestrel I thought, although the glide angle was considerably less.

After wanting to fly this aircraft for 26 years I was not disappointed and must say that Cliff Gurr designed a great aircraft for its time. It is now housed in the Australian Gliding Museum at Bacchus Marsh in Victoria.

WAGA President Owen Jones presents the GFA Certificate of Merit to a sprightly 90-year-old Dick Sasse, still flying power planes, gliders and instructing whilst the GFA Executive Officer, John Welsh, looking on smilingly Photo: Glenys Jones

Dick Sasse Celebrates 90th Birthday

S

Owen Jones

aturday 22 August this year saw a group of pilots from the three major Western Australia gliding clubs, the Beverley Soaring Society, the Gliding Club of WA and the Narrogin Gliding Club, trek the 400km north to Morawa, the home of the winch launching Morawa Gliding Club.

Interestingly there is a second winchbased club in WA, the Stirlings Gliding Club which flies out of the most southerly gliding site in WA, at Cranbrook, not far from the Stirling Ranges.

But on 22 August after an enjoyable day, delighting in the exhilaration of a winch launch, the visitors joined about 80 other family and friends to celebrate Dick Sasse’s 90th birthday in the well-decorated Morawa Hall for a sit down dinner. Dick had to rush home from instructing in the back seat of the Morawa Blanik L13 GZX for most of the day, in time to change for the dinner!

WAGA President Owen Jones was invited to ‘say a few words’ about Dick’s gliding activities whilst others spoke of his family and farming achievements.

According to GFA records Dick Sasse is currently the oldest active Australian glider pilot! Certainly there are other GFA members older than Dick Sasse and others with longer gliding careers but Dick is the oldest active pilot.

In fact Dick Sasse did not start gliding until relatively late in life, in his 60th year, but from that point on he has been instructing and acting as log keeper continuously since the Morawa Gliding October 2009

Club was formed, 28 years so far and still going strong!

Although the majority of Dick’s gliding career has been flown from the back seat of a Blanik he has also competed in almost every annual WAGA State Gliding Championship since 1988.

He has only missed one, in 1993 when the dates of the State championship clashed with the Morawa wheat harvest.

Dick won the Sports Class championship in 1995, 1999 and 2001 in his Pik 20 VH-GWK. But the sweetest occasion was in 1995 when his first win coincided with his 75th birthday year!

His skillful and conservative style, which sees him complete the task even when the ‘Guns’ have all flown themselves into paddocks, continues to this day. And Dick is looking forward to competing in the 50th WAGA State Championships, which will be hosted by the GCWA and flown from the Cunderdin airfield next January!

Truly a remarkable man, worthy of the GFA Certificate of Merit, the citation on which read: “The Gliding Federation

of Australia wish to recognise Dick Sasse on the occasion of his 90th birthday, as the Oldest Active Australian Glider Pilot and his remarkable service as CFI of the Morawa Gliding Club”

A Third Ka6 for Caboolture Garrett Russell and Barry McCarthy, Caboolture GC, Vintage Branch [www.glidingcaboolture.org.au/]

Y

es, it was cold in Southern Gippsland where we spent Friday afternoon, night and Saturday morning. It was also wet and extremely windy. And freezing cold even in the hangar where we made first acquaintance with the newest bird to join Caboolture’s vintage flock.

Yes, we shook frost-bitten hands with the committee of South Gippsland Gliding Club, only the second owners since 1961 of ES-Ka-6 VH-GRS, which we will soon

Ka6

be bringing up to a sunnier nest at Caboolture Gliding Club.

She is the first of her species to have been hatched by Edmund Schneider in South Australia, and we think she’s even cuter than her younger-by-one-year sister VH-GRV and second cousin VH-GSR (though Messrs Rodda and Gonsalves may disagree).

We also met her maiden aunt – the first Grunau Baby built by Schneider in Australia – along with a lot of other historic aircraft in the Australian Gliding Museum at Bacchus Marsh. Ian Patching made the introductions.

And we came very close to flying in an ornithorincus.

GFA Executive Members Visit Australian Gliding Museum GFA president Daryl Connell, AGM secretary Graeme Barton, GFA executive officer John Welsh, GFA treasurer Ian Grant, GFA chairman of the Sports Committee Rob Moore, and AGM president Alan Patching, during their inspection of the Australian Gliding Museum Bruce Brockhoff Annexe on 23 July, 2009. The GFA Executive members expressed their support for the considerable efforts and expense put into preserving Australian gliding history by Museum members. The Museum is raising funds for the erection of the donated workshop/paintshop hangar, connection of mains’ power, and provision of appropriate toilet facilities.

GFA members are welcome to visit the museum by arrangement, please contact Graeme Barton on 03 98021098.

A COW OF A DAY IN New Zealand!

Courtesy Vintage Times The pictured Ka4 hit a cow on finals at Norfolk Lake Gliding Club. The cow hastily left the scene without reporting that it had caused a collision. The Club said: “Thank God for that, we will take the insurance money and run, to buy more glass.” A small number of members said: “Like Hell.” Big arguments in the club followed, with Vintage Kiwi (VK) assisting. The club agreed to fund repairs, which are now at test rigging stage, then back to the club for flying by those who ‘believe’ and others who will pray for another cow The Ka4 undergoing repair

October 2009

Soaring Australia 21

V

intage gliding corner

Photo from ‘Gliding in Australia’ by Alan Ash

Flying the Altair Rob Moore

I

was saddened to hear of the passing of Cliff Gurr, who with Ron Adair designed and built one of Australia’s classic gliders Before I go into my experience of flying the Altair I would like to write a little about my experiences that led to the flight.

As a young 18-year-old I joined this magical place, the Adelaide Soaring Club, where a group of very enthusiastic people took to the air in gliders.

Reg and I had wanted to fly since we were eight years old but had to wait 10 years before our mother would let us get involved.

We had one experience flying gliders before we joined and that was in 1953, as 11-year-olds at Pt Pirie with a pilot who is still active in the club today, Geoff Horwood.

Another experience had been to visit the Mitcham workshops of the club where members were building our early two-seaters, the ES49s. Noel Roediger has one of them in bits somewhere on the aerodrome at the moment; there were others building a BG12, and somewhere there was this mystical aircraft, the Altair, taking shape.

As a very early teenager I was fascinated to see people actually making aircraft in which they would be able to fly.

My next encounter with the Altair was in the club workshop in the early 60s, where I guess it was having its annual inspection. It was a very impressive aircraft for its time with what seemed like a huge wingspan and a very streamlined fuselage.

I thought: “Wow, I would love to fly that machine, it must be fantastic and

20 Soaring Australia

G FA

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au] the glide angle was said to be well in to the 30s.” I would never be allowed or competent enough to fly it, I thought.

I never actually saw the Altair flying at Gawler because I think Cliff had stopped flying by the early 1960s and his partner in designing and building the glider, Ron Adair, had moved to Sydney.

The next time I saw the aircraft was when I was competing against it at a national gliding competition out of Narromine and, although it was outclassed by all the modern fibreglass gliders that were flying by then, I still lusted to fly it.

My chance came to fly it during the Waikerie Gliding Club’s 50th birthday celebrations in the 1980s. The glider now belonged to Alan and Ian Patching who had brought it over from Melbourne for the weekend.

Ian was offering rides to some of the gathered pilots and me, not being shy, asked for a flight and was very excited when Ian said: “Well you’re next.“ Here I was about to go and fly in an aircraft I had wanted to fly since I saw it in the workshop all those years ago.

It was a lovely warm clear spring afternoon as I strapped in and did my cockpit check.

The cockpit was of an adequate size for my frame at the time and all the controls fell to hand easily. The glider had a fixed wheel, only spoilers as I remember and no trim.

As I launched behind the Waikerie Pawnee I was prepared for the need for a lot of back pressure on the control column and this was indeed the case for the rest of the flight.

After release I was able to find a thermal or two and climb to over 4000ft and stayed aloft for 46 minutes.

The glider was very graceful to fly and had a good rate of roll and adequate rudder for coordinated turns. It handled like the 17m Glasflugel Kestrel I thought, although the glide angle was considerably less.

After wanting to fly this aircraft for 26 years I was not disappointed and must say that Cliff Gurr designed a great aircraft for its time. It is now housed in the Australian Gliding Museum at Bacchus Marsh in Victoria.

WAGA President Owen Jones presents the GFA Certificate of Merit to a sprightly 90-year-old Dick Sasse, still flying power planes, gliders and instructing whilst the GFA Executive Officer, John Welsh, looking on smilingly Photo: Glenys Jones

Dick Sasse Celebrates 90th Birthday

S

Owen Jones

aturday 22 August this year saw a group of pilots from the three major Western Australia gliding clubs, the Beverley Soaring Society, the Gliding Club of WA and the Narrogin Gliding Club, trek the 400km north to Morawa, the home of the winch launching Morawa Gliding Club.

Interestingly there is a second winchbased club in WA, the Stirlings Gliding Club which flies out of the most southerly gliding site in WA, at Cranbrook, not far from the Stirling Ranges.

But on 22 August after an enjoyable day, delighting in the exhilaration of a winch launch, the visitors joined about 80 other family and friends to celebrate Dick Sasse’s 90th birthday in the well-decorated Morawa Hall for a sit down dinner. Dick had to rush home from instructing in the back seat of the Morawa Blanik L13 GZX for most of the day, in time to change for the dinner!

WAGA President Owen Jones was invited to ‘say a few words’ about Dick’s gliding activities whilst others spoke of his family and farming achievements.

According to GFA records Dick Sasse is currently the oldest active Australian glider pilot! Certainly there are other GFA members older than Dick Sasse and others with longer gliding careers but Dick is the oldest active pilot.

In fact Dick Sasse did not start gliding until relatively late in life, in his 60th year, but from that point on he has been instructing and acting as log keeper continuously since the Morawa Gliding October 2009

Club was formed, 28 years so far and still going strong!

Although the majority of Dick’s gliding career has been flown from the back seat of a Blanik he has also competed in almost every annual WAGA State Gliding Championship since 1988.

He has only missed one, in 1993 when the dates of the State championship clashed with the Morawa wheat harvest.

Dick won the Sports Class championship in 1995, 1999 and 2001 in his Pik 20 VH-GWK. But the sweetest occasion was in 1995 when his first win coincided with his 75th birthday year!

His skillful and conservative style, which sees him complete the task even when the ‘Guns’ have all flown themselves into paddocks, continues to this day. And Dick is looking forward to competing in the 50th WAGA State Championships, which will be hosted by the GCWA and flown from the Cunderdin airfield next January!

Truly a remarkable man, worthy of the GFA Certificate of Merit, the citation on which read: “The Gliding Federation

of Australia wish to recognise Dick Sasse on the occasion of his 90th birthday, as the Oldest Active Australian Glider Pilot and his remarkable service as CFI of the Morawa Gliding Club”

A Third Ka6 for Caboolture Garrett Russell and Barry McCarthy, Caboolture GC, Vintage Branch [www.glidingcaboolture.org.au/]

Y

es, it was cold in Southern Gippsland where we spent Friday afternoon, night and Saturday morning. It was also wet and extremely windy. And freezing cold even in the hangar where we made first acquaintance with the newest bird to join Caboolture’s vintage flock.

Yes, we shook frost-bitten hands with the committee of South Gippsland Gliding Club, only the second owners since 1961 of ES-Ka-6 VH-GRS, which we will soon

Ka6

be bringing up to a sunnier nest at Caboolture Gliding Club.

She is the first of her species to have been hatched by Edmund Schneider in South Australia, and we think she’s even cuter than her younger-by-one-year sister VH-GRV and second cousin VH-GSR (though Messrs Rodda and Gonsalves may disagree).

We also met her maiden aunt – the first Grunau Baby built by Schneider in Australia – along with a lot of other historic aircraft in the Australian Gliding Museum at Bacchus Marsh. Ian Patching made the introductions.

And we came very close to flying in an ornithorincus.

GFA Executive Members Visit Australian Gliding Museum GFA president Daryl Connell, AGM secretary Graeme Barton, GFA executive officer John Welsh, GFA treasurer Ian Grant, GFA chairman of the Sports Committee Rob Moore, and AGM president Alan Patching, during their inspection of the Australian Gliding Museum Bruce Brockhoff Annexe on 23 July, 2009. The GFA Executive members expressed their support for the considerable efforts and expense put into preserving Australian gliding history by Museum members. The Museum is raising funds for the erection of the donated workshop/paintshop hangar, connection of mains’ power, and provision of appropriate toilet facilities.

GFA members are welcome to visit the museum by arrangement, please contact Graeme Barton on 03 98021098.

A COW OF A DAY IN New Zealand!

Courtesy Vintage Times The pictured Ka4 hit a cow on finals at Norfolk Lake Gliding Club. The cow hastily left the scene without reporting that it had caused a collision. The Club said: “Thank God for that, we will take the insurance money and run, to buy more glass.” A small number of members said: “Like Hell.” Big arguments in the club followed, with Vintage Kiwi (VK) assisting. The club agreed to fund repairs, which are now at test rigging stage, then back to the club for flying by those who ‘believe’ and others who will pray for another cow The Ka4 undergoing repair

October 2009

Soaring Australia 21

V

intage gliding corner

G FA

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au] points in a single flight, but cylinders cannot be used for the start and finish points.

The distance penalty of 0.5km each time you cross a cylinder OZ boundary still applies.

This is a useful change in the rules and will ‘rescue’ some marginal claims.

Start and Finish Point for Closed Course and Goal Flights

Left outside the hangar, a Cessna cut off the Kookaburra’s rear end with its prop. It was subsequently given to Vintage Kiwi for restoration and loaded onto a special open trailer. The one piece wing blew off the trailer, went for a short cross-country, causing more damage but luckily was not run over. The sailplane is now at Norfolk Road Gliding Club, the one most interested in restorations, with umpteen Blaniks, a T31 and Ka6 all flying, plus many others. The plan is to use the Kooka in a new VK venture, ‘Vintage Youth’, in conjunction with existing ‘Youth Glide’ operations

The observation zone at the start and finish has been given a limited size, a sector radius of 1000m.

(A sector OZ at start and finish of ‘unlimited’ size was seen to reduce the value and meaning implied by the description of the ‘closed circuit’ or ‘goal’ where the pilot had to reach a certain point. If he could finish a flight 20km from his start/finish point, even though this cost him extra distance, had he really ‘closed the circuit’ or achieved his ‘goal’? It is an unpopular change in areas where bad weather may make it difficult to actually get within one kilometre of the finish point. The loudest complaints came from the Argentinean wave pilots who believe this is a dangerous change.

It takes away the option to finish by

New Sporting Code Pam Kurstjens The new version of the Sporting Code Section 3 (Gliders) comes into effect

entering the sector a long way past the finish point while accepting a distance penalty.)

Finish Point for Closed Circuit and Goal Flights Another change is the removal of the rule that, if your finish point was at an airfield, you could land anywhere on the airfield and claim that you had a valid finish. Under the new rules, you must ‘close the circuit’ by going to your finish point or entering the OZ sector.

(The reasoning is, again, to tighten up on the meaning of the ‘closed circuit’ or ‘goal’. The potential danger here is that you might be on a marginal final glide to your finish point at an airfield. Let us suppose you have declared the hangar as the ‘point’, but you are short of height and have the safe option of landing straight onto the runway, or stretching the final glide to go past the finish point and then turn around and land. This is a bad change to the rules. The best way to handle this one is to declare a finish point that you can land on. Use the middle of the runway if there is only one, or use the intersection of the runways.)

C h a n g e s t h at o n l y Affect Record Flights

on 1 October 2009.

T

here are some important changes this year. For example, on 30 September you can use a camera for your badge flight; on 1 October you cannot. On 30 September you cannot use a GPS fix for the finish point of your Silver Distance. On 1 October, you can. There are important changes for the start of Speed Records and the finish of Goal and Closed Circuit flights for badges and records, and more. Read this article and read the new Sporting Code on the IGC website. The link is [www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/ SC3_2009.pdf].

Alternatively, go to the IGC website, and follow the link from the home page.

either through a declaration error, or getting lost, or bad weather at the TP. However, a GPS fix can be found which shows that he did cover a distance of more than 50km before flying home or landing out. Provided he doesn’t get a distance penalty under the height loss rules, he can now claim his Silver Distance.

(Previously, missing the TP, and flying home, left you with no claim, while missing the TP, getting lost, and landing out more than 50km from the start point, left you with a claim, subject to distance penalties from height loss.)

This is a positive and helpful change to the rules.

Changes Affecting Badges

Photographic Evidence of Waypoints is no Longer Accepted

Finish Point, Distance Flights You can now use a GPS fix as the finish point of a Badge flight. (Previously, this type of finish could only be used for certain Records.)

For example: A pilot declares a Silver Distance flight to a turning point 50 or more kilometres from his start point, but fails to enter the observation point of the turning point, 22 Soaring Australia

Weather Station

and Gold Badge claims. Logically, any GPS unit should record position more accurately than a camera. BUT the way the rules have been written excludes any such unit from complying with the requirements. The GFA Sports Committee started looking into this issue a year ago, but so far no such units have been approved for use for badge flights in Australia. Note that these units would be used in combination with a barograph for altitude recording, unless the unit itself could be approved as a barograph.

Wind, rain, temperature, humidity, barometer, plus more…

Also available: Windsocks and frames, handheld weather meters.

IGC-approved GPS Flight Recorders

The use of cameras to record your position in waypoint observation zones is no longer allowed.

All badge flights will have to be done with an IGC-approved flight recorder.

There are 45 IGC-approved FR’s listed at [www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/ igc_approved_frs.pdf] or go to the IGC website and select the ‘technology’ tab along the top.

GPS Position Recorders for Silver and Gold Badges

Changes Affecting Badges and Records

There is a provision under the new rules for commercial off-the-shelf GPS units to be used as a replacement for cameras in recording GPS position, for Silver

You can now use a mixture of cylinder and sector observation zones at turning

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Pick ‘n’ Mix Turning Point Observation Zones

October 2009

Start Points

October 2009

An important change affects speed flights. Start time and start altitude must be taken at the crossing of the start line or the departure from the observation zone at the start point. You can no longer take the ‘most advantageous fix’ in the start observation sector.

Declaration of Pilot Names Declaration of pilot’s name, or both names in the case of a two-seater, must be included in the electronic declaration of the flight recorder, with the name of the pilot-in-command first and the crew second. If there is not enough room to enter both names into the data field, they can be abbreviated. The full names will be entered on the claim form.

I hope that I have covered all the relevant points in this article. No doubt we will uncover a few wrinkles as we put the new rules to the test, and being in the southern hemisphere we are the guinea pigs. If you feel strongly about any of the new rules and would like to lobby the IGC for a change, your request needs to get onto the agenda for the next IGC meeting in March 2010. Your IGC representative is Terry Cubley.

Soaring Australia 23

V

intage gliding corner

G FA

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au] points in a single flight, but cylinders cannot be used for the start and finish points.

The distance penalty of 0.5km each time you cross a cylinder OZ boundary still applies.

This is a useful change in the rules and will ‘rescue’ some marginal claims.

Start and Finish Point for Closed Course and Goal Flights

Left outside the hangar, a Cessna cut off the Kookaburra’s rear end with its prop. It was subsequently given to Vintage Kiwi for restoration and loaded onto a special open trailer. The one piece wing blew off the trailer, went for a short cross-country, causing more damage but luckily was not run over. The sailplane is now at Norfolk Road Gliding Club, the one most interested in restorations, with umpteen Blaniks, a T31 and Ka6 all flying, plus many others. The plan is to use the Kooka in a new VK venture, ‘Vintage Youth’, in conjunction with existing ‘Youth Glide’ operations

The observation zone at the start and finish has been given a limited size, a sector radius of 1000m.

(A sector OZ at start and finish of ‘unlimited’ size was seen to reduce the value and meaning implied by the description of the ‘closed circuit’ or ‘goal’ where the pilot had to reach a certain point. If he could finish a flight 20km from his start/finish point, even though this cost him extra distance, had he really ‘closed the circuit’ or achieved his ‘goal’? It is an unpopular change in areas where bad weather may make it difficult to actually get within one kilometre of the finish point. The loudest complaints came from the Argentinean wave pilots who believe this is a dangerous change.

It takes away the option to finish by

New Sporting Code Pam Kurstjens The new version of the Sporting Code Section 3 (Gliders) comes into effect

entering the sector a long way past the finish point while accepting a distance penalty.)

Finish Point for Closed Circuit and Goal Flights Another change is the removal of the rule that, if your finish point was at an airfield, you could land anywhere on the airfield and claim that you had a valid finish. Under the new rules, you must ‘close the circuit’ by going to your finish point or entering the OZ sector.

(The reasoning is, again, to tighten up on the meaning of the ‘closed circuit’ or ‘goal’. The potential danger here is that you might be on a marginal final glide to your finish point at an airfield. Let us suppose you have declared the hangar as the ‘point’, but you are short of height and have the safe option of landing straight onto the runway, or stretching the final glide to go past the finish point and then turn around and land. This is a bad change to the rules. The best way to handle this one is to declare a finish point that you can land on. Use the middle of the runway if there is only one, or use the intersection of the runways.)

C h a n g e s t h at o n l y Affect Record Flights

on 1 October 2009.

T

here are some important changes this year. For example, on 30 September you can use a camera for your badge flight; on 1 October you cannot. On 30 September you cannot use a GPS fix for the finish point of your Silver Distance. On 1 October, you can. There are important changes for the start of Speed Records and the finish of Goal and Closed Circuit flights for badges and records, and more. Read this article and read the new Sporting Code on the IGC website. The link is [www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/ SC3_2009.pdf].

Alternatively, go to the IGC website, and follow the link from the home page.

either through a declaration error, or getting lost, or bad weather at the TP. However, a GPS fix can be found which shows that he did cover a distance of more than 50km before flying home or landing out. Provided he doesn’t get a distance penalty under the height loss rules, he can now claim his Silver Distance.

(Previously, missing the TP, and flying home, left you with no claim, while missing the TP, getting lost, and landing out more than 50km from the start point, left you with a claim, subject to distance penalties from height loss.)

This is a positive and helpful change to the rules.

Changes Affecting Badges

Photographic Evidence of Waypoints is no Longer Accepted

Finish Point, Distance Flights You can now use a GPS fix as the finish point of a Badge flight. (Previously, this type of finish could only be used for certain Records.)

For example: A pilot declares a Silver Distance flight to a turning point 50 or more kilometres from his start point, but fails to enter the observation point of the turning point, 22 Soaring Australia

Weather Station

and Gold Badge claims. Logically, any GPS unit should record position more accurately than a camera. BUT the way the rules have been written excludes any such unit from complying with the requirements. The GFA Sports Committee started looking into this issue a year ago, but so far no such units have been approved for use for badge flights in Australia. Note that these units would be used in combination with a barograph for altitude recording, unless the unit itself could be approved as a barograph.

Wind, rain, temperature, humidity, barometer, plus more…

Also available: Windsocks and frames, handheld weather meters.

IGC-approved GPS Flight Recorders

The use of cameras to record your position in waypoint observation zones is no longer allowed.

All badge flights will have to be done with an IGC-approved flight recorder.

There are 45 IGC-approved FR’s listed at [www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/ igc_approved_frs.pdf] or go to the IGC website and select the ‘technology’ tab along the top.

GPS Position Recorders for Silver and Gold Badges

Changes Affecting Badges and Records

There is a provision under the new rules for commercial off-the-shelf GPS units to be used as a replacement for cameras in recording GPS position, for Silver

You can now use a mixture of cylinder and sector observation zones at turning

Australian Agent for Davis Instruments.

ECOWATCH

Ask for your FREE catalogue.

Unit 5, 17 Southfork Drive Kilsyth VIC 3137 Phone: (03) 9761 7040 Fax: (03) 9761 7050 email: <davis@ecowatch.com.au> web: [www.davisinstruments.com.au]

Pick ‘n’ Mix Turning Point Observation Zones

October 2009

Start Points

October 2009

An important change affects speed flights. Start time and start altitude must be taken at the crossing of the start line or the departure from the observation zone at the start point. You can no longer take the ‘most advantageous fix’ in the start observation sector.

Declaration of Pilot Names Declaration of pilot’s name, or both names in the case of a two-seater, must be included in the electronic declaration of the flight recorder, with the name of the pilot-in-command first and the crew second. If there is not enough room to enter both names into the data field, they can be abbreviated. The full names will be entered on the claim form.

I hope that I have covered all the relevant points in this article. No doubt we will uncover a few wrinkles as we put the new rules to the test, and being in the southern hemisphere we are the guinea pigs. If you feel strongly about any of the new rules and would like to lobby the IGC for a change, your request needs to get onto the agenda for the next IGC meeting in March 2010. Your IGC representative is Terry Cubley.

Soaring Australia 23

H G FA

H G FA

Paragliding Bali 2009

Gunung Payung Temple

Rob Holmes Looking back over my flying log in March this year, I noted that I hadn’t achieved even a couple of hours Rob over Gunung Payung

airtime since the Christmas break. Indeed, last summer

Photo: David Leith

in Perth had turned up the worst flying weather since I started flying four years ago. What to do about it – go somewhere else? Why not?

I

made some phone calls. “No mate, unless you get here in the next few weeks, Bright is off until next summer.”

Queensland – “Nope, don’t bother until September.” Hmm! What about Bali?

“Best time for flying is June through to September” (Bali Paragliders’ Club). I made a few phone calls to friends who had flown in Bali before and lucky for me, David Leith agreed to make up the other half of the expedition. We chose July to make sure we were right in the middle of the most reliable flying weather and then booked our air tickets.

Next, where to stay? Obviously somewhere near the launch sites on the south coast of the Bukit Peninsula. Nusa Dua? Yeah Gods! All advertised on the internet in hundreds US$ per day. Later, when driving through Nusa Dua I got to understand why – security guards on all roads leading in and a tourist parkland estate worthy of Singapore. Then there was a place that one of local pilots suggested, which seemed more like a rat hole from the reviews. More searches, downloading reviews. I then found a B&B (a pension) on Tanjung Benoa – a little peninsula that juts up on the east coast of Bukit; a good review and about A$25 per day that turned out to be the best possible – and run by really nice people. You can get a lot cheaper, but I like my comfort. The

pension organised a lift to pick us up and a Suzuki get around in. The Suzuki turned out to be a ‘hire-a-bomb’ (don’t use that word in Indonesia), cash in advance and leave the keys with the pension when you go. Only a few dollars a day and it got us around; however, we had to turn the airconditioning off to get up the steepest hill in first gear.

I can recommend Tanjung Benoa which has a few good pensions to choose from. There are also a couple of up-market resorts at the north end of Tanjung Benoa that are mostly patronised by Indonesian and Malaysian holiday makers where the minimum rate is US$90 per night – very cheap compared to Nusa Dua. We had a few meals at the one next door (The Princess). At night we were the only guests in a vast dining room and the staff fell over themselves giving us the best service for a really delicious and cheap meal. It’s worth eating there just to see the ceiling – traditional Balinese craftsmanship, but the size of a cathedral dome with millions of hand-tied knots. Across the road from our pension was the beach where several dive companies operate; and if the seabreeze was brisk, there were chaotic para-soaring operations off the beach.

At this point I add a disclaimer. Yes, I know that thousands of Australian pilots

Bali Cliffs High Tide

have been to Bali; this article is therefore encouragement for those who haven’t or for the amusement of those who have.

The story so far – there is cheap accommodation and transport to be found. However, don’t drive in Bali unless you have someone with you who has done it before! The only road rules seem to be mostly drive on the left hand side and stop at red lights most of the time.

At night, unlit bicycles and hand carts without reflectors wander in and out of the dark without warning; in the day, motorcycles swarm around you on all sides and whoever gets ahead in a roundabout has right of way – it’s a game of chicken and requires driver eye contact.

On dual carriage roads 60km/h is a white knuckle ride – no kidding! I love the attitude of Balinese drivers – nobody gets heated even though there are vehicles cutting in at every chance to get into queues or to change lanes.

You must carry lots of Rupia so you can pay on the spot if you are caught out by the police. Don’t worry about handing over cash on the nail – the alternative, I was assured, is a day in court in Denpassar.

Anyway, the police are very nice people, just like all the other Balinese we met, and they also need to earn a living.

What about flying? The Bali Paragliders’ Club website says that there are

Folding Service

two flying sites on the south coast of the Bukit peninsula. I can assure you that it takes local knowledge to find them. My advice is either to go with a flying tour or, as I did, go with someone who has been there before. Last time David was there was four years ago on a tour, and he only had a hazy memory of where the sites were – as happens if someone else is doing the driving. We crashed along rough roads and tracks, asking locals the way; they either shrugged or else pointed in opposite directions to the last advice. Intrepid paragliders that we were, we pressed on over bone-jarring tracks and untracked wilds and ended up

surrounded by bush and bored looking cattle. Eventually we hit on a bush track that clearly had been used by four-wheel vehicles (a good sign as most Balinese drive motor bikes) – we kept following it until we nearly drove over a cliff into the sea – Hurray! We had found Timbis Launch. Soon, one of the group, who work with the site owner, appeared looking for the Japanese tourist group that had arrived just after us. “Wind too east,” he explained, “Come, we go other site.” How lucky can you be, as we might never have found ‘other site’.

As a rough guide, the Gunung Payung temple is right on the cliff edge and is

Lonely Gum Tree Gunung Panung

Nikko Resort

...and low tide

Photo: David Leith

24 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia 25

H G FA

H G FA

Paragliding Bali 2009

Gunung Payung Temple

Rob Holmes Looking back over my flying log in March this year, I noted that I hadn’t achieved even a couple of hours Rob over Gunung Payung

airtime since the Christmas break. Indeed, last summer

Photo: David Leith

in Perth had turned up the worst flying weather since I started flying four years ago. What to do about it – go somewhere else? Why not?

I

made some phone calls. “No mate, unless you get here in the next few weeks, Bright is off until next summer.”

Queensland – “Nope, don’t bother until September.” Hmm! What about Bali?

“Best time for flying is June through to September” (Bali Paragliders’ Club). I made a few phone calls to friends who had flown in Bali before and lucky for me, David Leith agreed to make up the other half of the expedition. We chose July to make sure we were right in the middle of the most reliable flying weather and then booked our air tickets.

Next, where to stay? Obviously somewhere near the launch sites on the south coast of the Bukit Peninsula. Nusa Dua? Yeah Gods! All advertised on the internet in hundreds US$ per day. Later, when driving through Nusa Dua I got to understand why – security guards on all roads leading in and a tourist parkland estate worthy of Singapore. Then there was a place that one of local pilots suggested, which seemed more like a rat hole from the reviews. More searches, downloading reviews. I then found a B&B (a pension) on Tanjung Benoa – a little peninsula that juts up on the east coast of Bukit; a good review and about A$25 per day that turned out to be the best possible – and run by really nice people. You can get a lot cheaper, but I like my comfort. The

pension organised a lift to pick us up and a Suzuki get around in. The Suzuki turned out to be a ‘hire-a-bomb’ (don’t use that word in Indonesia), cash in advance and leave the keys with the pension when you go. Only a few dollars a day and it got us around; however, we had to turn the airconditioning off to get up the steepest hill in first gear.

I can recommend Tanjung Benoa which has a few good pensions to choose from. There are also a couple of up-market resorts at the north end of Tanjung Benoa that are mostly patronised by Indonesian and Malaysian holiday makers where the minimum rate is US$90 per night – very cheap compared to Nusa Dua. We had a few meals at the one next door (The Princess). At night we were the only guests in a vast dining room and the staff fell over themselves giving us the best service for a really delicious and cheap meal. It’s worth eating there just to see the ceiling – traditional Balinese craftsmanship, but the size of a cathedral dome with millions of hand-tied knots. Across the road from our pension was the beach where several dive companies operate; and if the seabreeze was brisk, there were chaotic para-soaring operations off the beach.

At this point I add a disclaimer. Yes, I know that thousands of Australian pilots

Bali Cliffs High Tide

have been to Bali; this article is therefore encouragement for those who haven’t or for the amusement of those who have.

The story so far – there is cheap accommodation and transport to be found. However, don’t drive in Bali unless you have someone with you who has done it before! The only road rules seem to be mostly drive on the left hand side and stop at red lights most of the time.

At night, unlit bicycles and hand carts without reflectors wander in and out of the dark without warning; in the day, motorcycles swarm around you on all sides and whoever gets ahead in a roundabout has right of way – it’s a game of chicken and requires driver eye contact.

On dual carriage roads 60km/h is a white knuckle ride – no kidding! I love the attitude of Balinese drivers – nobody gets heated even though there are vehicles cutting in at every chance to get into queues or to change lanes.

You must carry lots of Rupia so you can pay on the spot if you are caught out by the police. Don’t worry about handing over cash on the nail – the alternative, I was assured, is a day in court in Denpassar.

Anyway, the police are very nice people, just like all the other Balinese we met, and they also need to earn a living.

What about flying? The Bali Paragliders’ Club website says that there are

Folding Service

two flying sites on the south coast of the Bukit peninsula. I can assure you that it takes local knowledge to find them. My advice is either to go with a flying tour or, as I did, go with someone who has been there before. Last time David was there was four years ago on a tour, and he only had a hazy memory of where the sites were – as happens if someone else is doing the driving. We crashed along rough roads and tracks, asking locals the way; they either shrugged or else pointed in opposite directions to the last advice. Intrepid paragliders that we were, we pressed on over bone-jarring tracks and untracked wilds and ended up

surrounded by bush and bored looking cattle. Eventually we hit on a bush track that clearly had been used by four-wheel vehicles (a good sign as most Balinese drive motor bikes) – we kept following it until we nearly drove over a cliff into the sea – Hurray! We had found Timbis Launch. Soon, one of the group, who work with the site owner, appeared looking for the Japanese tourist group that had arrived just after us. “Wind too east,” he explained, “Come, we go other site.” How lucky can you be, as we might never have found ‘other site’.

As a rough guide, the Gunung Payung temple is right on the cliff edge and is

Lonely Gum Tree Gunung Panung

Nikko Resort

...and low tide

Photo: David Leith

24 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

Soaring Australia 25

H G FA

Parawaiting Timbis

Room and Transport

Support Team

located in between the two launch sites.

You need to take the road of the same name that leads to the temple. Once you have crossed over the wide track that runs parallel with the coast, there are bush tracks that lead to either Timbis Launch to the west or Gunung Payung Launch to the east – the latter taking the name of the nearby temple. There were quite big pilot and tourist turnouts on some days, all of whom came down the Gunung Payung Road via an inland route. We were astounded that some of the tourists actually got there in standard road vehicles; I don’t know what sumps and mufflers would have looked like afterwards. I strongly suggest that you hire something with good ground clearance. We preferred the coastal route via Nusa Dua from Tanjung Benoa that cuts across Gunung Payung Road. This was despite the last couple of kilometres from Nusa Dua being over bone-jarring limestone and motor bike tracks. We preferred the 20 minutes of rough stuff to the longer inland obstacle course through local villages. I say obstacle course because you can’t do more than 30km/h due to the stream of motorbikes, animals, cars and bikes parked almost blocking the road or just people standing in the way having a chat. On our second last day there was the prospect of some serious parawaiting ahead, so I went off

H G FA and did a bit of scouting on foot. I soon found that by taking a short cut through a little village and then across about 100 m of farmland we could cut out all the 20 minutes of rough stuff to the Gunung Payung launch!

Timbis has a launch direction SSE and Gunung Payung SE. To the nonpilot the launch sites are not more than God-forsaken hell-holes – hot, humid and remote. The coastal bushland does not conjure scenes of tropical paradise – rather desolate low scrubland where farmers scratch a living somehow. The lesson is, don’t take any long-suffering spouses/partners along with you – they will cease to be long-suffering during long periods of para/hangwaiting; better that they go to the beach or do some shopping. But, when standing at the edge of launch in the seabreeze, humidity and heat is forgotten as you take in the view.

