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September 2010 Soaring Australia 1

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The Warm-up day – ThursdayWe arrived to beautiful weather and what looked to be great conditions over the next four or five days. Jack and Dale re-assembled their motors, after sending the engines over by Aussie post, and we all then headed down to the launch field – about an hour south-west of Christchurch. Magic flat plains on the edge of Lake Ellsemere, surrounded by majestic mountains… Time to fly.

Dave Dennis took off first and did his usual show-off routine, in a vain attempt to unsettle the Aussie contingent, but to no avail. Jack and Dale took to the air and successfully raised the Kiwi’s level of concern.

Dave announced that while doing his acrobatics, he managed to lose his mobile phone, which, as one of the organisers, is about as handy as a hole in the head. We did a cursory look around the field and tried to call it without success. Bugger…

It was time to head off and find our lodgings for the next few days and get some sleep, as we’ve got an early kick-off for the comp in the morning.

day ONe – FridayA 7am meeting in the shooters’ hut for registration and the competition briefing.

Already the Aussie/Kiwi banter had started. Everyone was grinning and us Aussies were extra happy as we had a lot more targets.

Pilots drew numbers from a hat to determine the starting order for the day’s tasks and 8:30am was designated as the start time, with a task briefing on launch. Jack Farrall and Dale Huggard – the Aussie team

Tension and nerves as the clock winds down

Australia Versus New Zealand Championships – 2010

Brett CouplandKiwi Scott Dunster is on the case

September 20101 Australia Versus New Zealand

Championships – 20107 HGFA Operations Manager’s Report8 The Birth And Early Life Of The

Australian Gliding Magazine 10 Peaking For A Major Competition11 Happened Recently On An Airfield12 Pilot Review: Swing Mistral 614 Georgia Paragliding Air Festival

– Caucasus Adventure16 Vintage Gliding Corner20 Getting That Shot26 World Gliding Championships29 Letters to the Editor32 HGFA News37 GFA News38 GFA Business Manager’s Report40 The 2010 Microlight Group Adventure42 Contact Addresses 44 Soaring Calendar45 Classifieds

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 Inter - nationale (FAI) through the Australian Sport Aviation Confederation (ASAC).

CREDITSCover: Tom Wilksch and Jake East ridge soar Pt Bonney,

Wilpena Pound, SA, in Motorfalke VH-FQW during Adelaide University GC’s annual trip

Photo: Justine Thompson in Bergfalke 4, VH-GZQ flown by Anthony Smith

Design: Suzy Gneist, Gneist DesignPrinting: Bluestar Print, Canberra ACTMailing: Bluestar Print, Canberra ACT

NOTICE TO READERS AND CONTRIBUTORSThis 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 con tributions where necessary. Materials of unknown origin won’t be pub lished.

All contributions should be accom panied by the con tri bu-tor’s name, address and membership number for verifica tion 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 light ly 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 CONTRIBUTIONSThe three contact points for HGFA members sub mitting 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.

HGFA SUB-EDITOR HGFA OFFICE & SALESSuzy Gneist Ph: 03 9336 7155 Ph: 07 5445 7796 Fax: 03 9336 7177 <[email protected]> <[email protected]>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, <[email protected]>,

Post to: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, Flaxton QLD 4560. Articles HGFA members should send article contributions to the HGFA sub-editor. Article text is preferred by email <[email protected]> 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 photo grapher 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 <[email protected]>. 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 <[email protected]>. 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.

HGFA WEBSITE CONTRIBUTIONSEmail Club News to <[email protected]>, Email Comp News to <[email protected]>. The information is for ward ed to Soaring Australia and the maintainers of the HGFA website.

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

GFA SUB-EDITOR GFA OFFICE & SALESAnne Elliott Ph: 03 9303 7805 Ph: 02 6889 1229 Fax: 03 9303 7960 <[email protected]> <[email protected]> Post to: PO Box 189, [www.gfa.org.au].Narromine NSW 2821 Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062

GFA ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE GFA Secretary, Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960,

<[email protected]>, 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 Sub-editor, 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 accom panied 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 <[email protected]>.

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.

Winter time in the Clare Valley, South Australia

Photo: Paul Kelley

2 Soaring Australia September 2010 September 2010 Soaring Australia 3

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Dave and I decided to combine a number of tasks to expedite the process.

We combined the ‘Launch’ task, ‘Board Walk’ task, ‘Bomb Drop’, ‘Clover Leaf’ and ‘Motor Off Spot Landing’.

The Launch task is fairly self-explana- tory: Three attempts, then point deduc- tions for each subsequent attempt.

For the Board Walk, we pegged a five metre long and 30cm wide strip of blue vinyl to the ground. Pilots had to fly in and make as many steps as possible along

the strip. The pilot with the most steps gets the maximum points.

The Bomb Drop, again self-explana- tory: Each pilot carries a bag of flour and drops it at a target on the ground, from a minimum height of 100ft.

Closest to the centre wins.We decided to modify the Clover Leaf

task and straightened it out to a line of five kick sticks. Each pilot gets two passes, to kick as many sticks as possible. Best being 10 for maximum points.

The Motor Off Spot Landing required pilots to climb to 500ft switch off their engine and then spot land on the same target used for the bomb drop.

After launching, each pilot proceeded through a practice run of the Board Walk & Kick Sticks, then assesses their options for the Bomb Drop and Spot Landing, before doing their competition run.

Dave Dennis went first to demonstrate the task run. Dale had pulled number five out of the hat and Jack had pulled 13.

So they had a little time to watch the others and assess the competition.

Of the next three Kiwi pilots, only one got off the ground, while the others showed off their kindling making skills. Then it was Dales turn. As expected, a perfect launch. Dale then proceeded through his practice run and then final run. The Kiwis were getting worried now.

We ploughed on through the competitors seeing the many dos and don’ts of PPG and building up a nice pile of kindling. Then Jack stepped up to the mark. Another perfect launch demonstration from the Aussie contingency.

The Aussies were off to a great start and that little piece of silver was edging its way across the ditch.

We got through all the competitors and around midday took a break for lunch. Upon our return though a strong north-easterly had come in, so no further tasks were run that day.

Some of us went up to Little River and free flew from the highest launch in the Christchurch area. A 2600ft launch with the landing only a few feet above sea level. What a way to end the day!

day TWO – saTurdayWe had all competitors meet on launch at 8am for a task briefing. Again, Dave and I had decided to combine two tasks. One was the ‘Power On Touch & Go’ and the other was the ‘Economy Run’.

Power on Touch & Go was simply to touch down on the blue vinyl strip, take 10 steps and re-launch – 100 points for 10 steps. Every step under or over the 10 got a 20 point deduction.

The Economy Run was 20 laps of a two kilometre loop. On the upwind leg of each circuit the pilot had to kick one of five kick sticks spread out across the

Dale Huggard showing them how it’s done

Kiwi Scott Dunster ripping up the course

The combatants All photos: Dave Denis and Brett Coupland

Kiwi Scott Dunster still pushing

2 Soaring Australia September 2010 Soaring Australia 3

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4 Soaring Australia September 2010

for scooping up the ball and carrying it for the 10 or 20m distances.

Slow/Fast Run: For this the pilot had to fly the 50m, between the two rows of cones. First pass as slow as they could and on the second pass, as fast as they could. Each pass was timed, the winner receiving best points. This turned out to be an interesting event and by the time all points were tabulated, Jack had hustled his way into first place. That little Anzac trophy was now sprinting across the ditch…

Monday was to be the last day of competition and the weather prediction was looking good.

The Fi Na L day – mONdayThe final day left only eight serious competitors with a dozen fun flyers thrown in. The final task was for navigation, speed and precision.

Three turnpoints were set in various locations, each approximately one kilometre away from the launch field. Each pilot had to take off, fly to the first

turnpoint, land and stay on the ground for at least one minute, then take off again, fly back to the main launch field, complete a ‘Touch & Go’ on the target, then continue to fly to the second turnpoint. Again, land and be on the ground for at least one minute, then take off and return to the main launch field, land, step out of their harness, go over to a designated marshall and sign a register next to their printed name, then go get back into their gear, re-launch and fly to the third turnpoint. They would land there and again be on the ground for at least one minute, before re-launching and returning to the main launch field. Here they would have to fly across a line between two poles and then climb to 500ft, kill the motor and complete a power off spot landing on the target.

Each pilot was timed and the fastest to complete received maximum points. I held a task meeting and went over the requirements a number of times to drum in what was required. I also made sure marshalls at each turnpoint knew what pilots had to do next and

for them to keep the pilots informed as much as possible.

As, the wind was also starting to get up a little, we set a task shut-down hand signal that required all pilots to land

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launch field. If they missed a kick stick, that circuit did not count and had to be repeated.

Each pilot was weighed with their motor prior to launching and then after completing their 20 (or more) laps, landed

and was re-weighed to determine their fuel usage.

To speed up the process we did not have a launch order so pilots could launch when ready. They would then do their Touch & Go on the blue strip, which also was the start of their economy run.

This turned out to be the most spec- tacular event: Pilots, colourful wings and the fresh smell of two-stroke in the air. All racing round and round the circuit. Spectators going ‘Ooh’ and ‘Ahh’ when a pilot kicked or missed a stick. Even the reps from CAA, (NZ’s CASA) were cheering pilots on.

Dave and Dale took off at similar times and were going lap for lap around the course. Unfortunately, Dale missed a couple of sticks and ended up having to do four extra laps. Even though, the speed of Dales Dudek wing was astound- ing. With trimmers fully in, he completed 24 laps to Dave’s 20 and still landed only half a lap after Dave. Dave ended up using 2.2 litres of fuel and Dale used three litres. Jack’s performance also left the Kiwis with his exhaust fumes in their lungs. Yes, the Aussies were giving the Kiwis a run for their money.

Unfortunately, a strong westerly blew in as predicted around 12:30pm, so flying was canned for the afternoon. Amazingly,

Dave also found his mobile phone in the middle of the paddock.

day Three – suN dayRain was pouring down and the temperature had dropped from 26 to around 4ºC. We were expecting this southerly to clear out by midday and yes, the weather did clear and we were able to get some tasks in.

At this stage, Jack was coming second behind Scott, and Dale was in fourth place behind Evan.

We met on launch at 3:30pm. Again, Dave and I combined three tasks. The ‘Foot Drag’, ‘Ball Pick-up’ and ‘Slow/Fast Run’ – in that order.

We set up two lines of six coloured cones, 25m apart. In each row the cones were 10m apart, creating a 50m run.

The Foot Drag: For every 10m of successful dragging the pilot got 100 points. Every foot lift off the ground got a 20 point deduction and the pilot did not get the 100 points for that 10m section.

Ball Pick-up: As this is a difficult skill, we simplified it to cater to a broader skill level. We placed 10 soccer balls in a line and awarded 100 points for kicking the ball. An additional 100 points for kicking it more than 10m or 200 points for more than 20m. Also, and additional 100 points

Jack hard on Dave Denis' tail

Jack Farrall completing the perfect spot landing

Jack Farrall mowing down the poles

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4 Soaring Australia


HGFA Operations Manager’s Report

This being my second report for Soaring Australia, you will note it is somewhat shorter than my first report. I’m sure you

will be thankful for that!Firstly, I would like to thank those

of you who have taken the time to welcome me to the HGFA, over the past month; as well as providing invaluable insight into the inner-workings of HGFA flying operations.

The past month has been a busy time for me, with a steep learning curve to tackle. I have had many conversa- tions and meetings with a great many HGFA members and I must say it is encouraging to see that there is such a great passion for the sport and a keen interest in ensuring safe and compliant flying operations.

Following my last report, we have received some queries and feedback in regard to some areas of its content. I note that there may be some confusion, so I have revised these particular areas of concern and hope that this month’s report provides a clearer indication of the agreed direction.

CAR 166 VHF RadiosLast month I outlined the agreed direction we were taking in regard to the use of VHF radios for competition purposes. However, there were some minor changes to that agreement post-release of the August edition of Soaring Australia. Hence, below is the current revised version. I apologise for any confusion caused and hope this now

provides you with a tangible process to move forward with.

If any competition organiser is intending to set a task whereby any competitor may have to comply with CAR166 it is essential that either:a) ALL competitors carry a VHF radio

which complies with Australian regulations, ALL competitors have a VHF Radio Operator’s Endorsement and ALL competitors understand where and when to make VHF radio transmissions ‘as appropriate’ to comply with CAR 166; or

b) they apply to the HGFA Operations Manager at least 40 days before the competition date for a CASA ‘instrument’ to vary the CAR 166 requirements for the competition days. The instrument would exempt competitors from carrying a VHF radio but have requirements which CASA deem necessary to ensure the safety of other airspace users.

2. If the competition tasks are such that there is virtually no possibility of any competitor having to comply with CAR 166, the usual application for a NOTAM must be made to the HGFA Operations Manager at least 14 days prior to the event.For further information and under-

standing of the new requirements, HGFA Members should study Civil Aviation Advisory Publications CAAP 166-1 [www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/

main/download/caaps/ops/166-1.pdf] and CAAP 166-2 [www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/download/caaps/ops/166-2.pdf].

Operations ManualThere has been a

significant amount of effort exhausted over the past few months in developing a revised version of the Operations Manual. The current revised document has now been submitted to CASA for review and subsequent approval. We will keep you updated on any further developments in this regard.

In the meantime it would only be correct to thank a many number of people who have contributed greatly to deliver this revised version of the Operations Manual. Such contributors include Chris Drake, Craig Worth,… add any/all others, who I’m not aware of.

Training Facility InspectionsTraining facility inspections will commence in the coming weeks. CASA Sports Aviation representatives have agreed to attend a number of the initial inspections, along with either myself or a nominated representative.

In order to ensure a mature inspection process, we have developed a new training facility inspection report. The initial aim of this report would be to allow the inspectors to check for compliance against the revised version of the Operations Manual. Thereafter, it will allow for a self-inspection process to be incorporated.

Finally…With the peak-flying season fast approaching I welcome any comments or queries you may have, in order to allow you to commence and continue your flying activities in as safe and complaint a manner as possible. Further- more, I hope to meet up with some of you in the coming weeks and months, during my attendance at some of the training facility inspections and other (more sociable) events.

Safe flying.

HGFA OPERATIONS MANAGER

Mark CampbellMobile: 0403 850 881

Email <[email protected]>

5000ft above Bumbunga Lake, mid-north South Australia Photo: Paul Kelly

immediately. This would also be relayed by radio.

Each pilot had a one minute launch window to prevent any collisions. If they did not successfully launch, they had to bundle-up and wait until all others had launched before re-attempting. All pilots except two got away on time.

Now I know the memory of most pilots, including my own, is limited and when added to competition pressure, everything can go to pot. Particularly when the NZ organiser who is flying in the comp, does the task the wrong way, leaving pilots confused. He was obviously disqualified.

The race was heating up and the wind was getting stronger. Finally we had two completions with three more on the way. As two of these pilots completed, a gust front hit. Luckily all but two pilots were on the ground at turnpoints or main launch. I immediately called the task off via radio and marshalls gave the required hand signal to all.

Dale, who was just about to re-launch, got hit by the gust, turtled and dragged backwards into a fence. He was okay and the only damage to his gear was the tips broken off his prop.

Jack was one of the pilots in the air. He got the ‘cancelled task’ signal and completed an emergency crosswind landing. Damn, his legs can move fast,

in fact, I don’t think I have ever seen legs move that quick. To his credit, he stayed on them and brought the wing down safely.

In the task wrap-up, five pilots of the eight had finished. So it was now up the the points tally.

We headed to a cafe in the little town of Tai Tapu and took it over. Dave, myself and the relevant marshalls tallied up the points and cross-checked everything and then announced the results.

WINNER OF THE ANZAC CUP

New Zealand 3871 points to 3836 points

RESULTS

1 Best NZ Pilot Trophy: Scott Dunster 2056

2 Best Australian Pilot Trophy: Jack Farrall 2045

3 Evan Lamberton (NZ) 1815

4 Dale Huggard (AUS) 1791

A great big hot pink ‘Thank you’ to Jack and Dale for taking the time and making the effort to get to NZ and represent us. This was a great event to be involved in and I’m looking forward to next year when we host the Kiwis and do battle for the trophy again.

There is an online video at [www.ppgaustralia.com/Video.htm]

Brett is currently planning the 2011 return bout to be held over Easter 2011 [www.ppgaustralia.com/AussieVKiwi/Aust_V_NZ_PPG.htm] or check the events calendar.

Dale Huggard ripping up the Economy Race

Jack Farrall dropping his bomb...

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was a big advantage. Bill wrote that he knew a printer in Melbourne, Alexander Brothers, who could print the magazine at a very competitive price. I switched to using their services, and was delighted with the result. Australian Gliding continued to be printed by this company for about the next 20 years or so.

In 1954 I moved from Sydney to Adelaide for two years, and then in 1956 to Mt Isa in western Queensland, taking the magazine with me. It must be remembered that I was not being paid to edit the magazine, and I had to have a full-time job in order to support myself. Wherever I went, I took the magazine with me: producing the pages on my portable typewriter and sending them by post to the printer in Melbourne, receiving the printed magazines in a big bundle, putting them into envelopes and posting them to the subscribers. I also had to receive and record subscriptions and send out subscription renewal notices, do the banking, and write cheques to pay expenses. I had to write a lot of letters to people in order to dig up news and new articles. It was a full-time job on top of the need to earn a living.

My glider flying throughout these years was almost non-existent. Although I joined the Adelaide Soaring Club and later the Leichhardt Soaring Club in Mt Isa, I did very little flying and most of what I did was check flights. I was flying so infrequently that I was constantly out of practice. Eventually at the end of 1957 I returned to Sydney, and as the gliding movement continued to expand, the circulation of Australian Gliding continued to rise and the task of producing the

magazine each month was an ever increasing physical, mental and emotional burden.

For some time Bill Iggulden had suggested that I should hand over the task of editing and publishing Australian Gliding to the GFA. I resisted this idea, probably from some possessive, paternal feeling that Australian Gliding was my baby and I did not want to let it go. I expect many parents go through this emotion when their children, who they have nurtured for many years, finally grow up and move away. I truly had developed an emotional attachment to the magazine. But by 1960 a couple of other matters were affecting me. One was my physical and emotional well-being, and the other was another emotional force which had entered my life. I had decided to get married, and did not want my new wife to find herself lumbered with a physical and emotional wreck. So towards the end of 1960 I handed over Australian Gliding to the GFA, having edited and published the magazine for 10 years.