The southern Bukit cliffs run for 15km between the Nikko Resort in the east to as far as can be flown (in the right conditions) to the west. At the base of the cliffs a reef platform, dry at spring low, extends out for 100m or so where breakers roll in at high tide. Along the reef platform seaweed farmers are out working their plots as soon as it is daylight enough to see and shallow enough to stand until the tide returns. This explains the little dark rectangles and lines that festoon the reef.

For those who drop out (preferably at low tide), there are pathways back up the cliff where the seaweed farmers make their way up and down. If the breeze is just right, one can fly to almost over the edge of the reef where breakers roll in below – the scenery out there is worth the trip to Bali. When flying out over the reef, little huts and plots for drying produce come into view that are tucked into the base of the cliff just above the high tide mark.

I was very happy that we were able to fly on four of the six days we were there – even if we only got an hour after 5pm on one day. The weather was wet and windy enough on two days for us not to even bother thinking about going to the launch sites. While we were there, the wind pattern appeared to be an early easterly becoming more southerly around noon as the seabreeze took effect. On a quiet day at Gunung Payung I became impatient waiting for the seabreeze. I launched in about eight knots which was still coming in at nearly 30 degrees from the left. It also happened to be high tide at the time with a metre or more of sea drowning the beach below. My first pass back in front of the launch was about 10m below launch height – consequently I found myself planning a strategy to avoid ending up in the sea below – probably by landing through the roof of a seaweed farmer’s hut. Luckily for me there was enough lift in the corner to the right of launch behind the temple, just enough to pop me back over the edge onto launch.

Of course, within an hour the breeze had swung around to the right and had picked up with the seabreeze.

Below launch the tide presents a risk when it is in (no safe bottom landing), but plenty of space on the beach when the tide is out – in which case you have a hot

walk back up the cliff. You need to watch how top landing is done because the local thorn trees are absolutely vicious – you don’t want to land any further inland than you have to. Get your glider caught in one of those and you might as well go and read a book for the rest of your trip.

The secret is to come in low – the lift at the edge of the cliff is enough to pop you up a few metres for an easy top-landing.

Of course, the quest when flying the Bukit south coast is to fly the Nikko Resort.

In lighter conditions, or if the breeze is a little off, the lift is a little tricky between Gunung Payung and Nikko in places and one could drop out. Luckily, on the last day we had stronger conditions which gave all the lift we needed. It was quite a buzz doing passes in front of the multistorey Nikko over hectares of swimming pools while waving to a family who had made their way up to the central Nikko tower. However, we didn’t get the wind direction we needed to fly the cliffs for any great distance beyond Timbis Launch to the west. I am told that this section of the coast can be hazardous with no bottom landing; so it is important to stay in clean lift when you can get some good distance along to the west. As we were there for only six days, we didn’t think it worth the effort of flying off Mt Batur or Candidasa as these launches require long trips from where we were staying.

I would definitely suggest these sites if you are there for a couple of weeks.

There was quite a festival atmosphere on launch some days with up to a dozen or more in the air at times. A steady stream of tourists kept the local site owner busy doing tandems. There was a Japanese instructor with several students and novice pilots as well as locals and ex-pats and pilots from India, Australia

Letter to the Editor Public Discourse Through the pages of Soaring Australia, I get the view that the flexible wing community is public and articulate in its discussions about sport aviation and where it is going.

I wish to commend all those involved.

Sport flying attracts people with strong personality and is an activity where continuous review of how we go about things is essential for success.

I find it heartening that a full range of opinions and subjects can be publicly Tandem Ride

26 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

and Sumatra – the latter being hangies driving overland from Jakarta for the weekend. In contrast to the chaos on the roads, I was impressed by the attention to safety shown by all pilots. We were approached by the Sumatran guys and also the site owner to run through the safety and give-way rules. By the way, a site fee needs to be paid on the first day; it is a cheap and worthy contribution to some excellent flying.

Para/hang gliding from the two south coast launch sites supports a small community. You can order lunch and buy cool drinks, chocolates, chips or beers that are brought along to the site for sale. Timbis T-shirts, sarongs and cheap jewelry are also sold for you to take back to Aus. They also offer a very expert paraglider folding service – a good idea for packing your paraglider for the plane trip home.

Like any other site in the world, it is a good idea to keep in with the locals and give them your support – don’t argue about the prices, they are cheap enough.

A recent attempt by a developer to buy the Gunung Payung land fell through with the economic downturn. On two occasions we passed surveyors working near the launch sites; who knows what they were up to and for how long these sites will be available? – the resorts are crowding in already.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

tabled and challenged. Decision by vote then provides both sides a gauge of where majority interest lies (including the apathy option) and things can move forward from there.

As a pilot from the sailplane side, the reason I am writing is that I find the flexible wing public discourse on all topics to be a tonic, compared with the feeling I get that on the fixed wing side, some topics are taboo.

A decade ago there were advocates in favour of combining the two organisations, Soaring Australia was a precursor

Timbis Launch

toe-in-the-water to that thinking.

My view from reading the magazine is that the flight forms have shown themselves to be different enough even in the way they go about their future re-positioning, to remain separate organisations.

My personal recipe for the future is that diversity embedded in systems gives the greatest potential for most people to draw benefit from sport aviation. For that, I am opposed to centralisation and prescriptive single path solutions imposed Emilis Prelgauskas on all.

Soaring Australia 27

H G FA

Parawaiting Timbis

Room and Transport

Support Team

located in between the two launch sites.

You need to take the road of the same name that leads to the temple. Once you have crossed over the wide track that runs parallel with the coast, there are bush tracks that lead to either Timbis Launch to the west or Gunung Payung Launch to the east – the latter taking the name of the nearby temple. There were quite big pilot and tourist turnouts on some days, all of whom came down the Gunung Payung Road via an inland route. We were astounded that some of the tourists actually got there in standard road vehicles; I don’t know what sumps and mufflers would have looked like afterwards. I strongly suggest that you hire something with good ground clearance. We preferred the coastal route via Nusa Dua from Tanjung Benoa that cuts across Gunung Payung Road. This was despite the last couple of kilometres from Nusa Dua being over bone-jarring limestone and motor bike tracks. We preferred the 20 minutes of rough stuff to the longer inland obstacle course through local villages. I say obstacle course because you can’t do more than 30km/h due to the stream of motorbikes, animals, cars and bikes parked almost blocking the road or just people standing in the way having a chat. On our second last day there was the prospect of some serious parawaiting ahead, so I went off

H G FA and did a bit of scouting on foot. I soon found that by taking a short cut through a little village and then across about 100 m of farmland we could cut out all the 20 minutes of rough stuff to the Gunung Payung launch!

Timbis has a launch direction SSE and Gunung Payung SE. To the nonpilot the launch sites are not more than God-forsaken hell-holes – hot, humid and remote. The coastal bushland does not conjure scenes of tropical paradise – rather desolate low scrubland where farmers scratch a living somehow. The lesson is, don’t take any long-suffering spouses/partners along with you – they will cease to be long-suffering during long periods of para/hangwaiting; better that they go to the beach or do some shopping. But, when standing at the edge of launch in the seabreeze, humidity and heat is forgotten as you take in the view.

The southern Bukit cliffs run for 15km between the Nikko Resort in the east to as far as can be flown (in the right conditions) to the west. At the base of the cliffs a reef platform, dry at spring low, extends out for 100m or so where breakers roll in at high tide. Along the reef platform seaweed farmers are out working their plots as soon as it is daylight enough to see and shallow enough to stand until the tide returns. This explains the little dark rectangles and lines that festoon the reef.

For those who drop out (preferably at low tide), there are pathways back up the cliff where the seaweed farmers make their way up and down. If the breeze is just right, one can fly to almost over the edge of the reef where breakers roll in below – the scenery out there is worth the trip to Bali. When flying out over the reef, little huts and plots for drying produce come into view that are tucked into the base of the cliff just above the high tide mark.

I was very happy that we were able to fly on four of the six days we were there – even if we only got an hour after 5pm on one day. The weather was wet and windy enough on two days for us not to even bother thinking about going to the launch sites. While we were there, the wind pattern appeared to be an early easterly becoming more southerly around noon as the seabreeze took effect. On a quiet day at Gunung Payung I became impatient waiting for the seabreeze. I launched in about eight knots which was still coming in at nearly 30 degrees from the left. It also happened to be high tide at the time with a metre or more of sea drowning the beach below. My first pass back in front of the launch was about 10m below launch height – consequently I found myself planning a strategy to avoid ending up in the sea below – probably by landing through the roof of a seaweed farmer’s hut. Luckily for me there was enough lift in the corner to the right of launch behind the temple, just enough to pop me back over the edge onto launch.

Of course, within an hour the breeze had swung around to the right and had picked up with the seabreeze.

Below launch the tide presents a risk when it is in (no safe bottom landing), but plenty of space on the beach when the tide is out – in which case you have a hot

walk back up the cliff. You need to watch how top landing is done because the local thorn trees are absolutely vicious – you don’t want to land any further inland than you have to. Get your glider caught in one of those and you might as well go and read a book for the rest of your trip.

The secret is to come in low – the lift at the edge of the cliff is enough to pop you up a few metres for an easy top-landing.

Of course, the quest when flying the Bukit south coast is to fly the Nikko Resort.

In lighter conditions, or if the breeze is a little off, the lift is a little tricky between Gunung Payung and Nikko in places and one could drop out. Luckily, on the last day we had stronger conditions which gave all the lift we needed. It was quite a buzz doing passes in front of the multistorey Nikko over hectares of swimming pools while waving to a family who had made their way up to the central Nikko tower. However, we didn’t get the wind direction we needed to fly the cliffs for any great distance beyond Timbis Launch to the west. I am told that this section of the coast can be hazardous with no bottom landing; so it is important to stay in clean lift when you can get some good distance along to the west. As we were there for only six days, we didn’t think it worth the effort of flying off Mt Batur or Candidasa as these launches require long trips from where we were staying.

I would definitely suggest these sites if you are there for a couple of weeks.

There was quite a festival atmosphere on launch some days with up to a dozen or more in the air at times. A steady stream of tourists kept the local site owner busy doing tandems. There was a Japanese instructor with several students and novice pilots as well as locals and ex-pats and pilots from India, Australia

Letter to the Editor Public Discourse Through the pages of Soaring Australia, I get the view that the flexible wing community is public and articulate in its discussions about sport aviation and where it is going.

I wish to commend all those involved.

Sport flying attracts people with strong personality and is an activity where continuous review of how we go about things is essential for success.

I find it heartening that a full range of opinions and subjects can be publicly Tandem Ride

26 Soaring Australia

October 2009

October 2009

and Sumatra – the latter being hangies driving overland from Jakarta for the weekend. In contrast to the chaos on the roads, I was impressed by the attention to safety shown by all pilots. We were approached by the Sumatran guys and also the site owner to run through the safety and give-way rules. By the way, a site fee needs to be paid on the first day; it is a cheap and worthy contribution to some excellent flying.

Para/hang gliding from the two south coast launch sites supports a small community. You can order lunch and buy cool drinks, chocolates, chips or beers that are brought along to the site for sale. Timbis T-shirts, sarongs and cheap jewelry are also sold for you to take back to Aus. They also offer a very expert paraglider folding service – a good idea for packing your paraglider for the plane trip home.

Like any other site in the world, it is a good idea to keep in with the locals and give them your support – don’t argue about the prices, they are cheap enough.

A recent attempt by a developer to buy the Gunung Payung land fell through with the economic downturn. On two occasions we passed surveyors working near the launch sites; who knows what they were up to and for how long these sites will be available? – the resorts are crowding in already.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

tabled and challenged. Decision by vote then provides both sides a gauge of where majority interest lies (including the apathy option) and things can move forward from there.

As a pilot from the sailplane side, the reason I am writing is that I find the flexible wing public discourse on all topics to be a tonic, compared with the feeling I get that on the fixed wing side, some topics are taboo.

A decade ago there were advocates in favour of combining the two organisations, Soaring Australia was a precursor

Timbis Launch

toe-in-the-water to that thinking.

My view from reading the magazine is that the flight forms have shown themselves to be different enough even in the way they go about their future re-positioning, to remain separate organisations.

My personal recipe for the future is that diversity embedded in systems gives the greatest potential for most people to draw benefit from sport aviation. For that, I am opposed to centralisation and prescriptive single path solutions imposed Emilis Prelgauskas on all.

Soaring Australia 27

G FA

G FA

Visitors to Bluff Knoll, Western Australia, Sunday 2 August 2009 A Pictorial Record Photos by a weary Owen Jones (using Canon EOS40D in Sports Mode at 1/1600sec at f11 ISO400 with a EF-S 17-85mm lens at 85mm) Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges in Western Australia, 1217 hours.

Height 3520ft. Don’t be deceived by the sealed track in the foreground, it ends after 200m and it then turns into a rough track, steep and rocky in sections, but nowadays with many steps cut in it. The spacing of the steps is random and sometimes one thinks that one would be better off without them but then maybe erosion would degrade the track.

Interestingly it takes the same time to descend as to ascend, but it is much easier coming down as one does not have to haul 87kg plus camera gear, water and additional waterproof clothing up 3520ft! The climb is rated at three to four hours return.

A beautiful majestic wedge-tailed eagle arranges an early pre-air show flypast of its own with wings spread out completely and staring the intruder stationed near its nesting site in the eye

Club Development The photographer reaches the Summit at 1312 hours after a gruelling one hour 55 minute climb. It used to take under one hour 30 minutes, but the years have taken their toll.

Having a light lunch whilst waiting for the gliders to launch and fly past the Bluff. The distant carpark is directly below

John Hudson At 1338 hours the Beverley Soaring Society’s Pawnee VH-CSN flown by guest tow pilot, John Kenny of the Narrogin Gliding Club, having released VH-GHX, stages a fly-past as the wedge-tailed eagle dives away from the noisy intruder

Alf Roche of the Beverley Soaring Society flies past the summit of Bluff Knoll in his beloved Hornet VH-GHX at 1340 hours.

The additional fixture on the right wing is a video camera.

Check out Alf Roche’s YouTube footage of the Wave Camp 2009 at [/www.youtube.com/user/alfsrc]

A last shot of the Hornet VH-GHX at 1349 turning for another pass across the face of Bluff Knoll with Mt Trio in the foreground and the infamous Mt Toolbrunup in the distant background

28 Soaring Australia

October 2009

At the final South Australian Gliding Association (SAGA) general meeting in the 2008-09 financial year it was agreed there would be a number of meetings to best use the time with all the various Club delegates present.

T

he scheduled meetings included an operations’ meeting with club CFIs and Level 3 Instructors, chaired by the SA RTO-Ops, Paul Mason; the SAGA AGM; followed by the first meeting of the new SAGA Committee and on this occasion, while all the delegates were assembled, a ‘Club Development’ meeting to be chaired by the SA RDO, Anne Philcox.

Prior to the date of the SAGA AGM, Maurice Little indicated an interest in attending the meeting to assist with discussion around development issues.

On Saturday, 15 August, Maurice was welcomed back to Waikerie and invited to contribute to the various meetings. The South Australia clubs represented were Balaklava, Adelaide, Air Cadets, Murray Bridge, Waikerie, Renmark, Bordertown, Millicent and Adelaide University.

The development meeting took place at 1600 hours, chaired by Maurice. The information provided and the discussion which followed were extremely valuable in seeking a way forward. While we are all familiar with the good attraction October 2009

Maurice Little addressing SAGA Club delegates at a development meeting at Waikerie, on 15 August 2009

record but the poor retention record, Maurice was able to describe and explain a number of ‘options’ which could be (should be) considered by clubs.

Our thanks to Maurice for the time and effort taken to join us at Waikerie for

the SAGA AGM: he certainly left us with a lot to digest and act on.

Following dinner attended by around 35 people, the annual trophy presentation took place, with Maurice invited to make the presentations.

Soaring Australia 29

G FA

G FA

Visitors to Bluff Knoll, Western Australia, Sunday 2 August 2009 A Pictorial Record Photos by a weary Owen Jones (using Canon EOS40D in Sports Mode at 1/1600sec at f11 ISO400 with a EF-S 17-85mm lens at 85mm) Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges in Western Australia, 1217 hours.

Height 3520ft. Don’t be deceived by the sealed track in the foreground, it ends after 200m and it then turns into a rough track, steep and rocky in sections, but nowadays with many steps cut in it. The spacing of the steps is random and sometimes one thinks that one would be better off without them but then maybe erosion would degrade the track.

Interestingly it takes the same time to descend as to ascend, but it is much easier coming down as one does not have to haul 87kg plus camera gear, water and additional waterproof clothing up 3520ft! The climb is rated at three to four hours return.

A beautiful majestic wedge-tailed eagle arranges an early pre-air show flypast of its own with wings spread out completely and staring the intruder stationed near its nesting site in the eye

Club Development The photographer reaches the Summit at 1312 hours after a gruelling one hour 55 minute climb. It used to take under one hour 30 minutes, but the years have taken their toll.

Having a light lunch whilst waiting for the gliders to launch and fly past the Bluff. The distant carpark is directly below

John Hudson At 1338 hours the Beverley Soaring Society’s Pawnee VH-CSN flown by guest tow pilot, John Kenny of the Narrogin Gliding Club, having released VH-GHX, stages a fly-past as the wedge-tailed eagle dives away from the noisy intruder

Alf Roche of the Beverley Soaring Society flies past the summit of Bluff Knoll in his beloved Hornet VH-GHX at 1340 hours.

The additional fixture on the right wing is a video camera.

Check out Alf Roche’s YouTube footage of the Wave Camp 2009 at [/www.youtube.com/user/alfsrc]

A last shot of the Hornet VH-GHX at 1349 turning for another pass across the face of Bluff Knoll with Mt Trio in the foreground and the infamous Mt Toolbrunup in the distant background

28 Soaring Australia

October 2009

At the final South Australian Gliding Association (SAGA) general meeting in the 2008-09 financial year it was agreed there would be a number of meetings to best use the time with all the various Club delegates present.

T

he scheduled meetings included an operations’ meeting with club CFIs and Level 3 Instructors, chaired by the SA RTO-Ops, Paul Mason; the SAGA AGM; followed by the first meeting of the new SAGA Committee and on this occasion, while all the delegates were assembled, a ‘Club Development’ meeting to be chaired by the SA RDO, Anne Philcox.

Prior to the date of the SAGA AGM, Maurice Little indicated an interest in attending the meeting to assist with discussion around development issues.

On Saturday, 15 August, Maurice was welcomed back to Waikerie and invited to contribute to the various meetings. The South Australia clubs represented were Balaklava, Adelaide, Air Cadets, Murray Bridge, Waikerie, Renmark, Bordertown, Millicent and Adelaide University.

The development meeting took place at 1600 hours, chaired by Maurice. The information provided and the discussion which followed were extremely valuable in seeking a way forward. While we are all familiar with the good attraction October 2009

Maurice Little addressing SAGA Club delegates at a development meeting at Waikerie, on 15 August 2009

record but the poor retention record, Maurice was able to describe and explain a number of ‘options’ which could be (should be) considered by clubs.

Our thanks to Maurice for the time and effort taken to join us at Waikerie for

the SAGA AGM: he certainly left us with a lot to digest and act on.

Following dinner attended by around 35 people, the annual trophy presentation took place, with Maurice invited to make the presentations.

Soaring Australia 29

G FA

G FA

Escape Trainer Module Project

On Line Competition (OLC) and GFA Decentralised Competition (DCE)

Vern Rosenfeldt In 2006 at Benalla I lost a gliding friend, a result of a mid-air between two sailplanes of similar type. I had given the ill-fated pilot his first nav-ex and I looked forward

Jenny Thompson

to his rapid progress.

T

he collision occurred during a pairs cross-country exercise at between 2000 and 3000ft agl. The survivor, who did not have sight of the other sailplane, escaped with a badly broken arm below the shoulder, which was caused by the loose ‘chute’ harness snapping his arm when the load came on. His reflection is that ‘there is not much time and without a plan survival is doubtful’.

Vern Rosenfeldt explains ‘The Great Escape’ training module to the VSA winter lecture class while Ken Boland looks on Photo: David Goldsmith

Airworthiness Inspection

FORM 2 and C of A Notice is enclosed

■ The C of A requires renewal. $41* payment is enclosed and the existing C of A document is returned

■ Initial registration package is required. $390* payment is enclosed * Fees include GST

Payment method:

■ Cheque

■ Credit Card ■ Direct Deposit For internet payments, deposit into: BSB: 013-442 Account No: 304729562

A) Documentation request ■ P lease send me a transfer of ownership document ■ Please send me a change of registered operator document Aircraft Type................................................................................

Registration marks VH – ............................................................

Address to which documents are to be sent is: Name ..........................................................................................

Address . ..................................................................................... .....................................................................................................

State.......................................................Postcode.......................

Forward to: GFA Airworthiness Secretary, Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.

Email: <Airworthiness@sec.gfa.org.au> Fax: 03 9303 7960

30 Soaring Australia

on 13 October. The DCE winter competition finishes on 12 October. Unfortunately, the Barron Hilton Cup is no longer being run, so that avenue has now closed.

P

GLIDING FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA INC

■ A Form 2 inspection is due. $160* payment

Summer is approaching, and the OLC (and GFA DCE summer) season commences again

I thought about the event many times and as a current instructor considered looking deeper into the matter. The NGS work has produced an excellent instructor training manual, devoting much attention to safety matters, but we have not developed a system which will give pilots the best chance of survival.

The ’Great Escape’ project became my work at the Australian Gliding Museum workshop and the search for the bits and pieces began in 2008. I made many phone calls seeking wreckage to begin the project, but without success. Members of the Museum provided a new seat pan, the remains of the wreckage of a Mosquito cockpit and a box of assorted control parts and so the project commenced.

The first snag was that the cockpit was 40cm too short, next problem was the modification of the canopy frame which was too flexible without the complete Perspex mould, and required steel plates built into the bottom of the frame.

The frame was left open in the middle to allow easy communication between instructor and pilot. Special mouldings being out of the question, odd pieces of canopy were formed to fit. Hinging the canopy and providing a simulated jettison consumed time and fitting of dummy controls was more or less straight forward with the use of bungee cords.

For the first use of the Escape Trainer no ‘G’ force was taken into account and the stop watch proved that you must have a plan. There is no spare time!

The door is now wide open for testing and research and the development of a pre-flight escape check. A weighted vest has been developed to simulate ‘g’ loading. The assistance of the Australian Gliding Museum Inc. in developing and exploring the potential of this valuable safety training aid is much appreciated.

articipating in the OLC is quite simple – just register yourself as a competitor and submit all your cross-country flights on the OLC. The only catch is you need to submit an IGC file for the flight.

By entering your flight in the OLC your flight is scored in four categories automatically. To view these select Australia/Oceania, the year, and go to OLC Scoring dropdown:

1 OLC C l a s s i c Flight scores calculated by optimized distance and handicapped by glider, then ranked by highest points to lowest.

The best six flights are used to calculate winners for each pilot category. This is used for the GFA DCE scoring.

2 FAI OLC Flight scores calculated by optimising the flight over FAI triangle rules, then handicapped by glider and ranked by highest points to lowest. A pilot’s best six flights are used to calculate winners for this category and there is a category for this in the revised DCE categories.

3 S p e e d OLC This is a newly-introduced scoring category. Previously the OLC only recorded distance points but now flights are also calculated for speed points, and ranked accordingly. This is a welcome addition, as one criticism of the DCE/OLC was that

October 2009

October 2009

there was no measure being made of flight speeds.

4 OLC L e a g u e – Southern Hemisphere This was introduced in the southern hemisphere for the first time last summer and is a round-based formula-one scoring for clubs. It allows the clubs to compete in a league system where the positions can change during the whole season based on the relative formula-one scoring.

Like in other sports this is a very exciting competition during the whole year and the decision who will be champion can come down to the last round of the year.

The basis for scoring is an OLC sprint task which is to be flown in a two-and-ahalf-hour weather window automatically calculated by the OLC software based on the submitted IGC-file.

Each round, the sum of the three fastest cross-country speeds on the OLC sprint task of up to three different pilots per club is scored (based on speed and glider handicap). This sum is called the ‘OLC-League-average-speed per round’.

The clubs are ranked in a list according the achieved ‘OLC-League-average-speed per round’. The club with the highest speed receives two OLC league points for each participating club in this round to a maximum of X points (ie, Australia is 17).

The following clubs ranked ‘n’ receive ‘n-1’ points, but each participating club receives at least one point per round.

There are19 rounds (each weekend represents one round) starting at the beginning of the season (Oct 2009 for the southern hemisphere).

For more details see [www.online contest.org/olc-2.0/segelflugszene/index. html – gliding – rules]. The site is often upgraded.

A reminder, to make a claim on the OLC, you have to submit your IGC file by 24:00 (midnight) on the Tuesday following the flight local time of the finish point. If you need assistance with registering or other OLC matters, drop me an email. Instructions and guidelines are also on the GFA web site.

S u p p o r t f o r t h e OLC When the OLC commenced, GFA was contributing four Euro per pilot who entered but now the OLC uses donations and advertising to fund itself. Whilst the OLC is managed as a non-profit organisation by a voluntary team, the technical operation of the system requires a considerable amount of money and is therefore now done by a professional service provider. Therefore, they need as many donors as possible for a minimum of 10 Euro per year, every donor, gets a little thank you, with a thank-you-smiley added to the competitor’s name .

See the OLC website for more details.

Soaring Australia 31

G FA

G FA

Escape Trainer Module Project

On Line Competition (OLC) and GFA Decentralised Competition (DCE)

Vern Rosenfeldt In 2006 at Benalla I lost a gliding friend, a result of a mid-air between two sailplanes of similar type. I had given the ill-fated pilot his first nav-ex and I looked forward

Jenny Thompson

to his rapid progress.

T

he collision occurred during a pairs cross-country exercise at between 2000 and 3000ft agl. The survivor, who did not have sight of the other sailplane, escaped with a badly broken arm below the shoulder, which was caused by the loose ‘chute’ harness snapping his arm when the load came on. His reflection is that ‘there is not much time and without a plan survival is doubtful’.

Vern Rosenfeldt explains ‘The Great Escape’ training module to the VSA winter lecture class while Ken Boland looks on Photo: David Goldsmith

Airworthiness Inspection

FORM 2 and C of A Notice is enclosed

■ The C of A requires renewal. $41* payment is enclosed and the existing C of A document is returned

■ Initial registration package is required. $390* payment is enclosed * Fees include GST

Payment method:

■ Cheque

■ Credit Card ■ Direct Deposit For internet payments, deposit into: BSB: 013-442 Account No: 304729562

A) Documentation request ■ P lease send me a transfer of ownership document ■ Please send me a change of registered operator document Aircraft Type................................................................................

Registration marks VH – ............................................................

Address to which documents are to be sent is: Name ..........................................................................................

Address . ..................................................................................... .....................................................................................................

State.......................................................Postcode.......................

Forward to: GFA Airworthiness Secretary, Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.

Email: <Airworthiness@sec.gfa.org.au> Fax: 03 9303 7960

30 Soaring Australia

on 13 October. The DCE winter competition finishes on 12 October. Unfortunately, the Barron Hilton Cup is no longer being run, so that avenue has now closed.

P

GLIDING FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA INC

■ A Form 2 inspection is due. $160* payment

Summer is approaching, and the OLC (and GFA DCE summer) season commences again

I thought about the event many times and as a current instructor considered looking deeper into the matter. The NGS work has produced an excellent instructor training manual, devoting much attention to safety matters, but we have not developed a system which will give pilots the best chance of survival.

The ’Great Escape’ project became my work at the Australian Gliding Museum workshop and the search for the bits and pieces began in 2008. I made many phone calls seeking wreckage to begin the project, but without success. Members of the Museum provided a new seat pan, the remains of the wreckage of a Mosquito cockpit and a box of assorted control parts and so the project commenced.

The first snag was that the cockpit was 40cm too short, next problem was the modification of the canopy frame which was too flexible without the complete Perspex mould, and required steel plates built into the bottom of the frame.

The frame was left open in the middle to allow easy communication between instructor and pilot. Special mouldings being out of the question, odd pieces of canopy were formed to fit. Hinging the canopy and providing a simulated jettison consumed time and fitting of dummy controls was more or less straight forward with the use of bungee cords.

For the first use of the Escape Trainer no ‘G’ force was taken into account and the stop watch proved that you must have a plan. There is no spare time!

The door is now wide open for testing and research and the development of a pre-flight escape check. A weighted vest has been developed to simulate ‘g’ loading. The assistance of the Australian Gliding Museum Inc. in developing and exploring the potential of this valuable safety training aid is much appreciated.

articipating in the OLC is quite simple – just register yourself as a competitor and submit all your cross-country flights on the OLC. The only catch is you need to submit an IGC file for the flight.

By entering your flight in the OLC your flight is scored in four categories automatically. To view these select Australia/Oceania, the year, and go to OLC Scoring dropdown:

1 OLC C l a s s i c Flight scores calculated by optimized distance and handicapped by glider, then ranked by highest points to lowest.

The best six flights are used to calculate winners for each pilot category. This is used for the GFA DCE scoring.

2 FAI OLC Flight scores calculated by optimising the flight over FAI triangle rules, then handicapped by glider and ranked by highest points to lowest. A pilot’s best six flights are used to calculate winners for this category and there is a category for this in the revised DCE categories.

3 S p e e d OLC This is a newly-introduced scoring category. Previously the OLC only recorded distance points but now flights are also calculated for speed points, and ranked accordingly. This is a welcome addition, as one criticism of the DCE/OLC was that

October 2009

October 2009

there was no measure being made of flight speeds.

4 OLC L e a g u e – Southern Hemisphere This was introduced in the southern hemisphere for the first time last summer and is a round-based formula-one scoring for clubs. It allows the clubs to compete in a league system where the positions can change during the whole season based on the relative formula-one scoring.

Like in other sports this is a very exciting competition during the whole year and the decision who will be champion can come down to the last round of the year.

The basis for scoring is an OLC sprint task which is to be flown in a two-and-ahalf-hour weather window automatically calculated by the OLC software based on the submitted IGC-file.

Each round, the sum of the three fastest cross-country speeds on the OLC sprint task of up to three different pilots per club is scored (based on speed and glider handicap). This sum is called the ‘OLC-League-average-speed per round’.

The clubs are ranked in a list according the achieved ‘OLC-League-average-speed per round’. The club with the highest speed receives two OLC league points for each participating club in this round to a maximum of X points (ie, Australia is 17).

The following clubs ranked ‘n’ receive ‘n-1’ points, but each participating club receives at least one point per round.

There are19 rounds (each weekend represents one round) starting at the beginning of the season (Oct 2009 for the southern hemisphere).

For more details see [www.online contest.org/olc-2.0/segelflugszene/index. html – gliding – rules]. The site is often upgraded.

A reminder, to make a claim on the OLC, you have to submit your IGC file by 24:00 (midnight) on the Tuesday following the flight local time of the finish point. If you need assistance with registering or other OLC matters, drop me an email. Instructions and guidelines are also on the GFA web site.

S u p p o r t f o r t h e OLC When the OLC commenced, GFA was contributing four Euro per pilot who entered but now the OLC uses donations and advertising to fund itself. Whilst the OLC is managed as a non-profit organisation by a voluntary team, the technical operation of the system requires a considerable amount of money and is therefore now done by a professional service provider. Therefore, they need as many donors as possible for a minimum of 10 Euro per year, every donor, gets a little thank you, with a thank-you-smiley added to the competitor’s name .

See the OLC website for more details.

Soaring Australia 31

H G FA

H G FA

“What’s that?!?”

Danny van der Walle

Flying from flat ground at Inglewood

tedious. I guess that there are arguments to be had about the ‘Journey’ and ‘Hill Mates’ and that’s one of the things you need to consider if you go down the same path as me.

I must say that I’ve had a lot of fun just in the lifts to the top of the hill, bombouts, meeting farmers, and cramming into retrieve vehicles. It’s just that I was spending too much time doing that and not enough flying. I thought that getting the harness would allow me to choose when these other ‘fun’ events occur.

The motor harness itself is an interesting item in the way it has been designed.

Mouth throttles, pull string cruise controls, parachute kill swtiches, prop breaks, blow tube switches, etc… My rig is a Mossie NRG made in Sweden by Swedish Aerosports, but a similar type of harness is manufactured in Australia by Airtime Products and is known as the Explorer.

Both harnesses have benefits and disadvantages. If you contact each supplier you’ll be able to work out which is best for you.

Other versions are available but I haven’t had much exposure to these.

They include the Wasp and the Doodlebug, which allows you to fly in a seated position. All have something similar in that they have just enough power to get you airborn and not much more. This is one of the considerations.

“A powered hang glider,” is my response. “It’s like a hang glider but it has a frame Limited power with a motor attached to the back of it that drives a propeller. The engine stays off the ground with the help of some legs that pull up to the harness when I get high enough in the air.” “But what happens when you run out of fuel?”, they ask. “Then it’s just like flying a normal hang glider”. At this stage I’m either called mad or crazy.

I

Rob coming back from an hours flying around Samford

32 Soaring Australia

can understand why people would think that. Hang gliding in itself is a dangerous enough sport without adding another element to the flight dynamics, and there have been times I question my choice of flight. But now that I’ve had over a year using the motor harness I think I’ve got enough experience to at least shed some light on the pro’s and con’s of owning one of these units.

My primary reason for buying a motor harness was to allow me more flexibility regarding take-off sites and greater range of flight conditions. If you’re like me, you’ve certainly spent time driving to a site and then doing a sled ride and packing up to go home again. After a few of those in quick succession it gets a bit October 2009

Imagine someone having their hand on the base of your back and then over a period of five seconds they put all their strength into pushing you forwards. That’s pretty much the feeling you’ll get when you kick up full throttle. There’s no rush of power or magnificent G-forces involved.

It’s just enough to get you airborne and I’d say my rig gets me around 300ft/min on full power. On my first few runs I left plenty of room for error but now I’m more comforatble with the rig I feel okay with smaller take-offs. Only problem is that I’m reliant on the motor.

Reliance on motor Like most machines, they can fail. I’ve got to state here that I’m a far better pilot than a mechanic. Small engine mechanics is something that comes with the territory so be ready to get your hands dirty. Being reliant on a machine is a bit daunting, and after a few splutters and loss of power, I now leave myself a fair bit of margin for this. I find that if you take off with the expectation that the motor could fail at any stage you’ll be pretty well right.

October 2009

Danny taking a fly along the Gold Coast

Once you get a few hundred feet above the ground it’s time to relax and fly as you would a normal hang glider except for the thrust line.

Thrust Line With the motor humming away behind me I’ll fly pretty much as I used to when free flying except for a slight difference due to the addition of a thrust line influence from the motor. The controls under power are not quite the same as free flying, but you get used to it pretty quick. A few pilots I spoke to who have given up their motor harnesses, have come unstuck due to this particular influence, expecially when taking off.

If you find the controls unfamiliar it’s time to reduce the throttle and get back to where we all started, free flying. In particular I find it a bit daunting when I’m using full power on a thermic day. An ‘over the falls’ experience is now something totally awe inspriring with the addition of 50lb thrust assisting in the downhill leg.

In this situation I find it best to keep the throttle off cruise control as it’s quicker to react. In any case if there’s that many thermals I tend to cut back on the throttle or turn it off altogether.

For those thinking of going down this path I can attest to the main benefit of CHOICE. You can fly with or without the motor on. You can fly on totally inverted days. You can fly above the clouds. You can fly from flat paddocks. You can fly from mountain take-offs. You can fly early in the mornings and well after the thermals have finished. You can just fly…

For footage of our powered antics head to youtube.com and check out either the chgcvids or arcuspilot account.

Apology to Steven Chester Steven wrote a letter addressed to the HGFA Board and General Manager which was not intended for publication by him. The letter was sent to the General Manager who forwarded it to the Board and copied to the Editor, but did not provide the Editor with comment not to publish. The letter was published in the last month’s issue.

While not intended for publication Steven has stated that he has no real issue with the content of the letter being read by members, but he has expressed concern at the incorrectness of not seeking his permission to publish the letter.

Steven has requested this notice to be placed in this issue informing members that the letter he wrote was not intended for publication. Steven is not seeking an apology, but rather the clarification that his letter was published without his explicit authority.

To ensure that future letters to the Board, GM or the Editor are intended for publication they will need to be clearly identified for publication with a brief statement to that effect with clear identification of the author.

Regards, Chris Fogg, HGFA General Manager

Soaring Australia 33

H G FA

H G FA

“What’s that?!?”

Danny van der Walle

Flying from flat ground at Inglewood

tedious. I guess that there are arguments to be had about the ‘Journey’ and ‘Hill Mates’ and that’s one of the things you need to consider if you go down the same path as me.

I must say that I’ve had a lot of fun just in the lifts to the top of the hill, bombouts, meeting farmers, and cramming into retrieve vehicles. It’s just that I was spending too much time doing that and not enough flying. I thought that getting the harness would allow me to choose when these other ‘fun’ events occur.

The motor harness itself is an interesting item in the way it has been designed.

Mouth throttles, pull string cruise controls, parachute kill swtiches, prop breaks, blow tube switches, etc… My rig is a Mossie NRG made in Sweden by Swedish Aerosports, but a similar type of harness is manufactured in Australia by Airtime Products and is known as the Explorer.

Both harnesses have benefits and disadvantages. If you contact each supplier you’ll be able to work out which is best for you.

Other versions are available but I haven’t had much exposure to these.

They include the Wasp and the Doodlebug, which allows you to fly in a seated position. All have something similar in that they have just enough power to get you airborn and not much more. This is one of the considerations.

“A powered hang glider,” is my response. “It’s like a hang glider but it has a frame Limited power with a motor attached to the back of it that drives a propeller. The engine stays off the ground with the help of some legs that pull up to the harness when I get high enough in the air.” “But what happens when you run out of fuel?”, they ask. “Then it’s just like flying a normal hang glider”. At this stage I’m either called mad or crazy.

I

Rob coming back from an hours flying around Samford

32 Soaring Australia

can understand why people would think that. Hang gliding in itself is a dangerous enough sport without adding another element to the flight dynamics, and there have been times I question my choice of flight. But now that I’ve had over a year using the motor harness I think I’ve got enough experience to at least shed some light on the pro’s and con’s of owning one of these units.

My primary reason for buying a motor harness was to allow me more flexibility regarding take-off sites and greater range of flight conditions. If you’re like me, you’ve certainly spent time driving to a site and then doing a sled ride and packing up to go home again. After a few of those in quick succession it gets a bit October 2009

Imagine someone having their hand on the base of your back and then over a period of five seconds they put all their strength into pushing you forwards. That’s pretty much the feeling you’ll get when you kick up full throttle. There’s no rush of power or magnificent G-forces involved.

It’s just enough to get you airborne and I’d say my rig gets me around 300ft/min on full power. On my first few runs I left plenty of room for error but now I’m more comforatble with the rig I feel okay with smaller take-offs. Only problem is that I’m reliant on the motor.

Reliance on motor Like most machines, they can fail. I’ve got to state here that I’m a far better pilot than a mechanic. Small engine mechanics is something that comes with the territory so be ready to get your hands dirty. Being reliant on a machine is a bit daunting, and after a few splutters and loss of power, I now leave myself a fair bit of margin for this. I find that if you take off with the expectation that the motor could fail at any stage you’ll be pretty well right.

October 2009

Danny taking a fly along the Gold Coast

Once you get a few hundred feet above the ground it’s time to relax and fly as you would a normal hang glider except for the thrust line.

Thrust Line With the motor humming away behind me I’ll fly pretty much as I used to when free flying except for a slight difference due to the addition of a thrust line influence from the motor. The controls under power are not quite the same as free flying, but you get used to it pretty quick. A few pilots I spoke to who have given up their motor harnesses, have come unstuck due to this particular influence, expecially when taking off.

If you find the controls unfamiliar it’s time to reduce the throttle and get back to where we all started, free flying. In particular I find it a bit daunting when I’m using full power on a thermic day. An ‘over the falls’ experience is now something totally awe inspriring with the addition of 50lb thrust assisting in the downhill leg.

In this situation I find it best to keep the throttle off cruise control as it’s quicker to react. In any case if there’s that many thermals I tend to cut back on the throttle or turn it off altogether.

For those thinking of going down this path I can attest to the main benefit of CHOICE. You can fly with or without the motor on. You can fly on totally inverted days. You can fly above the clouds. You can fly from flat paddocks. You can fly from mountain take-offs. You can fly early in the mornings and well after the thermals have finished. You can just fly…

For footage of our powered antics head to youtube.com and check out either the chgcvids or arcuspilot account.

Apology to Steven Chester Steven wrote a letter addressed to the HGFA Board and General Manager which was not intended for publication by him. The letter was sent to the General Manager who forwarded it to the Board and copied to the Editor, but did not provide the Editor with comment not to publish. The letter was published in the last month’s issue.

While not intended for publication Steven has stated that he has no real issue with the content of the letter being read by members, but he has expressed concern at the incorrectness of not seeking his permission to publish the letter.

Steven has requested this notice to be placed in this issue informing members that the letter he wrote was not intended for publication. Steven is not seeking an apology, but rather the clarification that his letter was published without his explicit authority.

To ensure that future letters to the Board, GM or the Editor are intended for publication they will need to be clearly identified for publication with a brief statement to that effect with clear identification of the author.

Regards, Chris Fogg, HGFA General Manager

Soaring Australia 33

HGFA News HGFA Annual General Meeting

The HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at 10am in the Tullamarine Room of the Holiday Inn – 10-14 Centre Road, Tullamarine, Victoria 3043.

Phone: 03 99335111.

Canungra Classic 2009 From 3 to 10 October Registration, Practice, BBQ and Opening Ceremony Friday, 2 October (not Saturday). Entry fee is $210 plus $30 non-CGHC members, includes T-shirt and presentation dinner Late fee after 1 September is $30. Mandortory: minimum intermediate rating, parachute, 3D GPS. Classes: Open, Best of the rest, Floater.

Competition rating AA. Register at [www. triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2009/] or email <rkowald@hotmail.com>.

N ew P roducts Free*Spee speed bar German company Free*Spee have created a speed bar that uses a clamp, enabling it to be Trigger adjuster easily adjusted in flight with one hand. It sits tidily below the harness, out of the way for take off, and then when you need it you just push on it and One handed use it slides easily out. Length adjustment is via a trigger system on the clamp (See pictures).

The company tell us that the DHV (German HG and PG federation) liked it so much their test pilots are using it for the certification tests.

The Free*spee is available in white and blue, or black and yellow, and for those keeping an eye on the weight of their pack, it weighs 70g. www.free-spee.com, info@free-spee.com

‘Lift’ DVD An action packed stunt extravaganza!

Bob Drury reviews Lift, the ‘Acro Twins’ first DVD release If you are into acro you can’t help but have been impressed by the two young American identical twins who emerged onto the scene a few years ago. Timothy 34 Soaring Australia

Soaring Calendar

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • and Anthony Green, aka the Acro Twins, arrived in Europe fresh-faced and ready to impress.

Fresh out of school in the States the duo were hell bent on getting to the top of the acro ladder, something they have managed admirably. Their other objective was to complete a degree in media studies at Paris University, something they have managed to also pull of with great effect. Lift is a celebration of their two passions: acro and film-making.

Lift follows the twins as they travel the world in search of acro excitement and adventure – which they seem more than able to find. Kicking off in Italy, where they are guest display pilots at a mountain festival, you soon start to get a handle on these two ever-chuckling brothers. Their eternal optimism shines through in every stunt, and through the 30 minutes of ‘Lift’ you see quite a few.

A trip home to America introduces their father, himself a pilot, who takes them up on a tandem paramotor ride for them to D-Bag from. A bridge provides entertainment for a headfirst launch further enhanced by a run-in with the local law and then there’s action from the FLYPA show in Teneriffe, where the boys drop skydivers from their acro gliders... or at least try to, till poor planning on behalf of one of the skydivers leads to a dramatic near disaster and a sore butt for the guilty jumper.

However, if there’s one scene that really stands out in ‘Lift’, it’s the awesome crane stunt from one of downtown Paris buildings. In a typically cheeky dawn escapade, reminiscent of so many skyscraper Base jumps over the years, one of the twins tip-toes out along the beam of a crane perched high on the top of the building, lowers his wing below him, and takes an awesome headfirst plunge into the cool morning air. I found myself cheering as he spiralled down into the tight streets and made off on a scooter. ‘Lift’ is worth watching if only for this scene.

By the time the DVD closes with a great sequence of speed-flying and acro which takes you via some of the greatest flying sites in the world, you’ll probably think the pair are completely mad, or ponder how to change your life to be a bit more like theirs, till you remember

AUSTRALIA Jimbour Wines Qld State Gliding Championships 2009 26 September to 3 October 2009 Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club at McCaffrey Field, Jondaryan. Contact <comps@ddsc. org.au>, web [www.ddsc.org.au].

Canungra Classic 2009 3 to 10 October 2009 Registration, Practice, BBQ and Opening Ceremony Friday 2nd October (Not Saturday). Entry Fee $210 + $30 non CGHC members, inculdes T-shirt and presentation dinner Late fee after 1st Sepetmber $30.. Mandortory: minimum intermediate rating, parachute, 3D GPS.. Classes Open, Best of the rest, Floater. Competition rating AA. Register at http:// www.triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2009/ or e-mail rkowald@hotmail.com.

that you’ll need to be a really talented acro pilot to start with.

My only criticism of the entire film is the rather time-worn narration at the end about the twins finding themselves through flying and realising that we are all ‘one planet and one race’. It overegged an already fantastic omelette and was a little ‘too green’ for even the Green brothers.

‘Lift’ is a great opening movie from two of the sport’s most talented acro pilots and now cinematographers. It’s packed with energy, beautifully shot in HD, and deserving a place in any pilots collection.

Duration: 30 minutes; Languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian. Lift is available from XCshop. com and all good retailers.

F A I N ews New Hang Glider International Record, 7 September 2009 FAI has ratified the following Class O (Hang Gliders) World record : Claim number: 15518 Sub-class: O-3 (Paragliders) Category: Multiplace Type of record: Out-and-return distance Course/location: Sorica (Slovenia) Performance: 167.3km Pilot: Toby COLOMBÉ (UK) Crew: Cefn HOILE (UK) Paraglider: Gradient Bi_Golden XC Date: 26.07.2009 Previous record: 158.97km (06.08.2007, Tomaž ERŽEN, Slovenia) FAI congratulates the pilots on this splendid achievement.

October 2009

NSW Weekend Warriors Series 3 to 5 October 2009 7 and 8 November 2009 21 and 22 November 2009 Manila, NSW. A GPS, task-based comp. Relaxed, yet challenging tasks for the intermediate pilot. Fly with your friends and mix with other comp pilots over the three weekends. Pilots must have at least five XC hours outside of their course, a reserve, radio and 3D GPS. Competition fee: $25 per weekend.

Registration form and pilot pack from <jamesflys@ gmail.com> or 02 49468680.

Canungra Cup 2009 24 to 31 October 2009 The 10th Canungra Cup is a AAA, FAI Cat 2 PG competition based in Canungra, SE Qld. Registration will be open on 17 July, registration and information online via [www.canungracup.org].

Melbourne Cup Vintage Rally 31 October to 8 November 2009 Bendigo Gliding Club, VIC. Time to forget those winter chills, have fun and fly! Contact Dave Goldsmith, <daveandjenne@gmail.com>, [www.bendigogliding. org.au].

Bendigo GC Melbourne Cup Weekend Coaching Camp 31 October to 8 November 2009 Enjoy coaching and XC flying over the Melbourne Cup weekend, and weather permitting, through the week. Aerotow and winch launches will be available. Enquiries to Rob Young, (03) 5443 9169.

GFA Club & Sports Class Championships 9 to 20 November 2009 Lake Keepit Soaring Club, NSW. See [www.keepit soaring.com] for details and entry forms. Lake Keepit provides wonderful and varied soaring terrain from flatlands to the Kaputar ranges. Enquiries contact <comps@keepitsoaring.com> or Dave Shorter on 02 6656 1979.

Mt Beauty Gathering of the Moths 20 to 22 November 2009 Flyers of all denominations are, once again, invited to fly the sheltered Kiewa Valley, at the foot of the picturesque Victorian Alps. Full range of accommodation available. Contact Mark Ghirardello 03 5754 4572 (bh) or 0409 544572.

October 2009

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Narromine Cup Week 22 to 28 November 2009 Further information contact Beryl Hartley <Hartley@ avionics.com.au> or phone 02 68892733 (bh).

NSW State Gliding Championships 2009 28 November to 5 December 2009 Hosted by Bathurst Soaring Club and Narromine GC at Narromine aerodrome in the week following the Narromine Cup. All classes. Go to [www.nswgc2009. com.au] or contact <colinturner@bigpond.com>.

2009 Australian Junior Nationals (Joeyglide) Changed to: 5 to 12 December 2009 Narromine, NSW. A competition for pilots under the age of 26. Further information [www.joeyglide.com].

Forbes Flatlands Championships 2010 3 to 12 January 2010 At Forbes Airport, Forbes NSW Australia. Registration/practice day: Saturday 2 January. Aerotow only, HGFA AAA and FAI WPRS. Reserve a place by entering online at [www.moyes.com.au/Forbes2010].

Entry fee: $250, includes welcome party BBQ and presentation dinner (pay before 25 November to receive a competition T-shirt free). Payment by credit card over the phone or direct deposit into BSB: 032251, account: 110-905, name: Moyes Delta Gliders Pty. Ltd. Quote your name with an EFT payment!

Aerotow fee: $400 for 11 days of unlimited towing.

Fees to be paid in cash only at time of registration – there will be no credit card facilities available. HQ: Vandenberg Hotel, Court St, Forbes, Function room.

Open for registration on the morning of the 2nd from 9am. Welcome BBQ: On Saturday 2nd at HQ starting from 6pm with formalities at 8pm. Practice day: No one is to enter the airfield before they have formally registered. No sign/no fly. Towing: Each pilot will need to show proof of an aerotow rating. For international pilots, we understand that some countries do not have provision for such a rating.

If that is the case, you have two options: 1. Proof you have successfully aerotowed in Flatlands conditions (i.e. your name on the result sheet at a major aerotow meet within the last few years).

2. Get an aerotow rating with the HGFA. Bill Moyes and Lee Patterson will conduct an aerotow endorsement course at Rylstone airstrip from 28 to 31 December. Book through organisers. (Rylstone is halfway between Sydney and Forbes.)

Categories: Open Class: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies. A Class: For pilots that have never been in the top 100 WPRS (CIVL world ranking system). Same tasks as the Open Class. Scored together with the Open Class, but singled out for recognition, 1st place trophy. Sport Class: Shortened task, GPS required – open to kingpost gliders with an intermediate rating (for less experienced pilots who want to learn more, launching a bit later to get the better part of the day for a shorter task.) 1st place trophy. Club Class: Not a comp category as such, aerotow fees only, no entry fee and no trophy. Open to all gliders (for pilots who want to learn to aerotow, obtain their rating, just like some extra attention and help or want to practice their skills. Towing early in the morning and late afternoon. Sponsors & prizemoney: $10000 worth of cash and prizes to be won. Accommodation options can be viewed at [www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/files/2083/ File/Accommodation_and_Event_Venues.pdf], Vandenberg Hotel <vandenberghotel@activ8.net. au>. (We are competing with Elvis this year again, so get in early and book your accommodation!)

Organisers: Sydney HG Club. Tow operations: Bill Moyes, Meet Director and Event Manager: Vicki Cain, Scorer: Wesley Hill, Launch Marshall: Greg Cain, Goal Official: Rob Van Der Klooster. Further info, volunteer enquiries or aerotow endorsement bookings: Vicki 02 9316 4644 or <vicki@moyes.com.au>.

48th Multi Class Nationals 4 to 15 January 2010 Waikerie, SA. Entries are open online [http://waikerie gliding.com/multiclass/enter.html], record your interest at [http://waikeriegliding.com/multiclass/ interest.html]. Full time flying operations will be underway from 27 December 2009 including the successful Coaching Week where you can finetune your skills. Accommodation, caravan and camping spaces available at the airfield. Please email <bookings@waikerieglidingclub.com.au> for more information or see [http://waikeriegliding.com/ Accommodation.htm]. Off-site accommodation can all be found at [www.waikerietourism.com.au/ Accommodation.htm]. For further enquires email <comp@waikeriegliding.com>.

VGA Annual Rally 9 to 16 January 2010 Bordertown-Keith Gliding Club, SA. It just keeps getting better! Contact Ian Patching <patching@ westnet.com.au>, [www.vintageglidersaustralia.org. au], [www.brookmanonline.com].

Australian Women in Gliding Week 2010 17 to 23 January 2010 At Narromine, NSW. Contact Leonie Furze, ph: 0409 606320, email <lfurze@ruralco.com.au>.

State of Origin 2010 2 to 4 April 2009 (Easter) Manila, NSW. Using crews of four pilots (one advanced and two novices plus any other rated pilots) and scoring using handicaps on the kilometres you fly, even you can win! It’s a great way to try out the competition scene. The budding competition pilot must have at least five XC hours outside of their course, a reserve and radio.

Competition fee $20 or free if registered by 18 March. Registration form and pilot pack from <jamesflys@gmail.com> or 02 49468680.

Corryong Cup 2010 3 to 9 January 2009 Sign ups for CC 2010 open 1 September. Don’t miss out on this very popular fun HG meet aimed at fostering the development of competition and cross-country flying skills. This comp provides a great opportunity for first time comp pilots to receive XC flight tutoring/mentoring & workshops by experienced comp pilots. Mt Elliot offers pilots great XC soaring experiences in spectacular alpine surrounds. As usual, you will find a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, camping by the Murray River, lots of prizes, mid-week BBQ and more! Registration: Saturday, 2 Jan from 7pm. Enter online [www. corryongcup.com] $120 paid by 1/12/09 ($30 late fee thereafter). 70 pilots max. Open & Floater tasks, B Sanction, GPS scoring. Need current HGFA intermediate with inland exp, radio and parachute.

Organiser: Wendi Herman (Newcastle HG Club).

Contact: 0411 772221.

49th Multi Class Nationals 4 to 15 October 2010 Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club at Dalby Aerodrome. For further information <info@ddsc.org.au>.

O verseas International events can be found at [http://events.fai.org/].

[Note: GAP parameters, where listed in the above events, are: bomb-out distance (mini­mum scoring distance), nominal distance (minimum task length), nominal time (mini­mum expected winners time), and goal percentage (nominal percentage in goal).]

Soaring Australia 35

HGFA News HGFA Annual General Meeting

The HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at 10am in the Tullamarine Room of the Holiday Inn – 10-14 Centre Road, Tullamarine, Victoria 3043.

Phone: 03 99335111.

Canungra Classic 2009 From 3 to 10 October Registration, Practice, BBQ and Opening Ceremony Friday, 2 October (not Saturday). Entry fee is $210 plus $30 non-CGHC members, includes T-shirt and presentation dinner Late fee after 1 September is $30. Mandortory: minimum intermediate rating, parachute, 3D GPS. Classes: Open, Best of the rest, Floater.

Competition rating AA. Register at [www. triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2009/] or email <rkowald@hotmail.com>.

N ew P roducts Free*Spee speed bar German company Free*Spee have created a speed bar that uses a clamp, enabling it to be Trigger adjuster easily adjusted in flight with one hand. It sits tidily below the harness, out of the way for take off, and then when you need it you just push on it and One handed use it slides easily out. Length adjustment is via a trigger system on the clamp (See pictures).

The company tell us that the DHV (German HG and PG federation) liked it so much their test pilots are using it for the certification tests.

The Free*spee is available in white and blue, or black and yellow, and for those keeping an eye on the weight of their pack, it weighs 70g. www.free-spee.com, info@free-spee.com

‘Lift’ DVD An action packed stunt extravaganza!

Bob Drury reviews Lift, the ‘Acro Twins’ first DVD release If you are into acro you can’t help but have been impressed by the two young American identical twins who emerged onto the scene a few years ago. Timothy 34 Soaring Australia

Soaring Calendar

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • and Anthony Green, aka the Acro Twins, arrived in Europe fresh-faced and ready to impress.

Fresh out of school in the States the duo were hell bent on getting to the top of the acro ladder, something they have managed admirably. Their other objective was to complete a degree in media studies at Paris University, something they have managed to also pull of with great effect. Lift is a celebration of their two passions: acro and film-making.

Lift follows the twins as they travel the world in search of acro excitement and adventure – which they seem more than able to find. Kicking off in Italy, where they are guest display pilots at a mountain festival, you soon start to get a handle on these two ever-chuckling brothers. Their eternal optimism shines through in every stunt, and through the 30 minutes of ‘Lift’ you see quite a few.

A trip home to America introduces their father, himself a pilot, who takes them up on a tandem paramotor ride for them to D-Bag from. A bridge provides entertainment for a headfirst launch further enhanced by a run-in with the local law and then there’s action from the FLYPA show in Teneriffe, where the boys drop skydivers from their acro gliders... or at least try to, till poor planning on behalf of one of the skydivers leads to a dramatic near disaster and a sore butt for the guilty jumper.

However, if there’s one scene that really stands out in ‘Lift’, it’s the awesome crane stunt from one of downtown Paris buildings. In a typically cheeky dawn escapade, reminiscent of so many skyscraper Base jumps over the years, one of the twins tip-toes out along the beam of a crane perched high on the top of the building, lowers his wing below him, and takes an awesome headfirst plunge into the cool morning air. I found myself cheering as he spiralled down into the tight streets and made off on a scooter. ‘Lift’ is worth watching if only for this scene.

By the time the DVD closes with a great sequence of speed-flying and acro which takes you via some of the greatest flying sites in the world, you’ll probably think the pair are completely mad, or ponder how to change your life to be a bit more like theirs, till you remember

AUSTRALIA Jimbour Wines Qld State Gliding Championships 2009 26 September to 3 October 2009 Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club at McCaffrey Field, Jondaryan. Contact <comps@ddsc. org.au>, web [www.ddsc.org.au].

Canungra Classic 2009 3 to 10 October 2009 Registration, Practice, BBQ and Opening Ceremony Friday 2nd October (Not Saturday). Entry Fee $210 + $30 non CGHC members, inculdes T-shirt and presentation dinner Late fee after 1st Sepetmber $30.. Mandortory: minimum intermediate rating, parachute, 3D GPS.. Classes Open, Best of the rest, Floater. Competition rating AA. Register at http:// www.triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2009/ or e-mail rkowald@hotmail.com.

that you’ll need to be a really talented acro pilot to start with.

My only criticism of the entire film is the rather time-worn narration at the end about the twins finding themselves through flying and realising that we are all ‘one planet and one race’. It overegged an already fantastic omelette and was a little ‘too green’ for even the Green brothers.

‘Lift’ is a great opening movie from two of the sport’s most talented acro pilots and now cinematographers. It’s packed with energy, beautifully shot in HD, and deserving a place in any pilots collection.

Duration: 30 minutes; Languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian. Lift is available from XCshop. com and all good retailers.

F A I N ews New Hang Glider International Record, 7 September 2009 FAI has ratified the following Class O (Hang Gliders) World record : Claim number: 15518 Sub-class: O-3 (Paragliders) Category: Multiplace Type of record: Out-and-return distance Course/location: Sorica (Slovenia) Performance: 167.3km Pilot: Toby COLOMBÉ (UK) Crew: Cefn HOILE (UK) Paraglider: Gradient Bi_Golden XC Date: 26.07.2009 Previous record: 158.97km (06.08.2007, Tomaž ERŽEN, Slovenia) FAI congratulates the pilots on this splendid achievement.

October 2009

NSW Weekend Warriors Series 3 to 5 October 2009 7 and 8 November 2009 21 and 22 November 2009 Manila, NSW. A GPS, task-based comp. Relaxed, yet challenging tasks for the intermediate pilot. Fly with your friends and mix with other comp pilots over the three weekends. Pilots must have at least five XC hours outside of their course, a reserve, radio and 3D GPS. Competition fee: $25 per weekend.

Registration form and pilot pack from <jamesflys@ gmail.com> or 02 49468680.

Canungra Cup 2009 24 to 31 October 2009 The 10th Canungra Cup is a AAA, FAI Cat 2 PG competition based in Canungra, SE Qld. Registration will be open on 17 July, registration and information online via [www.canungracup.org].

Melbourne Cup Vintage Rally 31 October to 8 November 2009 Bendigo Gliding Club, VIC. Time to forget those winter chills, have fun and fly! Contact Dave Goldsmith, <daveandjenne@gmail.com>, [www.bendigogliding. org.au].

Bendigo GC Melbourne Cup Weekend Coaching Camp 31 October to 8 November 2009 Enjoy coaching and XC flying over the Melbourne Cup weekend, and weather permitting, through the week. Aerotow and winch launches will be available. Enquiries to Rob Young, (03) 5443 9169.

GFA Club & Sports Class Championships 9 to 20 November 2009 Lake Keepit Soaring Club, NSW. See [www.keepit soaring.com] for details and entry forms. Lake Keepit provides wonderful and varied soaring terrain from flatlands to the Kaputar ranges. Enquiries contact <comps@keepitsoaring.com> or Dave Shorter on 02 6656 1979.

Mt Beauty Gathering of the Moths 20 to 22 November 2009 Flyers of all denominations are, once again, invited to fly the sheltered Kiewa Valley, at the foot of the picturesque Victorian Alps. Full range of accommodation available. Contact Mark Ghirardello 03 5754 4572 (bh) or 0409 544572.

October 2009

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Narromine Cup Week 22 to 28 November 2009 Further information contact Beryl Hartley <Hartley@ avionics.com.au> or phone 02 68892733 (bh).

NSW State Gliding Championships 2009 28 November to 5 December 2009 Hosted by Bathurst Soaring Club and Narromine GC at Narromine aerodrome in the week following the Narromine Cup. All classes. Go to [www.nswgc2009. com.au] or contact <colinturner@bigpond.com>.

2009 Australian Junior Nationals (Joeyglide) Changed to: 5 to 12 December 2009 Narromine, NSW. A competition for pilots under the age of 26. Further information [www.joeyglide.com].

Forbes Flatlands Championships 2010 3 to 12 January 2010 At Forbes Airport, Forbes NSW Australia. Registration/practice day: Saturday 2 January. Aerotow only, HGFA AAA and FAI WPRS. Reserve a place by entering online at [www.moyes.com.au/Forbes2010].

Entry fee: $250, includes welcome party BBQ and presentation dinner (pay before 25 November to receive a competition T-shirt free). Payment by credit card over the phone or direct deposit into BSB: 032251, account: 110-905, name: Moyes Delta Gliders Pty. Ltd. Quote your name with an EFT payment!

Aerotow fee: $400 for 11 days of unlimited towing.

Fees to be paid in cash only at time of registration – there will be no credit card facilities available. HQ: Vandenberg Hotel, Court St, Forbes, Function room.

Open for registration on the morning of the 2nd from 9am. Welcome BBQ: On Saturday 2nd at HQ starting from 6pm with formalities at 8pm. Practice day: No one is to enter the airfield before they have formally registered. No sign/no fly. Towing: Each pilot will need to show proof of an aerotow rating. For international pilots, we understand that some countries do not have provision for such a rating.

If that is the case, you have two options: 1. Proof you have successfully aerotowed in Flatlands conditions (i.e. your name on the result sheet at a major aerotow meet within the last few years).

2. Get an aerotow rating with the HGFA. Bill Moyes and Lee Patterson will conduct an aerotow endorsement course at Rylstone airstrip from 28 to 31 December. Book through organisers. (Rylstone is halfway between Sydney and Forbes.)

Categories: Open Class: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies. A Class: For pilots that have never been in the top 100 WPRS (CIVL world ranking system). Same tasks as the Open Class. Scored together with the Open Class, but singled out for recognition, 1st place trophy. Sport Class: Shortened task, GPS required – open to kingpost gliders with an intermediate rating (for less experienced pilots who want to learn more, launching a bit later to get the better part of the day for a shorter task.) 1st place trophy. Club Class: Not a comp category as such, aerotow fees only, no entry fee and no trophy. Open to all gliders (for pilots who want to learn to aerotow, obtain their rating, just like some extra attention and help or want to practice their skills. Towing early in the morning and late afternoon. Sponsors & prizemoney: $10000 worth of cash and prizes to be won. Accommodation options can be viewed at [www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/files/2083/ File/Accommodation_and_Event_Venues.pdf], Vandenberg Hotel <vandenberghotel@activ8.net. au>. (We are competing with Elvis this year again, so get in early and book your accommodation!)

Organisers: Sydney HG Club. Tow operations: Bill Moyes, Meet Director and Event Manager: Vicki Cain, Scorer: Wesley Hill, Launch Marshall: Greg Cain, Goal Official: Rob Van Der Klooster. Further info, volunteer enquiries or aerotow endorsement bookings: Vicki 02 9316 4644 or <vicki@moyes.com.au>.

48th Multi Class Nationals 4 to 15 January 2010 Waikerie, SA. Entries are open online [http://waikerie gliding.com/multiclass/enter.html], record your interest at [http://waikeriegliding.com/multiclass/ interest.html]. Full time flying operations will be underway from 27 December 2009 including the successful Coaching Week where you can finetune your skills. Accommodation, caravan and camping spaces available at the airfield. Please email <bookings@waikerieglidingclub.com.au> for more information or see [http://waikeriegliding.com/ Accommodation.htm]. Off-site accommodation can all be found at [www.waikerietourism.com.au/ Accommodation.htm]. For further enquires email <comp@waikeriegliding.com>.

VGA Annual Rally 9 to 16 January 2010 Bordertown-Keith Gliding Club, SA. It just keeps getting better! Contact Ian Patching <patching@ westnet.com.au>, [www.vintageglidersaustralia.org. au], [www.brookmanonline.com].

Australian Women in Gliding Week 2010 17 to 23 January 2010 At Narromine, NSW. Contact Leonie Furze, ph: 0409 606320, email <lfurze@ruralco.com.au>.

State of Origin 2010 2 to 4 April 2009 (Easter) Manila, NSW. Using crews of four pilots (one advanced and two novices plus any other rated pilots) and scoring using handicaps on the kilometres you fly, even you can win! It’s a great way to try out the competition scene. The budding competition pilot must have at least five XC hours outside of their course, a reserve and radio.

Competition fee $20 or free if registered by 18 March. Registration form and pilot pack from <jamesflys@gmail.com> or 02 49468680.

Corryong Cup 2010 3 to 9 January 2009 Sign ups for CC 2010 open 1 September. Don’t miss out on this very popular fun HG meet aimed at fostering the development of competition and cross-country flying skills. This comp provides a great opportunity for first time comp pilots to receive XC flight tutoring/mentoring & workshops by experienced comp pilots. Mt Elliot offers pilots great XC soaring experiences in spectacular alpine surrounds. As usual, you will find a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, camping by the Murray River, lots of prizes, mid-week BBQ and more! Registration: Saturday, 2 Jan from 7pm. Enter online [www. corryongcup.com] $120 paid by 1/12/09 ($30 late fee thereafter). 70 pilots max. Open & Floater tasks, B Sanction, GPS scoring. Need current HGFA intermediate with inland exp, radio and parachute.

Organiser: Wendi Herman (Newcastle HG Club).

Contact: 0411 772221.

49th Multi Class Nationals 4 to 15 October 2010 Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club at Dalby Aerodrome. For further information <info@ddsc.org.au>.

O verseas International events can be found at [http://events.fai.org/].

[Note: GAP parameters, where listed in the above events, are: bomb-out distance (mini­mum scoring distance), nominal distance (minimum task length), nominal time (mini­mum expected winners time), and goal percentage (nominal percentage in goal).]

Soaring Australia 35

GFA Executive Officer’s Report

John Welsh at WA State Comps 2009 Photo: David Bicknell

As usual, the period leading up to the Annual General and Board Meetings are busy for myself, the treasurer and secretary. I have attached my annual report for the information of members.

Executive Officer/Insurance Officer Report 2008-09 to the GFA ABM 2009 General The 2008-09 year has been another challenging and busy one for the Board, Executive and office.

In late 2008, I indicated to the president that I would not be seeking an extension to my contract after 31 December 2009, so this will be my last ABM report.

I am firmly of the belief that my replacement would be more effective in a fulltime position and located nearer the GFA office. The Executive has commenced the process of preparing a job description and recruitment for the replacement.

Communication Communication is still a challenge to GFA, as members’ expectations in the electronic age are imposing an increasing burden on our part-time and volunteer officers and staff. Immediate and accurate answers are a combination often difficult to achieve, given the breadth of scope of subjects and limitation of volunteer time in the sport of gliding.

GFA has made great strides in communication, even in my four plus years of tenure.

The GFA website has grown to be a great reference resource and receptacle

36 Soaring Australia

of our organisational knowledge and information.

Our new Somerton office which completed its fit out this year is modern in layout, systems and equipment, and our staff are diligent, qualified and committed to teamwork and continuous improvement.

Our Board and Executive all communicate on ADSL, which allows transmission of large administration files. VOIP is being used by more officers for normal communications, with further savings in administration.

Meetings are hosted at the Somerton office in a multi-media equipped meeting room supported with electronic files, Wi-Fi internet and data projection instead of the previous reams of paper. This has resulted in significant efficiencies and savings in administration and location costs.

It is hoped that once Board and Executive members grow more comfortable with the medium, that electronic conferencing will play a growing role in GFA’s administration.

GFA Governance The Board has met once, in February 2009, in this 12 month period since the 2008 ABM. The breadth of scope can be seen in major items that the Board addressed at that meeting: The role of the GFA post-2010 Has the GFA restructure been successful?

• Relevance of the rregional structure • Terms of office • Powered sailplanes/motor gliders • Report on the upgrade of the GFA office administration software (iMis) • Submission of glider trailer specifications to Federal Dept of Infrastructure • ASAC report on future format of GFA/CASA Deed of Agreement • GFA marketing and development • GFA strategic plan • GFA governance • Review of the latest version of the GFA Member Protection Policy • 2009/10 Budget overview • Budget policy • CPI increase to apply to membership fees (2.5% increase resulted) that a deficit of up to $90000 for FY 2009-10 only, if necessary, would be acceptable.

• International Teams’ Committee budget • The future of GFA magazine

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• T he GFA Glider Pilot Certificate and its associated training syllabus • GFA documentation review • World competition bid 2012 (unsuccessful at later IGC meeting in Lusanne) • Completion of all installations and alterations in the Somerton office • The Board’s commitment to a new and improved GFA Safety Management System The Executive, in the same period, have met three times, with the agendas of issues for the GFA departments and implementing the Board decisions and guidelines.

All the above meetings have been held in the GFA office at Somerton, resulting in significant savings from those previously held at the Attwood Convention Centre.

Minutes of all Board, Executive and Departmental meetings are available on the GFA web site and are recommended reading for GFA members.

Board Performance Management This issue is to be addressed at the ABM, and is worthy of mention. At present, there is little process apart from peer pressure for the performances of individual Board/Executive members to be recorded and acted on. It could be argued that there should be a process that highlights the difference between say, hypothetically, a member who just turns up for meetings and does little else, from a member who donates remarkable amounts of their personal time and effort outside of meetings for the good of the sport. In both those extremes, performance management should be able to communicate expectations and tasking on the one hand and prevent ‘burn-out’ on the other.

Such effective processes are strongly recommended for our volunteer management within the Board and Executive.