This was not the end of my close association with Australian Gliding, as I served another 10 years as editor of the magazine between 1980 and 1990. By this time the magazine was a different proposition. In the interim, under the guidance of a number of excellent editors, the magazine had developed in many ways and my task during my second spell as editor was much easier, and much more enjoyable. Since 1990 Australian Gliding [now Soaring Australia] has continued to develop and is now well-established as the official journal of GFA, and ranks highly among the gliding magazines in the world.

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he New South Wales Gliding Association was formed, and I was our club’s delegate attending the monthly meetings. By the end of the 1940s, half a dozen members of the Cumberland club were teaching ourselves to fly its Zögling. Sydney Soaring Club was flying its Kite 2 and Slingsby Gull sailplanes. Sydney Metropolitan Gliding Club was flying the Falcon two-seater designed and built by Jack Nunn, and the AWA Gliding Club was flying a Zögling primary glider built in about 1939.

At the monthly meetings of the NSW Gliding Association in 1950, we exchanged news of what the clubs were doing and also told of any news we heard about gliding in other parts of Australia. There was frequent mention of the need to get regular news of activities from other parts of NSW and interstate clubs. After bemoaning the scarcity of news, a desire surfaced to have some form of national gliding magazine or newsletter to keep ourselves informed and to keep abreast of everything that was going on in other parts of the nation.

One of the delegates at the meeting, Bob Muller, said that there was no point in bemoaning the fact that we did not have a national newsletter; what we should do was to produce one of our own. This obvious solution was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. At this time Bob was working as a journalist for the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper, and offered to produce a sample newsletter and present it at the next meeting of the Association. Sure enough, at the

next monthly meeting Bob presented a four-sheet (eight page) newsletter which he titled Australian Gliding and which contained bits of news and comments Bob had gathered, typed up and duplicat- ed. The newsletter was received quite enthusiastically, and Bob offered to produce an issue each month, with the proposed cost of about sixpence per copy to cover the cost of paper and postage. The meeting provided a donation of about £5 to cover the establishment costs, if Bob would keep on with the work of writing and publishing the newsletter.

He accepted this offer, but said he would need someone to help him with the work involved, so I offered to be the helper. At that time I had already done some freelance writing and had several short stories and articles published in newspapers and magazines. So for the next year, Bob and I gathered news and wrote brief articles, typed them on to stencils and printed them onto a duplicator. We assembled them, folded the pages together, stapled them, put them into envelopes and posted them out with an appeal for subscriptions. We suggested six shillings per year. Bob then made two important announcements. One was that he was about to marry his girlfriend Valerie Hunt, and the other was that he had been successful in applying for a position in the public relations office of the Ford Motor Company in Geelong, Victoria. This then left me as the sole editor and publisher of the Australian Gliding Newsletter.

For the next year I continued to produce the newsletter, with the circulation now reaching over 100 copies. It was an interesting job for me, but it was occu- pying more and more of my time, often taking up several evenings each week and at least one day each weekend. I found that I now had little time or energy to do much flying. Although the subscriptions were coming in and we were getting a lot of encouraging comments as the gliding movement expanded, I found that I was often paying at least some of the costs out of my own pocket. However, I looked upon the magazine more or less as my own hobby and did not begrudge the occasional few pounds out of my own resources. I thought that spending money on the magazine was probably better than spending it on cigarettes, booze and girls – none of which I had time for anyway!

To eliminate the tedious job of typing stencils, printing them, and all the other activities with the increasing number of pages, I switched for a while to having the magazine printed by my local letter- press printer. This certainly reduced my workload, but did increase the cost of production. Almost immediately after making this change I had a letter from Bill Iggulden, president of the Gliding Federation of Australia, extolling the benefits of printing the magazine by the offset or lithographic method. This had the benefit of the pages being printed directly from my typewritten copy without the need for typesetting. It also allowed the inclusion at no extra cost of photographs and drawings, which

The Birth And Early Life Of The Australian Gliding MagazineAs told by Allan Ash

aFTer The secONd WOrLd War eNded iN 1945, maNy OF The pre-War gLidiNg cLubs begaN

TO be re-esTabLished, aNd NeW cLubs Were FOrmed. exisTiNg gLiders Were brOughT OuT

OF mOThbaLLs; damaged gLiders Were beiNg repaired, aNd NeW ONes buiLT. i Was TheN a

member OF The cumberLaNd gLidiNg cLub, Which Was buiLdiNg a ZögLiNg primary gLider

iN parramaTTa. severaL OTher smaLL cLubs Were simiLarLy buiLdiNg Or repairiNg primary

gLiders aNd saiLpLaNes aT ThaT Time.

T

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he title of this article was the subject of the third seminar in the University of Queensland’s 2010 Coach Education Seminar Series. I will endeavour to pass on the key messages from the presenters and adapt them to our sport of sailplane racing. There were three topics: Nutrition, Psychology and Tapering, and yes, all three are relevant to us.

NuTri TiONThis lecture was by Michelle Court, a Sports Performance Dietician who has specialised in this area for over 10 years, working with elite, development and Olympic athletes. She currently works as the Sports Performance Dietician for the Australian Cricket Team and Cricket Australia. Michelle spent four years working in the Sports Nutrition Department of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

Every pilot should have their own individual nutrition strategy. Proper nutrition is important if you want to:• Maximise your energy levels• Prevent fatigue• Enhance your skill, cognition

and endurance• Maintain your health and well being.

Check that your nutrition plan includes all the following:• A quality base diet of protein

and carbohydrates• Rehydration with fluid

and electrolytes• Recovery options for after each flight• Ways to avoid dehydration• Protecting your immune system

and staying healthyPreparation is critical, and your

nutrition plan should cover:• The months before the

peak competition• During the competition

• Recovery after the event• Nutrition while travelling to

and from the competition• Preventing illness before and

during the competition.Before the competition you need to

consider the likely weather conditions, particularly temperature and humidity, and the need for and availability of air-conditioned accommodation and pre- and post-flight areas. Assess the availability of suitable eating options during the event. Nutrition is like all aspects of competition. The golden rule is: “Never try anything new during a competition!” The training and pre-competition period is when you should be trying new things.

Before the competition starts you should be at your ideal weight, have your nutrition planned, have your daily hydration needs resolved, know how to keep cool before flight, and have a hydration and nutrition recovery plan for after flight. If keeping cool pre flight is an issue, it is easier to keep cool internally than exter- nally, so use cold drinks and iced snacks. Ice vests and similar external cooling devices will help.

Each day before flight you need to have eaten sufficient carbohydrates and be fully hydrated, especially if you exercise in the morning. Breakfast is crucial in this and must include carbohydrates and fluids. Between breakfast and take-off, maintain hydration and carbohydrate levels, mainly with low GI foods, but avoid eating anything too substantial just before take-off.

In flight, again maintain hydration and carbohydrate levels. While we are not moving around a lot in the cockpit we still burn a reasonable amount of carbohydrates during flight, and these must be replaced as the flight goes on. Carbohydrates can be part of the fluid,

as in sports drinks, or separately as in muesli bars and fruit. High GI foods such as gels are good during flight.

After the flight, it is important to recover and reload quickly if you are to be at your best the following day. This means rehydrating, reloading with carbohydrates and replacing electrolytes. A main meal should be eaten within two hours and should include carbohydrates, protein, fluids and electrolytes. This meal will help you be at your best the next day.

The last thing anyone wants is to be ill before or during a competition, and good nutrition will help ward off any bugs you may pick up. During the competition, when you are eating away from home, avoid buffets where food may have been sitting for some time. Eat freshly cooked foods, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables and only eat at reputable restaurants. Depending on the range of food available in the local area you may need to take your own supplies. You don’t want to get to the competition and find that you have to eat and drink things you are unaccustomed to because you can’t buy your favourites. You haven’t got time to go looking all around town for them.

If you are travelling any distance to the competition, plan what you will eat in transit. Take your own supplies of your known foods and drinks. As there will be a long time sitting, it is easy to over-eat and arrive for the first competition day below you best. If you are spending all day in air-conditioning, this will contribute to dehydration.

meNTaL preparaTiONThis lecture was by Stephanie Hanrahan, an associate professor and director of the sport psychology program at the University of Queensland and a registered psychologist. She is currently editing a Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology, to be published this year. Also being published this year will be the third edition of her co-authored book, ‘The Coaching Process: A Practical Guide to Improving Your Effectiveness’.

As with nutrition there are three phases: pre-competition, during the competition and post competition.

In the immediate pre-competition period you should be avoiding unusual or stressful activities. You want to be in good mental shape at the start of the competition. Before the competition, get to know the venue as best you can, what facilities will be available, where

PEAKING FOR A MAJOR COMPETITIONRalph Henderson

iT’s ThaT Time OF year agaiN, aNd as maNy OF Our piLOTs

prepare FOr The daLby muLTi-cLass NaTiONaLs aNd OTher

cOmpeTiTiONs, This is a reLevaNT TOpic.

T

your accommodation is, where the shops are, what the travel times will be. When you arrive, you don’t want any surprises that you haven’t planned for. Once you arrive at the competition, follow your normal routines. Don’t try and over-think it; stick with your tried and true methods. This is not the time to worry about what you should or could have done in your training and preparation. Accept where you are at and do your best from there.

On each competition day, wake up slowly, repeat positive affirmations, stretch and warm up, smile to yourself, and repeat these things until you feel good about yourself and the day ahead.

What and when you eat should be part of your normal routine. Ensure a balance between rest and activity, check your gear, rehearse mentally and take time to relax.

Maintain a positive, confident attitude. Remember past good performances, and control your arousal and activity levels, which will be different for everyone. Get the right mix of individual and team/group time; again, we are all different in our needs. Don’t get distracted by irrelevant diversions.

Take control of your pre-flight time. Don’t let your mind think about past worries, doubts and negatives. Use self-talk that is positive and constructive, and look to past experiences that are similar to the day’s task. Turn threats into challenges and concentrate on task-oriented factors, techniques and processes rather than outcomes. Relax and use positive imagery.

During the competition, follow your well established routines, and feel confidant and in control. Recover quickly from any distractions and refocus on the important things. Stick to your plans and use what has worked well for you in the past. Remember that we can control what we think and feel if we are practiced at doing it. We want a strong feeling of being prepared and need to avoid any self-defeating thoughts.

There is a range of things we can do pre-flight to be mentally ready. Listen to your coach, warm up physically and stretch, listen to music, isolate yourself from others, use imagery and positive affirmations, focus on the task and use cue words.

You need to be able to modify your competition day routines when necessary. You should have a long and short version of your pre-flight routine. Use the long version whenever you can, but if circum-

stances limit the time you have available, have a short version that you have practiced and that you know covers all essential items. Practice both long and short versions during training.

Not all days go according to plan, either on the ground before take-off, or during or even after the flight. So we need a ‘refocus plan’. Your refocus plan should include: • Concentrate on the relevant factors• Use cue words• Let the situation happen and then

move on, don’t over-analyse itFocus on the here and now, and

break the immediate task down into its critical parts and focus only on these. Use cue words for different tasks. Feel, focus and function the way you want to; take control.

After each competition flight, assess your plans and routines:• Did it work?• Did I feel better?• Was I focused?• What can I improve on?

Use a numeric scale to assess different parts of the flight and different skills, not just good or bad. Did you do better than the day before?

Sleep is very important during a competition. One night of bad sleep won’t have much effect, but more than one night will. If it is an external factor, then deal with it or move.

Post-competition, follow the four Rs:• Review – physical and emotional• Retain – important lessons• Rest – re-charge and

re-energise yourself• Return – move on with the rest

of your life

If you did your best at the competition, be satisfied. The competition is over, accept the result, celebrate your achievement and move on. There are always things that could have been done better. Remember that your performance is not a reflection of you as a person. Be proud of your achievements.

Mental toughness is important. If you:• Gave 100% effort regardless

of the results• Maintained a positive energy

and attitude• Kept a strong and powerful presence• Didn’t make excuses

Then you were successful.

Taperi NgThis lecture was by Andrew Cruickshank, head coach of the UQ High Performance Rowing squad. A Level 3 rowing coach, he has completed postgraduate studies in exercise physiology and has been appointed as the head coach of the Men’s 2008 Youth Olympics Rowing Team.

As gliding is a sport of skill and con- centration, we don’t normally think of physically tapering as being important. But with four weeks of straight competitions coming up in Queensland, maybe it is.

Before a competition, you need some sort of mental taper. You need to start the competition keen, enthusiastic and energetic, not bored and tired. In the immediate pre-competition period it’s important to maintain your routines and not slack off. The intensity of your flying should be maintained, but reduce the length of the flights or take a day off and do something different.

G F A

happeNed receNTLy ON aN airFieLdMartin Feeg

An associate member of the club came flying in. For many years he has been coming to this airfield for a couple of days, so he is very familiar with the layout and runway directions. He announced his approach as per rules. The club members had been looking out for him in anticipation, and were astonished when the aircraft rolled passed them from the opposite direction.

Close shave? No harm done, since no other traffic was close by. But announcing the wrong direction

can have serious implications, and a quick glance at the compass on downwind could have alerted the pilot to the problem.

Safe soaring.


H G F A H G F A

Pilot Review: SwING MISTRAl 6 William Henderson

eveN ThOugh i have FLOWN 170 hOurs aNd abOuT TO geT my advaNced LiceNce, i Like

my WiNg TO be very saFe aNd very sTabLe. i dON’T miNd sacriFiciNg sOme perFOrmaNce

FOr saFeTy aNd sTabiLiTy. uNTiL i FLeW The misTraL 6 i ThOughT ThaT Was The Trade OFF

yOu had TO make.

efore I took the Mistral 6 for a test flight I read articles by professional test pilots and tried to include similar manoeuvres and took note of the same things they report on, such as the stability and solidity of the wing on full speedbar.

I was pretty excited with the opportunity to fly the Mistral 6 with the aspect ratio of 5.9 and the glide ratio of of 9.1. With specifications like this on paper I was not quite sure what to expect. These spec’s are unprecedented in an EN B class (old DHV 1/2 Class) as far as I am aware. I expected a de-tuned advanced wing. I expected it to be very active, surgy and basically a scary handful. I was wrong.

I first flew the Mistral 6.26 at a NSW coastal site and I really couldn’t believe the huge leap in performance. The jump between my previous gliders had been nothing like this. In flight it was really something else. I have flown that site many times on different wings, but the Mistral 6 felt so very lifty and responsive. I mean really lifty. Before I knew it, the wing had soared higher than I had ever been before. I felt I was flying something other than a paraglider, something new that was built to sky out. I was loving it… a lot!

I did a few steep turns and the Mistral’s manoeuvring was crisp and

immediate and came out of the turn with no surge or loss of stability. I engaged full speedbar which came on nicely, and began soaring the cliffs with it on, easily maintaining height. I looked up at the leading edge and there was no flutter of the material as in other wings on full speed-bar. It felt very solid, so I just soared around with full speedbar for a while, nice and fast. The wind picked up to the point where it became time to land – the Mistral’s manoeuvring was precise and made spot-landing on a walk- ing path near the water’s edge easy.

Next I took the wing to an inland site, which was on the limit of being too strong and quite cross from the north – making it a bit rough at that site. Not the best place to be doing a test flight, but I was game to feel the Mistral 6’s reaction to turbulent air.

Groundhandling was very nice, very light and much easier to control than other 1/2s I have tried. Levitated off and went up and up… and up. Again, the wing is so very lifty. The air was strong and thermic at about 400m and I was very surprised by how stable the glider

was. I was expecting a fight for stability, and with the rough conditions I was a tad nervous.

Having flown other 1/2s, I had found them to be quite active and needing a fair bit of control input, but the Mistral 6 was super stable. I felt quite secure and soon relaxed and enjoyed the never-ending climb I was experiencing. The only problem with the wing was to stop it from going up!

I had gained lots of height so I initiat- ed some steeper turns, pulling into them fast with the wing carving around smooth and swift, again coming out of the turn without drama. I pulled in big ears a few times, released one side at a time; wing kept tracking straight, even after holding one side in for a while to simulate an

asymmetric. The tips re-inflated quickly. Not quite as quickly as my Arcus, but just about. One time the very end of the tip took its time, but came out after a second.

I pulled into a few spiral dives, which the wing happily entered. The exit from the spiral dive was very nice. In other wings I have found a bit of drama exiting a spiral dive, where the wing straightens too quickly and swoops up and results in quite a surge that needs some drastic correction. The Mistral didn’t do this. It slowed out of the spiral into a gentler turn as I released the brake pressure. I didn’t notice any surge. Although care must be taken as it doesn’t need a lot of brake pressure to get into a spiral. If you pull brake on too fast it will go too quickly into a spiral and will continue to tighten and you will have to ease up on the brake and apply some opposite brake to bring it out. But if you go in nice and easy, it’s sweet as.

The air was getting very rough, and I was wary of putting on the speedbar too much, but I tried a little and it seemed very stable. Eventually I put on full speedbar and even though I was flying through turbulence it was remarkably stable. Again, I was stunned by its stability. I looked up at the leading edge through some rough stuff and only saw a slight flutter on one cell.

The Mistral 6’s leading edge battens must be the reason for this solid stability. The brakes felt excellent. They felt light with increasing pressure as they were pulled on. Lots of feedback. Spiralling and 360s were very comfortable and very easy to hold the brakes. Big ears and full speedbar felt very solid. I sped out over the flats and with full speedbar, pulled in big ears to get the glider down against its will to go up, then swooped back towards launch and top-landed in a bit of a lull. Very nice on approach with excellent response to control inputs to bring it in.

As I said at the start, I don’t like the idea of trading safety and stability for performance. The certification tests apply to how well and timely the wing automatically recovers from a collapse after hands up. They do not assess the wing’s basic resistance to collapse, but many manufacturers say that a beginner wing is more resistant to collapse, as many test pilots will attest when they report of having to really tug on the lines to induce a collapse compared to more advanced wings. Also, my Arcus 6 EN-A wing is very pitch stable which helps to

keep the wing in an attitude resistant to collapse. These areas were my main concern with the Mistral 6; I like to fly relaxed, with a stable wing over me which has high passive safety.

I found the Mistral 6 as pitch stable as the Arcus 6. The Mistral was less roll stable, but I actually found this a better characteristic for sporty manoeuvring and also found it better for exiting spiral dives because the wing eased out of the spiral slower which avoided any pitch up exit.

I don’t know how Swing did it, but they have produced something unbeliev- able: A high performance wing with a very advanced glide spec’s, tied to the stability and safety of EN B/1-2 class. I envisage pilots, after flying it, might move up from their lower spec’ wings, but also think pilots on higher spec’ wings, might switch to the Mistral 6 because it has similar performance to their wings with the extra safety and stability of an EN-B. As the saying goes, flying 100% on a safe and stable wing will outperform an advanced wing flown at 60%.

B

Photos: Nick Bond

FLyiNg arOuNd Tassie

Above: Ross Right: Hobart

Photos: Peter Clark


generosity. The Georgians hospitality has no boundaries!”

In the end, the more experienced pilots went to Gudauri, the centre for skiing and mountaineering in the Georgian Caucasus. During mediocre conditions they couldn’t achieve any epic flights, but one could anticipate the great potential. Irakli Kapanadze,

who is something like the ‘nucleus of paragliding’ in Georgia, knows the region like no other: “It would be amazing if a larger group of highly skilled cross-country pilots would visit for an entire week or so. We’re simply lacking the experience with the terrain.”

Mik Broschart wants to help: “Our friends in Georgia tell us September

and October are the best times to fly. If somebody has general interest in a paragliding adventure in Georgia, contact me <[email protected]> without any commitment. There are no concrete plans yet and there will be no outlined journey with a commercial background – but I can guarantee an exciting experience.”

Tblisi by the Sea

H G F A

Georgia Paragliding Air Festival – Caucasus AdventureTill Gottbrath, Nova

aragliding is still in its ‘early days’ in Georgia. Of course, there are a handful of really good pilots with up to date equipment. Though generally the sport is still lacking structures, clear teaching methods and mainly experience. At the

same time, excitement for paragliding and hospitality exist excessively.

Good for paragliding: The Georgian authorities wish to promote the sport and the main man behind this support is the Georgian Minister of Environment, Goga Khachidze, who is a passionate pilot himself. His ministry was the festival’s main sponsor supported by the GTZ (a German ecological development program), the tourism authorities and Nova.

During the Festival, the minister received his new Nova Mentor that Mik and Till had brought with them.

The festival itself took place on a site called ‘Tbilisi by the Sea’. While the ocean is far away, the flying area is situated next to a big reservoir right outside of Tbilisi.

A 150m high, treeless, grassy hill offers plenty of launch and landing space for paragliders. Pilots mainly do soaring flights there, but sometimes embedded thermals allow altitude gains. However, one shouldn’t go too high because ‘Tbilisi by the Sea’ actually lies within the control zone of Tbilisi International Airport!

About 30 pilots from Georgia, Armenia, England, Israel and Germany attended the festival. Aside from the main fun competition, there was the ‘social part’, where all participants took advantage of exchanging knowledge and experiences. Mik Broschart explains: “The atmosphere reminded me of my own euphoria 20 years ago. Flying, chatting with other pilots, trying new things, laughing… All the guests were overwhelmed by the hosts’ great

H G F A

P

NOva Team piLOTs mik brOscharT aNd TiLL gOTTbraTh receNTLy received a LasT miNuTe

iNviTaTiON TO The geOrgia paragLidiNg air FesTivaL. iT Was heLd aT The eNd OF JuNe iN

The geOrgiaN capiTaL TbiLisi aNd Was The FirsT eveNT OF iTs kiNd iN The caucasus regiON.

iN Their baggage, mik aNd TiLL TOOk ONLy a LiTTLe iNFOrmaTiON buT LOTs OF JOyFuL

aNTicipaTiON. pLeNTy OF surprises Were aWaiTiNg The germaN piLOTs…

Minister Goga Khachidze and his new Nova Mentor

Mik’s Caucasian helmet

Gudauri launch Photos: Courtesy Till Gottbrath, Nova


ausTraLiaN FLighT ceNTeNaries

Dave Goldsmith

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au]

In a unique moment in Australian flying and gliding history, the Duigan and Taylor replicas shared the limelight at the centenary

celebrations at Mia Mia, Victoria, on 16 July this year.

The Taylor was the first Australian-built glider to fly, and the Duigan the first Australian-built powered aircraft to fly. It was exactly 100 years earlier to the day that John Duigan had coaxed his unique

aeroplane on a seven-metre cross-country at the family farm, a short distance from the Mia Mia oval which was the venue for the celebrations. The two replicas basked in the admiration of a huge crowd. Here, in one place, were examples of the craft that blazed the trail for Aussie flying as we know it today: sailplanes and powered planes! With only a joyflying helicopter and an occasional

overflight by sport or vintage aircraft to contrast 100 years of progress, the spirits of John Duigan and George Taylor

felt strangely close. Altogether a day to be remembered.

The Duigan replica was built by Terry Egan and some helpers, and the Taylor glider replica by the Australian Gliding Museum to celebrate the first heavier than air free flights in Australia on 5 December 1909.

The 1910 Duigan biplane replica

Gliding 1909 style: the Taylor glider replicaDuigan and Taylor together

intage gliding cornerV

Dave Goldsmith

The hot ship of the late 1950s to early 1960s was the Ka6, which Schneiders started making under licence at

Parafield. In 1964 the ES60 Boomerang appeared, and was just about to go into production. The Balaklava club was in the market for a high performance single-seater, and we had the big decision to make: Ka6 or Boomerang?

Up until then, Schneiders had to make gliders as they were ordered, and had recently at last been able to start batch production. There was a final clutch of ESKa6s being built, and the

last one, VH-GNB, had not been sold. Harry Schneider offered it to us, and it would be available some months before a Boomerang. What to do?

We thought long and hard, and a few of us drove to Benalla to look at the two Boomerang prototypes being flown in the Nationals there in 1965/66. Eventually we chose the Boomerang, knowing that it would not be ready until late in the year. Before it arrived we’d bought a second-hand Ka6, but that’s another story. Finally Boomerang VH-GNG came along, and we went well into the red to get it! Oh, and that Ka6 which Harry was getting desperate to sell? One of our farmers (John Reid) had sold his farm, moved to Adelaide, and bought the Ka6.

We had a busy time that year. Our famous aircraft painter, Ken ’Cactus’ Cathery, painted the Boomerang, the Ka6, and the Ka6 again (but with a much smaller workforce by then). Reidy had outlanded in the hills near Rhynie and had an argument with a fence and a large post. He was very lucky: the fence wire went over the canopy which didn’t break, and the post hit the side of the

fuselage a glancing blow, so not too much damage.

A short while later, it was the day after our annual dinner. No one felt like flying when our flying farmer turned up in his Auster tug looking for business. I hadn’t felt like flying either, but got talked into it. “Tow me around at 1000ft,” I asked him. Finally we hit a

bump, and I worked up to about 11 000ft in GNB for my Gold height gain.

That year our little club had four aircraft out of about 32 entries at the Waikerie Nationals. We had the new Boomerang, the Ka6, Reidy’s Ka6 which he shared with Dene Newton, and three intrepid pilots shared the little Kingfisher.

Ken Cathery has his reward for painting the brand new Ka6, GNB, 31 July 1965

Two prototype Boomerangs flew in the Nationalsat Benalla in 1964/65. This one belonged to the Waikerie club, the other to the Iggulden brothers

John Reid in his Ka6 GNB over Kimba on 2 April 1966, taken from Boomerang GNG

hOW harry sOLd gNb


gLidiNg iN The sixTies: mOre ON

max hOWLaNd iN marJ pegLer’s ka6

Kevin Rodda (Continued from Vintage Gliding Corner in the August 2009 issue)

I heard that the Darling Downs Soaring Club at Jondaryan, QLD, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this month [4 September – see

notice in July and August issues], and this prompted me to take a look at the club’s history on the DDSC website. The club’s beginnings are given there as:

“In 1959 Max Howland from Kingaroy, in an Australian designed Kookaburra two-seat glider, landed at Oakey Airfield. He got a tow out and eventually outlanded in Lindsay Richards’ paddock. Lindsay Richards then organised a group of people, including Dennis McCaffrey, Rex Teakle, Jim Wetherspoon, John Bell and Peter Walker and formed the Darling Downs Soaring Club in 1960.”

Max would have found the Oakey airfield a much different operation to land at these days. The Army assumed responsibility for the base in the 1970s. It developed the facility as a significant Army Aviation training base, and since 2003 it has been home of the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School (ADFHS).

As mentioned in the previous article, when I collected my KA6 (GRV) from Locksley Airfield, Victoria, in May 2009, amongst the papers that came with her was a letter from Max Howland to Barry Deeth dated 16 September 1999. The letter provided some history of the glider and his flights in it, as well as some interesting insight into the trials and tribulations of the fledgling sport of gliding in the 1960s:

Dear Barry,Geoff Raph saw me at our recent

Aircrew Dinner and said you had purchased Marj Pegler’s Ka6. He thought you may be interested in some of its early history. While my war log book is formal, my gliding log has photos and descript- ions. So I have had a trip down memory lane. I was surprised at what I had forgot- ten. I will more or less list the data except for the bird bits at the beginning.

How come the Ka6? Marj Pegler, Cornwall Station, west of Quilpie had a working holiday in England in the early ‘60s – poultry farm and all that. She learn-

ed to glide at Lasham with Derick Piggott. When she returned home she decided to purchase a glider and fly it in their station area. They graded a strip and built a hanger. She asked Derick what she should buy. His answer – the highest performance glider you can afford. The Ka6 was at the top of the scale in those days. I believe Harry Schneider handled the purchase. She contacted the GFA and advised them of her intentions.

I got a call from Bill Iggulden – “This girl we’ve never heard of is buying a Ka6 and plans to fly by herself in the west – see what you can follow up.” I did make contact and it was arranged she would come in to Kingaroy during my May holiday and fly. My log book tells me she did advanced instruction flights. I notice that Ian Aspland did dual IF at the same time and I also flew with Frank Maiden. She expected delivery by August and it was arranged I would drive out to Quilpie with my family and our Hutter – the H17.

She collected the Ka6 from Adelaide and hit floods near Quilpie. When this happens the road bridge is out and traffic used the railway bridge – so the Ka6 arrived over the railway bridge.

12 August 1962 and the Howland family arrived with the Hutter. There had been some more rain and the strip was flooded. The Pegler family was in Brisbane for the show and Marj at Cornwall. We dug drains, pushed the shallow water with boards, used brooms, and even a tractor. Finally we could car-tow, with the car on one side of a pool and the glider the other. Hutter first – two circuits. Then Ka6 – cable break first try, then a circuit. My log book comment – ‘handles like a thoroughbred’.

[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au]

Rain again at night and a few more days clearing the strip. Three days later – Hutter first. Thermal. An eagle joined me low down and was circling and flapping as well. Very strange I thought. It soon reached me, got behind me and I lost sight of him. I could hear his squawks and he appeared angry. He left the thermal when I did. Next 34 minutes in Ka6 – spin and other trials.

Marj said a Cessna pilot a week or so previously had been attacked head-on talons-down by an eagle. It was apparently the breeding season and with plenty of eagles they were very territory- conscious of other ‘big birds’. Our own wedge-tail story continued to develop. Marj flew, but mainly circuits. I did some soaring. At first the eagle left when I left the thermal. From my log book: ‘to 2500ft. Attacked by two eagles which flew in. Came 20ft above, rolled, and dived down to break off just above the wing (which I had lowered). When I turned towards them they came in from straight ahead with feet down, squawking loudly. They aimed at the canopy!’

On another flight the eagle left when it was attacked by a small hawk of all things. We tried throwing out toilet paper, pieces of meat, actuating dive brakes, swearing at them (they would have heard me as I could hear them squawking). Where earlier they had tended to leave the thermal when I did, after I tried unsuccessfully to ‘attack’ them they stayed with me even down the base leg. Marj was firing a shotgun and later a rifle. I notice from a log book note that on one flight, Marj picked up a thermal at about 500ft, but was joined by the eagle at 700ft.

Eagles at other places had sometimes formatted in fun, but there had been attacks. I heard of one case where a talon was left in a wing. When recounting some of the Cornwall flying in later years I could sense some gliding people thought I had a good imagination – which rather amused me after my wartime flying. It was of course doubtful if Marj could successfully fly at Cornwall. She did get a permit to have a .38 doctored for blanks, but by the end of the year she decided to give up on Cornwall gliding.

Christmas 1962. Kingaroy took their Kooka to fly at the 4th Australian Championships at Narromine. Quite a crowd of us went. From the log book photo I recognize Jim and Harold Powell and Trevor Sherrard. Marj and I flew

as a two-seater pair. Up to at least the end of the ‘60s it was common for two pilots to share a kite in a contest – solved crewing and shortage of aircraft. The Howlands and Marj came to an agreement: Marj and her large car (I forget the type) and the Ka6, and the Howlands with a team of four and when suitable a caravan. As a teacher I had three holiday periods a year. The Ka6 would be left at Oakey (Marj did some flying at Darling Downs Aero Club also). She would come in three or more times a year and we would competition and holiday fly.

As available we used gliding club facilities at Oakey, Kingaroy, Inverell, Narromine (during comps), Benalla, etc. We slept rough, in my 12 by 12 tent and in the caravan as appropriate. Over the years a radio was acquired and an AH fitted. I will list the ‘events’ where the Ka6 was flown. All except once Marj and I, and at times a few others – eg, Keith Wright and Geoff Strickland – flew. Our children stayed in the team until they became late teenagers; Cherie went solo, but left gliding when she married.

The main ‘events’ [in GRV] were:1. April 1963: Queensland Gliding

Championships at Oakey. I notice Ian and Alan Rogerson in one photo.

2. January 1964: Second Queensland Championships at Inverell.

3. April 1964: No. 1 Queensland Gliding at Kingaroy.

4. December 1964: 5th Australian Championships at Benalla

5. April 1966: 4th Queensland Championship at Warwick

6. August 1966: 3rd Queensland Gliding School at Kingaroy.

7. December 1966 to January 1967: Gliding tour to Benalla. 2000ft gain at Inverell. The Ka6 was purchased by Ian

Aspland, later sold to Jim Warner.[signed] Max Howland

The subsequent history of GRV was outlined in the previous article. Also mentioned at that time was Max’s second Diamond Distance flight following the 1964 Australian Championships at Benalla, when a few Queenslanders flew part of the way home. He expands upon that flight:

“On 11 January 65 it dawned a southerly gale. If you did a few turns in a thermal after the winch launch you would not get back to the strip. Marj decided not to fly and offered the Ka6 to me. In shorts and with no preparation, I tore bits of maps and with Ian Aspland and Maurie Bradney gave it a go – the result was three Diamond distances. Ian and I landed at Narromine and Maurie at Dubbo.”

Sadly Max’s long-time winch operator and groundcrew member (his wife Daphne) passed away earlier this year.

GRV in hangar at Locksley, May 2009

intage gliding cornerV

GRV on arrival at Caboolture

GRV on flight line at Darling Downs Soaring Club, October 2009

GRV in hangar at Caboolture


Daniel Carlisle

Free-FLyiNg dOes OFFer

a FaNTasTic pLaTFOrm

FOr iNTeresTiNg aNd

dyNamic phOTOgraphy

aNd experimeNTiNg

WiTh NeW camera

sysTems aFFOrds greaT

OppOrTuNiTy FOr

iNveNTiON aNd caN

be a LOT OF FuN!

prec auTiONsThe primary risk with aerial photo and videography is the tendency to be focused on getting a great shot, and the pilots attention being drawn away from the process of piloting the aircraft.

Cameras are historically notorious for their powers of distraction, often exacerbated by inspiring people to try and perform higher than usual, sometimes beyond their abilities. It is easy to find yourself more focused on getting an awesome picture than any potential hazards and thus your circle of awareness becoming narrowed.

Some camera rigs force a glider to operate outside of a normal configuration as intended by it’s design. Particularly systems which are suspended from a paraglider canopy or lines, or that extend with some structure out from the pilot or harness.

discL aimerThis article is in no way meant to serve as any sort of authoritative or instructional document on paragliding or photography. The intension is purely in sharing a few ideas and, hopefully, stimulating a dialog between any pilots or photographers with similar ideas. As with all aspect of flying, any decisions and all responsibility lay with with the pilot in charge of the aircraft and, as such, neither myself nor the publisher assume any liability for actions taken as a result of reading this article.

The simplest place to start is obviously just to take a camera up with you when flying. A lanyard of some sort is always recommended and, depending on the style of images your after, a wide angle lens or adaptor will allow you to fit a lot more in your frame.

From here the camera can be mounted in all manner of different places on the pilot and harness system. Among the most popular are: helmet mounts and POV systems, knee and flightdeck mounts that point back at the pilot. There is a great range of digital camera systems made specifically for sports photography. Many of these include an assortment of straps, brackets and mounts for helmets etc, however, a great extension to such

a kit can be in modifying and making your own mounting systems.

The ‘1/4-20’ or quarter inch thread is a universal mounting system for virtually any camera on the market and is what you’ll find on the top of any camera tripod. It’s cheap and easy to buy 1/4-inch bolts from a hardware store and start to experi- ment with attaching cameras to anything you can think of. Old tripods and other redundant camera equipment can be another great source of useful materials.

The next great progression is to extend the camera outward from the pilot, changing the perspective and opening up opportunities to include more of the pilot and background in the shot.

This can be achieved in any number of ways. One of the easiest, though perhaps not the cheapest, is to use a lightweight camera monopod, fitted with a ball or swivel head. The advantage of a monopod, apart from their compatibility with cameras, is that they are telescopic, allowing the whole system to be shorter and easier to stow during take-off and landing than a system with a fixed length.

I have found that the monopod rig can be slightly improved by fixing a 1/4-20 stud or bolt into the foot (narrow- er end) of the monopod, thus allowing the swivel or ball head to be attached to the lighter end.

This not only means you have less weight at the outer/camera end, but also allows the pilot, or passenger to hold the thicker/heavier end which is usually also fitted with hand grips and lanyard points, etc.

A good swivel or ball head provides a huge range of angles which can be pre-set and locked off so that when the monopod is at full stretch, the camera will be pointing exactly where you want it.

The monopod system can also be rigged directly to the harness and extended and retracted while airborne, so that while recording video or using a stills camera with a timed interval, you can go back to flying the glider and let the camera do the work of getting the images, it can then be telescoped back into a compact configuration that does not obstruct a safe launch or landing.

Video shot with this kind of system gives a fantastic perspective as the pilot remains fixed in frame while the background moves around them.

One way of rigging this system to a paraglider harness is to attach the base end of the monopod to the underside of the seat plate and to carefully make a small incision in the front of the seat plate sleeve through which the monopod can protrude and be extended and retracted.