GFA Appointments The following changes and appointments were considered by the Board during the year: • NSWG Board member Aaron Stroop resigned for personal reasons. The Board noted Aaron’s resignation with regret and thanks for his long service on the Board and Council prior to that; • David Boulter nominated by NSWG as a Board member; • Bob Hall nominated by NSWG as Alternate Board member; • Anthony Scarlett appointed RTO/O Qld, vice Mike Truitt; October 2009

• P aul Rose appointed RTO/S WA, vice James Cooper; • Mike Maddocks appointed Chairman ITC, vice Rob Moore; • Lisa Trotter Club Class representative ITC filling a casual vacancy.

The Board noted and ratified the changes where necessary and gave thanks to those retiring officers for their service to GFA. Resignations and changes of officers should be notified officially in writing by either the State Association secretary or the Head of Departmental (as appropriate) to the GFA secretary.

Government Agencies Issues Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) CASA Restructure CASA has been restructured yet again, with a new smaller Board and Director of Aviation Safety appointed by the Federal Government during the year. The new Director of Aviation Safety is John McCormick, who comes from an RAAF and major airline background.

CASA is taking on a different emphasis towards the Sport and Recreational Aviation sector as they have arrived at a statistic that the sector comprises 47 per cent of aviation activity in Australia.

GFA’s Deed of Agreement with CASA GFA’s Deed of Agreement with CASA was renewed and complied with for year 2008/09 where GFA received a fee to exercise functions on behalf of CASA. At the time of writing, negotiation for this 2009/10 year has commenced, with a major change of emphasis by CASA on to risk management principles. The president has been the principal representative of GFA in negotiations with CASA over this issue and will no doubt report on this subsequently in the Sydney meetings.

CASA Rule Change Process CASRs Part 103 and Part 149 This regulatory reform has been substantially delayed mainly due to Federal legal factors. ASAC advises that this could lead to a delay of over two years, if not sine die.

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) The ASC has re-accredited GFA as a National Sports Organisation (NSO) until 2013. Application has been submitted for status as a funded NSO, ASC has delayed a decision pending receipt of Federal Government new policy guidelines.

October 2009

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) Thanks to Tim Shirley who has continued liaison duties with ASADA and has attended meetings on GFA’s behalf. Tim has written informative articles on the web site and magazine on the issue of anti-doping policy.

GFA Procedures and Policies GFA Documents GFA documents are all available to members on the internet through the GFA website. The office can still provide electronic or printed copies of documents on request at cost, for those members still without internet access.

The Manual of Standard Procedures (MoSP) MoSP Part 1 – Administration Is still in draft form due to workload being expended on higher priority issues.

Dick and Jonette Sasse at WA State Comps 2009

MoSP Part 2 – Operations A review by the CTO/Ops Kevin Olerhead and the Operations Panel of this document has been delayed by the Glider Pilot Certificate introduction and it is hoped to be finalised in 2009.

MoSP Part 3 – Airworthiness Tom van Blaricum has prepared the first draft of this document which is being reviewed by departmental officers. Again, it is hoped to be finalised in 2009.

Disputes and Legal Matters Issues have arisen in the last year, and indeed in the last few years in several regions that have developed into difficult disputes that could have been ‘nipped in the bud’ if the parties concerned had followed the dispute settlement procedures in either the GFA Articles of Association or the GFA Member Protection Policy.

It is strongly recommended that all club and State officers have a working knowledge of those two documents.

To those State officers who have voluntarily acted as mediators in those difficult issues, and to Paul Matthews, the GFA legal officer, grateful thanks are given for the wisdom and patience to resolve those issues.

GFA Insurance Issues Insurance Policies A major tendering exercise was undertaken in March 2009, with OAMPS and Honan Insurance being invited to

Photo: David Bicknell

tender for GFA’s insurance policies. After much deliberation, the GFA Executive chose OAMPS to continue to provide GFA’s insurance cover.

OAMPS OAMPS, through Chris Agnew in Adelaide and Mike Cavan in Sydney, have continued to give the executive officer/insurance officer unstinting and commendable support and advice. Thanks to Chris and Mike for all their valued help with some challenging queries this year.

Paul Matthews, the GFA legal officer, also gave unstinting support on these issues.

The Summary of GFA Insurances has been updated by OAMPS after the March 2009 renewals and is available on the GFA web site. Please note that the summary is just that, a summary, as each policy is a substantial document in itself. However, the actual policy can be made available to GFA members only, on request.

Disclaimer: As the executive officer is not a licenced insurance advisor, only information based on the summary sheets can be provided, anything else has to be referred to OAMPS for advice.

GFA Loan Scheme Several phone and email inquiries received, only one loan on foot at present totalling approximately $10537 at the date of the report. The loan repayments are paid promptly and are up to date.

Soaring Australia 37

GFA Executive Officer’s Report

John Welsh at WA State Comps 2009 Photo: David Bicknell

As usual, the period leading up to the Annual General and Board Meetings are busy for myself, the treasurer and secretary. I have attached my annual report for the information of members.

Executive Officer/Insurance Officer Report 2008-09 to the GFA ABM 2009 General The 2008-09 year has been another challenging and busy one for the Board, Executive and office.

In late 2008, I indicated to the president that I would not be seeking an extension to my contract after 31 December 2009, so this will be my last ABM report.

I am firmly of the belief that my replacement would be more effective in a fulltime position and located nearer the GFA office. The Executive has commenced the process of preparing a job description and recruitment for the replacement.

Communication Communication is still a challenge to GFA, as members’ expectations in the electronic age are imposing an increasing burden on our part-time and volunteer officers and staff. Immediate and accurate answers are a combination often difficult to achieve, given the breadth of scope of subjects and limitation of volunteer time in the sport of gliding.

GFA has made great strides in communication, even in my four plus years of tenure.

The GFA website has grown to be a great reference resource and receptacle

36 Soaring Australia

of our organisational knowledge and information.

Our new Somerton office which completed its fit out this year is modern in layout, systems and equipment, and our staff are diligent, qualified and committed to teamwork and continuous improvement.

Our Board and Executive all communicate on ADSL, which allows transmission of large administration files. VOIP is being used by more officers for normal communications, with further savings in administration.

Meetings are hosted at the Somerton office in a multi-media equipped meeting room supported with electronic files, Wi-Fi internet and data projection instead of the previous reams of paper. This has resulted in significant efficiencies and savings in administration and location costs.

It is hoped that once Board and Executive members grow more comfortable with the medium, that electronic conferencing will play a growing role in GFA’s administration.

GFA Governance The Board has met once, in February 2009, in this 12 month period since the 2008 ABM. The breadth of scope can be seen in major items that the Board addressed at that meeting: The role of the GFA post-2010 Has the GFA restructure been successful?

• Relevance of the rregional structure • Terms of office • Powered sailplanes/motor gliders • Report on the upgrade of the GFA office administration software (iMis) • Submission of glider trailer specifications to Federal Dept of Infrastructure • ASAC report on future format of GFA/CASA Deed of Agreement • GFA marketing and development • GFA strategic plan • GFA governance • Review of the latest version of the GFA Member Protection Policy • 2009/10 Budget overview • Budget policy • CPI increase to apply to membership fees (2.5% increase resulted) that a deficit of up to $90000 for FY 2009-10 only, if necessary, would be acceptable.

• International Teams’ Committee budget • The future of GFA magazine

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• T he GFA Glider Pilot Certificate and its associated training syllabus • GFA documentation review • World competition bid 2012 (unsuccessful at later IGC meeting in Lusanne) • Completion of all installations and alterations in the Somerton office • The Board’s commitment to a new and improved GFA Safety Management System The Executive, in the same period, have met three times, with the agendas of issues for the GFA departments and implementing the Board decisions and guidelines.

All the above meetings have been held in the GFA office at Somerton, resulting in significant savings from those previously held at the Attwood Convention Centre.

Minutes of all Board, Executive and Departmental meetings are available on the GFA web site and are recommended reading for GFA members.

Board Performance Management This issue is to be addressed at the ABM, and is worthy of mention. At present, there is little process apart from peer pressure for the performances of individual Board/Executive members to be recorded and acted on. It could be argued that there should be a process that highlights the difference between say, hypothetically, a member who just turns up for meetings and does little else, from a member who donates remarkable amounts of their personal time and effort outside of meetings for the good of the sport. In both those extremes, performance management should be able to communicate expectations and tasking on the one hand and prevent ‘burn-out’ on the other.

Such effective processes are strongly recommended for our volunteer management within the Board and Executive.

GFA Appointments The following changes and appointments were considered by the Board during the year: • NSWG Board member Aaron Stroop resigned for personal reasons. The Board noted Aaron’s resignation with regret and thanks for his long service on the Board and Council prior to that; • David Boulter nominated by NSWG as a Board member; • Bob Hall nominated by NSWG as Alternate Board member; • Anthony Scarlett appointed RTO/O Qld, vice Mike Truitt; October 2009

• P aul Rose appointed RTO/S WA, vice James Cooper; • Mike Maddocks appointed Chairman ITC, vice Rob Moore; • Lisa Trotter Club Class representative ITC filling a casual vacancy.

The Board noted and ratified the changes where necessary and gave thanks to those retiring officers for their service to GFA. Resignations and changes of officers should be notified officially in writing by either the State Association secretary or the Head of Departmental (as appropriate) to the GFA secretary.

Government Agencies Issues Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) CASA Restructure CASA has been restructured yet again, with a new smaller Board and Director of Aviation Safety appointed by the Federal Government during the year. The new Director of Aviation Safety is John McCormick, who comes from an RAAF and major airline background.

CASA is taking on a different emphasis towards the Sport and Recreational Aviation sector as they have arrived at a statistic that the sector comprises 47 per cent of aviation activity in Australia.

GFA’s Deed of Agreement with CASA GFA’s Deed of Agreement with CASA was renewed and complied with for year 2008/09 where GFA received a fee to exercise functions on behalf of CASA. At the time of writing, negotiation for this 2009/10 year has commenced, with a major change of emphasis by CASA on to risk management principles. The president has been the principal representative of GFA in negotiations with CASA over this issue and will no doubt report on this subsequently in the Sydney meetings.

CASA Rule Change Process CASRs Part 103 and Part 149 This regulatory reform has been substantially delayed mainly due to Federal legal factors. ASAC advises that this could lead to a delay of over two years, if not sine die.

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) The ASC has re-accredited GFA as a National Sports Organisation (NSO) until 2013. Application has been submitted for status as a funded NSO, ASC has delayed a decision pending receipt of Federal Government new policy guidelines.

October 2009

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) Thanks to Tim Shirley who has continued liaison duties with ASADA and has attended meetings on GFA’s behalf. Tim has written informative articles on the web site and magazine on the issue of anti-doping policy.

GFA Procedures and Policies GFA Documents GFA documents are all available to members on the internet through the GFA website. The office can still provide electronic or printed copies of documents on request at cost, for those members still without internet access.

The Manual of Standard Procedures (MoSP) MoSP Part 1 – Administration Is still in draft form due to workload being expended on higher priority issues.

Dick and Jonette Sasse at WA State Comps 2009

MoSP Part 2 – Operations A review by the CTO/Ops Kevin Olerhead and the Operations Panel of this document has been delayed by the Glider Pilot Certificate introduction and it is hoped to be finalised in 2009.

MoSP Part 3 – Airworthiness Tom van Blaricum has prepared the first draft of this document which is being reviewed by departmental officers. Again, it is hoped to be finalised in 2009.

Disputes and Legal Matters Issues have arisen in the last year, and indeed in the last few years in several regions that have developed into difficult disputes that could have been ‘nipped in the bud’ if the parties concerned had followed the dispute settlement procedures in either the GFA Articles of Association or the GFA Member Protection Policy.

It is strongly recommended that all club and State officers have a working knowledge of those two documents.

To those State officers who have voluntarily acted as mediators in those difficult issues, and to Paul Matthews, the GFA legal officer, grateful thanks are given for the wisdom and patience to resolve those issues.

GFA Insurance Issues Insurance Policies A major tendering exercise was undertaken in March 2009, with OAMPS and Honan Insurance being invited to

Photo: David Bicknell

tender for GFA’s insurance policies. After much deliberation, the GFA Executive chose OAMPS to continue to provide GFA’s insurance cover.

OAMPS OAMPS, through Chris Agnew in Adelaide and Mike Cavan in Sydney, have continued to give the executive officer/insurance officer unstinting and commendable support and advice. Thanks to Chris and Mike for all their valued help with some challenging queries this year.

Paul Matthews, the GFA legal officer, also gave unstinting support on these issues.

The Summary of GFA Insurances has been updated by OAMPS after the March 2009 renewals and is available on the GFA web site. Please note that the summary is just that, a summary, as each policy is a substantial document in itself. However, the actual policy can be made available to GFA members only, on request.

Disclaimer: As the executive officer is not a licenced insurance advisor, only information based on the summary sheets can be provided, anything else has to be referred to OAMPS for advice.

GFA Loan Scheme Several phone and email inquiries received, only one loan on foot at present totalling approximately $10537 at the date of the report. The loan repayments are paid promptly and are up to date.

Soaring Australia 37

GFA Executive Officer’s Report Two loans were paid out in full during the year.

Board Regulation 11.2. allows for $200 000 to be out on loan to affiliated GFA clubs at anytime.

Future GFA AGM/Seminars Gliding Queensland is due to host the 2010 AGM/Seminar in Brisbane.

In Conclusion Thanks to the president and all other GFA officers and employees for their cooperation and diligence for yet another busy and challenging year for the organisation. I make special mention of Marcia Cavanagh, the GFA secretary, without whose unstinting support and advice, I would not have coped with the workload.

I have found the job as executive officer interesting and with much job satisfaction, but look forward to my retirement on 31 December, 2009. I sincerely wish the GFA Board all the best for the future.

Happy 90th Birthday Celebrations Owen Jones, GFA Board member, myself and partners as well as a collection of the old and bold WA glider pilots attended an auspicious occasion on 22 August at Morawa (WA) celebrating Dick Sasse’s 90th birthday.

Dick holds the distinction of being the oldest active Australian glider pilot and is still a regular and respected competitor at the WA State Competitions in Morawa’s Astir CS VH-WQI. On the day of the celebrations, Dick was on duty in the back seat of the club Blanik, but was shoehorned into John Orton’s SZD55 to record the longest flight of the day of over an hour in super-scratch winter conditions (Mike Yankee only got 57 minutes.)

The birthday party was held at a packed Morawa Town Hall, with most of the many guests related to Dick. Consistent with a country community that does not regard television as its usual entertainment,

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

several relatives and friends gave recitals, musical entertainment and yarns about Dick, including some very entertaining flying tales.

Dick was presented with a GFA Certificate of Merit by Owen, with the citation “for Dick Sasse on the occasion of his 90th Birthday, as the Oldest Active Australian Glider Pilot and his remarkable service as CFI of Morawa Flying Club“.

Sporting Congratulations to Allan Barnes for his great win in the Pre-world’s Club Class Competition at Prievidza in Slovakia. Tobi Geiger placed third in the Standard Class at the same competition. Congratulations as well to all other pilots and crews representing Australia at this competition, it was exciting to follow their progress on their blogs at <http://www.teamdingo. com.au>.

Can I get life insurance if I am a glider pilot?

The short answer is “yes” in most cases.

However, due to the varied nature of aircraft and the number of hours that a pilot may be performing this activity, insurers will impose restrictions, charge a higher premium or not offer cover at all.

Firstly, what is life insurance and why do you need it?

Most people know about Life cover which pays out a lump sum on death or terminal illness. This cover will provide funds for your dependants to continue their lifestyle, pay out debts and final expenses.

There is also Total & Permanent Disablement cover which pays out a lump sum in the event of you being severely sick or injured and unlikely to work again.

This money may be used to compensate you for the loss of your ability to earn an income, extinguish the pressure of debts and provide for expensive lifestyle modifications which you may require.

Another form of life insurance is Trauma cover. This cover pays a lump

38 Soaring Australia

At the time of writing, it had been announced that two heroes of the sport had called “Final Glide”.

Col Churches OAM was a GFA Life Member, former GFA secretary and president. His OAM was awarded for his services to the GFA and gliding. I had the honour of serving with Col on the GFA Council in the 1980s; his wise advice was always worth listening to. His experience and knowledge will be sadly missed.

Ray Lynksey, one of our brothers from across the Tasman, who was the first glider pilot to fly over 2000 kilometres cross-country using the NZ wave system,

GFA News

has died after a short illness at the tragically early age of 54.

Condolences to families, friends and fellow pilots of both men..

GFA Meetings By the time you read this, the minutes of the GFA Annual General Meeting and subsequent Board Meetings held in Sydney in September should be being close to being available on the GFA website at [http://2009.gfa.org.au/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 251&Itemid=19].

Members are urged to read them as there are some important issues arising, especially in safety management and

to fund your/your family’s lifestyle and ‘pay the bills’ including insurance.

Once again, cover is generally available up to 100 hours per annum flying time but generally excluded from cover once hours go beyond that.

There are a limited number of insurers that do offer special cover for pilots and this is where a specialist life insurance broker can assist you in obtaining cover.

If you have further enquiries on the availability of life insurance please contact Steve Milios of OAMPS Life Solutions 08 8172 8062 or email on <stevem@ oamps.com.au>.

Disclaimer This information is of a general and preliminary nature only and has been provided without taking full account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information in this publication, OAMPS Financial Management Limited recommends that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. You should not act on any advice until we have fully considered your personal circumstances and provided you with a Statement of Advice and Product Disclosure Statement/s. Please note that concepts and ideas proposed before the issue of a Statement of Advice may differ from the final recommendation.

October 2009

Prievidza, Slovakia, 5 to 15 August 2009 Club Class Results

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

VS Barnes Alan 24 Bereczky Ferenc MS Schupfer Mario AM Benedikovic Karol E2 Zorz Boris LKI Krolikowski Ryszard L3 Vidovic Anze TX Horak Jan IF Cink Miloslav LX Noga Tibor 12 Tapusik Milos D5 Snirc Martin C79 Horak Jiri NK Arpas Tibor 99 Janoska Peter LP Pokorny Peter LS Szabo Marian BU Picka Martin JT Codling Michael G1 Sobek Frantisek 11 Schuller Edmund 81 Chupan Stanislav DC Zelem Andrej Y Lang Christian SN English Brendan I0 Stempel Miroslav 86 Abonyi Peter 14 Samaj Peter 3D Divokova Drahusa 82 Zubak Dusan R1 Stanka Radovan X1 Mikula Marek 78 Klepac Peter 3 Urbani Luca

October 2009

GFA Executive Officer

John Welsh 10 Merton Road, Roleystone WA 6111 Email: <EO@sec.gfa.org.au> EO Blog now on the GFA website under ‘News’.

Mobile: 0417 945981 (Next G)

Mixed Class Results

52nd Slovak International Gliding Champioship – Pre WGC 2009 sum on diagnosis of one of a number of specified medical traumas. Examples are heart attack, cancer and stroke. A good trauma policy can however cover upward of 40 conditions including severe burns, paralysis and Parkinson’s Disease as examples. This money can be used to ease the financial pressure of having to return to work too early, pay for exclusive and expensive medical costs and compensate your partner for taking special leave from work to care for you over a long recovery period.

In general the forms of life insurance discussed above are available to most pilots without restriction if you fly 100 hours or less per annum.

If however, you do fly more than 100 hours then the insurer may impose a surcharge on premium per $1000 of cover. For example, if you had $200 000 of cover the surcharge may be an extra $400 on top of the normal premium. The availability of trauma cover and Total and Permanent Disability insurance may also be limited.

The other form of life insurance is Income Protection. This insurance pays you a replacement income if you are sick or injured and can’t work in your normal occupation.

This replacement of income helps you

relations with CASA of which members should have knowledge. he GFA Executive will be meeting on 24 and 25 October at the Somerton office.

The main purpose of this meeting is to progress issues and policies arising from the September Board meetings.

Keep Looking and Keep It Safe!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

O verseas N ews

I nsurance C orner I have had several inquiries from members about life and personal injury coverage and Steve Milios of OAMPS, GFA’s insurance broker has provided the following article:

Final Glides

AUS HUN Malev RK MSE AUT SVK Air Sympatia SLO USA SLO CZE Zbraslavice CZE Plzen SVK SGC MArtin SVK Nitra SVK Nitra CZE Kladno SVK Nitra SVK Nitra SVK Nitra SVK Partizanske CZE J.Hradec AUS SVK Presov SVK Lucenec SVK Zilina SVK Sky Service GER AUS SVK Presov SVK Ruzomberok SVK Zilina SVK Spisska Nova Ves SVK Partizanske SVK Holic SVK Trnava SVK Nitra ITA

LS 1 f Std. Jantar 2 WL ASW 15 Std. Cirrus DG 100 G Std. Jantar 3 DG 100 ASW 15 Std. Cirrus G Std. Cirrus 75 VSO-10 VSO-10 Std. Cirrus 75 L ASW 15 Std. Cirrus DG 300 LS 1 f ASW 19 B LS 1 f DG 100 VSO-10 VSO-10 Std. Cirrus G81 Std. Libelle Std. Cirrus VSO-10 VSO-10 VSO-10 Discus VSO-10 DG 300 ASW 15 Astir CS Taurus

4860 4711 4709 4564 4369 4350 4322 4321 4244 4230 4223 4072 3939 3823 3554 3544 3537 3488 3481 3453 3368 3356 3338 3329 3263 3038 3014 2682 2515 2428 2310 2011 2003 1195

1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

AT Sebastian Kawa 10 Vladimir Foltin LK Lubor Kuvik EK Pavol Cerny SI David Darnany 7D Maros Divok 70 Tibor Fratrik BJ Jan Kromka RS Petr Setka DX Branik Jesensky LM Lubik Jakubcak D3 Jan Divok BO Aku Jaakkola AE Francois Pin AK Jan Papke GI Andrej Sedlak NIT Roman Petro OLC Welsch Tobias BS Roman Dobias GD Vojtech Matula

POL Bielsko-Biala ASW 22BL SVK Nitra LS 10/18m SVK Air Sympatia Trencin ASG 29/18m SVK SGC Martin Ventus 2cT/18m SVK Nitra LS 8/18m SVK Spisska Nova Ves Ventus 2cT/18m SVK SGC Martin ASG 29/18m SVK Poprad Discus 2T/18m CZE Jindrichuv Hradec Ventus 2cT/18m SVK SGC Martin Duo Discus SVK Poprad Duo Discus T SVK Spisska Nova Ves Ventus 17.6m FIN ASG 29/18m USA Discus 2T/18m GER LAK 17/18m SVK Nitra LS 6/15m SVK Nitra DG 1000/20m GER LFV Greven Discus 2T/18m SVK SGC MArtin LS 8 SVK Partizanska Nimbus 2 b

4861 4553 4460 4460 4092 4039 3943 3878 3844 3680 3631 3526 3479 3407 2617 2554 2499 2413 2358 2038

Standard Class Results

1 2 3 4 5 6

JS Sorri Juha N2 Kusbach Jiri PV Geiger Tobias PM Smith Mike N1 Bartonik Oldrich DR Keher Jan

FIN CZK Holesov AUS USA CZK Holesov SVK Prievidza

Discus 2 KKB-15 ASW 28 LS 8 KKB-15 Discus CS

4678 3879 3845 3381 3360 704

Soaring Australia 39

GFA Executive Officer’s Report Two loans were paid out in full during the year.

Board Regulation 11.2. allows for $200 000 to be out on loan to affiliated GFA clubs at anytime.

Future GFA AGM/Seminars Gliding Queensland is due to host the 2010 AGM/Seminar in Brisbane.

In Conclusion Thanks to the president and all other GFA officers and employees for their cooperation and diligence for yet another busy and challenging year for the organisation. I make special mention of Marcia Cavanagh, the GFA secretary, without whose unstinting support and advice, I would not have coped with the workload.

I have found the job as executive officer interesting and with much job satisfaction, but look forward to my retirement on 31 December, 2009. I sincerely wish the GFA Board all the best for the future.

Happy 90th Birthday Celebrations Owen Jones, GFA Board member, myself and partners as well as a collection of the old and bold WA glider pilots attended an auspicious occasion on 22 August at Morawa (WA) celebrating Dick Sasse’s 90th birthday.

Dick holds the distinction of being the oldest active Australian glider pilot and is still a regular and respected competitor at the WA State Competitions in Morawa’s Astir CS VH-WQI. On the day of the celebrations, Dick was on duty in the back seat of the club Blanik, but was shoehorned into John Orton’s SZD55 to record the longest flight of the day of over an hour in super-scratch winter conditions (Mike Yankee only got 57 minutes.)

The birthday party was held at a packed Morawa Town Hall, with most of the many guests related to Dick. Consistent with a country community that does not regard television as its usual entertainment,

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

several relatives and friends gave recitals, musical entertainment and yarns about Dick, including some very entertaining flying tales.

Dick was presented with a GFA Certificate of Merit by Owen, with the citation “for Dick Sasse on the occasion of his 90th Birthday, as the Oldest Active Australian Glider Pilot and his remarkable service as CFI of Morawa Flying Club“.

Sporting Congratulations to Allan Barnes for his great win in the Pre-world’s Club Class Competition at Prievidza in Slovakia. Tobi Geiger placed third in the Standard Class at the same competition. Congratulations as well to all other pilots and crews representing Australia at this competition, it was exciting to follow their progress on their blogs at <http://www.teamdingo. com.au>.

Can I get life insurance if I am a glider pilot?

The short answer is “yes” in most cases.

However, due to the varied nature of aircraft and the number of hours that a pilot may be performing this activity, insurers will impose restrictions, charge a higher premium or not offer cover at all.

Firstly, what is life insurance and why do you need it?

Most people know about Life cover which pays out a lump sum on death or terminal illness. This cover will provide funds for your dependants to continue their lifestyle, pay out debts and final expenses.

There is also Total & Permanent Disablement cover which pays out a lump sum in the event of you being severely sick or injured and unlikely to work again.

This money may be used to compensate you for the loss of your ability to earn an income, extinguish the pressure of debts and provide for expensive lifestyle modifications which you may require.

Another form of life insurance is Trauma cover. This cover pays a lump

38 Soaring Australia

At the time of writing, it had been announced that two heroes of the sport had called “Final Glide”.

Col Churches OAM was a GFA Life Member, former GFA secretary and president. His OAM was awarded for his services to the GFA and gliding. I had the honour of serving with Col on the GFA Council in the 1980s; his wise advice was always worth listening to. His experience and knowledge will be sadly missed.

Ray Lynksey, one of our brothers from across the Tasman, who was the first glider pilot to fly over 2000 kilometres cross-country using the NZ wave system,

GFA News

has died after a short illness at the tragically early age of 54.

Condolences to families, friends and fellow pilots of both men..

GFA Meetings By the time you read this, the minutes of the GFA Annual General Meeting and subsequent Board Meetings held in Sydney in September should be being close to being available on the GFA website at [http://2009.gfa.org.au/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 251&Itemid=19].

Members are urged to read them as there are some important issues arising, especially in safety management and

to fund your/your family’s lifestyle and ‘pay the bills’ including insurance.

Once again, cover is generally available up to 100 hours per annum flying time but generally excluded from cover once hours go beyond that.

There are a limited number of insurers that do offer special cover for pilots and this is where a specialist life insurance broker can assist you in obtaining cover.

If you have further enquiries on the availability of life insurance please contact Steve Milios of OAMPS Life Solutions 08 8172 8062 or email on <stevem@ oamps.com.au>.

Disclaimer This information is of a general and preliminary nature only and has been provided without taking full account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information in this publication, OAMPS Financial Management Limited recommends that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. You should not act on any advice until we have fully considered your personal circumstances and provided you with a Statement of Advice and Product Disclosure Statement/s. Please note that concepts and ideas proposed before the issue of a Statement of Advice may differ from the final recommendation.

October 2009

Prievidza, Slovakia, 5 to 15 August 2009 Club Class Results

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

VS Barnes Alan 24 Bereczky Ferenc MS Schupfer Mario AM Benedikovic Karol E2 Zorz Boris LKI Krolikowski Ryszard L3 Vidovic Anze TX Horak Jan IF Cink Miloslav LX Noga Tibor 12 Tapusik Milos D5 Snirc Martin C79 Horak Jiri NK Arpas Tibor 99 Janoska Peter LP Pokorny Peter LS Szabo Marian BU Picka Martin JT Codling Michael G1 Sobek Frantisek 11 Schuller Edmund 81 Chupan Stanislav DC Zelem Andrej Y Lang Christian SN English Brendan I0 Stempel Miroslav 86 Abonyi Peter 14 Samaj Peter 3D Divokova Drahusa 82 Zubak Dusan R1 Stanka Radovan X1 Mikula Marek 78 Klepac Peter 3 Urbani Luca

October 2009

GFA Executive Officer

John Welsh 10 Merton Road, Roleystone WA 6111 Email: <EO@sec.gfa.org.au> EO Blog now on the GFA website under ‘News’.

Mobile: 0417 945981 (Next G)

Mixed Class Results

52nd Slovak International Gliding Champioship – Pre WGC 2009 sum on diagnosis of one of a number of specified medical traumas. Examples are heart attack, cancer and stroke. A good trauma policy can however cover upward of 40 conditions including severe burns, paralysis and Parkinson’s Disease as examples. This money can be used to ease the financial pressure of having to return to work too early, pay for exclusive and expensive medical costs and compensate your partner for taking special leave from work to care for you over a long recovery period.

In general the forms of life insurance discussed above are available to most pilots without restriction if you fly 100 hours or less per annum.

If however, you do fly more than 100 hours then the insurer may impose a surcharge on premium per $1000 of cover. For example, if you had $200 000 of cover the surcharge may be an extra $400 on top of the normal premium. The availability of trauma cover and Total and Permanent Disability insurance may also be limited.

The other form of life insurance is Income Protection. This insurance pays you a replacement income if you are sick or injured and can’t work in your normal occupation.

This replacement of income helps you

relations with CASA of which members should have knowledge. he GFA Executive will be meeting on 24 and 25 October at the Somerton office.

The main purpose of this meeting is to progress issues and policies arising from the September Board meetings.

Keep Looking and Keep It Safe!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

O verseas N ews

I nsurance C orner I have had several inquiries from members about life and personal injury coverage and Steve Milios of OAMPS, GFA’s insurance broker has provided the following article:

Final Glides

AUS HUN Malev RK MSE AUT SVK Air Sympatia SLO USA SLO CZE Zbraslavice CZE Plzen SVK SGC MArtin SVK Nitra SVK Nitra CZE Kladno SVK Nitra SVK Nitra SVK Nitra SVK Partizanske CZE J.Hradec AUS SVK Presov SVK Lucenec SVK Zilina SVK Sky Service GER AUS SVK Presov SVK Ruzomberok SVK Zilina SVK Spisska Nova Ves SVK Partizanske SVK Holic SVK Trnava SVK Nitra ITA

LS 1 f Std. Jantar 2 WL ASW 15 Std. Cirrus DG 100 G Std. Jantar 3 DG 100 ASW 15 Std. Cirrus G Std. Cirrus 75 VSO-10 VSO-10 Std. Cirrus 75 L ASW 15 Std. Cirrus DG 300 LS 1 f ASW 19 B LS 1 f DG 100 VSO-10 VSO-10 Std. Cirrus G81 Std. Libelle Std. Cirrus VSO-10 VSO-10 VSO-10 Discus VSO-10 DG 300 ASW 15 Astir CS Taurus

4860 4711 4709 4564 4369 4350 4322 4321 4244 4230 4223 4072 3939 3823 3554 3544 3537 3488 3481 3453 3368 3356 3338 3329 3263 3038 3014 2682 2515 2428 2310 2011 2003 1195

1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

AT Sebastian Kawa 10 Vladimir Foltin LK Lubor Kuvik EK Pavol Cerny SI David Darnany 7D Maros Divok 70 Tibor Fratrik BJ Jan Kromka RS Petr Setka DX Branik Jesensky LM Lubik Jakubcak D3 Jan Divok BO Aku Jaakkola AE Francois Pin AK Jan Papke GI Andrej Sedlak NIT Roman Petro OLC Welsch Tobias BS Roman Dobias GD Vojtech Matula

POL Bielsko-Biala ASW 22BL SVK Nitra LS 10/18m SVK Air Sympatia Trencin ASG 29/18m SVK SGC Martin Ventus 2cT/18m SVK Nitra LS 8/18m SVK Spisska Nova Ves Ventus 2cT/18m SVK SGC Martin ASG 29/18m SVK Poprad Discus 2T/18m CZE Jindrichuv Hradec Ventus 2cT/18m SVK SGC Martin Duo Discus SVK Poprad Duo Discus T SVK Spisska Nova Ves Ventus 17.6m FIN ASG 29/18m USA Discus 2T/18m GER LAK 17/18m SVK Nitra LS 6/15m SVK Nitra DG 1000/20m GER LFV Greven Discus 2T/18m SVK SGC MArtin LS 8 SVK Partizanska Nimbus 2 b

4861 4553 4460 4460 4092 4039 3943 3878 3844 3680 3631 3526 3479 3407 2617 2554 2499 2413 2358 2038

Standard Class Results

1 2 3 4 5 6

JS Sorri Juha N2 Kusbach Jiri PV Geiger Tobias PM Smith Mike N1 Bartonik Oldrich DR Keher Jan

FIN CZK Holesov AUS USA CZK Holesov SVK Prievidza

Discus 2 KKB-15 ASW 28 LS 8 KKB-15 Discus CS

4678 3879 3845 3381 3360 704

Soaring Australia 39

HGFA General Manager’s Report Farewell to Francis Rogallo Sad news for the sport and history of hang gliding comes this month with the passing of Francis Melvin Rogallo (27 January 1912 to 1 September 2009).

Francis was credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or ‘flexible wing’, recognised as a precursor to the modern hang glider and paraglider.

During 1948, he and his wife Gertrude Rogallo, invented and patented a selfinflating flexible kite. This was essentially a toy known as the ‘flexible wing’.

Rogallo had originally invented the wing with the idea to create an aircraft which would be simple enough and inexpensive enough that anyone could have one.

The wing was flown by Francis Rogallo as a model glider with small payloads hung beneath the wing (thus model hang glider) and as a kite. NASA became interested in the invention as a possible means for returning spacecraft to earth. The Rogallos released their patent to the government, and employed Francis to help develop the concept further using NASA wind tunnels. NASA renamed the invention as the Parawing and began a series of experiments which led to several variations of manned and unmanned vehicles for use in the space race.

Ultimately, however, the design was never utilised by NASA. Later release of pictures were inspiration to John Dickenson who, using the basic design of the Rogallo wing, engineered the bracing and control structures of the modern hang glider.

It is certain that many people from many countries made contributions to the

HGFA website to update yourselves on the organisational leadership standing.

As you will be aware, the motions put to the SGM are for the replacement of five Board positions. The resulting Board members will hold office until the handover to the Board elect in April 2010.

Politics in Sport

The Rogallo inflatable wing developed for the NASA Gemini project

The early modern hang glider as designed by John Dickenson, based on the Rogallo wing form

development of the flexible wing hang glider. In the aviation context of ‘first flights’ and recreational versus commercial developments, new and old inventions often complement in synergy; it is in this evolutionary and social context that the crucial developments put together by Francis Rogallo and John Dickenson, were the ones that were most successful and influential on the evolution of hang gliders.

The HGFA honours Francis Rogallo for the contribution he made to our enjoyment of flight and gifting the world the genesis of hang gliding.

A full obiturary to Francis Rogallo can be found at [www.nytimes.com/2009/ 09/05/us/05rogallo.html].

HGFA AGM: 24 October Melbourne Please be advised that the HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Tullamarine, Victoria, commencing at 10am. The meeting will be conducted in the Tullamarine room.

Since there has historically never been high member attendance, the meeting room has been booked with small numbers of attendees expected. There is a standing agenda of reports including the Finance Audit and Insurance Reports.

Members are of course welcome and we hope to be able to accommodate any that do attend.