I highly recommend that any system that requires deployment or stowage while airborne be thoroughly rehearsed/drilled by hanging your harness up from a tree or ground-based hang point and going through the procedure in different scenarios ensuring that the system does not in any way effect the process of getting in and out of your harness, that you can stand, jump, run backward and sideways and that you are still able to comfortably assume any position that

geTTiNg ThaT shOT

Improvised helmet camera mount

Monopod with a 1/4 inch bolt mounted in the foot for attachment to a ball head/swivel mount

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may be required for a safe take-off, flight and landing.

Another great and very popular camera angle is shot straight down or at various angles, from the canopy or lines toward the pilot and ground. These kinds of images, in both stills and video, often seem to help capture the sensation of flying. Having the pilot in frame and in context brings something to aerial photo and videography that is difficult to find even with helmet, handheld and ‘Point Of View’ style images, with straight down canopy shots giving a unique perspective of the sky, landscape, water or terrain and all of its textures and colour.

The downside is that by putting the camera in a remote position the photographer loses some control over shot composition and timing.

There are various ways around this, however, probably the most popular set- up, particularly with stills, is to use a digital camera which has a timed exposure setting, which will open the shutter at pre- determined intervals and provide you with a memory card full of images to scroll through, looking for that great shot.

Another solution I have had some success with, though not as easy to set-up, is to grab an older, perhaps cheap or technically redundant digital camera, to carefully take it apart and rewire the shutter and other controls for operation by remote switch. This wiring, usually a very lightweight and flexible multicore cable, can be carefully routed down the lines to the harness and pilot. The system can be operated with buttons mounted

in a handheld enclosure, allowing more precise control over the timing of each exposure, without needing to let go of the controls. A set-up like this can also allow the camera power to run up the same multicore and the battery be stowed in the harness, keeping the weight of the camera as low as possible.

Some modern digital cameras are extremely compact and some are quite well-suited to being mounted on the underside of a paraglider, however, to keep the profile of the camera low, reduce the chance of interfering with the lines and to help protect the camera during take-off and landing, I usually mount it in a small block of medium density foam (the grey stuff you find inside hard camera cases and some packing boxes). This can be snipped and sculpted into a custom fitted enclosure, allowing small holes for the lens and control buttons, which can be taped to the glider with spinnaker/glider repair tape.

Attaching any foreign objects or materials to paraglider canopy or lines is always controversial and will most certainly affect its flying and recovery characteristics and thus fall well outside of any glider manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations for safe operation.

Any experimental camera systems should only be attempted by experienced pilots at a known flying site in easy conditions where the level of distraction for the pilot is kept to an absolute minimum.

Any new system should be thoroughly tested by strenuously groundhandling the glider, preferably with an experienced pilot observer, who can check for any adverse wing deformation or line entangle- ment. Groundhandling the system is also a great way to test everything and double check your framing and camera set-up.

As a general rule, the best position for a canopy-mounted camera is in the centre of the wing, between the two inner B-line attachment points, with the

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Monopod rig mounted to underside of a PG harness seatboard

Foam block sculpted to fit camera snugly. Mulicore cable wired directly into the camera controls

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Pole camera stills


camera pointing straight along the axis of the main B-lines. Apart from ensuring the pilot is centre frame, this is the most stable part of the wing surface and the least prone to distortion in ‘normal flying conditions’.

When shooting video, I usually set the camera rolling just before launch and record the entire flight. With both stills and video, I find that by setting the camera at a wide angle and setting the resolution to maximum, that there is

H G F A H G F A

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Foam mount taped to the undersurface, adjacent to the inner B-line point of attachment. Camera lanyard connected to same POA

enough latitude to crop and re-frame the image later on your computer.

With a very compact, lightweight digital camera it is possible to mount the system out from the centre and explore more interesting angles, however, the further from the middle of the wing an object is attached, the more likely it will affect the stability or the glider and, in particular, its ability to recover from an asymmetric collapse.

I have heard of a camera that was mounted right out on a paraglider wing tip, inducing collapses which ultimately resulted in a cravatte which cascaded further into a spin… So needless to say any experimentation with your wing surface should be taken very seriously, and only explored with extreme caution and consideration for the pilot’s level of experience, the flying site and conditions and, of course, the inherent stability of the glider itself.

I personally am somewhat of a fair weather aerial photographer and will, on most occasions, choose to leave the camera system in the car so as to reduce the distractions when flying, particularly if there is any question as to any of the other variables. After all, I’m more likely to get great pictures when the conditions are good, the light clear and bright and the flying easy and fun.


The opening ceremony was held in the local town square in soft drizzle, and the speeches made by damp dignitaries were thankfully short and welcoming. Day one was a day for marshalling practise, and the first time all 146 entries collected on the grid. Day two saw the launch of the Open and 18m Classes into overcast and low conditions. The 18m Class was cancelled and called back to the ground, and the Open Class made its first sortie into the now available Serbian airspace.

Two competitors completed the task and many flew very respectable distances in the poor conditions. As most of the Open Class is fitted with engines many turned on the power and flew home, while all others headed for home. Only three of the 50 competitors landed out, two in Serbia.

All teams were very well briefed on how to cross the border to and from Serbia, so this was a test on how well this would work. The two pilots, one from Russia and one from Brazil, found it was easy to get into Serbia – but another story to get back into Hungary. After five hours of questioning and seeking papers for car, trailer, glider, pilot and crew, they arrived home at 3am.

The second day was still overcast, but with a promise of some clearing weather in the afternoon. The task was set into Serbia again on this day. Some teams expressed concerns about the difficulties at the border experienced the night before, and the organisers’ response was to cancel the task for this day.

So it is day three, and all classes have been launched into a blue sky with the occasional working cu. It seems we are about to experience how 146 gliders will land at Szeged on the first full contest day of the Hungarian World championships. I will be there on the finish line with my camera, as it offers an exciting opportunity we do not get to see in Australia.

The forecast for the last week is for a return to hot and humid weather, so I look forward to a busy time to the end.

30 JulyThe day finished very sadly for the Australian team. One of our pilots, Lars Zehnder, hit a truck on approach over the highway into the airport. Lars in okay, but the truck driver is critical at this time… The issue with the accident looks to be very difficult…

The weather is challenging, to say it kindly, and the organisation is struggling,

however, we are in good spirits and I am enjoying my little team: Japanese pilot and team captain, Polish glider crew and Hungarian crew. We are a small family group after the time we spend together and they look after me very well…

This is the last week and we are still waiting for the famous Hungarian weather. I suspect that the marathon glider pilots will come to the fore here this time over the sprinters. Each day is a slogging match with low ceiling, numerous storms and far too many gliders. It takes tough mental and physical application to front up each day, and pilots who are not used to this are now starting to tire. For those who are camping in the less than adequate site is must be an extra burden.

2 AugustYesterday the whole 15m Class landed out in Serbia. The organisation here was convinced that they had everything in place to ensure easy border crossings for the crews; however, it turned into a farce, with all crews being detained at the border for hours and most arriving back between 2 and 4am for what would normally be a two-hour retrieve.

The Irish team manager set off to collect his pilot. It seems the first problem was that the TomTom GPS has no information about Serbia other than the one main road that runs to the capital, so working off aviation maps he bravely set out by himself to the rescue.

WOrLd gLidiNg champiONships

The ausTraLiaN Team iN prievidZa, sLOvakia, FOr The uNFLapped WOrLd gLidiNg champi-

ONships FrOm 3 TO 18 JuLy cONsisTed OF charLes dOWNes (capTaiN), aLLaN barNes (cLub

cLass), michaeL cOdLiNg (cLub cLass), TObias geiger (sTaNdard cLass) aNd peTer TempLe

(sTaNdard cLass). cOmpeTiTiON WiNNers Were LaureNT cOuTure (FraNce) iN a pZL pW-5

FOr WOrLd cLass, arNdT hOvesTadT (germaNy) iN a sTaNdard LibeLLe FOr cLub cLass, aNd

sebasTiaN kaWa (pOLaNd) iN a discus 2a FOr sTaNdard cLass.

The eveNT Was heLd iN very hOT aNd sTOrmy WeaTher, resuLTiNg iN a Number OF seriOus

iNcideNTs iNcLudiNg ONe FaTaL accideNT resuLTiNg FrOm a spiN, ONe mid-air cOLLisiON

iN Which bOTh piLOTs LaNded saFeLy, aNd NumerOus cLOse caLLs.

G F A

eanwhile the Australian team for the Flapped World Gliding Champi- onships at Szeged, Hungary, is made up of Greg Schmidt (Team Captain) and pilots Tom Claffey (Open Class), David Jansen (18m Class), Graham Parker (18m Class) and Lars Zehnder (15m Class). From the team’s blog at [http://aussieglidingteam2010.blogspot.com/], again weatherwise the news has not been good. On the first day that competition flying could take place, 27 July, the 18m Class was cancelled after launch, while Open Class pilots found up to two-knots to cloudbase (about 2000ft). After a day of struggling, a Hungarian dinner of meat and potatoes was served.

Beryl Hartley at her 12th World gliding championships reported from Szeged on the third day, Thursday 29 July:

“I arrived in Budapest one week prior to the practise period to a hot and humid city; locals complained about the high

humidity and the stores were doing great sales in fans and airconditioners. The expectation is that the Hungarian plains have very similar conditions to Australia, and in a more normal weather pattern that may be very true. In keeping with the theory that a World championships can bring a weather change not experienced for 100 years, the northern spring in Hungary brought extensive flooding, and the result was very humid conditions with storms in the high country on most days.

After five days of tourist activities in the beautiful city of Budapest, I met up with my Japanese friends, collected the trusty VW Polo and headed for Szeged.

Szeged is a moderately large east European town in the south of Hungary, close to both the Serbian and Romanian borders, with a relatively small local gliding club and the usual sized airport: one concrete strip and a large overall grass area. The organisers are a young and enthusiastic group of pilots and have helpers from throughout Hungary who struggled at the start with the sheer numbers associated with 146 entries in this World championships.

My first impression is how large the entry has become, and how little fanfare and pomp is associated with this championship: a regular small country club, a small bistro with one beer tap, a briefing hangar with just enough tables and chairs for pilots and team

managers, a friendly group of very young workers cheerfully managing with very limited facilities.

The usual jury of three was reduced to one capable member in Peter Ryder. Brian Spreckley as chief steward took on an increased role as he assisted the local organisers in setting up local procedures to ensure a safe and fair championships.

The practise week brought more hot and humid weather, and was testing on the ground for all pilots, crews and workers. Imagine a contest in late November/December at Batchelor in the Northern Territory.

Surprisingly, most European competitors camp at these large events, and the camping ground at the airport swelled to over 600 people in a very short period. From the one-man tents to the large three bedroom motor homes, they all packed in and set up home for a few weeks of what was expected to be hot and dry conditions.

When all the visiting vans and campers turned on the airconditioning, the local power station had a meltdown. So did the campers when the tempera- tures soared to 37ºC with 80 to 90% humidity. Urgent calls went out to supply extra power and water, and after some days the services started to meet the demands – just in time for a weather change, at the start of the competition, with a cold change and rain.

M

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David and Lesley

Photos: [http://aussieglidingteam2010.blogspot.com]

The Australian team during the opening ceremony

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G F A


Response to Ralph Henderson’s article ‘GFA

Board Members Term of Office – Why Change?’ in last month’s issueAs one of the authors of the current GFA Articles and architects of the migration of the company from a Public Limited Company to an Incorporated Association, there are a few points that should be made.

In the management and governance selection process, there were six models proposed, debated and distilled until we got to pretty much what we have now. As much as possible it was lifted from the previous articles where it suited the Associations Act. The term of tenure was one of them. What happened was that an inadvertent ambiguity crept in regarding the possible interpretation of the exact wording. Whilst intended to mean a maximum of five years in any one position, it can be interpreted as applying to any one Board member. The proposed change merely seeks to remove this ambiguity.

If this is a ‘mistake’ then Ralph is at fault as much of any of us. He was then Chairman of the Development Department and an Executive member in the thick of the constitutional considera- tions. At the end of the day we were all asked to vote to accept the new articles as proposed, and we did. If now there is some fine-tuning to improve the meaning, then let’s just get on with it.

It’s worth noting that early versions of the GFA Articles had NO tenure limits at all. That’s why presidents like Bill Iggulden served for 19 years, and there are others well over five years. The real issue is why have a tenure limit at all. We can’t change that at this AGM – but worth considering for the future? If you desire to have a tenure limit, then why just for Board positions? Why not for any GFA Officer position such as RTOs, etc? The fact is that we rarely have any options put forward for Executive or Board positions, and therefore there is no contest. Most Board members have had enough before the five years are up, and rather than being overrun with zealous willing debutantes, we are scrambling to find replacements. Most problems with officers overstaying their use-by date happen at the lower levels (RTOs and others), and thankfully even this is rare. I can assure you it’s not about the glory, and the pay is lousy.

There is no magic about the desire to remedy the ambiguity at this AGM. It’s taken this long for the realisation to come to light, and for there to be a will to act. Another lesser point is that all the tenure terms were simultaneously reset at the migration, in order to bring all terms of office into line at least for the first five years. Any wholesale change as a consequence could be disruptive, and would result in a loss of corporate knowledge – which we can do without when there are far greater threats to the movement’s administrative independence.

Lastly, if the Article is left unchanged and interpreted to mean a maximum of five years for any Board person irrespec- tive of function, then there would be another consequence. No member could be a president or any other Board officer for a full term unless they go from ordi- nary member to that position in one step, without proving themselves or gaining the necessary Board/Executive experience to handle the function. That was never intended, nor is it good governance.

Maurice Little <[email protected]>

From the GFA PresidentThis is in response to Paul Mander’s

letter to the President included in August 2010 Soaring Australia, concerning pilot certification overseas. I will cover this again, in two parts, Current Situation and Recent Events.Current SituationCAO 95.4 is the CASA Order that regulates gliding and in the main it includes those exemptions from the Civil Aviation Regulations that apply to pilots flying as members of GFA.

Fortunately our forefathers had the wisdom to ensure that those exemptions include removing the requirements for us to possess a licence issued by CASA and to have a current aviation medical as for a PPL for example. We certainly do not want to change this exemption.

Because the pilot certification documents issued by GFA – GPC, etc. – do not meet ICAO requirements, for many years now our pilots wishing to fly overseas have had significant difficulty, or at least cost and inconvenience in obtaining acceptable documentation.

Contrary to Paul’s claim of inaction GFA has been pursuing this issue relentlessly and this has resulted in CASA

defining a solution which is embodied in the draft Part 61 and has been since 2009.

Unfortunately any matter that even smells like a licence seems to stir the passions of regulators and their lawyers and this appears to have delayed progress. In any case Part 61 is in the queue awaiting legal drafting.

When finalised and approved our pilots with a GPC will be able to obtain an ICAO compliant document valid overseas. Also they will have to meet the requirements for, and possess a current aviation medical.

So we have a solution, we just need CASA priority to make the regulatory changes.Recent EventsSo far this year, the relevant CASA Executive General Manager has been reminded of this matter by email and verbally a number of times. Rob Moore and Mike Maddocks have also been active in this.

In February I visited Parliament House Canberra and briefed a sympathetic Federal Government Senator on the issue and sought his assistance to kick it along. He agreed to try.

Subsequently Director John McCormick acknowledged that the Senator had approached him and advised that he was looking into it.

I am not aware of any further progress, but will be seeing the Director next week and will enquire.ConclusionIt would seem Part 61 will take its course.

In the meantime CASA have agreed to issue letters of qualification on an individual application basis. They require evidence of meeting ICAO training standards and an aviation medical. GFA has put it that our training is to ICAO standards as a minimum and the GPC is evidence of that. CASA is considering that proposition and Kevin Olerhead is pursuing it.

If anyone has any better ideas or knows someone with more influence, we would like to hear.

Daryl Connell

He experienced the first hitch when the sign for the village he was heading to was found to be covered in black plastic. So what did this mean – that the town was no more, or had a different name? He then stopped to ask some

directions and was directed by another road to the village he was heading for. Some time later he started to see other signs displaying that the place was still somewhere ahead.

He was then hailed down by two policemen. They checked his papers and asked his intentions. One of them then requested a ride to the next town 50km away. It was then that the Irish driver noticed that they had no vehicle. He headed off on his way with the one policeman, and was surprised to learn that he had taught himself English by watching television. He was going to the next town to collect his work car, and then on to another town 50km distant to his workplace. It seems that this policeman hitchhikes 50km and then drives another 50km each day to go to work.

The Irish retrieve was just one of the many who arrived back at Szeged in the wee hours of the morning.”

updaTeOn 1 August, with the full support of the team, Graham Parker (18m Class) decided to withdraw from the competition due to his concerns with the safety of flying in crowded skies with poor visibility. Next

day the whole 15m Class out-landed, many in Serbia; then Day 6 was cancelled for 15m and Open Classes.

On 4 August, all enjoyed an ‘international night’ of food and drink in the briefing hangar – a rare opportunity to mix socially with the other teams. The last day of the championships, Friday 6 August, was cancelled as a storm front came through. The team departed with mixed feelings: good memories of the hospitality of the locals, not so good memories of the weather, the outcome and Lars’ accident. Their captain Greg Schmidt was praised for handling unenviable situations with local officials while coping with a language barrier.

Overall, Open Class flew eight tasks, while 15 and 18m classes each flew seven. The Australian team scored a total of 3437.3 points. Class winners were: Stefano Ghiorzo (Italy) with 5959 points in 15m Class, Zbigniew Nieradka (Poland) with 6279 points in 18m Class, and Michael Sommer (German team) with 6834 points in Open Class. The Poles won the Team Cup. The FAI flag was passed to the team of the USA, the nation to host the next WGC in 2012.

Lars Zehnder prepares Graham Parker in ‘Mr Parker’

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Oliver Teubert, cross- country ace and a significant contributor to the comfortable design of the Range2, sums it up:

“A cross-country harness not only has to be exceedingly comfortable, every detail has to satisfy. When I am approaching

10 hours in the air, I need to feel totally relaxed and without distraction. In addition, the Range2 offers sensational air drag values, a real glide advantage for me!”

This statement was confirmed in the Daimler wind tunnel, where the Range2 boosted the glide ratio of a Cayenne3 for example, from 9,3 to 9,8, with the 9,3 having already been measured from a prone harness! www.skywalk.info

Peak 2 – Niviuk’s Pinnacle of SuccessKnowing it would be difficult to improve on the Peak, Niviuk have done just it with the introduction of the new DHV 2/3 Peak 2. Characterised by a new highly efficient line plan, new profile and new AR of 6.61, the Peak 2 offers a higher range of speed, a more efficient climb rate and an improved glide ratio.