Special General Meeting (SGM)

Francis Rogallo’s Parawing patent

40 Soaring Australia

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

By the time you read this magazine, the results of the motions put to the Special General Meeting will be known and in effect. Please ensure that you review the

Many of us cite the line that politics is not wanted in their sport, that they simply are not interested in political issues regarding their pastime.

It does seem contrary to the enjoyment of one’s activities that there is a need for policy and rules and the debates that surround them. But politics and the actual activity are intimately intertwined and inseparable. The necessity for political debate, political lobbying and policy setting is vital for the continuation of the activity and the access to participate in it.

There is, however, an enormous difference between political involvement and political grandstanding. Sport is a passion and, as such, passionate people engage in the activity. It is, however, sad to see the level of which some stoop to in their ‘passion’ to verge on the vile defamation of others.

Debating the real issues of sport and sport administration is well accepted and encouraged for any who have a view on the policies of our activity. Healthy debate can only assist the sport’s progress. What is not healthy is the attack on another’s personality by other participants.

Recent personal attacks only serve to demonstrate the level of personal regard their authors have for anyone who may disagree with their own opinion. The tragic thing is that some of the same people are vying to become leaders of this organisation. They have demonstrated that anyone differing from their personal view may become the target of similar personal abuse and that they hold no boundary in the disregard towards whom and how that abuse may be delivered.

The political strategies that these persons have employed to discredit rather than argue a case, are wide and underhanded.

They disguise themselves with pseudonyms, attack associate and contracting services to the HGFA as well as personalities within the HGFA, distribute untruths and rumours, yet parade as the great true path for the organisation. I laugh at them and I do think it pitiful that they are the only alternative standing for election to lead this sport forward.

CASA Statement Earlier this month and in conjunction with the recent Aerosafe analysis of October 2009

HGFA General Manager

Chris Fogg PO Box 258, Helensburgh NSW 2508 Ph/fax: 02 4294 9300, mob: 0417 766356 Email <general.manager@hgfa.asn.au>

the sport and recreation sector, CASA made release of the following statement (to be found at [http://casa.gov.au/scripts/ nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD: 508833633:pc=PC_93396].

Sports aviation takes on the risks The sports aviation industry and CASA have begun discussions about a new risk-based oversight approach. The inaugural Sport Aviation Safety Forum was held last month in Canberra to begin work on the approach to oversight. About 40 000 people are involved in sports aviation, operating more than 9000 aircraft across the nation. Changes being considered to the safety oversight of the sector aim to improve the selfadministration processes.

The moves follow a recent industry risk study conducted for CASA by consultants Aerosafe Risk Management. Ten organisations representing the diverse areas of sport aviation – including parachuting, hang gliding and ultralights – assisted the study by building an individual risk profile of their activities. This led to the development of valuable ideas for treating risks and improving safety in the various sports. CASA has announced it will set up a new Sport Aviation office, as well as creating a sports aviation policy framework and providing performance standards for the sector. The Sport Aviation office will be a part of CASA’s Standards Development and Future Technology division.

Special Resolution raised under the AGM (Change to Constitution Objects) A special motion has been raised for consideration under the AGM. Timing for the notification of this motion determines that the vote will not be made on the day of the AGM but rather via postal ballot. The motions, the ‘Yes’ case for the motions and the responding ‘No’ case are published on Page 43 of this magazine. Please look for your inserted ballot paper to return a vote on this motion.

It is a vote in regard to objects within the Constitution and therefore requires 75% of all votes received to grant the motion.

Constitution Requirements Under New Association Laws As some of you may have read in previous GM articles, the current Constitution lodged with the Department of Fair Trade, NSW, was found to be an earlier version than that which has been referenced and previously posted on the HGFA website.

Apparently the 2002 version of the Constitution updates was never lodged with the Department and therefore does not hold as October 2009

our Constitution. The current lodged version is a patchwork of amendments made primarily to align the section of discipline to members with the Model Rules. There was a case of member discipline which raised this change and the amendments were lodged to fix the previous problems, but subsequently the Constitution was updated by prior administrations and published as an altered but unofficial document.

The respective Australian States have been reviewing their Model Rules and Association laws with a new Act being published in 2009. The new Act brings incorporated Associations into two tiers – those of low scale activity and those of higher scale activity. These essentially define the level of reporting requirements of the Association.

There are also a number of modernisations that are now allowed under the new Act regarding the handling of special and ordinary resolutions. There is also clearer statutory duties on committee members regarding their use of information gathered from committee meetings.

In short, there is a need to update our Constitution to make reference to the changes in the Act, to use those references for the simplification of our own organisational compliance and for the wider spread changes to the objects within the Constitution.

This is a project which has already been identified by the Board but which has been put on hold until the determination of the SGM over board positions.

Moderator/Administrator HGFA Forum Accident/Incident Reports With 47% of all air movements within Australia taking place in the sport and recreation arena there is a growing concern by authorities and public alike regarding our sport and recreation activities. The following excerpts are taken from Google alerts and demonstrate the frequency and interaction between different light aircraft, the demand on the public purse through search and rescue operations and impacts on public personal injury or loss.

These reports are becoming more common events. These reports are received from various media from several countries, indicating that the same type of events are happening globally. Authorities and public are becoming concerned about sport and recreation aviation with reasonable cause. It is the role of the administration organisations to provide public and regulatory confidence in our activities.

It is essential that all pilots recognise their responsibility to other aviators and to the public by demonstrating sound airmanship and compliance to procedures.

We fight a perceived risk in our activity, but there is clear evidence that concern should be had, exampled by the following cases.

January 2009 Two people were left seriously injured after a mid-air collision sent two paragliders crashing 180m to the ground near the Elfer lifts in Tyrol’s Stubai Valley on Saturday afternoon.

A paraglider on which a German woman was making her first solo flight collided with a tandem paraglider piloted by a Czech man and carrying a Romanian woman as a passenger at about 2:20pm. The trio became entangled and crashed to the ground, but the tandem glider managed to open an emergency parachute and slow the descent.

The German woman and Czech man were taken to Innsbruck’s University Clinic with serious injuries.

September 2009 Crestline, CA – An unidentified paraglider is recovering today from minor injuries sustained when his paraglider went down in a remote area near Crestline off Playground Road.

Crest Forest Fire personnel were notified Wednesday, 9 September, that the 46-yearold paraglider was down near the old Pacific Pines Camp about 11:19am after apparently striking a tree.

Chief Michael Sherman requested that a Sheriff’s Department helicopter, designated 40-King, and Search and Rescue personnel be dispatched to the area. Sheriff’s deputies also arrived on scene to coordinate the search effort. About 15 minutes after the search began, 40-King spotted the victim and directed rescue personnel to him. After assessing the patient, who was reportedly suffering chest pains, it was determined that a hoist rescue was required.

Air Rescue 306 was brought in and hoisted the patient before flying to Valley of Enchantment Elementary School, where a secure landing zone was established while school was in session.

September 2009 Crash investigators have begun a probe after a paramotor pilot plunged 100ft and crashed in a field near Alresford, UK. The man, in his 30s, suffered a serious head injury and is believed to be in a stable condition in intensive care at Southampton General Hospital. Dozens of onlookers at a cricket, beer and balloon festival looked on in horror as he came down in a field narrowly avoiding a packed children’s play area and the neighbouring recreation ground where Cheriton Cricket Club was playing Winchester College staff. Eyewitnesses who saw the accident said it appeared that the paramotor’s engine suddenly cut out.

September 2009 A paraglider had a miraculous escape after Soaring Australia 41

HGFA General Manager’s Report Farewell to Francis Rogallo Sad news for the sport and history of hang gliding comes this month with the passing of Francis Melvin Rogallo (27 January 1912 to 1 September 2009).

Francis was credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or ‘flexible wing’, recognised as a precursor to the modern hang glider and paraglider.

During 1948, he and his wife Gertrude Rogallo, invented and patented a selfinflating flexible kite. This was essentially a toy known as the ‘flexible wing’.

Rogallo had originally invented the wing with the idea to create an aircraft which would be simple enough and inexpensive enough that anyone could have one.

The wing was flown by Francis Rogallo as a model glider with small payloads hung beneath the wing (thus model hang glider) and as a kite. NASA became interested in the invention as a possible means for returning spacecraft to earth. The Rogallos released their patent to the government, and employed Francis to help develop the concept further using NASA wind tunnels. NASA renamed the invention as the Parawing and began a series of experiments which led to several variations of manned and unmanned vehicles for use in the space race.

Ultimately, however, the design was never utilised by NASA. Later release of pictures were inspiration to John Dickenson who, using the basic design of the Rogallo wing, engineered the bracing and control structures of the modern hang glider.

It is certain that many people from many countries made contributions to the

HGFA website to update yourselves on the organisational leadership standing.

As you will be aware, the motions put to the SGM are for the replacement of five Board positions. The resulting Board members will hold office until the handover to the Board elect in April 2010.

Politics in Sport

The Rogallo inflatable wing developed for the NASA Gemini project

The early modern hang glider as designed by John Dickenson, based on the Rogallo wing form

development of the flexible wing hang glider. In the aviation context of ‘first flights’ and recreational versus commercial developments, new and old inventions often complement in synergy; it is in this evolutionary and social context that the crucial developments put together by Francis Rogallo and John Dickenson, were the ones that were most successful and influential on the evolution of hang gliders.

The HGFA honours Francis Rogallo for the contribution he made to our enjoyment of flight and gifting the world the genesis of hang gliding.

A full obiturary to Francis Rogallo can be found at [www.nytimes.com/2009/ 09/05/us/05rogallo.html].

HGFA AGM: 24 October Melbourne Please be advised that the HGFA AGM will be held on 24 October 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Tullamarine, Victoria, commencing at 10am. The meeting will be conducted in the Tullamarine room.

Since there has historically never been high member attendance, the meeting room has been booked with small numbers of attendees expected. There is a standing agenda of reports including the Finance Audit and Insurance Reports.

Members are of course welcome and we hope to be able to accommodate any that do attend.

Special General Meeting (SGM)

Francis Rogallo’s Parawing patent

40 Soaring Australia

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

By the time you read this magazine, the results of the motions put to the Special General Meeting will be known and in effect. Please ensure that you review the

Many of us cite the line that politics is not wanted in their sport, that they simply are not interested in political issues regarding their pastime.

It does seem contrary to the enjoyment of one’s activities that there is a need for policy and rules and the debates that surround them. But politics and the actual activity are intimately intertwined and inseparable. The necessity for political debate, political lobbying and policy setting is vital for the continuation of the activity and the access to participate in it.

There is, however, an enormous difference between political involvement and political grandstanding. Sport is a passion and, as such, passionate people engage in the activity. It is, however, sad to see the level of which some stoop to in their ‘passion’ to verge on the vile defamation of others.

Debating the real issues of sport and sport administration is well accepted and encouraged for any who have a view on the policies of our activity. Healthy debate can only assist the sport’s progress. What is not healthy is the attack on another’s personality by other participants.

Recent personal attacks only serve to demonstrate the level of personal regard their authors have for anyone who may disagree with their own opinion. The tragic thing is that some of the same people are vying to become leaders of this organisation. They have demonstrated that anyone differing from their personal view may become the target of similar personal abuse and that they hold no boundary in the disregard towards whom and how that abuse may be delivered.

The political strategies that these persons have employed to discredit rather than argue a case, are wide and underhanded.

They disguise themselves with pseudonyms, attack associate and contracting services to the HGFA as well as personalities within the HGFA, distribute untruths and rumours, yet parade as the great true path for the organisation. I laugh at them and I do think it pitiful that they are the only alternative standing for election to lead this sport forward.

CASA Statement Earlier this month and in conjunction with the recent Aerosafe analysis of October 2009

HGFA General Manager

Chris Fogg PO Box 258, Helensburgh NSW 2508 Ph/fax: 02 4294 9300, mob: 0417 766356 Email <general.manager@hgfa.asn.au>

the sport and recreation sector, CASA made release of the following statement (to be found at [http://casa.gov.au/scripts/ nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD: 508833633:pc=PC_93396].

Sports aviation takes on the risks The sports aviation industry and CASA have begun discussions about a new risk-based oversight approach. The inaugural Sport Aviation Safety Forum was held last month in Canberra to begin work on the approach to oversight. About 40 000 people are involved in sports aviation, operating more than 9000 aircraft across the nation. Changes being considered to the safety oversight of the sector aim to improve the selfadministration processes.

The moves follow a recent industry risk study conducted for CASA by consultants Aerosafe Risk Management. Ten organisations representing the diverse areas of sport aviation – including parachuting, hang gliding and ultralights – assisted the study by building an individual risk profile of their activities. This led to the development of valuable ideas for treating risks and improving safety in the various sports. CASA has announced it will set up a new Sport Aviation office, as well as creating a sports aviation policy framework and providing performance standards for the sector. The Sport Aviation office will be a part of CASA’s Standards Development and Future Technology division.

Special Resolution raised under the AGM (Change to Constitution Objects) A special motion has been raised for consideration under the AGM. Timing for the notification of this motion determines that the vote will not be made on the day of the AGM but rather via postal ballot. The motions, the ‘Yes’ case for the motions and the responding ‘No’ case are published on Page 43 of this magazine. Please look for your inserted ballot paper to return a vote on this motion.

It is a vote in regard to objects within the Constitution and therefore requires 75% of all votes received to grant the motion.

Constitution Requirements Under New Association Laws As some of you may have read in previous GM articles, the current Constitution lodged with the Department of Fair Trade, NSW, was found to be an earlier version than that which has been referenced and previously posted on the HGFA website.

Apparently the 2002 version of the Constitution updates was never lodged with the Department and therefore does not hold as October 2009

our Constitution. The current lodged version is a patchwork of amendments made primarily to align the section of discipline to members with the Model Rules. There was a case of member discipline which raised this change and the amendments were lodged to fix the previous problems, but subsequently the Constitution was updated by prior administrations and published as an altered but unofficial document.

The respective Australian States have been reviewing their Model Rules and Association laws with a new Act being published in 2009. The new Act brings incorporated Associations into two tiers – those of low scale activity and those of higher scale activity. These essentially define the level of reporting requirements of the Association.

There are also a number of modernisations that are now allowed under the new Act regarding the handling of special and ordinary resolutions. There is also clearer statutory duties on committee members regarding their use of information gathered from committee meetings.

In short, there is a need to update our Constitution to make reference to the changes in the Act, to use those references for the simplification of our own organisational compliance and for the wider spread changes to the objects within the Constitution.

This is a project which has already been identified by the Board but which has been put on hold until the determination of the SGM over board positions.

Moderator/Administrator HGFA Forum Accident/Incident Reports With 47% of all air movements within Australia taking place in the sport and recreation arena there is a growing concern by authorities and public alike regarding our sport and recreation activities. The following excerpts are taken from Google alerts and demonstrate the frequency and interaction between different light aircraft, the demand on the public purse through search and rescue operations and impacts on public personal injury or loss.

These reports are becoming more common events. These reports are received from various media from several countries, indicating that the same type of events are happening globally. Authorities and public are becoming concerned about sport and recreation aviation with reasonable cause. It is the role of the administration organisations to provide public and regulatory confidence in our activities.

It is essential that all pilots recognise their responsibility to other aviators and to the public by demonstrating sound airmanship and compliance to procedures.

We fight a perceived risk in our activity, but there is clear evidence that concern should be had, exampled by the following cases.

January 2009 Two people were left seriously injured after a mid-air collision sent two paragliders crashing 180m to the ground near the Elfer lifts in Tyrol’s Stubai Valley on Saturday afternoon.

A paraglider on which a German woman was making her first solo flight collided with a tandem paraglider piloted by a Czech man and carrying a Romanian woman as a passenger at about 2:20pm. The trio became entangled and crashed to the ground, but the tandem glider managed to open an emergency parachute and slow the descent.

The German woman and Czech man were taken to Innsbruck’s University Clinic with serious injuries.

September 2009 Crestline, CA – An unidentified paraglider is recovering today from minor injuries sustained when his paraglider went down in a remote area near Crestline off Playground Road.

Crest Forest Fire personnel were notified Wednesday, 9 September, that the 46-yearold paraglider was down near the old Pacific Pines Camp about 11:19am after apparently striking a tree.

Chief Michael Sherman requested that a Sheriff’s Department helicopter, designated 40-King, and Search and Rescue personnel be dispatched to the area. Sheriff’s deputies also arrived on scene to coordinate the search effort. About 15 minutes after the search began, 40-King spotted the victim and directed rescue personnel to him. After assessing the patient, who was reportedly suffering chest pains, it was determined that a hoist rescue was required.

Air Rescue 306 was brought in and hoisted the patient before flying to Valley of Enchantment Elementary School, where a secure landing zone was established while school was in session.

September 2009 Crash investigators have begun a probe after a paramotor pilot plunged 100ft and crashed in a field near Alresford, UK. The man, in his 30s, suffered a serious head injury and is believed to be in a stable condition in intensive care at Southampton General Hospital. Dozens of onlookers at a cricket, beer and balloon festival looked on in horror as he came down in a field narrowly avoiding a packed children’s play area and the neighbouring recreation ground where Cheriton Cricket Club was playing Winchester College staff. Eyewitnesses who saw the accident said it appeared that the paramotor’s engine suddenly cut out.

September 2009 A paraglider had a miraculous escape after Soaring Australia 41

HGFA General Manager’s Report crash-landing on a treacherous 350ft cliff face at Capel, UK. The glider had been trapped 150ft above the base in a canopy of trees and had to be winched to safety in a dramatic rescue involving an RAF crew.

Coastguards said the victim is ‘a very lucky man’ to be alive and unharmed after the crash. A Coastguard spokesman said: “We have had people seriously injured paragliding from those cliffs. He could even have been killed.”

The drama happened at about 3pm Monday close to the Battle of Britain memorial when the paraglider was spotted by volunteers from National Coastwatch who raised the alarm. Dover Coastguard at Langdon Cliffs co-ordinated the rescue, which also involved coastguards from Folkestone and Dover, paramedics and firefighters.

A helicopter from RAF Wattisham in Suffolk was scrambled and a crewman, lowered down by a winch, reached the victim and carried him to safety. Amazingly, he was found to be uninjured. The Coastguard spokesman added: “He had been rescued 40 minutes after he had been seen – but if he had not been discovered in time he could have been trapped well into the next day.”

August 2009 An Ultralight And A Powered Parachute Collided In Landing Attempt Ohio authorities are investigation the collision of a powered parachute and an ultralight aircraft while both were attempting to land at a private grass airfield in Darke County, Ohio.

The two aircraft collided about 90ft above the ground. The pilot of the paraglider was pronounced dead at the scene. The ultralight pilot was being treated at a local hospital.

November 2008 A student fell to his death after being swept up by a paraglider he was helping to launch from a Scottish hillside, investigators say.

The man, 21 years old, suffered massive chest and spinal injuries when the glider unexpectedly gained height, according to an investigation report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The report concluded that unsuitable equipment and weather conditions, as well as a lack of formal training, were also contributory factors in the tragedy.

The accident happened while a friend of the deceased was paragliding with his brother and two friends. The group planned to fly gliders off the hillside, but struggled to launch the craft when caught out by sudden windy conditions. The deceased had been hanging on to the harness straps at the back of the paraglider, trying to help it take off. However, moments later it unexpectedly gained height and rose around 200ft. The pilot had trouble controlling the 42 Soaring Australia

paraglider and after around three minutes the deceased plunged to the ground and down a gully and died at the scene.

Paragliding is unregulated in the UK, and there are no legal requirements for pilots to undergo training. The AAIB report concluded: “This accident highlights the fact that aviation in any form, regardless of the level of complexity or regulation involved, incurs risks that need to be understood and mitigated.”

December 2008 A nine-year-old child and his uncle have been rescued from the face of a cliff after a paraglider collision in Sydney’s North.

The pair crashed about 11:45am (AEST) and were left stranded 10m down a cliff near Narrabeen road Warriewood. The child was riding tandem with his uncle when strong gusts of wind blew them against the rocks.

Emergency services were alerted after the pair were spotted hanging from the cliff at around noon. The uncle was reportedly knocked unconscious by the impact, but had regained consciousness by the time the NSW Fire Brigade arrived at the scene.

Ambulance paramedics and Special Casualty Access Team Paramedics secured the pair with ropes and lead helped them back to the top of the cliff. Both the adult and the child had suffered minor cuts and bruises and were taken to Mona Vale Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Casualty team leader told Fairfax there was no suggestion the paraglider was to blame for the accident. “It was simply a case of unusual wind gusts. It happens here quite often. It’s quite possible for people to slip further down the cliff on the sandy, shaley surface and be seriously injured.”

The Deputy Mayor of Pittwater said she would put a motion at the first council meeting next year calling for action to prevent another incident. “We have to look seriously at what people are doing on that headland and what we can do to stop them.” Another councilor said. “It is extremely worrying when people take not only their own lives into their hands, but those of children as well. We can’t fence all our cliff tops but we might look at restrictions in this particular spot.”

March 2009 (ongoing) Hang gliders who launch from Bald Hill are negotiating with Wollongong City Council over tougher safety measures. The Stanwell Park Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club wants the council to build a new walkway and viewing platform to keep the public away from aircraft and their pilots.

The council enforces safety standards for the club which uses council-owned land as launching and landing zones. Some within the club believe the council’s stringent safety conditions are difficult to police as

• • •

the sport grows in popularity and draws increasing numbers of sightseers.

Under the club’s agreement with the council, it must keep onlookers away from both the launching and landing zones.

Keeping curious crowds at bay has proved difficult for the club which says people disregard the witches’ hats and flags, choosing instead to mingle with pilots before take-off. In a submission to the council, the club described ‘a few incidents where some of the public were not co-operative in the set-up and launch area.’ Beach-goers are also known to have inadvertently wandered into landing zones, raising fears that someone may walk into the path of an incoming hang glider or paraglider.

The council highlighted the issue in a report which found ongoing enforcement of the safety standards was needed. “There is identified conflict between the use of the designated landing area… and the provision of safe public access to the beach adjacent to this area,” the report states.

September 2009 MONTREAL – Three people were slightly injured in a collision between a hang glider and a small plane in l’Ile-Ronde near SaintSulpice, in Quebec’s Lanaudiere region. The two aircrafts were in the process of landing when the ultralight Taylorcraft 1941 was bumped by the hang glider and the pilot lost control.

September 2009 HOOPER, Utah – A motorised parachute crashed into a crowd in a Hooper park sending six people to hospital. Three of those injured were children ages five, four and three. Those children remained in the hospital Monday night, however, the three adults had all been treated and released.

During the fly pass over the crowd a passenger onboard would toss small sponge balls down on the kids – balls that they could turn in for candy.

But photographer who videotaped the crash, said that as the parachute approached the park it was apparent that something was not right , “There was one point when we were wondering, ‘Gosh, is he going to make the powerlines?”

The parachute pilot did clear the lines and then dodged the light pole on the ball field. “All of a sudden, he just drops. You can tell he tried to gun it because you can hear the acceleration… trying to get some air… but as he accelerated it just crashed right into the crowd of people.”

Help us all to protect our sport and more importantly to protect the lives of others within our sport and near our activities. Fly Safe and in accordance with the known and accepted procedures.

October 2009

Special Resolution: Proposed Amendments to t h e HGFA C o n s t i t u t i o n

ing particularly in light of its age, the changes that occurred within the organisation since its last patch and to align it with advancement in technologies that could allow use of the electronic age. To patch this aged Constitution now will only see greater expense and redundancy in the cost of this change when the final review is undertaken. Vote NO to this resolution.

There is a current project pending for the total review of the HGFA Constitution. This has been put on hold while the Special General Meeting is in progress. The total review of the Constitution would naturally take into account the issues of organisational structure and powers of the officials in the organisation. This project will also relate directly to the upgrade of the Management Procedures Manual where policies such as the processes of disciplining members and time frames for certain actions would be outlined. These ‘bylaws’ are then easier to alter as organisational documents rather than dealing with the enormity of changing the Constitution. If you review the proposed changes you will note they are not organisational but rather definitions of timing. The Constitution is about organisational structure. The organisation’s policy statements and bylaws (outside of the Constitution) is the proper place for setting such timing issues. Vote NO to this resolution.

The proposed changes include definitions such as ‘immediately’ and ‘randomly chosen’. Inclusion of these terms effectively negates the viability of their intent. If an action can not be done immediately then the direction to act is void. For something to done randomly it requires definition on how random selection is to be made (names in a hat, who chooses the names to go in the hat, who selects from the hat etc). The term ‘random’ requires quite specific supporting terminologies to allow random to be effective. A look at the lotto random number selection processes clearly identifies this. Both these terms ‘immediately’ and ‘random’ render the Constitution Part 5 of disciplining members ineffective under these proposed changes. This is not acceptable in a Constitution Object. Vote NO to this resolution.

A proposal has already been put before the Board (see GM Report June 09) regarding the review of handling Disciplinary matters within the HGFA. The current process is arduous for both the organisation and the members under disciplinary action.

There is no doubt that the process requires complete review including the panel selection process, education to the panel members and the timing of the process to make findings on the member. This proposal does not provide any such overall change.

Vote NO to this resolution.

The Association Act of NSW was recently overhauled and now incorporates several objects that our Constitution will need to comply with. CASA has also determined new directions upon the administration organisations that deal particularly with disciplining of members. The HGFA will need to comply with these changes. To do so will require changes to the Constitution. There is far greater benefit to the membership to see the implementation of the Constitution Update project and ultimate vote by all members upon those changes than making the proposed petty and ineffective change. Under the broader comprehensive change project, members will be sent the proposed changes to the objects along with clear explanation of why the changes are required and what is gained from those changes. The entire new Constitution will be put to the member vote with the view that the organisation incorporates all of the structures and high level policies to provide a sound foundation in align with today’s practices and obligations. Vote NO to this resolution.

It has been moved: Maderson Ford, HGFA# 15520 and seconded: Chris Drake HGFA# 16680 that, as per #7.15 & #7.29 of the HGFA Constitution, the following proposed amendments are put to the membership for a special resolution vote. The words in bold and underlined are the proposed additions to the current rules: PLEASE NOTE: This is ONE single motion. All parts are included.

Part 5: Disciplining Of Members 5.1 [...] the General Manager and/or Operations Manager may: 5.7.1 suspend any certificates, Licences or privileges issued by the Federation for up to 14 days pending a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal, by forwarding the member the documents outlined in 5.8.2 5.7.2 notify the Committee who shall immediately appoint a Disciplinary Tribunal consisting of three randomly chosen members of the Federation.

5.7.3 Where the complainant or member named in the complaint is an HGFA board member or an employee or officer of the HGFA, then the President of the State or Regional group to which the complainant belongs shall assume the role and all powers of the HGFA General Manager and/or Operations Manager to handle the dispute and that State or Regional groups’ committee shall assume the role and powers of the HGFA committee to appoint the tribunal and enforce any ruling.

T h e c a s e f o r a “ YES ” v o t e :

Why Are These Changes Necessary?

There are five amendments above: 5.7.1a the 14 day limit is needed to prevent members being suspended indefinitely without hearings or evidence.

5.7.1b the requirement for documentation and evidence to support any suspension is needed to prevent uninformed, premature or unfair suspensions and to protect the HGFA against lawsuits for wrongful suspensions.

5.7.2a the word ‘immediately’ is needed to remove the potential for unfair delays, indefinite suspensions, or tribunal tampering.

5.7.2b random selection is needed, to help prevent dishonest tribunal appointments or other tampering/bias.

5.7.3 this new clause is needed, because without it, the board and HGFA employees are unable to be held accountable for any dishonest actions of their own, and/or members involved in disputes with the HGFA are unable access fair hearings or discipline procedures.

Case for a ‘No’ Vote to Special Resolution

put by Maderson Ford to the 2009 AGM of the HGFA The following represents the argument against the special resolution put by Maderson Ford to the 2009 HGFA AGM. Limiting powers of the managerial structure of the organisation is improperly placed in the organisation’s Constitution. Such matters dealing in scope of authority should be placed under policy and by laws of the organisation where they can altered easily and under strict terms of review rather having to go through a member vote where 75% of membership voting is required. The process of change to the Constitution is costly, lengthy and limiting. Vote NO to this resolution.

The HGFA Constitution is long overdue for a total review.

The current Constitution, as correctly lodged with the Department of Fair Trading, has a number of necessary changes pendOctober 2009

Soaring Australia 43

HGFA General Manager’s Report crash-landing on a treacherous 350ft cliff face at Capel, UK. The glider had been trapped 150ft above the base in a canopy of trees and had to be winched to safety in a dramatic rescue involving an RAF crew.

Coastguards said the victim is ‘a very lucky man’ to be alive and unharmed after the crash. A Coastguard spokesman said: “We have had people seriously injured paragliding from those cliffs. He could even have been killed.”

The drama happened at about 3pm Monday close to the Battle of Britain memorial when the paraglider was spotted by volunteers from National Coastwatch who raised the alarm. Dover Coastguard at Langdon Cliffs co-ordinated the rescue, which also involved coastguards from Folkestone and Dover, paramedics and firefighters.

A helicopter from RAF Wattisham in Suffolk was scrambled and a crewman, lowered down by a winch, reached the victim and carried him to safety. Amazingly, he was found to be uninjured. The Coastguard spokesman added: “He had been rescued 40 minutes after he had been seen – but if he had not been discovered in time he could have been trapped well into the next day.”

August 2009 An Ultralight And A Powered Parachute Collided In Landing Attempt Ohio authorities are investigation the collision of a powered parachute and an ultralight aircraft while both were attempting to land at a private grass airfield in Darke County, Ohio.

The two aircraft collided about 90ft above the ground. The pilot of the paraglider was pronounced dead at the scene. The ultralight pilot was being treated at a local hospital.

November 2008 A student fell to his death after being swept up by a paraglider he was helping to launch from a Scottish hillside, investigators say.

The man, 21 years old, suffered massive chest and spinal injuries when the glider unexpectedly gained height, according to an investigation report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The report concluded that unsuitable equipment and weather conditions, as well as a lack of formal training, were also contributory factors in the tragedy.

The accident happened while a friend of the deceased was paragliding with his brother and two friends. The group planned to fly gliders off the hillside, but struggled to launch the craft when caught out by sudden windy conditions. The deceased had been hanging on to the harness straps at the back of the paraglider, trying to help it take off. However, moments later it unexpectedly gained height and rose around 200ft. The pilot had trouble controlling the 42 Soaring Australia

paraglider and after around three minutes the deceased plunged to the ground and down a gully and died at the scene.

Paragliding is unregulated in the UK, and there are no legal requirements for pilots to undergo training. The AAIB report concluded: “This accident highlights the fact that aviation in any form, regardless of the level of complexity or regulation involved, incurs risks that need to be understood and mitigated.”

December 2008 A nine-year-old child and his uncle have been rescued from the face of a cliff after a paraglider collision in Sydney’s North.

The pair crashed about 11:45am (AEST) and were left stranded 10m down a cliff near Narrabeen road Warriewood. The child was riding tandem with his uncle when strong gusts of wind blew them against the rocks.

Emergency services were alerted after the pair were spotted hanging from the cliff at around noon. The uncle was reportedly knocked unconscious by the impact, but had regained consciousness by the time the NSW Fire Brigade arrived at the scene.

Ambulance paramedics and Special Casualty Access Team Paramedics secured the pair with ropes and lead helped them back to the top of the cliff. Both the adult and the child had suffered minor cuts and bruises and were taken to Mona Vale Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Casualty team leader told Fairfax there was no suggestion the paraglider was to blame for the accident. “It was simply a case of unusual wind gusts. It happens here quite often. It’s quite possible for people to slip further down the cliff on the sandy, shaley surface and be seriously injured.”

The Deputy Mayor of Pittwater said she would put a motion at the first council meeting next year calling for action to prevent another incident. “We have to look seriously at what people are doing on that headland and what we can do to stop them.” Another councilor said. “It is extremely worrying when people take not only their own lives into their hands, but those of children as well. We can’t fence all our cliff tops but we might look at restrictions in this particular spot.”

March 2009 (ongoing) Hang gliders who launch from Bald Hill are negotiating with Wollongong City Council over tougher safety measures. The Stanwell Park Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club wants the council to build a new walkway and viewing platform to keep the public away from aircraft and their pilots.

The council enforces safety standards for the club which uses council-owned land as launching and landing zones. Some within the club believe the council’s stringent safety conditions are difficult to police as

• • •

the sport grows in popularity and draws increasing numbers of sightseers.

Under the club’s agreement with the council, it must keep onlookers away from both the launching and landing zones.

Keeping curious crowds at bay has proved difficult for the club which says people disregard the witches’ hats and flags, choosing instead to mingle with pilots before take-off. In a submission to the council, the club described ‘a few incidents where some of the public were not co-operative in the set-up and launch area.’ Beach-goers are also known to have inadvertently wandered into landing zones, raising fears that someone may walk into the path of an incoming hang glider or paraglider.

The council highlighted the issue in a report which found ongoing enforcement of the safety standards was needed. “There is identified conflict between the use of the designated landing area… and the provision of safe public access to the beach adjacent to this area,” the report states.

September 2009 MONTREAL – Three people were slightly injured in a collision between a hang glider and a small plane in l’Ile-Ronde near SaintSulpice, in Quebec’s Lanaudiere region. The two aircrafts were in the process of landing when the ultralight Taylorcraft 1941 was bumped by the hang glider and the pilot lost control.

September 2009 HOOPER, Utah – A motorised parachute crashed into a crowd in a Hooper park sending six people to hospital. Three of those injured were children ages five, four and three. Those children remained in the hospital Monday night, however, the three adults had all been treated and released.

During the fly pass over the crowd a passenger onboard would toss small sponge balls down on the kids – balls that they could turn in for candy.

But photographer who videotaped the crash, said that as the parachute approached the park it was apparent that something was not right , “There was one point when we were wondering, ‘Gosh, is he going to make the powerlines?”

The parachute pilot did clear the lines and then dodged the light pole on the ball field. “All of a sudden, he just drops. You can tell he tried to gun it because you can hear the acceleration… trying to get some air… but as he accelerated it just crashed right into the crowd of people.”

Help us all to protect our sport and more importantly to protect the lives of others within our sport and near our activities. Fly Safe and in accordance with the known and accepted procedures.

October 2009

Special Resolution: Proposed Amendments to t h e HGFA C o n s t i t u t i o n

ing particularly in light of its age, the changes that occurred within the organisation since its last patch and to align it with advancement in technologies that could allow use of the electronic age. To patch this aged Constitution now will only see greater expense and redundancy in the cost of this change when the final review is undertaken. Vote NO to this resolution.

There is a current project pending for the total review of the HGFA Constitution. This has been put on hold while the Special General Meeting is in progress. The total review of the Constitution would naturally take into account the issues of organisational structure and powers of the officials in the organisation. This project will also relate directly to the upgrade of the Management Procedures Manual where policies such as the processes of disciplining members and time frames for certain actions would be outlined. These ‘bylaws’ are then easier to alter as organisational documents rather than dealing with the enormity of changing the Constitution. If you review the proposed changes you will note they are not organisational but rather definitions of timing. The Constitution is about organisational structure. The organisation’s policy statements and bylaws (outside of the Constitution) is the proper place for setting such timing issues. Vote NO to this resolution.

The proposed changes include definitions such as ‘immediately’ and ‘randomly chosen’. Inclusion of these terms effectively negates the viability of their intent. If an action can not be done immediately then the direction to act is void. For something to done randomly it requires definition on how random selection is to be made (names in a hat, who chooses the names to go in the hat, who selects from the hat etc). The term ‘random’ requires quite specific supporting terminologies to allow random to be effective. A look at the lotto random number selection processes clearly identifies this. Both these terms ‘immediately’ and ‘random’ render the Constitution Part 5 of disciplining members ineffective under these proposed changes. This is not acceptable in a Constitution Object. Vote NO to this resolution.