Designed with cross-country and competition pilots in mind, the Peak 2 allows the experienced pilot the

confidence and confort to achieve their very best performance with the security of a fully certified glider (EN D/LTF 2/3).

The Peak 2 makes its pilot a master of thermals with its three rows of lines allowing for precise turning and active response to demands. The speed system is both smooth and progressive. When the first half of the accelerator is applied a real sense of acceleration is felt without experiencing huge sink. The second half increases speed to the maximum level, depending on the air mass at the time. Harken pulleys and very small pulleys on the risers have been used to improve the comfort and efficiency of the speed system.

Niviuk have employed their famous SLE in the Peak 2 preventing deformation during turbulence. The airflow is vastly improved over the entire front span of the glider. This technology incorpo- rates plastic battens into the leading edge to increase strength and structure of the glider, reducing its susceptibility to collapses. This structured leading edge provides solid stability at high speed and an edge which is more robust and more suited to the elements endured by this section of the glider.

The Peak 2 is available in four sizes and three colours. For more information on Niviuk products contact Central Coast Paragliding. [email protected] 02 43342222.

Paul CoxGaruda M and L Certified For Paramotor UseThe flight characteristics of the Garuda, including excellent take-off and flight behaviour, make it also an unusual paramotor wing. The very direct handling and the high speed rage of the Garuda is simply fun on the paramotor.

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HGFA News• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Forbes Flatlands Sport Class Championships 2011We will organise two competitions at Forbes next summer. As well as the main Open Class competition we will host a separate Sports Class competition.

The Sport Class competition will be held before the Open Class competition from Tuesday, 28 December to Friday, 31 December or Saturday, 1 January. The focus will be on an introduction to competition flying, with an in depth weather and task briefing in the morning.

Gerolf Heinrichs will be the Meet Director and will chair the morning briefing. He will also fly the task. In the evening there will be a social/BBQ/meal and de-brief of the days flights.

Entry fee or tow fees have not been finalised at this point. It will depend on what sort of budget I can put together as to how many pilots are interested. So please register your interest on the website at [www.moyes.com.au/Forbes2011].

At the same time Curt Warren and Jonny Durand wil host a Cross-Country and Tuning seminar.

As well as the Sport Class competition and the Cross-Country seminar, towing will be available all day for all pilots from the 28 December to 2 January 2011.

So come join us if you want to practice for the Open Class competition or to obtain an aerotow endorsement or attempt record flights with Attila Bertok or have your glider tuned by Jonny Durand.

You need to register your interest for each category so we can be sure to have enough Dragonflies available.• Forbes Flatlands Sports Class

Championships 2011 – 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011

• Cross-Country Seminar – 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011

• Record Flying – 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011

• Tuning Seminar – 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011

• Aerotow Endorsement Course - 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011

• Practice Flying• Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding

Championships 2011 – 2 January 2011 to 12 January 2011

Vicki Cain, Moyes Gliders

Red Bull X-Alps 2011Applications For World’s Toughest Adventure Race OpenFly, hike, conquer! Applications for the world’s toughest adventure race are now open, and budding athletes have until 30 September to register their intent to participate.

The Red Bull X-Alps 2011 will be the fifth edition of the extremely popular event where athletes must fly, hike and conquer their way across the Alps from Salzburg in Austria to the Monaco on the Mediterranean coast.

Potential athletes must prove to a selection committee that they have outstanding paragliding skills, top-level endurance and extensive Alpine experience. Only 30 athletes will be chosen to participate in the 864km race, which begins in Salzburg on 17 July 2011.

A new route with eight turnpoints in five countries will test the limits of the athletes’ abilities. The entire race will be broadcasted via the official website’s Live Tracking map, which tracks in real time every move by every athlete.

Applications must be made via the newly re-launched official website [www.redbullxalps.com].

Check out the Red Bull X-Alps on [www.facebook.com/redbullxalps] and [www.twitter.com/redbullxalps].

S A F E T y N O T I C EMoyes Litespeed Side Wire AdvisoryThe Litespeed range of hang gliders has been DHV certified using 2mm (1 x 19) side wires. We recommend that all gliders with 2mm (1 x 19) wires should change their wires every six months or every 50 hours or immediately upon any sign of fatigue or kinking.

We recommend that if a pilot plans to do aerobatics or any high ‘G’ manoeuvres, they should change the side wires to 2.4mm (1 x 19).

All Litespeed’s will now be produced with 2.4mm (1 x 19) side wires unless the customer requests 2mm (1 x 19) wires.

DHV certification is not affected by changing to different wires, provided that they have been correctly tested and shown to be at least as strong as the certified type.

Customers requiring replacement wires or more information should contact their local dealer or Moyes direct.

When placing an order for side wires please ensure that you

provide the serial number and A-frame options fitted.Moyes Delta Gliders Pty Ltd, ph: 02 93164644

N E W P R O D U C T SIt All Comes Together With Sol Synergy 4After 18 months of development, the Synergy 4 LTF 2/EN C from Sol has arrived. Built with cross-country and intermediate pilots in mind, the Synergy 4 offers speed and agility without compromising stability.

With an A/R 11% higher than its pre- decessor, the curvature of the canopy makes the wing an excellent climber that is very stable in acceleration.

Compared to the previous version the construction is more detailed with 58 cells and a longer projected span. A cleaner and smoother canopy with less drag has been achieved through the reduction in the number of lines, allowed by the diagonal construction of every cell.

The Synergy 4 is characterised by easy take-off, climb performance, smooth handling and easy landing. The glider displays light reactions in extreme conditions and good passive safety. A system of internal double crossed V-Tabs (DVT), utilised previously in SOL’s aero- batic and competition wings, generates a solid structure to give the best lift in flight even with the smallest thermals.

The wing comes with complimentary backpack, internal protection bag, com- pression straps, riser bag, wind sock, manual, basic maintenance kit, spread bar, cap, and measuring tape to check the distance between carabiners.

All SOL gliders have three-year or 300-hours of flight warranty.

For more information contact Paul Cox at the Central Coast Paragliding <[email protected]> or 02 43342222.

Skywalk Range2The wind tunnel optimised competition- and cross-country harness Range2 awaits with a wealth of new features, among other things, a carbon seatboard, ergono- mic cockpit, 17cm foam protector and five different sizes from XS to XL contribute to form a very harmonious whole.

Sol Synergy

Skywalk Range2

Niviuk Peak 2


Read by hang glider and paraglider pilots in over 75 countries worldwide

APCO Aviation

Six of the biggest brands in the sport are joining us to create the best prize draw we’ve ever run!

You can WIN a paraglider just by being a subscriber to Cross Country. Everyone with a valid subscription to Cross Country magazine on 1 December 2010 will be automatically included in the draw.

Subscribe to the world’s favourite hang gliding and paragliding magazine and discover what the best pilots in the world are reading.

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‘Still a happy reader after nine years subscribing’

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‘I love that it is not only an entertaining magazine, but one that I can learn from too’

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Full details of the draw can be found at www.xcmag.com/win-a-paraglider-cross-country-prize-draw-2010/

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for paramotor use and free-flying. On paramotor use, trim tabs on the rear allow to compensate the torque as well as a permanent accelerated flight. Of course the Garuda is also convertible with paramotor combi risers afterwards.

With these characteristics the Garuda is a perfect wing for motorised and non- motorised flying. The medium size is certified up to a maximum take-off weight of 140kg, the large size up to 160kg.

More information on [www.independence-world.com].

Fly market GmbH & Co.KG

Nova Beamer 2 – Ultimate Emergency ParachuteWith the Beamer 2, Swiss company High Adventure have developed a revolution in the field of emergency parachutes. The Beamer 2 is a Rogallo wing again, which, thanks to its ingenious two-phase steering and braking system, combines the advantages of a classic round canopy (no forward movement after opening – important when thrown close to a cliff) with those of the Rogallo concept (manoeuvrability and forward glide). Also, the Beamer 2 packs very small, weighs less than two kilos, opens extremely fast and impresses with its low sink rate.

The Beamer 2 is made from high-quality fabrics in Nova’s Hungarian factory. The new reserve is distributed by Nova or High Adventure, depending on the country. In 1995, High Adventure, under the guidance of world-class pilot Urs Haari, released the first revolutionary Beamer. It was the first emergency parachute for paragliders which was a steerable and fully manoeuvrable Rogallo wing.

The Beamer 2 follows up on that development – once again with revolutionary features: it’s fast opening with a unique two-phase steering and braking system and low sink rate.

The Beamer 2 is operated like regular reserves – just pull and throw. The wing opens extremely fast (during certification tests less than two seconds, which is 50% faster than most round canopy reserves). A special folding technique effectively prevents line overs. After the super-fast opening the Beamer 2 sinks with a minimal glide. Thanks to this forward movement, the paraglider is relieved from pressure and can therefore be held effortlessly in B-Stall with one hand. The other hand is used to steer the Beamer 2. The new and unique brake and steer system works in two phases: The initial position after opening the Rogallo flies with strong braking. By that, the Beamer 2 sinks with only little glide (desirable for example when opening close to a rock face).

It is not until the pilot operates the steering handles that the brake position is released and the Beamer 2 begins to glide more. So one should not call them brake handles, but steering handles. Another very nice feature is the calm flying characteristics of the Beamer 2 with the paraglider still in the air. The Beamer 2 doesn’t swing, sway or mirror position of paraglider and reserve, which might result in dangerous pendulum motion.

Pilots with a quick release system can take advantage of the Beamer 2´s full potential: the glide ratio doubles!

The Beamer 2 passed the EN and LTF-tests right away with sensational results:• opening time under two seconds,• sink rate while fully loaded with

130kg under 4m/s.High Adventure does not compromise

on materials. They use high-quality, extremely durable fabrics, well proven in parachutes. Therefore, the Beamer 2 can be used without problems for over-water SIV courses. Swiss Urs Haari and Simon Bärtschi were the leading heads behind the development of the Beamer 2. Their detailed documentary about the new reserve can be seen at [www.highadven ture.ch/3_produkte/inhalt_rs_beamer_2_light.htm]. However, videos are even more impressive! Have a look at [www.youtube.com/] and then enter flyhighadventure.

High Adventure, urs Haari

Skywalk Cayenne3 in Special Gold-EditionAfter exhaustive testing by the Skywalk team, Skywalk is bringing a deluxe golden cloth to the market in a special edition of the Cayenne3.

This innovative gold material offers not only eye-candy optics, but impresses with extremely good durability against UV exposure as well as mechanical stress.

Oliver Teuberts record-Cayenne3, his partner on the way to capturing the Ger- man FAI triangle record, was equipped with this cloth and showed very good data after many hours of cross-country flight!

If you place high value on extraordi- nary optics and extremely good quality, then you will be especially thrilled to know that Skywalk is offering this tasty treat for the same price as the regular production model.

www.skywalk.info

Skywalk Tandem Join´T2Tandem Join´T2 certified with EN-B and LTF-B. Share the pleasure, and double the flying fun, that is the Join´T2 motto.

Richard Gallon, one of the most experienced tandem pilots ever with over 5000 flights to his name, had a significant role in the development of the Join´T2. This means: Easy launch and landing,

even in difficult conditions, crucial safety reserves and quality workmanship.

It goes without saying, this wing can really perform and turn. Whether in demanding professional or private-use: the Join´T2 impresses with competent material selection and numerous new detailed solutions.

At 140kg to 220kg, the weight range is extensive and will safely bring many pedestrians into the air.

www.skywalk.info

FA I N E W SNew Class O (Hang Gliders) World records:Claim number: 15907 and 15985 (European)Sub-class: O-3 (Paragliders) – GeneralType of record: Speed over a triangular course of 25kmCourse/location: Aiguebelette, Savoie (France)Performance: 46.8km/hPilot: Charles CAZAUX (France)Paraglider: R 10 / OzoneDate: 20.04.2010

Previous record: 41.15 km/h (23.07.2006, Charles CAZAUX, France)Claim number : 16026 and 15989 (European)Sub-class :O-3 (Paragliders) – GeneralType of record: Speed over a triangular course of 200kmCourse/location: Montgirod (France)Performance: 26.0km/hPilot: Stéphane DROUIN (France)Paraglider: Magus/Mac ParaDate: 24.05.2010Previous record: 23.50km/h (19.06.2000, Klaus HEIMHOFER, Austria)

FAI congratulates the pilot on this splendid achievement.

2nd FAI European Paragliding Accuracy ChampionshipDate: 24 to 31 July 2010Location: Inonu – Eskisehir (Turkey)Final Results

INDIVIDUAL - OVERALL

1 Jaka GORENC SLO2 Tomas LEDNIK CZE3 Zoran PETROVIC SRBINDIVIDUAL - WOMEN

1 Marketa TOMASKOVA CZE2 Milica BICANIN SRB3 Milica MARINKOVIC SRB

TEAM - OVERALL

1 Czech Republic2 Slowenia3 Bulgaria

Full results can be found at [www.pgeuropean2010turkiye.com/]

FAI congratulates the winners and thanks the organisers of the championship.

17th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 ChampionshipDate: 11 to 24 July 2010Location: Ager (Spain)Final Results

OVERALL

1 Gerolf Heinrichs AUT2 Thomas Weissenberger AUT3 Attila Bertok HUNTEAM

1 Italy2 Austria3 Switzerland

Full results can be found at [www.ager2010.com/].

FAI congratulates the winners and thanks the organisers of the championship.

HGFA News • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Beamer 2 prevents a mirror position of paraglider and reserve, thus avoiding dangerous pendulum motion

Press Release

July 2010

Printing free of charge

Please send us 2 copies

The pilot can hold the paraglider in B-stall

without major effort.

The Beamer 2 prevents a mirror position of

paraglider and reserve, thus avoiding dangerous

pendulum motion.

Equipped with a cut away system, the

Beamer has a real good glide.

HIGH ADVENTURE / NOVA: BEAMER 2 – THE ULTIMATE

EMERGENCY PARACHUTE FOR PARAGLIDERS

„Beam me down, Haari“

With the Beamer 2, Swiss company High Adventure have

once again developed a revolution in the field of

emergency parachutes. The Beamer 2 is a Rogallo wing

again, which thanks to its ingenious 2-phase steering and

braking system, combines the advantages of a classic

round canopy (no forward movement after opening –

important when thrown close to a cliff) with those of the

Rogallo concept (manoeuvrability and forward glide). Also,

the Beamer 2 packs very small, weighs less than 2 kilos,

opens extremely fast and impresses with its low sink rate.

The Beamer 2 is sewn from high-quality fabrics and 100 %

made in Europe. The new reserve is distributed by NOVA

or High Adventure, depending on the country.

In 1995, High Adventure under the guidance of world-class pilot

Urs Haari released the first Beamer. At this time a real

revolution: It was the first emergency parachute for paraglider

pilots, which was not an unsteerable round canopy, but a fully

manoeuvrable Rogallo wing. The Beamer 2 follows up on that

development – once again with revolutionary features: its fast

opening with the unique 2-phase steering and braking system,

the low sink rate and the behaviour in flight.

Throwing: The Beamer 2 is operated like regular reserves –

just pull & throw. The wing opens extremely fast (during

certification tests less than 2 seconds, which is 50% faster than

most round canopy reserves). A special folding technique

effectively prevents line overs.

After the super-fast opening the Beamer 2 sinks with a

minimal glide. Thanks to this forward movement, the paraglider

is relieved from pressure and can therefore be held effortlessly

in B-Stall with one hand. The other hand is used to steer the

Beamer 2. The new and unique brake and steer system works

in two phases: The initial position after opening the Rogallo flies

with a strong braking! By that, the Beamer 2 sinks with only little

glide (desirable for example when opening close to a rock face).

Garuda


Club And Sports Class Nationals – Benalla, January 2011 – UpdateAs I’m sure you all know by now, the next Club and Sports Class Nationals will be held at Benalla Airfield from 10 to 21 January 2011. GCV last hosted the event in 2006 and 2007 and it was a great success on those occasions. We look forward to welcoming all Club and Sports Class pilots once again.

GCV offers a seven-day operation during the summer, and pilots intending to fly the Nationals are welcome at any time to practice and prepare.

Benalla’s weather in January is at its best for soaring, and the task area offers a range of interesting alternatives from the plains of NSW to the hills of eastern Victoria. Being a southerly location, the days are long and on the best days you can be flying until sunset – not that we would set tasks quite that long, of course!

All tasks will be AAT, although we expect that some tasks will use wedges rather than circles. This is intended to provide more flexibility for time soaks, and also to allow us to set a style of task

that is closer to the fixed task format, while still having flexibility to cater for a wide range of glider performance.

Airspace will be addressed by setting a ‘Contest Area’ which will enclose most official airspace boundaries and provide a buffer area. As a result, flights which go outside the Contest Area will attract only mild penalties unless the pilot strays into controlled airspace. Maps and airspace files will be provided.

With five tugs already on the airfield, we don’t have to charge high ferry fees for the few that we need to find.

Benalla is a great place to visit for pilots and crew – good accommodation options, interesting countryside, wineries, and a welcoming town that regards the Gliding Club as a major local attraction.

We now have all the core members of the organising team identified, including myself as CD, Peter Gray as Safety Officer, Rob Pugh as Tugmaster, John Switala as Tasksetter, and Joy Shirley as Scorer.

Entries opened at the beginning of May and the cut-off for normal entries is 31 October. There will be a limit of

70 entries, and we have plenty already. If we are oversubscribed there will be a seeding process using the recently published GFA Ranking List. The Compe- tition website is up and running at [http://deltaone.soho.on.net/benalla2011/] and the Entry form, Rules and lots more details can be found there.

I look forward to seeing you at Benalla in January.

Tim Shirley, Contest Director

Cartoon by Codez

ne change is that entrants in the sport today come from a baseline quite different to the post second World War era. Today it can be expected that the intending glider pilot has some background knowledge and has grown up with community expectation, both of which help rapid advancement within the sport – contrary to the former age in which progress was slower, more measured. Then, the expectation was that the pilot’s entry point was truly ab-initio, ie with no aviation background, and that there would be many small steps of advancement along the way.

Now youngsters have flown many aircraft types in the virtual world, long before touching the real thing. Real world contact comes via ATC, Air League, Scouts and similar points of contact. More mature entrants come from a previous time of life in gliding, or currently another form of aviation. Some are aiming to rapidly gain independent status, often with a self-launch seat of their own.

Recently, one cause of member leak- age from gliding has been such people going to motorised flexwings, where the advancement path is more aligned to those aspirants. The traditional paths don’t serve gliding when they don’t have the flexibility to be tuned to the incoming

person with an aviation background. A coffee and chat can test understanding of theory. A checkflight can test manual skill. That a sailplane is indeed harder to fly than boring holes in the sky can be gotten across in those two settings, and we can move forward from there.