A proposal has already been put before the Board (see GM Report June 09) regarding the review of handling Disciplinary matters within the HGFA. The current process is arduous for both the organisation and the members under disciplinary action.

There is no doubt that the process requires complete review including the panel selection process, education to the panel members and the timing of the process to make findings on the member. This proposal does not provide any such overall change.

Vote NO to this resolution.

The Association Act of NSW was recently overhauled and now incorporates several objects that our Constitution will need to comply with. CASA has also determined new directions upon the administration organisations that deal particularly with disciplining of members. The HGFA will need to comply with these changes. To do so will require changes to the Constitution. There is far greater benefit to the membership to see the implementation of the Constitution Update project and ultimate vote by all members upon those changes than making the proposed petty and ineffective change. Under the broader comprehensive change project, members will be sent the proposed changes to the objects along with clear explanation of why the changes are required and what is gained from those changes. The entire new Constitution will be put to the member vote with the view that the organisation incorporates all of the structures and high level policies to provide a sound foundation in align with today’s practices and obligations. Vote NO to this resolution.

It has been moved: Maderson Ford, HGFA# 15520 and seconded: Chris Drake HGFA# 16680 that, as per #7.15 & #7.29 of the HGFA Constitution, the following proposed amendments are put to the membership for a special resolution vote. The words in bold and underlined are the proposed additions to the current rules: PLEASE NOTE: This is ONE single motion. All parts are included.

Part 5: Disciplining Of Members 5.1 [...] the General Manager and/or Operations Manager may: 5.7.1 suspend any certificates, Licences or privileges issued by the Federation for up to 14 days pending a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal, by forwarding the member the documents outlined in 5.8.2 5.7.2 notify the Committee who shall immediately appoint a Disciplinary Tribunal consisting of three randomly chosen members of the Federation.

5.7.3 Where the complainant or member named in the complaint is an HGFA board member or an employee or officer of the HGFA, then the President of the State or Regional group to which the complainant belongs shall assume the role and all powers of the HGFA General Manager and/or Operations Manager to handle the dispute and that State or Regional groups’ committee shall assume the role and powers of the HGFA committee to appoint the tribunal and enforce any ruling.

T h e c a s e f o r a “ YES ” v o t e :

Why Are These Changes Necessary?

There are five amendments above: 5.7.1a the 14 day limit is needed to prevent members being suspended indefinitely without hearings or evidence.

5.7.1b the requirement for documentation and evidence to support any suspension is needed to prevent uninformed, premature or unfair suspensions and to protect the HGFA against lawsuits for wrongful suspensions.

5.7.2a the word ‘immediately’ is needed to remove the potential for unfair delays, indefinite suspensions, or tribunal tampering.

5.7.2b random selection is needed, to help prevent dishonest tribunal appointments or other tampering/bias.

5.7.3 this new clause is needed, because without it, the board and HGFA employees are unable to be held accountable for any dishonest actions of their own, and/or members involved in disputes with the HGFA are unable access fair hearings or discipline procedures.

Case for a ‘No’ Vote to Special Resolution

put by Maderson Ford to the 2009 AGM of the HGFA The following represents the argument against the special resolution put by Maderson Ford to the 2009 HGFA AGM. Limiting powers of the managerial structure of the organisation is improperly placed in the organisation’s Constitution. Such matters dealing in scope of authority should be placed under policy and by laws of the organisation where they can altered easily and under strict terms of review rather having to go through a member vote where 75% of membership voting is required. The process of change to the Constitution is costly, lengthy and limiting. Vote NO to this resolution.

The HGFA Constitution is long overdue for a total review.

The current Constitution, as correctly lodged with the Department of Fair Trading, has a number of necessary changes pendOctober 2009

Soaring Australia 43

Contact Addresses Southern Tablelands Gliding Club 57 Munro Rd, Queanbeyan NSW 2620, 02 62973504.

South West Slope Soaring P/L 181 Fishers La, Bendick Murrell NSW 2803, 0488 531216.

Sydney Gliding Incorporated PO Box 633, Camden NSW 2570, 0412 145144.

Temora Gliding Club PO Box 206, Temora NSW 2666, 02 69772733.

G FA

Australian Gliding Museum 2 Bicton St, Mt Waverley VIC 3149, 03 98021098.

Gliding Queensland C/- Treasurer, 67 Glenora St, Wynnum QLD 4178, 07 38348311, 0417 762621.

NSW Gliding Association The Secretary, 44 Yanko Ave, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782, 02 68892733, 02 68891250, Trs: 0407 459581.

South Australian Gliding Association PO Box 65, Millicent SA 5280, 08 8733421, 0427 977218.

Victorian Soaring Association 4/139 Roberts St, Essendon VIC 3040, 03 83835340, 03 93355364.

Vintage Gliders Australia 22 Eyre St, Balwyn VIC 3103, 03 98175362.

WA Gliding Association Inc. 59 Wellington Pde, Yokine WA 6060, 08 93282511, 08 94449505.

NSW Gliding Association (NSWGA) 327 (Gliding) Flight, Australia C/- R Sheehan, 176 Macquarie Grove Rd, Camden NSW 2570, 0427 977127, 02 46553171.

Bathurst Soaring Club PO Box 1682, Bathurst NSW 2795, 02 63371180 (weekend), 0427 470001.

Canberra Gliding Club GPO Box 1130, Canberra ACT 2601, 02 64523994, 0428 523994.

Central Coast Soaring Club PO Box 1323, Gosford South NSW 2250, 02 43639111, 02 43844074, 0412 844074.

Cudgegong Soaring Pty Ltd C/- Matthews Folbigg, Level 7, 10-4 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150, 02 96357966, 02 96357966.

Grafton Gliding Club 16 Fuller St, Mullaway NSW 2456, 02 66541638, 0403 088551.

Hunter Valley Gliding Club Co-op Ltd PO Box 9, Newcastle NSW 2300, 02 95342884.

Lake Keepit Soaring Club 234 Keepit Dam Rd, Lake Keepit NSW 2340, 02 67697514.

Leeton Gliding Club PO Box 607, Leeton NSW 2705, 02 69533825.

Narromine Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 240, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68892733, 0418 270182.

Orana Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 240, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68897373, 0418 270182.

RAAF Richmond Gliding Club RAAF Base, Richmond NSW 2755, 02 45873214.

RAAF Williamtown Gliding Club C/O Mr G R Lee, 10 Federation Dr, Medowie NSW 2318, 02 49829334.

Scout Association NSW Gliding C/- Bob G Balfour, 80 Malvern St, Panania NSW 2213, 02 96951100.

Soar Narromine Pty Ltd PO Box 56, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68891856, 0419 992396.

Southern Cross Gliding Club PO Box 132, Camden NSW 2570, 02 46558882, 0417 705997 (emergency).

Gliding Queensland 2 Wing AAFC School of Aviation Inc. 201 Squadron Air Force Cadets, PO Box 647 Archerfield QLD 4108, 07 33324851, 0415 150965.

Barambah District Gliding Club 2 Yellow Gully Rd, Wolvi QLD 4570, 07 54867247, 0412 719797.

Boonah Gliding Club Incorporated 164 Depot Rd, Boonah QLD 4310, 07 54632630, 0408 816164.

Bundaberg Gliding Incorporated PO Box 211, Bundaberg QLD 4670, 07 41579558, 0417 071157.

Byron Bay Gliding Inc 1 Old Brunswick Rd, Tyagarah Airfield, Tyagarah, NSW 2481, 0414 558794, 02 66844244, 0414 558794 .

Byron Bay Gliding PL 1 Old Brunswick Rd, Tyagarah Airfield, Tyagarah, NSW 2481, 02 66847572, 0423 787398.

Byron Gliding Club Incorporated PO Box 815, Byron Bay NSW 2481, 02 66847627.

Caboolture Gliding Club PO Box 920, Caboolture QLD 4510, 0418 713903.

Central Queensland Gliding Club PO Box 953, Rockhampton QLD 4700, 07 49331178.

Darling Downs Soaring Club Level 1, 1 Swann Rd, Taringa QLD 4068, 07 46637140, 0409 507847.

Gympie Gliding Club PO Box 217, Gympie QLD 4570, 07 54835380.

Kingaroy Soaring Club PO Box 91, Kingaroy QLD 4610, 07 41622191, 0438 179163.

Moura Gliding Club PO Box 92, Moura QLD 4718, 07 49973265, 0428 360144.

North Queensland Soaring Centre PO Box 1743, Aitkenville QLD 4814, 0500 811011.

Pacific Soaring PO Box 259, Caboolture QLD 4510, 07 54994997, 07 54994805.

Southern Downs Aero & Soaring PO Box 144, Warwick QLD 4370, 07 38348311.

SA Gliding Association (SAGA) Adelaide Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 94, Gawler SA 5118, 08 85221877.

Adelaide Uni Gliding Club Incorporated Adelaide Uni Sports Assoc, The University of Adelaide SA 5005, 08 88262203, 0412 870963.

Air Cadet Gliding Club PO Box 2000, Salisbury SA 5108, 08 83805137, 0429 805137.

G F A M ember­ship F ees 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0 Membership: NSW Victoria South Australia Queensland Western Australia

Normal $205 $210 $212 $210 $210

Student membership: Full NSW $125.50 Victoria $130.50 South Australia $132.50 Queensland $130.50 Western Australia $130.50

44 Soaring Australia

Family $164 $169 $171 $169 $169 Family $84.50 $89.50 $91.50 $89.50 $89.50

Short-term membership: 1 Month* 3 Month* Queensland/Victoria $57 $72 New South Wales $62 $77 South Australia $69 $84 Western Australia $67 $82 *Note: Once only purchase to Australian residents, thereafter 12 months membership to be purchased.

International postage for Soaring Australia to be added to membership fees: Zone Country 1 New Zealand 2 Singapore 3 Japan, Hong Kong, India 4 USA, Canada, Middle East 5 UK, Europe, South

America, South Africa

Price $51 $51 $51 $74

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alice Springs Gliding Club PO Box 356, Alice Springs NT 0871, 08 89526384, 0417 530345.

Australian Junior Gliding Club 67A Balfour St, Nailsworth SA 5083, 0417 421650.

Balaklava Gliding Club PO Box 257, Balaklava SA 5461, 08 88645062.

Barossa Valley Gliding Club PO Box 123, Stonefield via Truro SA 5356, 08 85640240, 0488 841373.

Bordertown Keith Gliding Club PO Box 377, Bordertown SA 5268, 08 87521321, 0409 693027.

Millicent Gliding Club PO Box 194, Millicent SA 5280, 08 87333421, 0427 977218.

Murray Bridge Gliding Club PO Box 1509, Victor Harbor SA 5211, 08 85543543, 0409 677677.

Northern Australian Gliding Club PO Box 38889, Winnellie NT 0821, 08 89412512.

Renmark Gliding Club PO Box 450, Renmark SA 5341, 08 85951422, 0417 890215.

Scout Gliding Club 22 Burford Crescent, Redwood Park SA 5097, 08 82895085, 0418 815618.

Waikerie Gliding Club PO Box 320, Waikerie SA 5330, 08 85412644.

Whyalla Gliding Club PO Box 556, Whyalla SA 5600, 08 86452619, 0413 127825.

Victorian Soaring Association (VSA) Albury Corowa Gliding Club PO Box 620, Wodonga VIC 3689.

Beaufort Gliding Club 41 Ruby St, Essendon VIC 3040, 03 93376095, 0421 803156 .

Bendigo Gliding Club PO Box 846, Bendigo VIC 3550, 03 54423459.

Bothwell Gliding Club PO Box 288, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, 03 62267615.

Cloud Riders Pty Ltd C/- 18 Wyndham St, Werribee VIC 3030, 03 97413142, 0429 351234.

Corangamite Soaring Club Kurweeton, Kurweeton Rd, Derrinallum VIC 3325, 03 55939277.

Geelong Gliding Club PO Box 197, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340, 03 93385925, 0409 212527.

Gliding Club Of Victoria PO Box 46, Benalla VIC 3671, 03 57621058, 0429 950580.

Grampians Soaring Club PO Box 468, Ararat VIC 3377, 03 53525710, 0417 514438.

Horsham Flying Club PO Box 158, Horsham VIC 3402, 03 53823491, 0427 315845.

Latrobe Valley Gliding Club PO Box 625, Morwell VIC 3840, 03 51221081, 0407 839238.

Mangalore Gliding Club PO Box 208 Nagambie VIC 3608, 03 57985512, 0428 635717.

Mount Beauty Gliding Club Box 486, Mt Beauty VIC 3699, 02 60591417, 0402 075131.

Murray Valley Soaring Club Ltd PO Box 403, Corowa NSW 2646, 02 60335036, 0400 244578.

Soaring Club Of Tasmania 34 Clinton Rd, Geilston Bay TAS 7015, 03 62437508.

South Gippsland Gliding Club PO Box 475, Leongatha VIC 3953, 0437 454986.

Southern Riverina Gliding Club PO Box 32, Tocumwal, NSW 2714, 03 58743052, 03 58742914.

SportAviation Pty Ltd Gate 10, Babingtons Rd, Tocumwal Airport, Tocumwal NSW 2714, 03 58742734, 0427 534122.

Sunraysia Gliding Club PO Box 647, Mildura VIC 3500, 03 50257335, 0448 293927.

Swan Hill Gliding Club PO Box 160, Nyah VIC 3594, 03 50376688.

Tumbarumba Gliding Club C/- Judds Engineering P/L, PO Box 5283, Wagga NSW 2650, 02 69251642, 0428 251642.

VMFG GPO Box 1096, Melbourne VIC 3001, 0402 281928 or 03 98486473 (h).

Wagga Wagga Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 613, Wagga Marketplace, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650, 0427 205624.

WA Gliding Association (WAGA) 716 Flight Australia Air Force Cadets 7 Wing HQ, RAAF Base Pearce Bullsbrook WA 6084, 08 95717800.

Beverley Soaring Society PO Box 136, Beverley WA 6304, 08 94595719, 0437 377744.

Gliding Club of Western Australia PO Box 6231, East Perth WA 6892, 08 92212164, 0417 992806 (weekends).

Morawa Gliding Club PO Box 276, Morawa WA 6623, 08 99723022.

Narrogin Gliding Club PO Box 232, Narrogin WA 6312, 08 98811795 (weekends), 0407 088314.

Stirlings Gliding Club C/- Peter Hardy-Atkins, 8 Parker St, Lockyer, Albany WA 6330, 08 98428816, 0408 842616.

H G FA

All correspondence, including changes of address, mem­bership renewals, short term memberships, rating forms and other administrative matters should be sent to: HGFA National Office 4a-60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042, ph: 03 93367155, fax: 03 93367177, <office@hgfa.asn.au>, [www.hgfa.asn.au].

HGFA General Manager Chris Fogg, PO Box 258, Helensburgh NSW 2508, ph/fax 02 4294 9300, 0417 766356, <general.manager@hgfa.asn.au>.

Information about site ratings, sites and other local matters, contact the appro­pri­ate State asso­ciations, region or club.

Board Members 2008 to 2010 Pres: Javier Alvarez <president@hgfa.asn. au>, 0418 116681, PO Box 341 Ourimbah NSW 2258.

Sec: Paul Coffey <Paul.Coffey@hgfa.asn. au>, 0428 504285, 25 Taylor St, Eaton WA 6232.

Trs: Mark Mitsos <Mark.Mitsos@hgfa. asn.au>, 0408 864083, 22 Longview Cr, Stanwell Tops NSW 2508.

Board Members: Stephen Clark <stephenmclark@iprimus. com.au>, 0419 997550, 9 Dale Crs, Mt Stuart TAS 7000.

Peter Dower <peter.dower@campbelltown. nsw.gov.au>, 0413 484471.

Tracey Hayes <info@azurephotography. com.au>, 0418 963796.

Geoffrey White <Geoff.White@hgfa.asn. au>, 0437 073400, 32 Matta Dr, Churchill VIC 3842.

Peter Wennerson <pwenn@optusnet.com. au>, 0414 333393.

States & Regions ACTHPA LPO Box 8339, ANU, Acton ACT 0200; [www.acthpa.org]. Pres: Barry Oliver 0407 825819, <Barry.Oliver@anu.edu. au>; Trs: Geoff Robertson 0429 843417, <geoffrobertson@grapevine.com.au>; Sec: Alistair Dickie 0404 023359, <Alnrelly@alistairdickie.com>; Meetings: 1st Thu/month 7.30pm Yamba Sports Club.

Hang Gliding Association of WA Inc. PO Box 146, Midland, WA 6936 <hgawa@hgfa.asn.au>. Pres: Peter South <ronwaysouth@yahoo.com.au>; V-Pres: Alex Jones <aa.jones@bigpond.net.au>; Trs: Greg Lowry <g.lowry@iinet.net.au>;

$74

October 2009

Sec: Mirek Generowicz <mgenerow@ optusnet.com.au>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378, <cobrown@bigpond.com>.

NSW HG and PG Association PO Box 341, Ourimbah NSW 2258, [www. nswhpa.org]. Pres: Javier Alvarez 0418 116681, <president@nswhpa.org>; V-Pres: Nir Eshed 0423 422494, <vice-president@ nswhpa.org>; Sec: Paul Cox 0421 072897, <coxy@ccparagliding.com.au>; Trs: John Selby 0414 218391, <treasurer@nswhpa.org>.

North Queensland HG Association PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <rohayes@optusnet.com.au>; VPres: John Creswell 0400 122261; Sec/Trs: Tracey Hayes, PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881, 0418 963796 <info@azurephotography.com.au>.

Queensland HG Association Pres: Greg Hollands <greg.s.hollands@ transport.qld.gov.au>, PO Box 61, Canungra QLD 4275 07 38448566.

South Australian HG/PG/ML Association SAHGA Inc, c/O PO Box 6260, Hallifax St, Adelaide SA. All email: <sahga.exec@gmail. com>. Pres: Stuart McClure 0428 100796; Sec/Trs: Rob Woodward 0408 808436.

Tasmanian HG & PG Association [www.thpa.net]. Pres: Boris Marold 0407 564422, <borismarold@dodo.com.au>; VPres: Pete Steane <psteane@vtown.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Jason Wiersma 0448 299937, <jason. wiersma@gmail.com>. Northern TAS info: Richard Long (Burnie PG pilot), 0438 593998, <northern@thpa.net>.

Victorian HG and PG Association PO Box 157, Northcote VIC 3070, [www. melbourne.vhpa.org.au/]. Pres: Martin Halford <president@vhpa.org.au> 0434 427500; Trs: Rob Parker <treasurer@vhpa.org.au> 0415 316861; Sec: Steve Poole <secretary@vhpa. org.au> 0419 573321; SO: Hamish Barker <hamish.barker@gmail.com> 0437 137893; Site Dev: Mark Pike <mark.pike@baesystems. com>; Committee: Glenn Bachelor <hangliding @netspace.net.au>, Stephen Leak <sleak75@ gmail.com>, Julie Sheard <jsheard@ihug.com. au>, Jan Bennewitz <jan.bennewitz@gmail.com>.

Clubs NATIONAL The Pico Club Incorporated 62 Anderson Street, East Geelong VIC 3219 Pres: Ricky Clarke 0409 955089, <riclarke@ ncable.net.au>; V-Pres: Andrew Shipley; Sec: Andrew McCarthy 0438 062596, <amaccart4 @tpg.com.au>, Trs: Thomas Dahmen.

NEW SOUTH WALES Blue Mountains HG Club Inc. [www.bmhgc.org.au]. Pres: Andy McMurray (PG SO) <andyonalaya@yahoo.com. au>, 0428 866737; V-Pres: Gregor Forbes (HG SO) <forbesy@virginbroadband.com. au>, 0421 376680; Sec/Ed: Alex Drew (PG SO) <dalexander@med.usyd.edu. au>, 0423 696677; Trs: Allan Bush (HG SSO) <bethandallan@bigpond.com>, 0407 814524; Comp Dir: Mark Stewart (PG SO) <artik_mark@yahoo.com.au>, 0421 596345, Comp: 2nd and last Sunday of each month.

Meetings: Contact committee.

Central Coast Sky Surfers PO Box 3106, Bateau Bay NSW 2261, [www. centralcoastskysurfers.com]. Pres/SSO: Javier Alvarez 0418 116681 <javieralvarez@y7mail. com>; V-Pres: Jeff Terry 0416 291545 <jeff@ survivalsolutions.com.au>; Sec: Julie Terry 0411 567825, <julie@survivalsolutions.com.au>; Trs: Paul Cox 0417 355897, <coxy@ccpara gliding.com.au>, SSOs: Paul Cox 0417 355897, Javier Alvarez 0418 116681.

Meetings: 1st Thu/month, 7:30pm, Erina Leagues Club, Ilya Ave, Erina.

Dusty Demons Hang Gliding Club 6 Miago Court, Ngunnawal, ACT 2913. Pres: Trent Brown 0427 557486, <Trent.Brown@ anu.edu.au>; Sec: Peter Dall 0428 813746, <peter.dall@casa.com.au>; Trs: Michael Porter 0415 920444; SSO: Peter Dall 0428 813746.

Hunter Skysailors Paragliding Club Pres/SSO: James Thompson 0418 686199, <jamesflys@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Brent Leggett 0408 826455, <brent@flashme. co.au>; Sec: Albert Hart 0421 647013, <albert.hart@bigpond.com>; Meetings: Last Tue/month, 7pm, Hexham Bowling Club.

Illawarra Hang Gliding Club Inc. 27a Paterson Rd, Coalcliff NSW 2508. Pres: Frank Chetcuti 0418 252221 <chetcuti1@

October 2009

bigpond.com>; Sec: John Parsons; SSO: Tim Causer 0418 433665 <timcau@ozemail.com.au>.

Kosciusko Alpine Paragliding Club [www.homestead.com/kapc]; Pres: Michael Porter 0415 920444 <Michael.Porter@jllrld. com.au>; V-Pres: James Ryrie 02 61610225 <James@Micalago.com>; Sec: Mark Mourant 02 48464144 <tully@ispdr.net.au>.

Manilla SkySailors Club Inc. PO Box 1, Manilla NSW 2346, [www.mss. org.au]. Pres/SSO (PG): Godfrey Wenness 02 67856545, <skygodfrey@aol.com>, V-Pres: Matt Morton <Matt.Morton@defence.gov. au>, Sec: Suzi Smith <suzismith@hotmail.com>, Trs: Bob Smith <bobskisan@hotmail.com>, SSO (HG) Patrick Lenders 02 67783484 <patrick. lenders@gmail.com>, SSO (WM): Willi Ewig 02 67697771 <skyranch@gmx.net>.

Mid North Coast HG and PG Club Pres: Nigel Lelean 0419 442597; SSO: Lee Scott 0429 844961.

Newcastle Hang Gliding Club PO Box 64 Broadmeadow NSW 2292; [www. nhgc.asn.au]. Pres: Stuart Coad <president@ nhgc.asn.au> 0408 524862; V-Pres: Dawson Brown 0429 675475; Sec: Simon Plint 0407 613701, <SimonPlint@newcastle.edu.au>; Trs: Allan McMillan 0400 637070; SOs: Coastal – Tony Barton 0412 607815, Inland – Scott Barrett 0425 847208, John O’Donohue 02 49549084, PG – James Thompson 02 49468680; News­letter: David Stafford 02 49215832 <editor@nhgc.asn.au>. Meetings: Last Wed/month 7:30pm South Newcastle RLC, Llewellyn St, Merewether.

Northern Beaches HG Club PO Box 840, Mona Vale NSW 2103. Pres: Peter Rundle <sf27mz@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Brett Coupland 0409 162616, <nbf@whirlwind.com.au>; Sec: Alexander Drew 0423 696677, <dalexander@med. usyd.edu.au>; CEO: Jude Ho <heyjudeho@ bigpond.com>; Trs: Steve Nagle <steve. nagle@gmail.com>; Committee: Rohan Taylor <rohantaylor@yahoo.com>, Graeme Cran <crannie@ccparagliding.com.au>.

Northern Rivers HG and PG Club PO Box 126, Byron Bay NSW 2481; [www. nrghpgc.net]. Pres: Cedar Anderson 0429 070380 <cedar@poliglide.com>; V-Pres: Brian Rushton 0427 615950 <byronair@optusnet. com.au>; Sec: Maureen McEneaney 0413 166548 <maureen_mceneaney@yahoo.com>; Trs: Paul Gray <paraluap@hotmail.com>; SSO (PG): Lindsay Wooten <lindsaywootten@ bigpond.com>, 0427 210993; SSO (HG): Andrew Polidano. Meetings: 2nd Wed/month, 7pm, Byron Services Club.

Stanwell Park HG and PG Club PO Box 258 Helensburgh NSW 2508; Pres: Peter Wennersten 0414 333393, <president @flystanwell.com>; Sec: Nir Eshed <member ship@flystanwell.com>; Trs: Adrian Le Gras 0400 002281, <treasurer@flystanwell.com>; M/ship: Robert Seckold <membership@ flystanwell.com>; SSO: Mark Mitsos 0408 864083, <SSO@flystanwell.com>.

Sydney Hang Gliding Club Pres: Peter Dower 0413 484471, <peter. dower@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au>; Trs: John Selby 02 93447932, <johnselby@idx. com.au>; Sec: Susanne Liersch 0403 062625, <Susanne.Liersch@AOA.NESTLE.COM>; SO: Doug Dole, Bruce Wynne; SSO: Ken Stothard. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, 7:30pm Endeavour Hotel, Botany.

NORTHERN TERRITORY Alice Springs HG and PG Club Pres: Ricky Jones 0406 098354, <redcentre paragliding@yahoo.com>, contact for paramotoring, PG ridge soaring and thermal flying.

QUEENSLAND Caboolture Microlight Club 50 Oak Place, Mackenzie QLD 4156. Pres: Derek Tremain 07 33957563, <derekjo@gil. com.au>; Sec: John Cresswell 07 34203254, <crezzi@lineone.net>; SO: Graham Roberts 07 32676662, <trike@tpg.com.au> Cairns Hang Gliding Club PO Box 6468, Cairns QLD 4870. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <rohayes@optusnet.com. au>; V-Pres/SO: Brett Collier 0431 151150 <brettcollier@bigpond.com>; Sec: Lance Keough, 31 Holm St, Atherton QLD 4883, 07 40912117; Trs: Nev Akers 07 40532586.

Canungra Hang Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 41, Canungra QLD 4275; [www.chgc. asn.au]. Pres: Phil McIntyre <president@chgc.

ALL CLUBS PLEASE CHECK DETAILS IN THIS SECTION CAREFULLY Could all Clubs please ensure they maintain the correct and current details of their Executive Committees and contacts here in the magazine. Specific attention is directed to the listing of SSOs and SOs for the Clubs. Please ALL CLUBS and nominated Senior SOs and SOs confirm ALL SSO and SO appointments with the HGFA Office <office@hgfa.asn.au> to ensure that those holding these appointments have it listed on the Membership Database and can receive notices and correspondence as required. Appointment of these officers is required to be endorsed by Clubs in writing on the appropriate forms. Sometime in the future if confirmation is not received, those listed in the Database where no current forms or confirmation is held, the appointment will be taken as having expired.

General Manager, HGFA asn.au>; V-Pres: Lee Patterson <vicepresident @chgc.asn.au>; Sec: Mark Kropp <secretary@ chgc.asn.au>; Trs: Brandon O’Donnell <treasurer@chgc.asn.au>; Ed: Cameron McNeill 0419 706326; Gen-Exec: Greg Hollands <gem@chgc.asn.au>; SSO PG:Phil Hystek 07 55434000 (h), 0418 155317 <sso @chgc.asn.au>; SSO HG: Lee Patterson 0417 025732 <sso@chgc.asn.au>.

Central Queensland Skyriders Club Inc. ‘The Lagoons’ Comet River Rd, Comet QLD 4702. Pres: Alister Dixon (instructor) 0438 845119, <apdixon@bigpond.com>; Sec: James Lowe 0418 963315, <j.lowe@cqu. edu.au>; Trs: Adrienne Wall 07 49362699, <jaw12@bigpond.com>; Events: Jon Wall 0427 177237, <jonathon.a.wall@team. telstra.com>; SSO: Bob Pizzey 0439 740187, 07 49387607. Towing Biloela: Paul Barry 07 49922865, <prbarry@tpg.com.au>.

Conondale Cross-Country Flyers Inc. [www.conondalexcflyers.asn.au/]. Pres: Carl Forster 0411 135753; Sec: Denis Davis 0428 130375; Trs: Steve Stocker 0411 226733; SSO (PG/PPG) Graham Sutherland 0429 935882, (MHG) Frank Fontaine 0408 556113.

Dalby Hang Gliding Club 17 Mizzen St, Manly West QLD 4179. Pres: Daron ‘Boof’ Hodder 0431 240610, <daron@ aclad.com.au>; V-Pres: Nick Purcell 0414 779191, <n.purcell@optusnet.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Annie Crerar 0418 711821, <annie. bruce@bigpond.com>; SSO: Jason ‘Yoda’ Reid 0424 293922, <jasonr@gleda.com.au>.

Fly Killarney Inc. Pres/SSO: Lindsay Wootten 0427 210993, <lindsaywootten@bigpond.com>; V-Pres: Alistair Gibb 0414 577232, <11thhour@iinet. net.au>; Sec/Trs: Sonya Fardell 0415 156256, <s.fardell@uq.edu.au>.

Sunshine Coast Hang Gliding Club PO Box 227, Rainbow Beach QLD 4581; <intheair@ozemail.com.au>. Pres: Geoffrey Cole 0408 420808, 07 5455 4661; V-Pres & SSO (HG): David Cookman 0427 498753; V-Pres (PG): Tex Beck 0407 238017; Trs: Gary Allen 0417 756878; Sec: Janine Krauchi 0438 701220; (HG): David Cookman 0427 498573, 07 54498573; SSO (PG): JeanLuc Lejaille 0418 754157, 07 54863048 & Jonathan Allen 0438 107518, 07 54748169.

Wicked Wings Club Toowoomba & District PG/HG Club Inc, 190 Drayton St, Laidley QLD 4341. Pres: Peter Schwenderling 0427 461347 <swendo1@big pond.net.au>; Trs: Richard Cook 0427 805960 <richardtc@aapt.net.au>; Sec: Troy Litzow 0448 456607 <troylitzow@optusnet.com.au>.

Whitsundays HG Club Contact: Henryk Wojcik 07 49550253 (h), 0403 715962, <hmwoj53@bigpond.net.au>; Sec/Trs: Ron Huxhagen 07 49552913, fax: 07 49555122, <sitework@bigpond.net.au>.

Tasmania Tasmanian HG&PG Ass. (see States & Regions) VICTORIA Dynasoarers Hang Gliding Club <dynasoarers@gmail.com>; Pres: Dale Appleton 0408 382635; SSO: Rob van der Klooster 0408 335559. Meetings: 1st Fri/ month, venue see [www.hgfa.asn.au/~dyna].

Melbourne Hang Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 5278, South Melbourne VIC 3205 [www.mhgc.asn.au]. Pres: Gabriel Toniolo 0407 544511, <gabriel.toniolo@hotmail. com>; Sec: Peter Davies 0400 883155, <pd33725@hotmail.com>; Trs: Greg Stroot 0402 473113, <greg.stroot@ozonline.com.au>; SSO: Peter Holloway 0408 526805, <info@ freedomairsports.com.au>. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, Tower Hotel, 686 Burwood Road, Hawthorn East VIC 3123.

North East Victorian Hang Gliding Club Pres: Karl Texler 0428 385144, <president@ nevhgc.net>; Sec: William Brooks 0409 411791, <secretary@nevhgc.net>; Trs: Tony Kenney 0412 238039, <treasurer@nevhgc. net>; M/ship: Rod Oldfield 0412 922669, <membership@nevhgc.net>; SSO/Comps:

Karl Texler 0428 385144, <brightvt@netc.net. au>; SSO/Comms: Brian Webb 0417 530972; Meetings: [www.hgfa.asn.au/~nevhgc/].

Sky High Paragliding Club [www.skyhighparagliding.org]; Pres: Steve Leak <pres@skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0409 553401; V-Pres: Martin Halford <vp@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0434 427500; Trs: Julie Sheard <tres@skyhighparagliding. org.au>, 0425 717944; Sec: Phil Lyng <sec@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0421 135894; M’ship: Loz Pozzani <mem@skyhighparagliding. org.au>, 0421 389839; Nov Rep: Katy Torokfalvy <nov@skyhighparagliding.org. au>, 0408 150249; Web: Pete Condick <wm@skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0400 560653; Safety: Carolyn Dennis <safety@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0427 555063; Committee: Steve Poole 0419 573 321.

Meetings: 1st Wed/month 8pm Retreat Hotel, 226 Nicholson St, Abbotsford.

Southern Microlight Club [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stclub/].

Pres: Mark Howard 0419 855850 <mark. howard@auspost.com.au>; V-Pres: Ken Jelleff <kenj@jelfor.com.au>; Sec/Ed: Kelvin Glare 0421 060706 <kalkat@optusnet.com.au>; Trs: Dean Marriott <dean@ultimate.net.au>.

Meet­ings: 2nd Tue/month 8pm Manning­-ham Club, 1 Thompsons Rd, Bulleen.

Western Victorian Hang GIiding Club PO Box 92, Beaufort VIC 3373, [www.wvhgc. com]. Pres: Phillip Campbell 0419 302850, <campbell.p@giant.net.au>; V-Pres: Anthony Meechan 0407 163796, <meeks65@yahoo. com.au>; Sec: Rachelle Guy 0438 368528, <rachelle.guy@cgu.com.au>; Trs: Richard Carstairs 0409 066860, <rcarstairs@ optushome.com.au>; SSO: Rohan Holtkamp 0408 678734 <Rohan@dynamicflight.com. au>. Meet­ings: Last Sat/month, The Golden Age Hotel, Beaufort, 7pm.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Albany HG & PG Club SSO: Simon Shuttleworth 0427 950556; Sec: John Middleweek 08 98412096, fax: 08 98412096.

Cloudbase Paragliding Club Inc. Secretary, 12 Hillside Crs, Maylands WA 6051.

Pres: Mike Annear 0400 775173 <mike@ mikeannear.com>; V-Pres: Eric Metrot 0407 003059<tromes@bigpond.com>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378 <cobrown@bigpond. com>; Committee: Shelly Heinrich 0428 935462 <shellheinrich@hotmail.com>, Rod Merigan 0439 967971 <rmerigan@q-net.net. au>, Clive Salvidge 0402 240038 <clive@iinet. net.au>, Julien Menager 0423 829346 <Julien. me@gmail.com>; SOs: John Carman, Nigel Sparg, Colin Brown, Mark Wild. Meetings: Last Tues/month, 7:30pm, Osborne Park Bowling Club, Park St, Tuart Hill.

Goldfields Dust Devils Inc. [www.dustdevils.itaustralia.org]. Kalgoorlie: Pres/SSO: Murray Wood <muzel71@bigpond. net.au>, 08 90215771; Trs/SO: Richard Breyley <richard.breyley@kbrl.com.au>, 0417 986896; Sec: Antony Corbett <antony.corbett@rapallo. com.au> 0439 943841. Perth: SSO: Mark Stokoe <Mark.Stokoe@health.wa.gov.au> 0414 932461.

Hill Flyers Club Inc. <hillfly@tpg.com.au>. Pres/SSO: Rick Williams 0427 057961; Sec/SSO: Gary Bennet 0412 611680; SSO: Gavin Nicholls 0417 690386, Mike Ipkendanz 08 92551397, Dave Longman 08 93859469. Meetings held on site during club fly-ins at York, Toodyay.

Western Microlight Club Inc. Pres: Brian Watts 0407 552362; V-Pres: Keith Mell 08 97971269; Sec: Paul Coffey 0428 504285; CFI: Brendan Watts: 0408 949004.

Western Soarers <wshgc@hgfa.asn.au>, PO Box 483, Mt Hawthorn WA 6915. Pres: Michael Duffy <lehanggliding@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Jason Kath <jason.kath@yahoo.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Mirek Generowicz 0427 778280, <mgenerow@ optusnet.com.au>; SSOs: Shaun Wallace, Gavin Nicholls, Matty Coull, Rick Williams, Michael Duffy. Meetings: See [http://au.groups.yahoo. com/group/western_soarers/].

Soaring Australia 45

Contact Addresses Southern Tablelands Gliding Club 57 Munro Rd, Queanbeyan NSW 2620, 02 62973504.

South West Slope Soaring P/L 181 Fishers La, Bendick Murrell NSW 2803, 0488 531216.

Sydney Gliding Incorporated PO Box 633, Camden NSW 2570, 0412 145144.

Temora Gliding Club PO Box 206, Temora NSW 2666, 02 69772733.

G FA

Australian Gliding Museum 2 Bicton St, Mt Waverley VIC 3149, 03 98021098.

Gliding Queensland C/- Treasurer, 67 Glenora St, Wynnum QLD 4178, 07 38348311, 0417 762621.

NSW Gliding Association The Secretary, 44 Yanko Ave, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782, 02 68892733, 02 68891250, Trs: 0407 459581.

South Australian Gliding Association PO Box 65, Millicent SA 5280, 08 8733421, 0427 977218.

Victorian Soaring Association 4/139 Roberts St, Essendon VIC 3040, 03 83835340, 03 93355364.

Vintage Gliders Australia 22 Eyre St, Balwyn VIC 3103, 03 98175362.

WA Gliding Association Inc. 59 Wellington Pde, Yokine WA 6060, 08 93282511, 08 94449505.

NSW Gliding Association (NSWGA) 327 (Gliding) Flight, Australia C/- R Sheehan, 176 Macquarie Grove Rd, Camden NSW 2570, 0427 977127, 02 46553171.

Bathurst Soaring Club PO Box 1682, Bathurst NSW 2795, 02 63371180 (weekend), 0427 470001.

Canberra Gliding Club GPO Box 1130, Canberra ACT 2601, 02 64523994, 0428 523994.

Central Coast Soaring Club PO Box 1323, Gosford South NSW 2250, 02 43639111, 02 43844074, 0412 844074.

Cudgegong Soaring Pty Ltd C/- Matthews Folbigg, Level 7, 10-4 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150, 02 96357966, 02 96357966.

Grafton Gliding Club 16 Fuller St, Mullaway NSW 2456, 02 66541638, 0403 088551.

Hunter Valley Gliding Club Co-op Ltd PO Box 9, Newcastle NSW 2300, 02 95342884.

Lake Keepit Soaring Club 234 Keepit Dam Rd, Lake Keepit NSW 2340, 02 67697514.

Leeton Gliding Club PO Box 607, Leeton NSW 2705, 02 69533825.

Narromine Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 240, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68892733, 0418 270182.

Orana Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 240, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68897373, 0418 270182.

RAAF Richmond Gliding Club RAAF Base, Richmond NSW 2755, 02 45873214.

RAAF Williamtown Gliding Club C/O Mr G R Lee, 10 Federation Dr, Medowie NSW 2318, 02 49829334.

Scout Association NSW Gliding C/- Bob G Balfour, 80 Malvern St, Panania NSW 2213, 02 96951100.

Soar Narromine Pty Ltd PO Box 56, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68891856, 0419 992396.

Southern Cross Gliding Club PO Box 132, Camden NSW 2570, 02 46558882, 0417 705997 (emergency).

Gliding Queensland 2 Wing AAFC School of Aviation Inc. 201 Squadron Air Force Cadets, PO Box 647 Archerfield QLD 4108, 07 33324851, 0415 150965.

Barambah District Gliding Club 2 Yellow Gully Rd, Wolvi QLD 4570, 07 54867247, 0412 719797.

Boonah Gliding Club Incorporated 164 Depot Rd, Boonah QLD 4310, 07 54632630, 0408 816164.

Bundaberg Gliding Incorporated PO Box 211, Bundaberg QLD 4670, 07 41579558, 0417 071157.

Byron Bay Gliding Inc 1 Old Brunswick Rd, Tyagarah Airfield, Tyagarah, NSW 2481, 0414 558794, 02 66844244, 0414 558794 .

Byron Bay Gliding PL 1 Old Brunswick Rd, Tyagarah Airfield, Tyagarah, NSW 2481, 02 66847572, 0423 787398.

Byron Gliding Club Incorporated PO Box 815, Byron Bay NSW 2481, 02 66847627.

Caboolture Gliding Club PO Box 920, Caboolture QLD 4510, 0418 713903.

Central Queensland Gliding Club PO Box 953, Rockhampton QLD 4700, 07 49331178.

Darling Downs Soaring Club Level 1, 1 Swann Rd, Taringa QLD 4068, 07 46637140, 0409 507847.

Gympie Gliding Club PO Box 217, Gympie QLD 4570, 07 54835380.

Kingaroy Soaring Club PO Box 91, Kingaroy QLD 4610, 07 41622191, 0438 179163.

Moura Gliding Club PO Box 92, Moura QLD 4718, 07 49973265, 0428 360144.

North Queensland Soaring Centre PO Box 1743, Aitkenville QLD 4814, 0500 811011.

Pacific Soaring PO Box 259, Caboolture QLD 4510, 07 54994997, 07 54994805.

Southern Downs Aero & Soaring PO Box 144, Warwick QLD 4370, 07 38348311.

SA Gliding Association (SAGA) Adelaide Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 94, Gawler SA 5118, 08 85221877.

Adelaide Uni Gliding Club Incorporated Adelaide Uni Sports Assoc, The University of Adelaide SA 5005, 08 88262203, 0412 870963.

Air Cadet Gliding Club PO Box 2000, Salisbury SA 5108, 08 83805137, 0429 805137.

G F A M ember­ship F ees 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0 Membership: NSW Victoria South Australia Queensland Western Australia

Normal $205 $210 $212 $210 $210

Student membership: Full NSW $125.50 Victoria $130.50 South Australia $132.50 Queensland $130.50 Western Australia $130.50

44 Soaring Australia

Family $164 $169 $171 $169 $169 Family $84.50 $89.50 $91.50 $89.50 $89.50

Short-term membership: 1 Month* 3 Month* Queensland/Victoria $57 $72 New South Wales $62 $77 South Australia $69 $84 Western Australia $67 $82 *Note: Once only purchase to Australian residents, thereafter 12 months membership to be purchased.

International postage for Soaring Australia to be added to membership fees: Zone Country 1 New Zealand 2 Singapore 3 Japan, Hong Kong, India 4 USA, Canada, Middle East 5 UK, Europe, South

America, South Africa

Price $51 $51 $51 $74

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alice Springs Gliding Club PO Box 356, Alice Springs NT 0871, 08 89526384, 0417 530345.

Australian Junior Gliding Club 67A Balfour St, Nailsworth SA 5083, 0417 421650.

Balaklava Gliding Club PO Box 257, Balaklava SA 5461, 08 88645062.

Barossa Valley Gliding Club PO Box 123, Stonefield via Truro SA 5356, 08 85640240, 0488 841373.

Bordertown Keith Gliding Club PO Box 377, Bordertown SA 5268, 08 87521321, 0409 693027.

Millicent Gliding Club PO Box 194, Millicent SA 5280, 08 87333421, 0427 977218.

Murray Bridge Gliding Club PO Box 1509, Victor Harbor SA 5211, 08 85543543, 0409 677677.

Northern Australian Gliding Club PO Box 38889, Winnellie NT 0821, 08 89412512.

Renmark Gliding Club PO Box 450, Renmark SA 5341, 08 85951422, 0417 890215.

Scout Gliding Club 22 Burford Crescent, Redwood Park SA 5097, 08 82895085, 0418 815618.

Waikerie Gliding Club PO Box 320, Waikerie SA 5330, 08 85412644.

Whyalla Gliding Club PO Box 556, Whyalla SA 5600, 08 86452619, 0413 127825.

Victorian Soaring Association (VSA) Albury Corowa Gliding Club PO Box 620, Wodonga VIC 3689.

Beaufort Gliding Club 41 Ruby St, Essendon VIC 3040, 03 93376095, 0421 803156 .

Bendigo Gliding Club PO Box 846, Bendigo VIC 3550, 03 54423459.

Bothwell Gliding Club PO Box 288, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, 03 62267615.

Cloud Riders Pty Ltd C/- 18 Wyndham St, Werribee VIC 3030, 03 97413142, 0429 351234.

Corangamite Soaring Club Kurweeton, Kurweeton Rd, Derrinallum VIC 3325, 03 55939277.

Geelong Gliding Club PO Box 197, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340, 03 93385925, 0409 212527.

Gliding Club Of Victoria PO Box 46, Benalla VIC 3671, 03 57621058, 0429 950580.

Grampians Soaring Club PO Box 468, Ararat VIC 3377, 03 53525710, 0417 514438.

Horsham Flying Club PO Box 158, Horsham VIC 3402, 03 53823491, 0427 315845.

Latrobe Valley Gliding Club PO Box 625, Morwell VIC 3840, 03 51221081, 0407 839238.

Mangalore Gliding Club PO Box 208 Nagambie VIC 3608, 03 57985512, 0428 635717.

Mount Beauty Gliding Club Box 486, Mt Beauty VIC 3699, 02 60591417, 0402 075131.

Murray Valley Soaring Club Ltd PO Box 403, Corowa NSW 2646, 02 60335036, 0400 244578.

Soaring Club Of Tasmania 34 Clinton Rd, Geilston Bay TAS 7015, 03 62437508.

South Gippsland Gliding Club PO Box 475, Leongatha VIC 3953, 0437 454986.

Southern Riverina Gliding Club PO Box 32, Tocumwal, NSW 2714, 03 58743052, 03 58742914.

SportAviation Pty Ltd Gate 10, Babingtons Rd, Tocumwal Airport, Tocumwal NSW 2714, 03 58742734, 0427 534122.

Sunraysia Gliding Club PO Box 647, Mildura VIC 3500, 03 50257335, 0448 293927.

Swan Hill Gliding Club PO Box 160, Nyah VIC 3594, 03 50376688.

Tumbarumba Gliding Club C/- Judds Engineering P/L, PO Box 5283, Wagga NSW 2650, 02 69251642, 0428 251642.

VMFG GPO Box 1096, Melbourne VIC 3001, 0402 281928 or 03 98486473 (h).

Wagga Wagga Soaring Club Inc. PO Box 613, Wagga Marketplace, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650, 0427 205624.

WA Gliding Association (WAGA) 716 Flight Australia Air Force Cadets 7 Wing HQ, RAAF Base Pearce Bullsbrook WA 6084, 08 95717800.

Beverley Soaring Society PO Box 136, Beverley WA 6304, 08 94595719, 0437 377744.

Gliding Club of Western Australia PO Box 6231, East Perth WA 6892, 08 92212164, 0417 992806 (weekends).

Morawa Gliding Club PO Box 276, Morawa WA 6623, 08 99723022.

Narrogin Gliding Club PO Box 232, Narrogin WA 6312, 08 98811795 (weekends), 0407 088314.

Stirlings Gliding Club C/- Peter Hardy-Atkins, 8 Parker St, Lockyer, Albany WA 6330, 08 98428816, 0408 842616.

H G FA

All correspondence, including changes of address, mem­bership renewals, short term memberships, rating forms and other administrative matters should be sent to: HGFA National Office 4a-60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042, ph: 03 93367155, fax: 03 93367177, <office@hgfa.asn.au>, [www.hgfa.asn.au].

HGFA General Manager Chris Fogg, PO Box 258, Helensburgh NSW 2508, ph/fax 02 4294 9300, 0417 766356, <general.manager@hgfa.asn.au>.

Information about site ratings, sites and other local matters, contact the appro­pri­ate State asso­ciations, region or club.

Board Members 2008 to 2010 Pres: Javier Alvarez <president@hgfa.asn. au>, 0418 116681, PO Box 341 Ourimbah NSW 2258.

Sec: Paul Coffey <Paul.Coffey@hgfa.asn. au>, 0428 504285, 25 Taylor St, Eaton WA 6232.

Trs: Mark Mitsos <Mark.Mitsos@hgfa. asn.au>, 0408 864083, 22 Longview Cr, Stanwell Tops NSW 2508.

Board Members: Stephen Clark <stephenmclark@iprimus. com.au>, 0419 997550, 9 Dale Crs, Mt Stuart TAS 7000.

Peter Dower <peter.dower@campbelltown. nsw.gov.au>, 0413 484471.

Tracey Hayes <info@azurephotography. com.au>, 0418 963796.

Geoffrey White <Geoff.White@hgfa.asn. au>, 0437 073400, 32 Matta Dr, Churchill VIC 3842.

Peter Wennerson <pwenn@optusnet.com. au>, 0414 333393.

States & Regions ACTHPA LPO Box 8339, ANU, Acton ACT 0200; [www.acthpa.org]. Pres: Barry Oliver 0407 825819, <Barry.Oliver@anu.edu. au>; Trs: Geoff Robertson 0429 843417, <geoffrobertson@grapevine.com.au>; Sec: Alistair Dickie 0404 023359, <Alnrelly@alistairdickie.com>; Meetings: 1st Thu/month 7.30pm Yamba Sports Club.

Hang Gliding Association of WA Inc. PO Box 146, Midland, WA 6936 <hgawa@hgfa.asn.au>. Pres: Peter South <ronwaysouth@yahoo.com.au>; V-Pres: Alex Jones <aa.jones@bigpond.net.au>; Trs: Greg Lowry <g.lowry@iinet.net.au>;

$74

October 2009

Sec: Mirek Generowicz <mgenerow@ optusnet.com.au>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378, <cobrown@bigpond.com>.

NSW HG and PG Association PO Box 341, Ourimbah NSW 2258, [www. nswhpa.org]. Pres: Javier Alvarez 0418 116681, <president@nswhpa.org>; V-Pres: Nir Eshed 0423 422494, <vice-president@ nswhpa.org>; Sec: Paul Cox 0421 072897, <coxy@ccparagliding.com.au>; Trs: John Selby 0414 218391, <treasurer@nswhpa.org>.

North Queensland HG Association PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <rohayes@optusnet.com.au>; VPres: John Creswell 0400 122261; Sec/Trs: Tracey Hayes, PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881, 0418 963796 <info@azurephotography.com.au>.

Queensland HG Association Pres: Greg Hollands <greg.s.hollands@ transport.qld.gov.au>, PO Box 61, Canungra QLD 4275 07 38448566.

South Australian HG/PG/ML Association SAHGA Inc, c/O PO Box 6260, Hallifax St, Adelaide SA. All email: <sahga.exec@gmail. com>. Pres: Stuart McClure 0428 100796; Sec/Trs: Rob Woodward 0408 808436.

Tasmanian HG & PG Association [www.thpa.net]. Pres: Boris Marold 0407 564422, <borismarold@dodo.com.au>; VPres: Pete Steane <psteane@vtown.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Jason Wiersma 0448 299937, <jason. wiersma@gmail.com>. Northern TAS info: Richard Long (Burnie PG pilot), 0438 593998, <northern@thpa.net>.

Victorian HG and PG Association PO Box 157, Northcote VIC 3070, [www. melbourne.vhpa.org.au/]. Pres: Martin Halford <president@vhpa.org.au> 0434 427500; Trs: Rob Parker <treasurer@vhpa.org.au> 0415 316861; Sec: Steve Poole <secretary@vhpa. org.au> 0419 573321; SO: Hamish Barker <hamish.barker@gmail.com> 0437 137893; Site Dev: Mark Pike <mark.pike@baesystems. com>; Committee: Glenn Bachelor <hangliding @netspace.net.au>, Stephen Leak <sleak75@ gmail.com>, Julie Sheard <jsheard@ihug.com. au>, Jan Bennewitz <jan.bennewitz@gmail.com>.

Clubs NATIONAL The Pico Club Incorporated 62 Anderson Street, East Geelong VIC 3219 Pres: Ricky Clarke 0409 955089, <riclarke@ ncable.net.au>; V-Pres: Andrew Shipley; Sec: Andrew McCarthy 0438 062596, <amaccart4 @tpg.com.au>, Trs: Thomas Dahmen.

NEW SOUTH WALES Blue Mountains HG Club Inc. [www.bmhgc.org.au]. Pres: Andy McMurray (PG SO) <andyonalaya@yahoo.com. au>, 0428 866737; V-Pres: Gregor Forbes (HG SO) <forbesy@virginbroadband.com. au>, 0421 376680; Sec/Ed: Alex Drew (PG SO) <dalexander@med.usyd.edu. au>, 0423 696677; Trs: Allan Bush (HG SSO) <bethandallan@bigpond.com>, 0407 814524; Comp Dir: Mark Stewart (PG SO) <artik_mark@yahoo.com.au>, 0421 596345, Comp: 2nd and last Sunday of each month.

Meetings: Contact committee.

Central Coast Sky Surfers PO Box 3106, Bateau Bay NSW 2261, [www. centralcoastskysurfers.com]. Pres/SSO: Javier Alvarez 0418 116681 <javieralvarez@y7mail. com>; V-Pres: Jeff Terry 0416 291545 <jeff@ survivalsolutions.com.au>; Sec: Julie Terry 0411 567825, <julie@survivalsolutions.com.au>; Trs: Paul Cox 0417 355897, <coxy@ccpara gliding.com.au>, SSOs: Paul Cox 0417 355897, Javier Alvarez 0418 116681.

Meetings: 1st Thu/month, 7:30pm, Erina Leagues Club, Ilya Ave, Erina.

Dusty Demons Hang Gliding Club 6 Miago Court, Ngunnawal, ACT 2913. Pres: Trent Brown 0427 557486, <Trent.Brown@ anu.edu.au>; Sec: Peter Dall 0428 813746, <peter.dall@casa.com.au>; Trs: Michael Porter 0415 920444; SSO: Peter Dall 0428 813746.

Hunter Skysailors Paragliding Club Pres/SSO: James Thompson 0418 686199, <jamesflys@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Brent Leggett 0408 826455, <brent@flashme. co.au>; Sec: Albert Hart 0421 647013, <albert.hart@bigpond.com>; Meetings: Last Tue/month, 7pm, Hexham Bowling Club.

Illawarra Hang Gliding Club Inc. 27a Paterson Rd, Coalcliff NSW 2508. Pres: Frank Chetcuti 0418 252221 <chetcuti1@

October 2009

bigpond.com>; Sec: John Parsons; SSO: Tim Causer 0418 433665 <timcau@ozemail.com.au>.

Kosciusko Alpine Paragliding Club [www.homestead.com/kapc]; Pres: Michael Porter 0415 920444 <Michael.Porter@jllrld. com.au>; V-Pres: James Ryrie 02 61610225 <James@Micalago.com>; Sec: Mark Mourant 02 48464144 <tully@ispdr.net.au>.

Manilla SkySailors Club Inc. PO Box 1, Manilla NSW 2346, [www.mss. org.au]. Pres/SSO (PG): Godfrey Wenness 02 67856545, <skygodfrey@aol.com>, V-Pres: Matt Morton <Matt.Morton@defence.gov. au>, Sec: Suzi Smith <suzismith@hotmail.com>, Trs: Bob Smith <bobskisan@hotmail.com>, SSO (HG) Patrick Lenders 02 67783484 <patrick. lenders@gmail.com>, SSO (WM): Willi Ewig 02 67697771 <skyranch@gmx.net>.

Mid North Coast HG and PG Club Pres: Nigel Lelean 0419 442597; SSO: Lee Scott 0429 844961.

Newcastle Hang Gliding Club PO Box 64 Broadmeadow NSW 2292; [www. nhgc.asn.au]. Pres: Stuart Coad <president@ nhgc.asn.au> 0408 524862; V-Pres: Dawson Brown 0429 675475; Sec: Simon Plint 0407 613701, <SimonPlint@newcastle.edu.au>; Trs: Allan McMillan 0400 637070; SOs: Coastal – Tony Barton 0412 607815, Inland – Scott Barrett 0425 847208, John O’Donohue 02 49549084, PG – James Thompson 02 49468680; News­letter: David Stafford 02 49215832 <editor@nhgc.asn.au>. Meetings: Last Wed/month 7:30pm South Newcastle RLC, Llewellyn St, Merewether.

Northern Beaches HG Club PO Box 840, Mona Vale NSW 2103. Pres: Peter Rundle <sf27mz@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Brett Coupland 0409 162616, <nbf@whirlwind.com.au>; Sec: Alexander Drew 0423 696677, <dalexander@med. usyd.edu.au>; CEO: Jude Ho <heyjudeho@ bigpond.com>; Trs: Steve Nagle <steve. nagle@gmail.com>; Committee: Rohan Taylor <rohantaylor@yahoo.com>, Graeme Cran <crannie@ccparagliding.com.au>.

Northern Rivers HG and PG Club PO Box 126, Byron Bay NSW 2481; [www. nrghpgc.net]. Pres: Cedar Anderson 0429 070380 <cedar@poliglide.com>; V-Pres: Brian Rushton 0427 615950 <byronair@optusnet. com.au>; Sec: Maureen McEneaney 0413 166548 <maureen_mceneaney@yahoo.com>; Trs: Paul Gray <paraluap@hotmail.com>; SSO (PG): Lindsay Wooten <lindsaywootten@ bigpond.com>, 0427 210993; SSO (HG): Andrew Polidano. Meetings: 2nd Wed/month, 7pm, Byron Services Club.

Stanwell Park HG and PG Club PO Box 258 Helensburgh NSW 2508; Pres: Peter Wennersten 0414 333393, <president @flystanwell.com>; Sec: Nir Eshed <member ship@flystanwell.com>; Trs: Adrian Le Gras 0400 002281, <treasurer@flystanwell.com>; M/ship: Robert Seckold <membership@ flystanwell.com>; SSO: Mark Mitsos 0408 864083, <SSO@flystanwell.com>.

Sydney Hang Gliding Club Pres: Peter Dower 0413 484471, <peter. dower@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au>; Trs: John Selby 02 93447932, <johnselby@idx. com.au>; Sec: Susanne Liersch 0403 062625, <Susanne.Liersch@AOA.NESTLE.COM>; SO: Doug Dole, Bruce Wynne; SSO: Ken Stothard. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, 7:30pm Endeavour Hotel, Botany.

NORTHERN TERRITORY Alice Springs HG and PG Club Pres: Ricky Jones 0406 098354, <redcentre paragliding@yahoo.com>, contact for paramotoring, PG ridge soaring and thermal flying.

QUEENSLAND Caboolture Microlight Club 50 Oak Place, Mackenzie QLD 4156. Pres: Derek Tremain 07 33957563, <derekjo@gil. com.au>; Sec: John Cresswell 07 34203254, <crezzi@lineone.net>; SO: Graham Roberts 07 32676662, <trike@tpg.com.au> Cairns Hang Gliding Club PO Box 6468, Cairns QLD 4870. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <rohayes@optusnet.com. au>; V-Pres/SO: Brett Collier 0431 151150 <brettcollier@bigpond.com>; Sec: Lance Keough, 31 Holm St, Atherton QLD 4883, 07 40912117; Trs: Nev Akers 07 40532586.

Canungra Hang Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 41, Canungra QLD 4275; [www.chgc. asn.au]. Pres: Phil McIntyre <president@chgc.

ALL CLUBS PLEASE CHECK DETAILS IN THIS SECTION CAREFULLY Could all Clubs please ensure they maintain the correct and current details of their Executive Committees and contacts here in the magazine. Specific attention is directed to the listing of SSOs and SOs for the Clubs. Please ALL CLUBS and nominated Senior SOs and SOs confirm ALL SSO and SO appointments with the HGFA Office <office@hgfa.asn.au> to ensure that those holding these appointments have it listed on the Membership Database and can receive notices and correspondence as required. Appointment of these officers is required to be endorsed by Clubs in writing on the appropriate forms. Sometime in the future if confirmation is not received, those listed in the Database where no current forms or confirmation is held, the appointment will be taken as having expired.

General Manager, HGFA asn.au>; V-Pres: Lee Patterson <vicepresident @chgc.asn.au>; Sec: Mark Kropp <secretary@ chgc.asn.au>; Trs: Brandon O’Donnell <treasurer@chgc.asn.au>; Ed: Cameron McNeill 0419 706326; Gen-Exec: Greg Hollands <gem@chgc.asn.au>; SSO PG:Phil Hystek 07 55434000 (h), 0418 155317 <sso @chgc.asn.au>; SSO HG: Lee Patterson 0417 025732 <sso@chgc.asn.au>.

Central Queensland Skyriders Club Inc. ‘The Lagoons’ Comet River Rd, Comet QLD 4702. Pres: Alister Dixon (instructor) 0438 845119, <apdixon@bigpond.com>; Sec: James Lowe 0418 963315, <j.lowe@cqu. edu.au>; Trs: Adrienne Wall 07 49362699, <jaw12@bigpond.com>; Events: Jon Wall 0427 177237, <jonathon.a.wall@team. telstra.com>; SSO: Bob Pizzey 0439 740187, 07 49387607. Towing Biloela: Paul Barry 07 49922865, <prbarry@tpg.com.au>.

Conondale Cross-Country Flyers Inc. [www.conondalexcflyers.asn.au/]. Pres: Carl Forster 0411 135753; Sec: Denis Davis 0428 130375; Trs: Steve Stocker 0411 226733; SSO (PG/PPG) Graham Sutherland 0429 935882, (MHG) Frank Fontaine 0408 556113.

Dalby Hang Gliding Club 17 Mizzen St, Manly West QLD 4179. Pres: Daron ‘Boof’ Hodder 0431 240610, <daron@ aclad.com.au>; V-Pres: Nick Purcell 0414 779191, <n.purcell@optusnet.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Annie Crerar 0418 711821, <annie. bruce@bigpond.com>; SSO: Jason ‘Yoda’ Reid 0424 293922, <jasonr@gleda.com.au>.

Fly Killarney Inc. Pres/SSO: Lindsay Wootten 0427 210993, <lindsaywootten@bigpond.com>; V-Pres: Alistair Gibb 0414 577232, <11thhour@iinet. net.au>; Sec/Trs: Sonya Fardell 0415 156256, <s.fardell@uq.edu.au>.

Sunshine Coast Hang Gliding Club PO Box 227, Rainbow Beach QLD 4581; <intheair@ozemail.com.au>. Pres: Geoffrey Cole 0408 420808, 07 5455 4661; V-Pres & SSO (HG): David Cookman 0427 498753; V-Pres (PG): Tex Beck 0407 238017; Trs: Gary Allen 0417 756878; Sec: Janine Krauchi 0438 701220; (HG): David Cookman 0427 498573, 07 54498573; SSO (PG): JeanLuc Lejaille 0418 754157, 07 54863048 & Jonathan Allen 0438 107518, 07 54748169.

Wicked Wings Club Toowoomba & District PG/HG Club Inc, 190 Drayton St, Laidley QLD 4341. Pres: Peter Schwenderling 0427 461347 <swendo1@big pond.net.au>; Trs: Richard Cook 0427 805960 <richardtc@aapt.net.au>; Sec: Troy Litzow 0448 456607 <troylitzow@optusnet.com.au>.

Whitsundays HG Club Contact: Henryk Wojcik 07 49550253 (h), 0403 715962, <hmwoj53@bigpond.net.au>; Sec/Trs: Ron Huxhagen 07 49552913, fax: 07 49555122, <sitework@bigpond.net.au>.

Tasmania Tasmanian HG&PG Ass. (see States & Regions) VICTORIA Dynasoarers Hang Gliding Club <dynasoarers@gmail.com>; Pres: Dale Appleton 0408 382635; SSO: Rob van der Klooster 0408 335559. Meetings: 1st Fri/ month, venue see [www.hgfa.asn.au/~dyna].

Melbourne Hang Gliding Club Inc. PO Box 5278, South Melbourne VIC 3205 [www.mhgc.asn.au]. Pres: Gabriel Toniolo 0407 544511, <gabriel.toniolo@hotmail. com>; Sec: Peter Davies 0400 883155, <pd33725@hotmail.com>; Trs: Greg Stroot 0402 473113, <greg.stroot@ozonline.com.au>; SSO: Peter Holloway 0408 526805, <info@ freedomairsports.com.au>. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, Tower Hotel, 686 Burwood Road, Hawthorn East VIC 3123.

North East Victorian Hang Gliding Club Pres: Karl Texler 0428 385144, <president@ nevhgc.net>; Sec: William Brooks 0409 411791, <secretary@nevhgc.net>; Trs: Tony Kenney 0412 238039, <treasurer@nevhgc. net>; M/ship: Rod Oldfield 0412 922669, <membership@nevhgc.net>; SSO/Comps:

Karl Texler 0428 385144, <brightvt@netc.net. au>; SSO/Comms: Brian Webb 0417 530972; Meetings: [www.hgfa.asn.au/~nevhgc/].

Sky High Paragliding Club [www.skyhighparagliding.org]; Pres: Steve Leak <pres@skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0409 553401; V-Pres: Martin Halford <vp@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0434 427500; Trs: Julie Sheard <tres@skyhighparagliding. org.au>, 0425 717944; Sec: Phil Lyng <sec@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0421 135894; M’ship: Loz Pozzani <mem@skyhighparagliding. org.au>, 0421 389839; Nov Rep: Katy Torokfalvy <nov@skyhighparagliding.org. au>, 0408 150249; Web: Pete Condick <wm@skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0400 560653; Safety: Carolyn Dennis <safety@ skyhighparagliding.org.au>, 0427 555063; Committee: Steve Poole 0419 573 321.

Meetings: 1st Wed/month 8pm Retreat Hotel, 226 Nicholson St, Abbotsford.

Southern Microlight Club [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stclub/].

Pres: Mark Howard 0419 855850 <mark. howard@auspost.com.au>; V-Pres: Ken Jelleff <kenj@jelfor.com.au>; Sec/Ed: Kelvin Glare 0421 060706 <kalkat@optusnet.com.au>; Trs: Dean Marriott <dean@ultimate.net.au>.

Meet­ings: 2nd Tue/month 8pm Manning­-ham Club, 1 Thompsons Rd, Bulleen.

Western Victorian Hang GIiding Club PO Box 92, Beaufort VIC 3373, [www.wvhgc. com]. Pres: Phillip Campbell 0419 302850, <campbell.p@giant.net.au>; V-Pres: Anthony Meechan 0407 163796, <meeks65@yahoo. com.au>; Sec: Rachelle Guy 0438 368528, <rachelle.guy@cgu.com.au>; Trs: Richard Carstairs 0409 066860, <rcarstairs@ optushome.com.au>; SSO: Rohan Holtkamp 0408 678734 <Rohan@dynamicflight.com. au>. Meet­ings: Last Sat/month, The Golden Age Hotel, Beaufort, 7pm.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Albany HG & PG Club SSO: Simon Shuttleworth 0427 950556; Sec: John Middleweek 08 98412096, fax: 08 98412096.

Cloudbase Paragliding Club Inc. Secretary, 12 Hillside Crs, Maylands WA 6051.

Pres: Mike Annear 0400 775173 <mike@ mikeannear.com>; V-Pres: Eric Metrot 0407 003059<tromes@bigpond.com>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378 <cobrown@bigpond. com>; Committee: Shelly Heinrich 0428 935462 <shellheinrich@hotmail.com>, Rod Merigan 0439 967971 <rmerigan@q-net.net. au>, Clive Salvidge 0402 240038 <clive@iinet. net.au>, Julien Menager 0423 829346 <Julien. me@gmail.com>; SOs: John Carman, Nigel Sparg, Colin Brown, Mark Wild. Meetings: Last Tues/month, 7:30pm, Osborne Park Bowling Club, Park St, Tuart Hill.

Goldfields Dust Devils Inc. [www.dustdevils.itaustralia.org]. Kalgoorlie: Pres/SSO: Murray Wood <muzel71@bigpond. net.au>, 08 90215771; Trs/SO: Richard Breyley <richard.breyley@kbrl.com.au>, 0417 986896; Sec: Antony Corbett <antony.corbett@rapallo. com.au> 0439 943841. Perth: SSO: Mark Stokoe <Mark.Stokoe@health.wa.gov.au> 0414 932461.

Hill Flyers Club Inc. <hillfly@tpg.com.au>. Pres/SSO: Rick Williams 0427 057961; Sec/SSO: Gary Bennet 0412 611680; SSO: Gavin Nicholls 0417 690386, Mike Ipkendanz 08 92551397, Dave Longman 08 93859469. Meetings held on site during club fly-ins at York, Toodyay.

Western Microlight Club Inc. Pres: Brian Watts 0407 552362; V-Pres: Keith Mell 08 97971269; Sec: Paul Coffey 0428 504285; CFI: Brendan Watts: 0408 949004.

Western Soarers <wshgc@hgfa.asn.au>, PO Box 483, Mt Hawthorn WA 6915. Pres: Michael Duffy <lehanggliding@gmail.com>; V-Pres: Jason Kath <jason.kath@yahoo.com.au>; Sec/Trs: Mirek Generowicz 0427 778280, <mgenerow@ optusnet.com.au>; SSOs: Shaun Wallace, Gavin Nicholls, Matty Coull, Rick Williams, Michael Duffy. Meetings: See [http://au.groups.yahoo. com/group/western_soarers/].

Soaring Australia 45

Classifieds

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

G FA NOTICE TO ALL GFA ADVERTISERS All advertisements and payment can be sent to: The Gliding Federation of Australia Inc/Advertising Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.

Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960 Email: <Advertising@sec.gfa.org.au> Advertisements may be emailed in high resolution (300dpi at 100% size) using TIF or EPS formats.

Photo­graphs may be pro­vided in either photo print or slides. Low resolution digitals are not suitable.

Photo­graphs, slides or disks may be returned. Please include a self-addressed and stamped envelope for the return of any promotional material.

All GFA advertisements must be paid for prior to publication. (Payment by cheque, money order or credit card). Don’t forget Classifieds deadline is the 25th of the month, for publication five weeks hence.

Single-seater Sailplanes Astir CS with refurbished covered trailer. Good aircraft to fly. Needs some gel-coat work on wings, but flies well without. Basic instruments. Just out of Form 2. Ph: 0419 818315 or <info@gliding.inbundy.com.au>.

Astir CS VH-WVK, basic instruments, Borgelt vario.

Form 2 completed 6/09, new tow-out gear, gel-coat vgc, fully enclosed trailer gc,nothing to spend. Great first glider $18000. Ph: Ross 0409 614319.

ASW 17 c/w enclosed trailer & instruments now in Australia, $39500 Ph: Brad Edwards 0427 202535 or 02 67711733.

ASW 20B Competition ready with Flarm & good instruments, no accident history Form 2 due 8/10, 1600 hrs, new aluminium trailer. For further info email <jaman@dodo.com.au>. Ph: 0409 307576.

Cirrus Open VH-GMO, good condition, good panel, tint canopy, good trailer, tow-out gear, extras. $17000. Contact: <tigermoth@aapt.net.au>.

Jantar 1 19M VH-GOD, good condition, Tasman vario & datapack with Flarm to drive PDA, refinished wings, all tow-out gear, enclosed trailer at $19000.

Ph: 0438 047985.

Jantar 2 Std VH-IUD, good condition, winglets, good instruments, Flarm, recently completed Form 2 & ready for the soaring season with all tow-out gear & enclosed trailer at $25000. Ph: 0438 047985.

Jantar Std VH-IZT. 1750 hrs, 1000 landings.

Good clean condition. Microair radio, Borgelt instrumentation, canopy hinge. Well thought-out trailer & all tow-out gear. Competitive Std Class performance at $30K. Also available hangar Lake Keepit $10K. Ph: Paul 0404 851876.