Looking after your craft can be dealt with in a similarly personalised way. The individual owner can find out what can be done for oneself and what needs specialist help; get the advance reading list, and training tailored to the manufacturer and model… quite different to the traditional gaining of a succession of ratings in an airframe engineer chain.

As the system has aged from its 1949 origins, its response time has slowed. Independent operator site authorities were needed in the field in the 1980s, and are only now under active consideration by the Federation. The thinking above is not new, but it isn’t in the active evolutionary plans of the Federation. The result is frustration at the coalface of the sport; measurable in participant turnover numbers, affecting total sport resource size.

Weather Station

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SlOw CHANGE?Emilis Prelgauskas

The gLidiNg WOrLd has chaNged, buT iTs OrigiNs have

guided The meThOds aNd sysTems used iN The spOrT.

GFA News • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •G F A

O


that wing-runner be me. At my inaugural gliding competition I lined up on the runway verge, safe in the knowledge that I was to ‘witness’ a wondrous sight: of women and men in heavier-than-air craft battling it out in a class of peers to become the day’s champion! The gliders were lined up on the grid, resplendent with clean canopies and gleaming fuselages. The competition director calls the time, pilots secure harnesses, load up their flight loggers and continue pre-flight checks. A tow plane taxis into line with the first competitor, tow rope dragging behind, prop blast freeing all manner of debris into the air… What were they waiting for? Why was the tow pilot waving at me? Was I standing in the wrong spot? No, I was hiding in the right spot. What was causing the delay?

Then it dawned on this newbie that all pilots were secured in their aircraft, tow pilot was in the tow plane, competition director was in the pie-cart, and the safety officer was up the runway with a paddle. So how does the towline attach to the glider, how does the wing clear the runway, and how does the tow pilot know when the glider pilot is ready to proceed, or not, if there was a problem? No wing runner, no tow rope connector and tester, nobody except a novice, untrained spectator. A link in the launch sequence was missing.

Needless to say, I learned quickly through the fractured audio being passed down from the pilot in a Pawnee with magnetos popping, propeller scything, and my grossly exaggerated hand gestures to tunnel-visioned glider pilots: big or little, test? Only lift the wing when ready to launch. Watch the pilot for a ‘go’ signal. Wave arm in under-arm motion, and stick it straight up when no more slack on the tow rope. Don’t grab the wing, just rest it lightly on a sweaty palm. Abort signal if the pilot signals you! (Now, I’m not at this moment being tested, so if there is an error anywhere in this narrative, feel free to let me know.)

This may be amusing to the reader, but it should highlight the fact that there are many on the ground who contribute to a safe launch. The onus is on the pilot in command to continue to follow his or her checks and make sure that the emergency plan is in place and being continu- ally updated as the flight progresses. An article by Thomas Knauff discusses the use of the pilot’s hands in the take-off process, and demonstrates how egalitarian

gliding is to both lefties and righties; there is no discrimination for hands within the cockpit. Knauff writes about the launch:

“The Left Hand: Glider pilots fly with their right hand. The left hand is ready for three or four possibilities:1. Ready to pull the release knob.

General practice is to have the left hand near, but not on the release knob during the first phases of flight in case of an emergency.

2. Ready to close the dive brakes in case they are not locked before the launch commences, or accidentally open because of a rough runway surface.

3. Ready to grab the canopy in case it opens in flight. There is often a very slight warning before the canopy suddenly opens. An alert pilot might grab the canopy or press on the appropriate rudder to side-slip the glider through the air, keeping the canopy closed. If it does open, no attempt should be made to close it until after reaching a normal tow height.

4. Moving the flap handle in case the flaps are placed in, or inadvertently move to, an incorrect setting.”Knauff later writes: “When the glider

is more than a few feet above the ground, it will almost always be necessary to lower the nose to a normal gliding attitude to maintain airspeed and avoid a stall. A stall from even a few feet above the ground can result in serious damage. Being prepared means having a plan of action for each phase of flight. Upon reaching the critical altitude where it is safe to perform a 180-degree turn back to the runway, it is very important to announce this critical altitude aloud. Some pilots announce ‘200ft’, others say ‘Decision point.’ In either case, this minimum altitude must be determined before the launch begins, considering all conditions.“

This of course is my simplified take on something that every glider pilot knows and practices every time they assemble and prepare for flight and conduct CHAOTIC and ABC (D) checks. This clumsy attempt at reminding members to take care and to help a mate to be safe is just that, simplistic, but a necessary nudge so that you can live to enjoy your hard-won sporting freedom again and again. Did I forget to mention to keep scanning the skies?

FAI AwardsAt the time of writing, congratulations must go to the recipients to this year’s FAI Awards announced in March 2010, and in particular those individuals who, having achieved life membership of the GFA, are also recognised by the international aviation fraternity:Henk Meertens AM (FAI Vice President Australia and President of CASI) – FAI Silver Medal Robert Hall (Chairman ASAC Technical Committee) – Paul Tissandier Diploma Beryl Hartley (GFA Records Officer) – Pelagia Majewska Gliding Medal

CASAThe ‘Deed of Agreement’ that has historically been offered to the GFA in exchange for the completion of a ‘schedule of activities’ has been altered. The Deed will be presented every six months and will be binding upon the completion of the activities listed within. This August saw the new format of the Deed being offered by the Sport Aviation Office of the Future Technology and Sport Aviation Branch, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, with its conditions for approval. The new format will need to be assessed by the GFA.

At the time of writing, the flight status of the Blanik glider had not been resolved. The only update on this issue was the FAA-issued AD notice, which parallels the directive of the manufacturer, LET. It is hoped that by the time you read this, the Australian Blaniks under the current GFA maintenance regime will be cleared for flight.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

he last few months within the GFA Secretariat have been frenetic, dealing with administrative and legislative changes, combined with preparations for the upcoming AGM and the inclusion of Special Business items (at the time of writing). The consequence of this change has affected all in GFA one way or another. All areas of GFA’s sphere of operations have been touched, and it will not decrease in its intensity in the short term.

Being reactive is not the best position to find oneself in, but as a mature organisation it is not the first time that the cycle of change has been felt within the gliding fraternity. Political change prompted the formation of the GFA in 1949, and as penned by J.M. Iggulden in 1960:

“We have a philosophical, moral and ethical right to a very considerable degree of freedom, from the modern trend to extend the powers to the State. We have an absolute duty to fight for the freedom to be adventurous individuals in an age of dull conformity if we so wish. We can plough our own furrow and if we make it straight enough, the lack of any need for interference will be so obvious that people who might feel a duty to control such a thing will not bother with it.”

Time moves on, and the furrow may have needed a ‘stump-jump’ plough to ensure it continues in its direct path. And so the GFA and its volunteers continue “To drive the development and promotion of the sport of gliding and foster excellence in safe, accessible and enjoyable soaring.”

Now, you may be wondering why the BM would be reverting to the idealism of earlier times? As for my personal belief, there are no situations truly new, except perhaps the climb from the primeval slime or deciding whether or not to bite into an appetising apple (and hence there are always exceptions to the rule, making my logic flawed and perhaps indefensible to those of you who would so debate). Nevertheless, the synergies and commitment of GFA members, as proven before, will avail themselves once again to rise to the challenges of change, be it by regulation, perception, technologically, financially, or by the myriad of other factors that will periodically beset the organisation. Change is a constant. Just like the ‘stump-jump’ plough, strength through numbers and a common-sense approach to issues affecting soaring combine to turn an unpalatable situation into a palatable one once again. Volunteers are the GFA, and it is through their self- less contributions that it continues to be the Marquee Organisation that it is.

The last months have seen a focus on detailing administrative and house- keeping issues to the members, and perhaps decreased your appetite to have a genteel perusal of this report. In appreciation to those stoic members who have endured the dry comment, I would like to make an observation. On my last professional development item, I had taken an AEF in the glider ‘Zepherus’ (built 1966) at Bacchus Marsh Airfield and if you can recall, uttered the thought “What could go wrong?”

With the revised BGK coming closer to fruition, I thought I might educate myself on launches, just to see what could happen. This could: Rope break. Canopy not latched. A control not connected. Wing drop (ground loop). Air brakes opening. Flaps in wrong position. Tow plane power failure. Tow speed too slow, or fast. Being towed too far downwind. Controls hooked up backwards. Tire blow-out. Tow rope will not release. Glider becomes too high. Someone moves onto runway. Tow rope catches on something at beginning of launch. Slack rope / rope wrapping around glider. Improperly installed component. PIO. Frozen controls. Turbulence. IMC. Inability to recover from low tow position. Knot in rope. Overrunning the tow rope. Traffic conflict/mid-air collision. Wing runner error. Airspeed indicator not working. Altimeter not adjusted properly. Tail chute opens. Water ballast disconnects and spills into cockpit. Snake/bee/wasp in cockpit. Unbalanced ballast in wings. Seat belts undone. Pitot/static ports clogged. Smoke in cockpit. Panicky passenger (not I!). Pillows/seat ballast moves. Controls restricted (control locks, rudder pedals too far forward). Tail dolly on. Canopy fogs up. CG out of limits, maybe due to water or ice collected in the tail.

I am sure there may be other items to add to this list… eg, daddy-long-legs along with the snakes, as these are the cause of motor vehicle accidents too. So if all of these situations can happen, what does a pilot employ to mitigate or control an incident? Does the CHAOTIC and ABC (D) begin or end the checking cycle? As a gliding Luddite (but, of course, not a destroyer of mechanical devices), I have heard the sport referred to as ‘a most labour-intensive solo sport’. If this is the case, then a series of checks should be taking place on a glider from the DI to the vigilance of the wing-runner – unless

GFA Business Manager’s Report

T

GFA BUSINESS MANAGER

Peter Hopkins Mobile: 0451 055 316

Email <[email protected]>

Cartoon by Codez


H G F A

The 2010 micrOLighT grOup adveNTure

David Jones

This being my first long trip I was nervously excited, but having perfect weather for the entire week and the planning of Gerry

and Peter made for a relaxed series of one to two hour legs that enabled us to sample lots of airfields along the route. While we were supposed to be self-sufficient by carrying all our gear on the trikes, the support bus, driven by Sue and Lisa, enabled us to spread the load. (Note to self: next year, pack less clothes.)

There were several highlights to made the trip memorable for us.

Mixing it with helicopters at 1500ft over the Twelve Apostles coastline, which glowed yellow in the late afternoon sun, in contrast to the aqua sea.

The surreal early morning misty landscape, after leaving Peterborough for

This Trip by The sOuTherN disTricTs FLyiNg cLub Was ONe OF ThOse Where everyThiNg

WeNT righT. NiNe Trikes aNd 12 peOpLe TOOk seveN days TO FLy a 1500km circuiT, sTarTiNg

aT sTraThaLbyN, sOuTh ausTraLia, FOLLOWiNg The cOasT TO peTerbOrOugh Near The TWeLve

apOsTLes iN vicTOria, TurNiNg NOrTh up pasT sTaWeLL TO sWaN hiLL ON The murray, beFOre

FOLLOWiNg The river WesT back hOme.

Lake Bolac. In the distance, small peaks poked above the mist, so beautiful – but hang on, my GPS is pointing north while the compass is pointing 30 degrees left – which to believe?

The excited chatter as pilots discover- ed the views while ascending to 4000ft to fly along that immense eastern ridge of the Grampians, with light cumulus decorating the peaks.

The sadness at seeing the stagnant, turgid appearance of the Murray, while vistas of vast tracts of irrigated properties made it obvious that too much water is being taken out of the river. Discovering open channels still being used to flood-irrigate some pastures.

The convivial evening meals at the local pubs, with the group bantering over the day’s flying and rolling with Bill’s wicked sense of humour.

Being the pilot of the slowest trike, prior to each leg my challenge was to be organised enough so that I could take off before the others. It was fun leading the pack at least for a while on each leg, forcing me to build up my navigation skills.

In retrospect it’s obvious why the other pilots often talk about previous group trips. Each is filled with memorable adventures and moments. Bring on the 2011 trip.

Photos: David Jones

Mike is confused about whether he’s a crop duster or a microlight

Late afternoon flight over the Twelve Apostles

Early morning mist on the way to Lake Bolac

Fuel stop at Portland

At 4000ft over the eastern Grampians

H G F A


V-Pres: Nir Eshed 0423 422494, <vice-president @nswhpa.org>; Sec: Paul Cox 0421 072897, <[email protected]>; Trs: Graeme Cran 0414 668424, <[email protected]>.

North queensland HG AssociationPO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: John Creswell 0400 122261; Sec/Trs: Tracey Hayes, PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881, 0418 963796 <[email protected]>.

queensland HG AssociationPres: Greg Hollands <[email protected]>, PO Box 61, Canungra QLD 4275 07 38448566.

South Australian HG/PG/ML AssociationSAHGA Inc, c/O PO Box 6260, Hallifax St, Adelaide SA. All email: <[email protected]>. Pres: Stuart McClure 0428 100796; Sec/Trs: Rob Woodward 0408 808436.

Tasmanian HG & PG Association[www.thpa.net]. Pres: Stephen Clark 0419 997550, <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Pete Steane 0407 887310 <[email protected]>; Sec/Trs: Simon Allen 0438 086322, <[email protected]>. Northern TAS info: Richard Long (Burnie PG pilot), 0438 593998, <[email protected]>.

Victorian HG and PG AssociationPO Box 157, Northcote VIC 3070, [www.vhpa.org.au]. Pres: Martin Halford <[email protected]> 0434 427500; Trs: Rob Parker <[email protected]> 0415 316861; Sec: Steve Poole <[email protected]> 0419 573321; SO: Hamish Barker <[email protected]> 0437 137893; Site Dev: Mark Pike <[email protected]>; Committee: Glenn Bachelor <[email protected]>, Stephen Leak <[email protected]>, Julie Sheard <[email protected]>, Jan Bennewitz <[email protected]>.

The Pico Club (National Paramotor Club)Pres: Andrew Shipley <andrewshipley@net space.net.au>; V-Pres: Grant Cassar <[email protected]; Tres: Chris Drake <[email protected]>; Sec: Jos Weemaes 02 6026 5658 <[email protected]>.

NEW SOUTH WALESBlue Mountains HG Club Inc.[www.bmhgc.org.au]. Pres: Andy McMurray (PG SO) <[email protected]>, 0428 866737; V-Pres: Gregor Forbes (HG SO) <[email protected]>, 0421 376680; Sec/Ed: Alex Drew (PG SO) <[email protected]>, 0423 696677; Trs: Allan Bush (HG SSO) <[email protected]>, 0407 814524; Comp Dir: Mark Stewart (PG SO) <[email protected]>, 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: Glen McFar- lane 0414 451050 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Jeff Terry 0416 291545 <jeff@survival solutions.com.au>; Sec: Julie Terry 0411 567825, <[email protected]>; Trs: Paul Cox 0417 355897, <[email protected]>, 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 Club6 Miago Court, Ngunnawal, ACT 2913. Pres: Trent Brown 0427 557486, <[email protected]>; Sec: Peter Dall 0428 813746, <[email protected]>; Trs: Michael Porter 0415 920444; SSO: Peter Dall 0428 813746.Hunter Skysailors Paragliding ClubPres/SSO: James Thompson 0418 686199, <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Brent Leggett 0408 826455, <[email protected]>; Sec: Albert Hart 0421 647013, <[email protected]>; Meetings: Last Tue/month, 7pm, Hexham Bowling Club.Illawarra Hang Gliding Club Inc.27a Paterson Rd, Coalcliff NSW 2508. Pres: Frank Chetcuti 0418 252221 <[email protected]>; Sec: John Parsons; SSO: Tim Causer 0418 433665 <[email protected]>.Kosciusko Alpine Paragliding Club[www.homestead.com/kapc]; Pres: Michael Porter 0415 920444 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: James Ryrie 02 61610225 <[email protected]>; Sec: Mark Mourant 02 48464144 <[email protected]>.

Manilla SkySailors Club Inc.PO Box 1, Manilla NSW 2346, [www.mss. org.au]. Pres/SSO (PG): Godfrey Wenness 02 67856545, <[email protected]>, V-Pres: Matt Morton <[email protected]>, Sec: Suzi Smith <[email protected]>, Trs: Bob Smith <[email protected]>, SSO (HG) Patrick Lenders 02 67783484 <[email protected]>, SSO (WM): Willi Ewig 02 67697771 <[email protected]>.Mid North Coast HG and PG ClubPres: Nigel Lelean 0419 442597; SSO: Lee Scott 0429 844961.Newcastle Hang Gliding ClubPO Box 64 Broadmeadow NSW 2292; [www.nhgc.asn.au]. Pres: Stuart Coad <[email protected]> 0408 524862; V-Pres: Dawson Brown 0429 675475; Sec: Simon Plint 0407 613701, <[email protected]>; 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; News letter: David Stafford 02 49215832 <[email protected]>. Meetings: Last Wed/month 7:30pm South Newcastle RLC, Llewellyn St, Merewether.Northern Rivers HG and PG ClubPO Box 126, Byron Bay NSW 2481; [www.nrghpgc.net]. Pres: Jan Smith 0438 876926 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Brian Rushton 0427 615950 <[email protected]>; Sec: Marco Veronesi 0405 151515 <[email protected]>; Trs: Paul Gray 0407 738658 <[email protected]>; PR: Cedar Anderson 0429 070380 <[email protected]>; Sites: Peter Wagner 0431 120942, Col Rushton 0428 751379 <[email protected]>; SSO (PG): Lindsay Wooten 0427 210993 <[email protected]>; SSO (HG): Andrew Polidano 0428 666843 <[email protected]>. Meetings: 2nd Wed/month, 7pm, Byron Services Club.Stanwell Park HG and PG ClubPO Box 258 Helensburgh NSW 2508; Pres: Chris Clements 0414 777853 <president@fly stanwell.com>; V-Pres: Tony Sandeberg 0413 593054 <[email protected]>; Sec: Jorj Lowrey 0400 937234 <secretary@fly stanwell.com>; Trs: Peter Ffrench 0403 076149 <[email protected]>; M/ship: Nir Eshed 0423 422494 <[email protected]>; SSO: Mark Mitsos 0408 864083, <[email protected]>.Sydney Hang Gliding ClubPres: Dean Tooker <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Brett O’Neil <[email protected]>; Trs: John Selby 02 93447932 <john [email protected]>; Sec: Bruce Wynne 0417 467695 <[email protected]> or <sydney [email protected]>; Dev/Train: Owen Wormald 02 94667963 <[email protected]>; SO: Bruce Wynne, Doug Sole; SSO: Ken Stothard. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, 7:30pm Botany RSL, Botany.Sydney Paragliding & Hang Gliding ClubPO Box 840, Mona Vale NSW 2103. Pres: Peter Rundle <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Brett Coupland 0409 162616, <[email protected]>; Sec: Kirsten Seeto 0405 887857 <[email protected]>; Social Sec: Shanta Wallace 0416 938227 <[email protected]>; Committee: Graeme Cran <[email protected]>, Sandy Thomson <[email protected]>, Jeff Woodhall <[email protected]>.

NORTHERN TERRITORYAlice Springs HG and PG ClubPres: Ricky Jones 0406 098354, <redcentre [email protected]>, contact for para- motoring, PG ridge soaring and thermal flying.

QUEENSLANDCaboolture Microlight Club50 Oak Place, Mackenzie QLD 4156. Pres: Derek Tremain 07 33957563, <[email protected]>; Sec: John Cresswell 07 34203254, <[email protected]>; SO: Graham Roberts 07 32676662, <[email protected]>Cairns Hang Gliding ClubPO Box 6468, Cairns QLD 4870. Pres: Bob Hayes 0438 710882 <[email protected]>; V-Pres/SO: Brett Collier 0431 151150 <[email protected]>; 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.

asn.au>; V-Pres: Lee Patterson <vicepresident @chgc.asn.au>; Sec: Mark Kropp <[email protected]>; Trs: Brandon O’Donnell <[email protected]>; Ed: Cameron McNeill 0419 706326; Gen-Exec: Greg Hollands <[email protected]>; SSO PG:Phil Hystek 07 55434000 (h), 0418 155317 <sso @chgc.asn.au>; SSO HG: Lee Patterson 0417 025732 <[email protected]>.Central queensland Skyriders Club Inc.‘The Lagoons’ Comet River Rd, Comet QLD 4702. Pres: Alister Dixon (instructor) 0438 845119, <[email protected]>; Sec: James Lowe 0418 963315, <[email protected]>; Trs: Adrienne Wall 07 49362699, <[email protected]>; Events: Jon Wall 0427 177237, <jonathon.a.wall@team. telstra.com>; SSO: Bob Pizzey 0439 740187, 07 49387607. Towing Biloela: Paul Barry 07 49922865, <[email protected]>.Conondale Cross-Country Club[www.conondaleflyers.asn.au/] Pres: Lewis Nott 0488 082937 <president@conondale xcflyers.asn.au>; Sec: Michael Strong 0414 845785 <[email protected]>; Trs: Steve Stocker 0411 226733 <[email protected]>. Dalby Hang Gliding Club17 Mizzen St, Manly West QLD 4179. Pres: Daron ‘Boof’ Hodder 0431 240610, <[email protected]>; Sec/Trs: Annie Crerar 0418 711821, <[email protected]>; SSO: Jason ‘Yoda’ Reid 0424 293922, <[email protected]>.Fly Killarney Inc.Pres/SSO: Lindsay Wootten 0427 210993, <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Alistair Gibb 0414 577232, <[email protected]>; Sec/Trs: Sonya Fardell 0415 156256, <[email protected]>.Sunshine Coast Hang Gliding ClubPO Box 227, Rainbow Beach QLD 4581; <[email protected]>. 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: Chris Ferreira 0420 980572 <[email protected]>; (HG): David Cookman 0427 498573, 07 54498573; SSO (PG): Jean-Luc Lejaille 0418 754157, 07 54863048.Wicked Wings ClubToowoomba & District PG/HG Club Inc, 19065A Thallon Rd, Kensington Grove QLD 4341. Pres: Peter Schwenderling 0427 461347 <[email protected]>; Trs: Craig Dunn <[email protected]>, Sec: Sonya Fardell 0415 156256, <[email protected]> Sonya Fardell, 260 Postman’s Ridge Rd, Helidon Spa QLD 4344.Whitsundays HG ClubSec/Trs: Ron Huxhagen 07 49552913, fax: 07 49555122, <[email protected]>.

TASMANIATasmanian HG&PG Ass. (see States & Regions)

VICTORIADynasoarers Hang Gliding Club<[email protected]>; Pres: Dale Apple- ton 0408 382635; SSO: Rob van der Klooster 0408 335559. Meetings: 1st Fri/month, venue see [www.dynasoarers.vhpa.org.au].Melbourne Hang Gliding Club Inc.PO Box 5278, South Melbourne VIC 3205 [www.melbourne.vhpa.org.au]. Pres: Gabriel Toniolo 0407 544511, <[email protected]>; Sec: Scott Rawlings 0409 675408, <[email protected] >; Trs: Noel Bear 0425 801813, <[email protected]>; SSO: Peter Holloway 0408 526805, <[email protected]>, Committee: Glen Bachelor & Peter Cass. Meetings: 3rd Wed/month, Tower Hotel, 686 Burwood Road, Hawthorn East VIC 3123. North East Victorian Hang Gliding ClubPres: John Chapman 0412 159472 <chappo [email protected]>; Sec: Bill Oates 0466 440 049 <[email protected]>; Trs/M/ship: Greg Jarvisy 0407 047797; SSO/VHPA Rep: Joe Rainczuk 0419 875367; Committee: Barb Scott0408 844224, Bill Brooks 0409 411791; SSO:

Karl Texler 0428 385144; Meetings: [www.hgfa.asn.au/~nevhgc/].Sky High Paragliding Club[www.skyhighparagliding.org]; Pres: Steve Leak <[email protected]>, 0409 553401; V-Pres: Martin Halford <[email protected]>, 0434 427500; Trs: Julie Sheard <[email protected]>, 0425 717944; Sec: Phil Lyng <[email protected]>, 0421 135894; M’ship: Loz Pozzani <[email protected]>, 0421 389839; Nov Rep: Mike Armstrong 0412 329442 <[email protected]>; Web: Pete Condick <[email protected]>, 0400 560653; Safety: Carolyn Dennis <[email protected]>, 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 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Ken Jelleff <[email protected]>; Sec/Ed: Kelvin Glare 0421 060706 <[email protected]>; Trs: Dean Marriott <[email protected]>. Meet ings: 2nd Tue/month 8pm Manning -ham Club, 1 Thompsons Rd, Bulleen.Western Victorian Hang GIiding ClubPO Box 92, Beaufort VIC 3373, [www.wvhgc.org]. Pres: Phillip Campbell 0419 302850, <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Anthony Meechan 0407 163796, <[email protected]>; Sec: Rachelle Guy 0438 368528, <[email protected]>; Trs: Richard Carstairs 0409 066860, <[email protected]>; SSO: Rohan Holtkamp 0408 678734 <[email protected]>. Meet ings: Last Sat/month, The Golden Age Hotel, Beaufort, 7pm.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAAlbany HG & PG ClubSSO: 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 <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Eric Metrot 0407 003059<[email protected]>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378 <[email protected]>; Committee: Shelly Heinrich 0428 935462 <[email protected]>, Rod Merigan 0439 967971 <[email protected]>, Clive Salvidge 0402 240038 <[email protected]>, Julien Menager 0423 829346 <[email protected]>; 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: Toby Houldsworth <[email protected]>, 0428 739956; Trs/SSO: Murray Wood <[email protected]>, 08 90215771; Sec/SO: Richard Breyley <[email protected]>, 0417 986896. Perth: SSO: Mark Stokoe <[email protected]>, 0414 932461.Hill Flyers Club Inc.<[email protected]>. 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 <[email protected]>, PO Box 483, Mt Hawthorn WA 6915. Pres: Michael Duffy <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Jason Kath <[email protected]>; Sec/Trs: Mirek Generowicz 0427 778280, <[email protected]>; SSOs: Shaun Wallace, Gavin Nicholls, Matty Coull, Rick Williams, Michael Duffy. Meetings: See [http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/western_soarers/].

ALL CLUBS PLEASE CHECK DETAILS IN THIS SECTION CAREFULLYCould 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 <[email protected]> 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

G FAAustralian Gliding Museum2 Bicton St, Mt Waverley VIC 3149, 03 98021098.

Gliding QueenslandC/- Treasurer, 67 Glenora St, Wynnum QLD 4178, 07 38348311, 0417 762621.NSW Gliding AssociationThe Secretary, 44 Yanko Ave, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782, 02 68892733, 02 68891250, Trs: 0407 459581.South Australian Gliding AssociationPO Box 65, Millicent SA 5280, 08 8733421, 0427 977218.Victorian Soaring Association4/139 Roberts St, Essendon VIC 3040, 03 83835340, 03 93355364.Vintage Gliders Australia22 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, AustraliaC/- R Sheehan, 176 Macquarie Grove Rd, Camden NSW 2570, 0427 977127, 02 46553171.Bathurst Soaring ClubPO Box 1682, Bathurst NSW 2795, 02 63371180 (weekend), 0427 470001.Byron Gliding Club IncorporatedPO Box 815, Byron Bay NSW 2481, 02 66847627.Canberra Gliding ClubGPO Box 1130, Canberra ACT 2601, 02 64523994, 0428 523994.Central Coast Soaring ClubPO Box 1323, Gosford South NSW 2250, 02 43639111, 02 43844074, 0412 844074.Cudgegong Soaring Pty LtdC/- Matthews Folbigg, Level 7, 10-4 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150, 02 96357966, 02 96357966.Grafton Gliding Club16 Fuller St, Mullaway NSW 2456, 02 66541638, 0403 088551.Hunter Valley Gliding Club Co-op LtdPO Box 794, Singleton NSW 2330.Lake Keepit Soaring Club234 Keepit Dam Rd, Lake Keepit NSW 2340, 02 67697514.Leeton Gliding ClubPO 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 ClubRAAF Base, Richmond NSW 2755, 02 45873214.RAAF Williamtown Gliding ClubC/O Mr G R Lee, 10 Federation Dr, Medowie NSW 2318, 02 49829334.Scout Association NSW GlidingC/- Bob G Balfour, 80 Malvern St, Panania NSW 2213, 02 96951100.Soar Narromine Pty LtdPO Box 56, Narromine NSW 2821, 02 68891856, 0419 992396.

Southern Cross Gliding ClubPO Box 132, Camden NSW 2570, 02 46558882, 0417 705997 (emergency).Southern Tablelands Gliding Club57 Munro Rd, Queanbeyan NSW 2620, 02 62973504.South West Slope Soaring P/L181 Fishers La, Bendick Murrell NSW 2803, 0488 531216.Sydney Gliding IncorporatedPO Box 633, Camden NSW 2570, 0412 145144.Temora Gliding ClubPO Box 206, Temora NSW 2666, 02 69772733.

Gliding Queensland2 Wing AAFC School of Aviation Inc.201 Squadron Air Force Cadets, PO Box 647Archerfield QLD 4108, 07 38791980, 0415 150965.Barambah District Gliding Club2 Yellow Gully Rd, Wolvi QLD 4570, 07 54867247, 0412 719797.Boonah Gliding Club Incorporated164 Depot Rd, Boonah QLD 4310, 07 54632630, 0408 016164.Bundaberg Gliding IncorporatedPO Box 211, Bundaberg QLD 4670, 07 41579558, 0417 071157.Caboolture Gliding ClubPO Box 920, Caboolture QLD 4510, 0418 713903.Central queensland Gliding ClubPO Box 953, Rockhampton QLD 4700, 07 49331178.Darling Downs Soaring ClubLevel 1, 1 Swann Rd, Taringa QLD 4068, 07 46637140, 0409 507847.Gympie Gliding ClubPO Box 722, Cooroy QLD 4563, 07 54835380.Kingaroy Soaring ClubPO Box 91, Kingaroy QLD 4610, 07 41622191, 0438 179163.Moura Gliding ClubPO Box 92, Moura QLD 4718, 07 49973265, 0428 360144.North queensland Soaring CentrePO Box 3835, Hermit Park QLD 4812.Pacific SoaringPO Box 259, Caboolture QLD 4510, 07 54994997, 07 54994805.Southern Downs Aero & SoaringPO 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 IncorporatedAdelaide Uni Sports Assoc, The University of Adelaide SA 5005, 08 88262203, 0412 870963.Air Cadet Gliding ClubPO Box 2000, Salisbury SA 5108, 08 83805137, 0429 805137.Alice Springs Gliding ClubPO Box 356, Alice Springs NT 0871, 08 89526384, 0417 530345.Australian Junior Gliding Club67A Balfour St, Nailsworth SA 5083, 0417 421650.Balaklava Gliding ClubPO Box 257, Balaklava SA 5461, 08 88645062.

Barossa Valley Gliding ClubPO Box 123, Stonefield via Truro SA 5356, 08 85640240, 0488 841373.Bordertown Keith Gliding ClubPO Box 377, Bordertown SA 5268, 08 87521321, 0409 693027.Millicent Gliding ClubPO Box 194, Millicent SA 5280, 08 87333421, 0427 977218.Murray Bridge Gliding ClubPO Box 1509, Victor Harbor SA 5211, 08 85543543, 0409 677677.Northern Australian Gliding ClubPO Box 38889, Winnellie NT 0821, 08 89412512.Renmark Gliding ClubPO Box 450, Renmark SA 5341, 08 85951422, 0417 890215.Scout Gliding Club22 Burford Crescent, Redwood Park SA 5097, 08 82895085, 0418 815618.Waikerie Gliding ClubPO Box 320, Waikerie SA 5330, 08 85412644.Whyalla Gliding ClubPO Box 556, Whyalla SA 5600, 08 86452619, 0413 127825.

Victorian Soaring Association (VSA)Albury Corowa Gliding ClubPO Box 620, Wodonga VIC 3689.Beaufort Gliding Club41 Ruby St, Essendon VIC 3040, 0431 702175.Bendigo Gliding ClubPO Box 846, Bendigo VIC 3550, 03 54423459.Bothwell Gliding ClubPO Box 288, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, 03 62267615.Cloud Riders Pty LtdC/- 18 Wyndham St, Werribee VIC 3030, 03 97413142, 0429 351234.Corangamite Soaring ClubKurweeton, Kurweeton Rd, Derrinallum VIC 3325, 03 55939277.Geelong Gliding ClubPO Box 197, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340, 03 93385925, 0409 212527.Gliding Club Of VictoriaPO Box 46, Benalla VIC 3671, 03 57621058, 0429 950580.Grampians Soaring ClubPO Box 468, Ararat VIC 3377, 03 53525710, 0417 514438.Horsham Flying ClubPO Box 158, Horsham VIC 3402, 03 53823491, 0427 315845.Latrobe Valley Gliding ClubPO Box 625, Morwell VIC 3840, 03 51221081, 0407 839238.Mangalore Gliding ClubPO Box 208 Nagambie VIC 3608, 03 57985512, 0428 635717.Melbourne Motor Gliding ClubPO Box 278, Dingley Village VIC 3172, 0418 511557. Mount Beauty Gliding ClubBox 486, Mt Beauty VIC 3699, 02 60591417, 0402 075131.Murray Valley Soaring Club LtdPO Box 403, Corowa NSW 2646, 02 60335036, 0400 244578.Soaring Club Of Tasmania34 Clinton Rd, Geilston Bay TAS 7015, 03 62437508.South Gippsland Gliding ClubPO Box 475, Leongatha VIC 3953, 0437 454986.Southern Riverina Gliding ClubPO Box 32, Tocumwal, NSW 2714, 03 58743052, 03 58742914.SportAviation Pty LtdGate 10, Babingtons Rd, Tocumwal Airport, Tocumwal NSW 2714, 03 58742734, 0427 534122.Sunraysia Gliding ClubPO Box 647, Mildura VIC 3500, 03 50257335, 0448 293927.Swan Hill Gliding ClubPO Box 160, Nyah VIC 3594, 03 50376688.Tumbarumba Gliding ClubC/- Judds Engineering P/L, PO Box 5283, Wagga NSW 2650, 02 69251642, 0428 251642.

VMFGGPO 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 Cadets7 Wing HQ, RAAF Base Pearce Bullsbrook WA 6084, 08 95717800.Beverley Soaring SocietyPO Box 136, Beverley WA 6304, 08 94595719, 0437 377744.Gliding Club of Western AustraliaPO Box 6231, East Perth WA 6892, 08 92212164, 0417 992806 (weekends).Morawa Gliding ClubPO Box 276, Morawa WA 6623, 08 99723022.Narrogin Gliding ClubPO Box 232, Narrogin WA 6312, 08 98811795 (weekends), 0407 088314.Stirlings Gliding ClubC/- Peter Hardy-Atkins, 8 Parker St, Lockyer, Albany WA 6330, 08 98428816, 0408 842616.

H G FAAll correspondence, including changes of address, mem bership 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, <[email protected]>, [www.hgfa.asn.au].

HGFA Operations Manager

Mark Campbell 0403 850881 <[email protected]>.Information about site ratings, sites and other local matters, contact the appro pri ate State asso ciations, region or club.Board Members 2008 to 2010

Pres: Alex Jones 08 97344531 <[email protected]>, 34 McAvoy Rd, Allanson WA 6225. V-Pres: Rob Woodward 0408 808436 <[email protected]>, 38 Addison Rd, Black Forest SA 5035.Sec: Martin Halford 0434 427500 <[email protected]>.Trs: John Twomey 0419 357195 <[email protected]>, 108 Osborne St, William- town VIC 3016.Board Members:Chris Drake 0466 005967 <[email protected]>, PO Box 988, Noosa QLD 4567.Benn KovcoGreg LowryLee PattersonBrian WebbStates, Regions & Special Interest Groups

ACTHPALPO Box 8339, ANU, Acton ACT 0200; [www.acthpa.org]. Pres: Matthew Smith <[email protected]> 0402 905554; V-Pres: Nic Welbourn <[email protected]> 0422 783763; Trs: Kristina Smith <[email protected]> 0407 905554; Sec: Nic Siefken <[email protected]> 0418 421683; Committee: Miguel Cruz <[email protected]> 0432 987819, Andrew Luton <[email protected]> 0404 254922; Public Officer: Barry Oliver <[email protected]> 0407 825819; Meetings: 1st Thu/month 7.30pm Yamba Sports Club.