Kestrel 19m 44:1 (wet), 43:1 (dry), only three prior owners, 2257 hrs, 598 landings, excellent appearance, new National 425 parachute, nice factory-build FRP trailer, incl. hangar at Beverley airfield, complete tow-out set, tail chute, fully flapped, new battery, new Borgelt B400, new Garmin GPS 60, recently overhauled, AH, oxygen system with panel mounted bottle pressure, fully Mylar sealed, fresh Form 2, 70 litre water capacity, watering equipment, full covers set, $29000 incl. free delivery to Vic. Ph: Paul 0427 345560.

Libelle 201 B Sn 454, VH-GCJ. Good condition, new canopy, new panel with Borgelt vario, Flarm & LX 20 GPS logger. New tyres, waterbag, c/w tow-out gear & good trailer. Also parachute & wing covers. For more details ph: Nigel 02 66243999.

Libelle GAK, very good condition, proven performer, fully competition instrumented, parachute or basic package, good trailer. Ph: 0417 447974.

LS1D VH-CTG (F6). 3100 hrs, excellent condition.

Good to look at, flies beautifully & very easy to rig. Regularly & professionally maintained. This is

a unique glider in Australia & a proven Club Class contender (2nd placegetter). Available as a complete package including all instruments, radio, parachute, trailer, etc & 10/09 Form 2 completed. $22000. Ph: Tim Shirley 0417 268073 or <tshirley@internode. on.net>.

LS3 WQS, 1437 hrs, excellent condition, possibly one of the nicest 3’s in Australia. Two-pak on fuse & tailplane, winglets, Cambridge LNav & GPS Nav, OzFlarm, Nose& Belly release, Microair 760, full LS4 U/C, Mountain High oxygen, new Mecaplex canopy, PA Thinback parachute, Komet Clamshell trailer, rig & tow-out gear. Ph: Dave 0427 275171.

Nimbus 2 GOG. Refinished in Ferro. Factory fibreglass trailer with tow-out gear, tail chute, tail wheel mod, nose hook mod, parachute, basic instruments.

Dual batteries & wired for Cambridge 302 & Flarm.

Water ballast tanks OK. Two-man rig. (No kidding) 3033 hrs for 868 launches. $30000. Ph: 0408 195337 or <mike@maddogcomposites.com.au>.

Ventus 2c 18m. Sell aircraft incl. trailer, available for inspection at Warwick airfield, Qld. Ph: 0438 371145 or 0419 989288 to discuss further.

Two-seater Sailplanes Grob 103 Twin 2 Acro. 4100 hrs, refinished in poly, renewed upholstery, basic instruments.

Excellent condition. $60000 ono. Ph: 0408 195337 or <mike@maddogcomposites.com.au>.

K7, in current use. 2411 hrs, 3174 landings, basic instruments & radio. No trailer, $5500 neg. Ph: 0424 958173 or 07 54282329.

Self Launching/Motor Gliders ASK 21 Mi fully equipped, as new, with Cobra trailer, $290000. Ph: 0423 787398.

Dimona H36 stunning climber, great soarer & comfortable tourer. New Sauer 2500 motor. Great value $109000. Deliver free OZ. Ph: John 0418 857509 or 02 66857509.

Dimona H36 with Limbach L2400 motor. Hoffmann three-position prop, latest mods. Folding wings, transponder. All in excellent condition. Glide at 28:1 or cruise at 95kt for 15lph, $95000. Ph: John 03 52366290.

G109A low hrs TT 1630 hrs, eng 48 hrs SMOH. Prop new 2007 TT 48 hrs, transponder, AH, DI, strobe & lights. Fabulous cond. Sale $82500 or 1/4 shares at Lake Keepit, $20000 each. Ph: Ken 02 67613816.

Grob 3 103C Twin, Rotax 505, 206 hrs, 509 flying hrs. Discus style wing LD 38:1, new PU paint, no damage, delight to fly, Cobra trailer with hydraulic lift cradle. Half the price of comparable motorgliders. Price is negotiable! Ph: 0400 553642 or <byrongliding@gmail.com> for details.

Motor Falke, great climber, great tourer, great trainer. Jabiru 2200 motor, frame up refurbishment.

A steal at $73000. Email: <jwitham@nor.com.au> for info.

Pik20B 15m flapped glider, very good condition, winglets, all gear, with trailer, $30000. Ph: 0401 381823.

Pik20e, low hrs TT 500, eng 7 hrs SMOH. Pik trailer & handling gear, oxygen, $65000 ono. Ph: Ken 02 67613816 or <ken.flower747@gmail.com>, GFC reluctant restructure.

SF 25C, little damages to wings after a prop strike, for sale as it is. $15000. Ph: 0423 787398.

SF 25B Scheibe Jabiru 2200 Motor Falke VH-HNO, TT 2275 hrs, engine 215 before top overhaul, 32-litre tank plus 10-litre long range tank. Basic instruments, Microair radio, new tyres, spare prop, etc. 187kg cockpit load. $38000. Ph: 03 95510965 or <info@melbourneglidingadventures.com.au>.

TeST DM8 two-seat Motor Glider. Retractable engine, low hrs, excellent condition. $55000 ono, located Serpentine WA. Ph: 0405 305957.

Tugs Pawnee VH-KLG or Maule M6 HPN KLG TTIS 8200 hrs, engine 1000 hrs, prop. 1000 hrs, HPN TTIS 2500 hrs, engine 430 hrs, prop. 350 hrs. Contact: <info@ soarnarromine.com.au>.

General Business for S ale

Byron Bay Gliding P/L: AOC, perfect location in Byron Bay, $170000 turnover, very good return, for sale $65000. Ph: 0423 787398.

Instruments & Equipment Parachute for sale, Thinback harness with sheepskin lining, Aerolite canopy emergency parachute. Brand new as at 11/07. For further details call: 0438 371145.

Gliding Publications Airborne Magazine: Covering all facets of Australian & New Zealand modelling. The best value modelling magazine. Now $60pa for six issues.

Plans & other special books available. PO Box 30, Tullamarine, VIC 3043.

Free Flight: Quarterly journal of the Soaring Asso­ ciation of Canada. A lively record of the Canadian soaring scene & relevant international news & articles. $US26 for one year, $47 for two years, $65 for three years. 107-1025 Richmond Rd Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8G8 Canada, email: <sac@sac.ca>.

Gliding International: The new international gliding magazine edited by John Roake. Specialising in being first with news from every corner of the soaring globe. A$60 p.a. Personal cheques or credit cards accepted. Contact: Gliding International, 79 Fifth Avenue, Tauranga, New Zealand. Email: <office@glidinginternational.com>.

Sailplane & Gliding: The only authoritative British magazine devoted entirely to gliding. 52 A4 pages of fascinating material & pictures with colour.

Available from the British Gliding Asso­ci­ation, Kimberley House, Vaughan Way, Leicester, England.

Annual subscription for six copies £17.50.

Sailplane Builder: Monthly magazine of the Sail­ plane Homebuilders Association. $US29 (airmail $US46) to SHA, c/o Murry Rozansky, 23165 Smith Road, Chatsworth, CA 91311 USA. Soaring: Official monthly journal of the Soaring Society of America Inc. PO Box 2100, Hobbs,nm 88241 USA. Foreign subscription rates (annu­ally): $US43 surface delivery; $US68 premium delivery.

Technical Soaring/OSTIV: Quarterly publi­ca­tionof SSA containing OSTIV & other technical papers. c/o T U Delft, Fac Aerospace engineering, Kluyerweg 1, NL-2629 HS DELFT, The Netherlands.

Vintage Times: Official newsletter of Vintage Gliders Australia, edited by David & Jenne Goldsmith, PO Box 577, Gisborne VIC 3437, Mem­ber­ship $20 pa.

H G FA Classifieds are free of charge to HGFA members up to a maximum of 40 words. One classified per person per issue will be accepted.

Classifieds are to be delivered to the HGFA office for membership verification/payment by email <office@hgfa.asn.au>, fax: 03 93362177 or post: 4a/60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042.

The deadline is 25th of the month, for pub­li­cation five weeks hence. Submitted classifieds will run for one issue. For con­secutive publication, re-sub­mission of the classified must be made, no advance bookings.

When submitting a classified remember to include your contact details (for prospective buyers), your HGFA membership number (for verifi­ca­tion) and the State under which you would like the classified placed. (Note that the above does not apply to com­mer­cial operators. Instructors may place multiple classified entries, but will be charged at usual advertising rates.)

All aircraft should be suitable for the intend­ed use; this includes the skill level required for the specific aircraft being reflective of the pilot’s actual rating and experience. All members must adhere to the mainte­nance requirements as contained in Section 9 of the Operations Manual and as provided by manufacturers. Secondhand equipment should always be inspected by an indepen­dent person, an Instructor wherever possi­ble. Advice should be sought as to the con­di­tion, airworthiness and suitability of the aircraft. It should include examination of mainte­nance logs for the aircraft. It is unethical and a legally volatile situation for individuals to provide aircraft which are unsuitable for the skill level of the pilot, or aircraft that are unairworthy in any way.

Hang Gliders & Equipment

Sting 140. Good condition, low hrs, two Moyes harnesses, helmet, radio, $1500 firm. Ph: Kev 02 66494437.

Queensland

Queensland

Litespeed S4. Zoom A-frame & carbon basebar.

Less than 100 hrs. Excellent condition. $4800 ono.

Ph: Enda 0409 199676.

VICTORIA

Moyes Litespeed S 14, carbon-fibre LE inserts, Zoom A-frame, two spare Zoom DTs, black US, brand new condition, only has 10 hrs airtime, $6500 firm. Moyes Matrix harness, black, suit 5ft 10 tall, 100 around the chest, Metamorfosi parachute, good condition, $1300. Ph: Damien Ragland 0405 587364, Melbourne.

Paragliders & Equipment Queensland

ITV Tepee, $1300, red, DHV 1/1-2, size L, 75 to 95kg (98 hrs) PG/PPG wing, incl. motor risers.

Ph: 07 46598949 or 0427 805960.

Kangook.com

The latest range of Kangook paramotors, Dudek Reflex paragliders, trikes, flight decks, spares & your reserve parachute equipment all on our website for your inspection with prices. Ph: Ben 0418 753220.

Press To Talk System

PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, www.parasupply.com Concertina Bag

PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, www.parasupply.com

New South Wales

Microlights & Equipment

Fun 220 Tandem Hang Glider with waterproof canvas cover. Under 40 hrs. Yellow/white with PX LE, faired DTs, excellent condition. Also will throw in an old Moyes Mission & Moyes Pod (with parachute).

Seller moving overseas. Bargain at $2900 (reduced from $4000). Contact: <bythesea@tpg.com.au>.

New south Wales

Redback two-seat trike by Airborne. Wizard 3 wing, TT 190 hrs, T2-6043, forced sale, great cond, with radio, side bags & cover, helmets & headsets, always kept in hangar, $16000 ono. Ph: 0407 484625.

RAINBOW PARAGLIDING APCO AUSTRALIA Offering the full range of APCO equipment APCO Aviation three years/250 hours warranty for porosity. Gliders that are made to last unique in the industry. Customer service and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Test centre for APCO gliders [www.apcoaviation.com].

APCO Australia and PWC winner of the Serial Class 2000 Established since 1996, Rainbow Paragliding is based on the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland. The school has access to 25 sites and holds a permit to operate in the Cooloola National Park including Teewah and world famous Rain­ bow Beach. In the Sunshine State, we fly all year round, 60km cross-country flights have been achieved in winter!

FULL LICENCE COURSE – Strictly only four stu­dents per instructor, for quality personalised tui­tion at your own pace, between eight to 10 days.

REFRESHER COURSE – Groundhandling, top landing or asymmetric recovery techniques: Come learn with the experts.

INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, TANDEM OR PARAMOTOR ENDORSEMENT – We have the sites, the weather and the knowledge.

SALES AND SERVICES – New and second-hand, trade-in, maintenance and repairs.

YOUR INSTRUCTORS: Jean-Luc Lejaille, CFI and senior safety officer, paramotor pioneer (first licence issue in Australia), over 2,500 student days’ experience, instructing since 1995.

Jean-Luc Lejaille CFI 45192 Rainbow Paragliding – APCO Australia PO BOX 227, Rainbow Beach 4581 Ph: 07 5486 3048 – 0418 754 157 Email: <info@paraglidingrainbow.com>

[www.paraglidingrainbow.com] New south wales

Advertising – October 2009 Action Sports Cameras Eco Watch GFA Form 2 HGFA AGM Notice Kangook Lake Keepit Gliding Club Microair Avionics OAMPS SportAviation T&J Sailplanes Moyes

IBC 23 30 IFC BC 23 IFC 15 14 IBC 1

Professional Paragliding • • • • • •

October 2009

Tandem Introductory Flights Paragliding Courses and Certifications Pilot Development Clinics Free Introduction course Tandem Endorsements Sales and service

Dealer for Advance Charly Flytec Icom Adventure Plus Paragliding Pty Ltd Stanwell Park, Sydney Ph: 0412271404 <fly@adventureplusparagliding.com.au> [www.adventureplusparagliding.com.au]

Dragonfly over Strathalbyn

46 Soaring Australia

HGFA Schools

October 2009

Photo: Larry Jones

Soaring Australia 47

Classifieds

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

G FA NOTICE TO ALL GFA ADVERTISERS All advertisements and payment can be sent to: The Gliding Federation of Australia Inc/Advertising Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.

Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960 Email: <Advertising@sec.gfa.org.au> Advertisements may be emailed in high resolution (300dpi at 100% size) using TIF or EPS formats.

Photo­graphs may be pro­vided in either photo print or slides. Low resolution digitals are not suitable.

Photo­graphs, slides or disks may be returned. Please include a self-addressed and stamped envelope for the return of any promotional material.

All GFA advertisements must be paid for prior to publication. (Payment by cheque, money order or credit card). Don’t forget Classifieds deadline is the 25th of the month, for publication five weeks hence.

Single-seater Sailplanes Astir CS with refurbished covered trailer. Good aircraft to fly. Needs some gel-coat work on wings, but flies well without. Basic instruments. Just out of Form 2. Ph: 0419 818315 or <info@gliding.inbundy.com.au>.

Astir CS VH-WVK, basic instruments, Borgelt vario.

Form 2 completed 6/09, new tow-out gear, gel-coat vgc, fully enclosed trailer gc,nothing to spend. Great first glider $18000. Ph: Ross 0409 614319.

ASW 17 c/w enclosed trailer & instruments now in Australia, $39500 Ph: Brad Edwards 0427 202535 or 02 67711733.

ASW 20B Competition ready with Flarm & good instruments, no accident history Form 2 due 8/10, 1600 hrs, new aluminium trailer. For further info email <jaman@dodo.com.au>. Ph: 0409 307576.

Cirrus Open VH-GMO, good condition, good panel, tint canopy, good trailer, tow-out gear, extras. $17000. Contact: <tigermoth@aapt.net.au>.

Jantar 1 19M VH-GOD, good condition, Tasman vario & datapack with Flarm to drive PDA, refinished wings, all tow-out gear, enclosed trailer at $19000.

Ph: 0438 047985.

Jantar 2 Std VH-IUD, good condition, winglets, good instruments, Flarm, recently completed Form 2 & ready for the soaring season with all tow-out gear & enclosed trailer at $25000. Ph: 0438 047985.

Jantar Std VH-IZT. 1750 hrs, 1000 landings.

Good clean condition. Microair radio, Borgelt instrumentation, canopy hinge. Well thought-out trailer & all tow-out gear. Competitive Std Class performance at $30K. Also available hangar Lake Keepit $10K. Ph: Paul 0404 851876.

Kestrel 19m 44:1 (wet), 43:1 (dry), only three prior owners, 2257 hrs, 598 landings, excellent appearance, new National 425 parachute, nice factory-build FRP trailer, incl. hangar at Beverley airfield, complete tow-out set, tail chute, fully flapped, new battery, new Borgelt B400, new Garmin GPS 60, recently overhauled, AH, oxygen system with panel mounted bottle pressure, fully Mylar sealed, fresh Form 2, 70 litre water capacity, watering equipment, full covers set, $29000 incl. free delivery to Vic. Ph: Paul 0427 345560.

Libelle 201 B Sn 454, VH-GCJ. Good condition, new canopy, new panel with Borgelt vario, Flarm & LX 20 GPS logger. New tyres, waterbag, c/w tow-out gear & good trailer. Also parachute & wing covers. For more details ph: Nigel 02 66243999.

Libelle GAK, very good condition, proven performer, fully competition instrumented, parachute or basic package, good trailer. Ph: 0417 447974.

LS1D VH-CTG (F6). 3100 hrs, excellent condition.

Good to look at, flies beautifully & very easy to rig. Regularly & professionally maintained. This is

a unique glider in Australia & a proven Club Class contender (2nd placegetter). Available as a complete package including all instruments, radio, parachute, trailer, etc & 10/09 Form 2 completed. $22000. Ph: Tim Shirley 0417 268073 or <tshirley@internode. on.net>.

LS3 WQS, 1437 hrs, excellent condition, possibly one of the nicest 3’s in Australia. Two-pak on fuse & tailplane, winglets, Cambridge LNav & GPS Nav, OzFlarm, Nose& Belly release, Microair 760, full LS4 U/C, Mountain High oxygen, new Mecaplex canopy, PA Thinback parachute, Komet Clamshell trailer, rig & tow-out gear. Ph: Dave 0427 275171.

Nimbus 2 GOG. Refinished in Ferro. Factory fibreglass trailer with tow-out gear, tail chute, tail wheel mod, nose hook mod, parachute, basic instruments.

Dual batteries & wired for Cambridge 302 & Flarm.

Water ballast tanks OK. Two-man rig. (No kidding) 3033 hrs for 868 launches. $30000. Ph: 0408 195337 or <mike@maddogcomposites.com.au>.

Ventus 2c 18m. Sell aircraft incl. trailer, available for inspection at Warwick airfield, Qld. Ph: 0438 371145 or 0419 989288 to discuss further.

Two-seater Sailplanes Grob 103 Twin 2 Acro. 4100 hrs, refinished in poly, renewed upholstery, basic instruments.

Excellent condition. $60000 ono. Ph: 0408 195337 or <mike@maddogcomposites.com.au>.

K7, in current use. 2411 hrs, 3174 landings, basic instruments & radio. No trailer, $5500 neg. Ph: 0424 958173 or 07 54282329.

Self Launching/Motor Gliders ASK 21 Mi fully equipped, as new, with Cobra trailer, $290000. Ph: 0423 787398.

Dimona H36 stunning climber, great soarer & comfortable tourer. New Sauer 2500 motor. Great value $109000. Deliver free OZ. Ph: John 0418 857509 or 02 66857509.

Dimona H36 with Limbach L2400 motor. Hoffmann three-position prop, latest mods. Folding wings, transponder. All in excellent condition. Glide at 28:1 or cruise at 95kt for 15lph, $95000. Ph: John 03 52366290.

G109A low hrs TT 1630 hrs, eng 48 hrs SMOH. Prop new 2007 TT 48 hrs, transponder, AH, DI, strobe & lights. Fabulous cond. Sale $82500 or 1/4 shares at Lake Keepit, $20000 each. Ph: Ken 02 67613816.

Grob 3 103C Twin, Rotax 505, 206 hrs, 509 flying hrs. Discus style wing LD 38:1, new PU paint, no damage, delight to fly, Cobra trailer with hydraulic lift cradle. Half the price of comparable motorgliders. Price is negotiable! Ph: 0400 553642 or <byrongliding@gmail.com> for details.

Motor Falke, great climber, great tourer, great trainer. Jabiru 2200 motor, frame up refurbishment.

A steal at $73000. Email: <jwitham@nor.com.au> for info.

Pik20B 15m flapped glider, very good condition, winglets, all gear, with trailer, $30000. Ph: 0401 381823.

Pik20e, low hrs TT 500, eng 7 hrs SMOH. Pik trailer & handling gear, oxygen, $65000 ono. Ph: Ken 02 67613816 or <ken.flower747@gmail.com>, GFC reluctant restructure.

SF 25C, little damages to wings after a prop strike, for sale as it is. $15000. Ph: 0423 787398.

SF 25B Scheibe Jabiru 2200 Motor Falke VH-HNO, TT 2275 hrs, engine 215 before top overhaul, 32-litre tank plus 10-litre long range tank. Basic instruments, Microair radio, new tyres, spare prop, etc. 187kg cockpit load. $38000. Ph: 03 95510965 or <info@melbourneglidingadventures.com.au>.

TeST DM8 two-seat Motor Glider. Retractable engine, low hrs, excellent condition. $55000 ono, located Serpentine WA. Ph: 0405 305957.

Tugs Pawnee VH-KLG or Maule M6 HPN KLG TTIS 8200 hrs, engine 1000 hrs, prop. 1000 hrs, HPN TTIS 2500 hrs, engine 430 hrs, prop. 350 hrs. Contact: <info@ soarnarromine.com.au>.

General Business for S ale

Byron Bay Gliding P/L: AOC, perfect location in Byron Bay, $170000 turnover, very good return, for sale $65000. Ph: 0423 787398.

Instruments & Equipment Parachute for sale, Thinback harness with sheepskin lining, Aerolite canopy emergency parachute. Brand new as at 11/07. For further details call: 0438 371145.

Gliding Publications Airborne Magazine: Covering all facets of Australian & New Zealand modelling. The best value modelling magazine. Now $60pa for six issues.

Plans & other special books available. PO Box 30, Tullamarine, VIC 3043.

Free Flight: Quarterly journal of the Soaring Asso­ ciation of Canada. A lively record of the Canadian soaring scene & relevant international news & articles. $US26 for one year, $47 for two years, $65 for three years. 107-1025 Richmond Rd Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8G8 Canada, email: <sac@sac.ca>.

Gliding International: The new international gliding magazine edited by John Roake. Specialising in being first with news from every corner of the soaring globe. A$60 p.a. Personal cheques or credit cards accepted. Contact: Gliding International, 79 Fifth Avenue, Tauranga, New Zealand. Email: <office@glidinginternational.com>.

Sailplane & Gliding: The only authoritative British magazine devoted entirely to gliding. 52 A4 pages of fascinating material & pictures with colour.

Available from the British Gliding Asso­ci­ation, Kimberley House, Vaughan Way, Leicester, England.

Annual subscription for six copies £17.50.

Sailplane Builder: Monthly magazine of the Sail­ plane Homebuilders Association. $US29 (airmail $US46) to SHA, c/o Murry Rozansky, 23165 Smith Road, Chatsworth, CA 91311 USA. Soaring: Official monthly journal of the Soaring Society of America Inc. PO Box 2100, Hobbs,nm 88241 USA. Foreign subscription rates (annu­ally): $US43 surface delivery; $US68 premium delivery.

Technical Soaring/OSTIV: Quarterly publi­ca­tionof SSA containing OSTIV & other technical papers. c/o T U Delft, Fac Aerospace engineering, Kluyerweg 1, NL-2629 HS DELFT, The Netherlands.

Vintage Times: Official newsletter of Vintage Gliders Australia, edited by David & Jenne Goldsmith, PO Box 577, Gisborne VIC 3437, Mem­ber­ship $20 pa.

H G FA Classifieds are free of charge to HGFA members up to a maximum of 40 words. One classified per person per issue will be accepted.

Classifieds are to be delivered to the HGFA office for membership verification/payment by email <office@hgfa.asn.au>, fax: 03 93362177 or post: 4a/60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042.

The deadline is 25th of the month, for pub­li­cation five weeks hence. Submitted classifieds will run for one issue. For con­secutive publication, re-sub­mission of the classified must be made, no advance bookings.

When submitting a classified remember to include your contact details (for prospective buyers), your HGFA membership number (for verifi­ca­tion) and the State under which you would like the classified placed. (Note that the above does not apply to com­mer­cial operators. Instructors may place multiple classified entries, but will be charged at usual advertising rates.)

All aircraft should be suitable for the intend­ed use; this includes the skill level required for the specific aircraft being reflective of the pilot’s actual rating and experience. All members must adhere to the mainte­nance requirements as contained in Section 9 of the Operations Manual and as provided by manufacturers. Secondhand equipment should always be inspected by an indepen­dent person, an Instructor wherever possi­ble. Advice should be sought as to the con­di­tion, airworthiness and suitability of the aircraft. It should include examination of mainte­nance logs for the aircraft. It is unethical and a legally volatile situation for individuals to provide aircraft which are unsuitable for the skill level of the pilot, or aircraft that are unairworthy in any way.

Hang Gliders & Equipment

Sting 140. Good condition, low hrs, two Moyes harnesses, helmet, radio, $1500 firm. Ph: Kev 02 66494437.

Queensland

Queensland

Litespeed S4. Zoom A-frame & carbon basebar.

Less than 100 hrs. Excellent condition. $4800 ono.

Ph: Enda 0409 199676.

VICTORIA

Moyes Litespeed S 14, carbon-fibre LE inserts, Zoom A-frame, two spare Zoom DTs, black US, brand new condition, only has 10 hrs airtime, $6500 firm. Moyes Matrix harness, black, suit 5ft 10 tall, 100 around the chest, Metamorfosi parachute, good condition, $1300. Ph: Damien Ragland 0405 587364, Melbourne.

Paragliders & Equipment Queensland

ITV Tepee, $1300, red, DHV 1/1-2, size L, 75 to 95kg (98 hrs) PG/PPG wing, incl. motor risers.

Ph: 07 46598949 or 0427 805960.

Kangook.com

The latest range of Kangook paramotors, Dudek Reflex paragliders, trikes, flight decks, spares & your reserve parachute equipment all on our website for your inspection with prices. Ph: Ben 0418 753220.

Press To Talk System

PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, PARA SUPPLY / PTT sys, www.parasupply.com Concertina Bag

PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, PARA SUPPLY / Cocoon3 concertina bag, www.parasupply.com

New South Wales

Microlights & Equipment

Fun 220 Tandem Hang Glider with waterproof canvas cover. Under 40 hrs. Yellow/white with PX LE, faired DTs, excellent condition. Also will throw in an old Moyes Mission & Moyes Pod (with parachute).

Seller moving overseas. Bargain at $2900 (reduced from $4000). Contact: <bythesea@tpg.com.au>.

New south Wales

Redback two-seat trike by Airborne. Wizard 3 wing, TT 190 hrs, T2-6043, forced sale, great cond, with radio, side bags & cover, helmets & headsets, always kept in hangar, $16000 ono. Ph: 0407 484625.

RAINBOW PARAGLIDING APCO AUSTRALIA Offering the full range of APCO equipment APCO Aviation three years/250 hours warranty for porosity. Gliders that are made to last unique in the industry. Customer service and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Test centre for APCO gliders [www.apcoaviation.com].

APCO Australia and PWC winner of the Serial Class 2000 Established since 1996, Rainbow Paragliding is based on the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland. The school has access to 25 sites and holds a permit to operate in the Cooloola National Park including Teewah and world famous Rain­ bow Beach. In the Sunshine State, we fly all year round, 60km cross-country flights have been achieved in winter!

FULL LICENCE COURSE – Strictly only four stu­dents per instructor, for quality personalised tui­tion at your own pace, between eight to 10 days.

REFRESHER COURSE – Groundhandling, top landing or asymmetric recovery techniques: Come learn with the experts.

INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, TANDEM OR PARAMOTOR ENDORSEMENT – We have the sites, the weather and the knowledge.

SALES AND SERVICES – New and second-hand, trade-in, maintenance and repairs.

YOUR INSTRUCTORS: Jean-Luc Lejaille, CFI and senior safety officer, paramotor pioneer (first licence issue in Australia), over 2,500 student days’ experience, instructing since 1995.

Jean-Luc Lejaille CFI 45192 Rainbow Paragliding – APCO Australia PO BOX 227, Rainbow Beach 4581 Ph: 07 5486 3048 – 0418 754 157 Email: <info@paraglidingrainbow.com>

[www.paraglidingrainbow.com] New south wales

Advertising – October 2009 Action Sports Cameras Eco Watch GFA Form 2 HGFA AGM Notice Kangook Lake Keepit Gliding Club Microair Avionics OAMPS SportAviation T&J Sailplanes Moyes

IBC 23 30 IFC BC 23 IFC 15 14 IBC 1

Professional Paragliding • • • • • •

October 2009

Tandem Introductory Flights Paragliding Courses and Certifications Pilot Development Clinics Free Introduction course Tandem Endorsements Sales and service

Dealer for Advance Charly Flytec Icom Adventure Plus Paragliding Pty Ltd Stanwell Park, Sydney Ph: 0412271404 <fly@adventureplusparagliding.com.au> [www.adventureplusparagliding.com.au]

Dragonfly over Strathalbyn

46 Soaring Australia

HGFA Schools

October 2009

Photo: Larry Jones

Soaring Australia 47

HGFA Schools VICTORIA

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • VICTORIA

New south wales

PARAGLIDING CENTRE We are based in Bright, NE Victoria, widely renowned as Australia’s best flying region.

Bright has been host to numerous Australian & international competitions.

Feel confident that you are learning with the best, our CFI Fred Gungl (six times Australian Paragliding Champion) has been involved in paragliding since 1990 & instructing for over 10 years.

Courses • Introductory & HGFA licence course • Thermal & XC clinics for all levels • SIV courses • Tow courses • XC tandem flights • Equipment Sales We are now conducting SIV courses.

See website for details.

Dealer for all major glider manufacturers, Charly reserves, Insider helmets & various accessories.

Active Flight Fred Gungl, ph: 0428 854455 www.activeflight.com.au

New south wales

• M T BORAH, MANILLA is the one of the top 10 fly­ing sites in the world & has more fly­able days than anywhere else in Australia. It has 4 large laun­ches for nearly all wind directions & easy, safe top & bottom landings all around. Great ridge soar­ing & XC all in one place. HOST of the 2007 PARAGLIDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! • YOUR CFI IS GODFREY WENNESS: The most experienced paraglider pilot in Australia. Over 7000 hours airtime since 1988, World Record Holder – 335km (1998-2002), Longest Tandem Flight in the World – 223km (2000-03), Multiple National Records, National XC League Winner (inaugural 2001 & 2002), CFI, Instructor Examiner, Australian Team Member, Proto­type Test Pilot, HGFA Safety & Ops Committee (PG), International Comps Organiser, & Owner of World Famous Mt Borah.

• NOVICE LICENCE COURSES: Our famous 9 day, live in, Novice Licence Courses, with genuine small class sizes (<6), go well beyond the minimum requirements & include thermalling, ridge soar­ ing, safety manoeuvres & more. Over a week of the highest quality tuition by highly experienced pilots/instructors, using the latest techniques & equipment costs only $1720 (including accommodation and $400 equipment discount).

• THERMALLING, XC & OTHER TUITION: We spe­ cialise in PG & offer personal one-on-one & group tuition in areas such as basic skills refresher, ther­­malling, cross-country, SIV safety clinics, & Inter­ mediate, Advanced, Tandem, Motor & other ratings.

• HG TO PG ENDORSEMENTS: its easier than you think!

• ONLY QUALITY PRODUCTS FROM THE BEST BRANDS: Importer of Advance, Flytec, Hanwag and JDC. Stockist & service of all equipment, new & secondhand.

• CABINS & CAMPING ONSITE: Stay at Mt Borah – its nice & quiet! Cabins for just $15p/n ($100 p/w) & camping $6 ($35 p/w).

So come flying with Manilla Paragliding, where the per­son who shows you the mountain, owns the mountain!

Phone Godfrey Wenness on: 02 6785 6545 or fax: 02 6785 6546 email: <SkyGodfrey@aol.com> ‘The Mountain’, Manilla, NSW 2346.

48 Soaring Australia

Western Australia

Australia Wide Services HGFA Approved Paraglider Testing & Repairs

• C omprehensive testing and repairs to all paragliders • Fully equipped service and repair agents for: Advance, Aerodyne, Airwave, Bio-Air, Gin, Gradient, Mac Para, Niviuk, Nova, Ozone, Paratech, Sky, Swing, UP • Full written report • Harness repair and modifications • Certified Australasian Gradient Repair Centre • Parachute repacking • Orders taken from anywhere in Australia, New Zealand and Asia • Prompt turnaround PARAGLIDING REPAIR CENTRE

Paragliding Repair Centre 93 Princess Ave, Torndirrup, Albany WA 6330 Mob: 0417 776550 Email: <fly@waparagliding.com> Web: [www.waparagliding.com] October 2009

Soaring Australia

1

HGFA Schools VICTORIA

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • VICTORIA

New south wales

PARAGLIDING CENTRE We are based in Bright, NE Victoria, widely renowned as Australia’s best flying region.

Bright has been host to numerous Australian & international competitions.

Feel confident that you are learning with the best, our CFI Fred Gungl (six times Australian Paragliding Champion) has been involved in paragliding since 1990 & instructing for over 10 years.

Courses • Introductory & HGFA licence course • Thermal & XC clinics for all levels • SIV courses • Tow courses • XC tandem flights • Equipment Sales We are now conducting SIV courses.

See website for details.

Dealer for all major glider manufacturers, Charly reserves, Insider helmets & various accessories.

Active Flight Fred Gungl, ph: 0428 854455 www.activeflight.com.au

New south wales

• M T BORAH, MANILLA is the one of the top 10 fly­ing sites in the world & has more fly­able days than anywhere else in Australia. It has 4 large laun­ches for nearly all wind directions & easy, safe top & bottom landings all around. Great ridge soar­ing & XC all in one place. HOST of the 2007 PARAGLIDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! • YOUR CFI IS GODFREY WENNESS: The most experienced paraglider pilot in Australia. Over 7000 hours airtime since 1988, World Record Holder – 335km (1998-2002), Longest Tandem Flight in the World – 223km (2000-03), Multiple National Records, National XC League Winner (inaugural 2001 & 2002), CFI, Instructor Examiner, Australian Team Member, Proto­type Test Pilot, HGFA Safety & Ops Committee (PG), International Comps Organiser, & Owner of World Famous Mt Borah.

• NOVICE LICENCE COURSES: Our famous 9 day, live in, Novice Licence Courses, with genuine small class sizes (<6), go well beyond the minimum requirements & include thermalling, ridge soar­ ing, safety manoeuvres & more. Over a week of the highest quality tuition by highly experienced pilots/instructors, using the latest techniques & equipment costs only $1720 (including accommodation and $400 equipment discount).

• THERMALLING, XC & OTHER TUITION: We spe­ cialise in PG & offer personal one-on-one & group tuition in areas such as basic skills refresher, ther­­malling, cross-country, SIV safety clinics, & Inter­ mediate, Advanced, Tandem, Motor & other ratings.

• HG TO PG ENDORSEMENTS: its easier than you think!

• ONLY QUALITY PRODUCTS FROM THE BEST BRANDS: Importer of Advance, Flytec, Hanwag and JDC. Stockist & service of all equipment, new & secondhand.

• CABINS & CAMPING ONSITE: Stay at Mt Borah – its nice & quiet! Cabins for just $15p/n ($100 p/w) & camping $6 ($35 p/w).

So come flying with Manilla Paragliding, where the per­son who shows you the mountain, owns the mountain!

Phone Godfrey Wenness on: 02 6785 6545 or fax: 02 6785 6546 email: <SkyGodfrey@aol.com> ‘The Mountain’, Manilla, NSW 2346.

48 Soaring Australia

Western Australia

Australia Wide Services HGFA Approved Paraglider Testing & Repairs

• C omprehensive testing and repairs to all paragliders • Fully equipped service and repair agents for: Advance, Aerodyne, Airwave, Bio-Air, Gin, Gradient, Mac Para, Niviuk, Nova, Ozone, Paratech, Sky, Swing, UP • Full written report • Harness repair and modifications • Certified Australasian Gradient Repair Centre • Parachute repacking • Orders taken from anywhere in Australia, New Zealand and Asia • Prompt turnaround PARAGLIDING REPAIR CENTRE

Paragliding Repair Centre 93 Princess Ave, Torndirrup, Albany WA 6330 Mob: 0417 776550 Email: <fly@waparagliding.com> Web: [www.waparagliding.com] October 2009

Soaring Australia

1

2 Soaring Australia