Hang Gliding Association of WA Inc.PO Box 146, Midland, WA 6936 <[email protected]>. Pres: Peter South <[email protected]>; V-Pres: Alex Jones <[email protected]>; Trs: Greg Lowry <[email protected]>; Sec: Mirek Generowicz <[email protected]>; Trs: Colin Brown 0407 700378, <[email protected]>.NSW HG and PG AssociationPO Box 3106, Bateau Bay NSW 2261, [www.nswhpa.org]. Pres: Bruce Wynne 0417 467695, <[email protected]>;

Contact Addresses

G FA M E M B E R S H I P F E E S 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Membership: Normal FamilyNSW $225 $183 Victoria $230 $188 South Australia $232 $190Queensland $230 $188 Western Australia $230 $188

Student membership: Full FamilyNSW $136 $94Victoria $141 $99South Australia $143 $101 Queensland $141 $99 Western Australia $141 $99

Short-term membership: 1 Month* 3 Month*Queensland/Victoria $62 $79 New South Wales $67 $84 South Australia $74 $91 Western Australia $72 $89 *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 Price1 New Zealand $512 Singapore $513 Japan, Hong Kong, India $514 USA, Canada, Middle East $745 UK, Europe, South America, South Africa $74

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •


G FA

Single-seater SailplanesASW 15 GYU, 3600 hrs, 3100 landings. Enclosed trailer, tow-out gear, basic instruments incl. 360ch radio, boom mike, barograph & Zander SR820 computer. Urgent sale – make an offer. Ph: 08 82887881 or 0448 676499.

ASW 17 VH-YKL. Complete enclosed trailer & instruments now in Australia, $35000. Ph: Brad Edwards 0427 202535 or 02 67711733.

ASW 20A 1/2 share. A$23000. Flaptastic! LNav, GPS, EDS O2, Flarm, Transponder Mode C, re-painted Komet trailer. Moving to Melbourne next year, glider can be yours exclusively for 2010-11 season! Email: Luke <[email protected]>.

Classifieds • • •

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 7960Email: <[email protected]>

Advertisements may be emailed in high resolution (300dpi at 100% size) using TIF or EPS formats.

Photo graphs may be pro vided in either photo print or slides. Low resolution digitals are not suitable.

Photo graphs, 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.

For current advertising fees, go to [www.gfa.org.au].

Corowa Classic 201121 to 29 January 2011

20m seat Grand Prix style competition, hosted by Australian Soaring Centre Corowa and Corowa City Shire. A friendly competition designed to introduce competitors to grand prix racing and an opportunity to learn from the some of Europe’s best pilots. Entry fee $300 by 21 November 2010, late fee $350. Fur- ther information via [www.australian-soaring-corowa. com/], email <[email protected]> or Peter Summersby 0413 028737 <[email protected]>.

Women in Gliding Week23 to 29 January 2011

Benalla, VIC. Contacts: Louise (LLU) <louise@asw19. com>, ph: 0448 625022, 03 93299329 (outside office hours please) or Rhonda, GCV Office Manager, during office hours <[email protected]>, ph: 03 57621058 (please leave message if not answered).

Horsham Week 20115 to 12 February 2011

Horsham aerodrome, VIC. Entries (maximum 40 gliders) will be accepted up to the first comp day, $100 fee. Visit [www.horshamweek.org.au] for official entry form, turnpoints and local comp rules. Flarm is mandatory. To ensure your place, please email the Comp- etition Director well beforehand indicating your intention to attend. Contact: David Cleland (03 93333638, 0417 766208 or <[email protected]>. The comp will be preceded by the VSA Cross-Country Coach- ing Week featuring seminars, pre-flight briefings and post-flight analyses and will now include two streams for novice cross-country and advanced soaring pilots. Coaching contacts: Ian Grant (03 98771463, 0418 271767 or <[email protected]> and David Wilson (0407 825706 or <[email protected]>. We’d like to add some history of Horsham Week Comps to the new permanent website for

all future comps. Please send material, especially photos, to <[email protected]>.

Lake Keepit Regatta 20 to 26 February 2011

Maximum of 30 gliders, on a first come basis; limited onsite accommodation available. Entry fee of $100 per aircraft. Further details [www.keepitsoaring.com], <[email protected]> or phone Tim Carr on 0414 405544.

Paragliding State of OriginEaster 22 to 24 April 2011

Mt Borah, Manilla, NSW. A great way to get into comp and XC flying in a fun and safe way. The comp is based on flying five pilot teams: one adv, two nov pilots and two other pilots, so get your crew together. Handicapping is used for scoring. C-grade (pending). Reserve, UHF radio and at least three hours XC are required. XC course recommended. Comp fee $20. Register at Oz Comps. Contact: James Thompson on 02 49468680 or <[email protected]>, [www.hunterskysailors.org.au/soo] for info and pilot pack.

NZ vs Australia PPG Champs 22 to 25 April 2011 (Easter)

This comp alternates yearly between Australia and NZ. Trophies: Best NZ and Best Australian Pilot. The win- ning country takes home the Anzac trophy. The comp will also serve as the National Championships for each country. Information: [www.ppgaustralia.com/AussieVKiwi/Aust_V_NZ_PPG.htm]. Only members of the NZHGPA & HGFA/PICO may compete in sanctioned events. Tasks: foot drag, cloverleaf, slow/fast, take-off, power off landing, power on touch & go landing, kite war, bomb drop, ball scoop & drop, beam walk, efficiency, economy race. Contact: Brett Coupland 0409 162616.

A U S T R A L I A

Keepit Speed Week 5 to 11 September 2010

Sunday, 9am to 6pm at Lake Keepit. This coaching week is aimed at those wishing to raise their competition skills, a ‘Not the National Squad’ week to provide a lead in to the competition season. Contact: Paul Mander 0417 447974 or email <[email protected]> for further information.

2010 Annual GFA Gliding Seminar and AGM

11 September 2010 Virginia Palms, Cnr Sandgate & Zillmere Rds, Boondall, Brisbane, QLD 4034. Ph: 07 32657066 [www.palms international.com.au/]. Details from [www.gfa.org.au]: The days will start with an address from the Presi- dent, the AGM including ‘Special Business’ and an opportunity to Q&A the GFA Board reps in attendance. The seminar program follows with five guest speakers, including Jenny Thompson (on SMS Implementation), Mark Fisher (‘Ditto’ More Gliding Less Work) and Lisa Trotter (on Psychology in Gliding) and includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea, door prizes, and trade exhibitors (Go Soaring, Mr Soaring, OAMPS, Swift Avionics). Guests are then encouraged to join the Board and exhibitors and others for dinner and drinks and keynote speaker, followed by GFA Awards and trophies. This is an ideal time to meet, greet, and learn more from others with different skill sets. Those seeking accommodation for the Saturday or Friday evening are encouraged to make their own arrangements directly with the venue.

Bunyan Wave Camp 17 to 26 September 2010

Canberra Gliding Club, Bunyan Airfield, 15km north of Cooma, NSW. The Spring Equinox period has produced Diamond Height flights over the past three years. Limited clubhouse, oxygen refills, access to high altitude soaring areas and coaching available. Registration of your intention to attend is requested. Phone Stuart Ferguson on 0419 797508 for details.

National Paramotor Fly-in16 to 19 September 2010

Milbrulong, NSW. Organised by The Pico Club Inc. The biggest gathering of powered PGs in Australia, a weekend of fun and flying. For information visit [www.thepico.com.au] or contact the organisers Jeff Hoffman <[email protected]> or Andrew Shipley <[email protected]>.

Queensland State Gliding Championships

NEW DATES: 18 to 24 September 2010Kingaroy, QLD. Please send expressions of interest to Lorraine Kauffmann <[email protected]> or 0427 427448. The Kingaroy Soaring Club website [www.Kingaroygliding.com] will incorporate a dedicat- ed section in due course. The usual awesome Kinga- roy weather has been rescheduled for the new dates.

Queensland Coaching Week18 to 24 September 2010

Contact Greg Schmidt 0414 747201.

Australian Gliding Grand Prix26 September to 2 October 2010

Boonah airfield, QLD. The official practice day is Satur- day, 25 September. Entries close 30 June, 2010. Further information [www.glidinggrandprix2010.com.au].

Canungra Classic 20102 to 9 October 2010

Registration: 1 October from 3pm. Opening ceremony: 6pm. Venue for the Classic this year will be held at

the Canungra Hotel. Entry fee: $210 plus $30 non-CGHC members, includes T-shirt and presentation dinner. Late fee after 1 September: $30. Mandatory: minimum int rating, parachute, 3D GPS, & HGFA membership. Classes Open, Best of the Rest, Floater. Competition rating AA. Registration: [www.triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2010/] or <[email protected]>. Also [www.chgc.com.au] (follow the links). Competition director: Marty Bennett <[email protected]> or 0400 155864.

Weekend Warrior Series 11 2010/2011

Round 1: 2, 3, 4 October 2010, ManillaRound 2: 7, 8 November 2010, Hunter Valley# max. 40 pilotsRound 3: 4, 5 December 2010, ManillaRound 4: 8, 9 January 2011, Killarney#

Round 5: 2, 3 April 2011, Manilla# in negations with clubsThis comp is aimed at nov/int interest in entry-level GPS/Task base competition. It is about the promotion of skills, safety and fun. C-grade sanction (pending). Reserve, UHF Radio, any GPS (GPS pool, see website). Cost: $25 per round or $100 prepaid for the series of 11 tasks. Payment and pilot registration at Oz Comps WWS [www.randomkingdom.com.au/wws], Che Golus <[email protected]> or James <[email protected]>.

49th Multi Class Nationals4 to 15 October 2010

Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club at Dalby aerodrome, QLD. For further information contact <[email protected]>.

Canungra Cup 201023 to 30 October 2010

Canungra, Qld. AAA, FAI Cat 2. The Cup will consist of eight comp days. Due to popular demand in previous years, a selection process will be applied should the comp become over-subscribed. A maximum of 80 pilots plus five wild cards will be accepted. Please note the following dates: Online registration opens 16 July, 20:30 (AEST) GMT +10. If over-subscribed by 20 August, the Priority Selection Process as outlined in the latest edition of the HGFA Comps Manual will apply. Pilots will be notified via email of their registration status. Those who qualify are given until 27 August to pay the full fee to secure their place. If payment has not been received, pilots on the waiting list will be offered those places. Contacts: Dave Gibbs, Gavin Zahner, [www.canungracup.org].

Melbourne Cup Vintage Rally 30 October to 2 November 2010

Bacchus Marsh, VIC. Accommodation, breakfast, hangarage, museum open day with T31 flights on Sunday (weather permitting) and much more, all available! Contact Ian Patching, ph: 03 94383510 or Dave Goldsmith, ph: 03 54283358.

Ride The Spiral Spring Comp30/31 October & 1/2 November 2010

Mt Beauty, VIC. We’ve booked Mt Beauty Bush Lodge for all pilots to stay at. The cost of the accommodation was worked into this year’s comp fee. The lodge is right next to the little Emu bomb-out. Classes are Open, King Posted, Open Crossbar. The comp style is simple: Fly as far as you can each day. Out and returns, straight lines, accuracy landings are scored. You can fly multiple times a day from the same hill. The comp cost is $110 incl. three nights accommodation at the lodge, breakfasts and the Monday night BBQ with beer. Prizes and trophies to be awarded on Tuesday morning. Organiser: Will Faulkner 0411 205718, Duty Pilot: Pat McMahon, Comp channel UHF 16 TSQL 100, [www.ridethespiral.net/?page_id=1970].

Bendigo GC Melbourne Cup Weekend Coaching Camp

30 October to 7 November 2010Enjoy 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, ph: 03 54439169.

16th Annual Gather- ing of the Moths

19 and 20 November 2010 Mt Beauty, VIC. Flyers of all denominations are, once again, invited to fly the sheltered Kiewa Valley, at the foot of our picturesque Alps.Full range of accommodation available. Ph: Mark Ghirardello 03 57544572 or 0409 544572.

2010 Airborne Gulgong Classic 21 to 27 November 2010

To be held on the airfield at Gulgong over seven days. Saturday the 20th will be the practice day. It is expected this will be an AA grade comp. Further details available from the comp website [www.gulgongclassic.com].

NSW State Gliding Championships27 November to 4 December 2010

Practice day: 27th. Lake Keepit Soaring Club, NSW. All classes including Club Class. For further information and entry form see [www.keepitsoaring.com].

Planned Forbes Events 2011: Forbes Flatlands Sports Class Championships

28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011 XC Seminar & Tuning Seminar 28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011 Record Flying or Aerotow Endorsement Course28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2011 2 January 2011 to 12 January 2011We plan two competitions at Forbes next summer: The main Open Class comp and a separate Sports Class comp to be held beforehand. The focus is an introduction to comp flying, with in-depth weather and task briefing each morning. Gerolf Heinrichs will be Meet Director, chair the morning briefing and also fly the task. In the evening we’ll have social/BBQ/meal and de-brief of the day’s flights. Entry or tow fees have not been finalised yet. It depends on the budget I can put together and how many pilots are interested. Please register your interest at [www.moyes.com.au/Forbes2011]. At the same time Curt Warren and Jonny Durand will host a Cross-Country and Tuning seminar. As well as the Sport Class competition and the Cross-Country seminar, towing will be available all day for all pilots from 28 December to 2 January 2011. Come join us to practice for the Open Class comp or obtain an aerotow endorsement or attempt record flights with Attila Bertok or have your glider tuned by Jonny Durand. You need to register your interest for each category so we can be sure to have enough Dragonflies available. Contact: Vicki Cain, Moyes Delta Gliders, ph: 02 93164644, [www.moyes.com.au].

Bogong Cup 201116 to 22 January 2011

Mt Beauty, VIC. Registration: 15 January. Entry fee: $120. We’ll be running two HG comps this season: a Grand Prix and an Assigned Area Task event. Each comp will be limited to 20 pilots. Full details at [www.sacra.biz/bogong]. Contact Wesley Hill on 0408 305943 or <[email protected]>.

Soaring Calendar • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •


H G FA

All aircraft should be suitable for the intend-ed use; this includes the skill level required for the specific aircraft being reflective of the pilot’s actual rating & experience. All members must adhere to the mainte nance requirements as contained in Section 9 of the Operations Manual & as provided by manufacturers. Secondhand equipment should always be inspected by an indepen-dent person, an Instructor wherever possi ble. Advice should be sought as to the con di tion, airworthiness & suitability of the aircraft. It should include examination of mainte-nance logs for the aircraft. It is unethical & 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 & EquipmentNEW SOUTH WALES

Airborne Blade Race 141, approximately 250 hrs airtime. Glider has flared spares and VG with Mylar LEs. Can send to Victoria or Queensland for as little as $80 door to door. Probably worth more, $200 ono. Ph: Dave 0438 401964 (Sydney).

Moyes XACT Harness with reserve shute. Suit pilot around the 6ft mark. Very comfortable harness for coastal & inland flying. Good condition. 30 hours fly time use, incl. harness bag, $750 ono. Ph: Dave 0438 401964 (Sydney). SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Airborne Sting 2, int, harness, radio & Flytec instruments – all good quality, but with two babies I cannot fly anymore. Glider flown about 20 times. I’m 6’1” & 78kg. Ph: 0434 462252 for pictures, questions, etc. Price negotiable.

GeneralKANGOOK

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.

POLIGLIDE

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,

www.parasupply.com

HGFA Schools

PARAGLIDING CENTREWe 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&HGFAlicencecourse• Thermal&XCclinicsforalllevels• SIVcourses• Towcourses• XCtandemflights• EquipmentSales

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

VICTORIA VICTORIA

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

established 1988

Why come to North-east Victoria to learn with Eagle School?

• Apart from being fortunate enough to have the most consistently reliable weather for training in Australia…

• Australia’s longest running Microlight school.• Our person centred approach means that we

value feedback and individually tailor our training methods to suit the student’s needs.

• We specialise in remedial training when you get stuck in your present learning environment.

• We are interested in seeing you achieve your goals and make your dreams a reality.

• You will receive ongoing support after your licence

• We aim to shape you into a safe and confident pilot by encouraging you to challenge yourself in a safe and supportive environment.

• If you are already a Hang Glider, Paraglider or Glider pilot you’ll learn for half price!

We look forward to assisting you to master a new set of skills which will take you

to new heights in every respect.NO PRESSURE SALES!!! BUY IN YOUR OWN TIME

Feel free to contact us, we are happy to chat with you.

STEPHEN RUFFELS CFIMail address: 16 Hargreaves Road, Bright, 3741

(03) 5750 1174 or (0428) 570 168email <[email protected]>

Look up our website: [www.eagleschool.com.au]

download our’Learn to Fly’ brochure for what’s involved, plus costs.

Classifieds • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Single-seater Sailplanes (contd)ASW 20F less than 200 hrs, incomplete project, good trailer, new tow-out gear, call for photo & details. Ph: Ross Ginder 0409 614319.

ASW 28-18 New 9/2007. 205 hrs, solar cell on fuse, white two component paint, Borgelt B400, XCOM VHF. Komet Euro light trailer, tow-out gear. Always hangared, one owner $135000. Email: <[email protected]>.

Discus B incl. L-Nav, GPS, Microair radio & enclosed trailer. The glider is based at Gawler & has been well maintained with a good finish & in excellent condition. $60000 ono. Ph: John 08 83563038.

Due to fleet upgrade Darling Downs Soaring Club offers for sale the following aircraft: Schempp-Hirth Ventus B VH-GGH Serial No. 53, TTIS 3776 hrs @ 06/06/10. Form 2 inspection due 20/11/10. 15m winglets & 16.6m tips incl. Tail tank & Bond aileron mod for superior handling. Instruments: ASI, ALT, Bohli compass, Winter mechanical vario, Borgelt B400 vario, Becker AR3201 comm, boom mic, set-up for Colibri logger (Colibri not incl.), OzFlarm, dual battery set-up. Trailer & tow-out gear. Asking price $50000. Email: <[email protected]>.

HPH 304 Shark VH-GAG, built 2008. 18m Class competition glider, only 250 hrs, immaculate show- room condition, factory finished in polyurethane, Cobra trailer & tow-out gear. Great performer & current holder of several international glider records with longest flight of over 1200km. Current new price for this glider would be over $175000, excellent opportunity to buy Australian demo for $145000 to make way for Jet Shark in 2011. Ph: Andrew 0488 161844 or <[email protected]>.

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 2 Std VH-IZT 1850 hrs, 1100 landings. Good clean condition. Microair radio, Borgelt instrumenta- tion, canopy hinge. Well thought out trailer & all tow-out gear. Competitive Standard Class performance at $28000 neg. Ph: Paul 0404 851876.

Jantar 2 Std VH-UKP $25000 ono. 2060 hrs, 850 landings. Registered 12/1981. Custom made trailer, groundhandling gear, Borgelt basic instruments, vario, speed to fly & final glide computers, turn & bank, Becker radio, oxygen (diluter demand system), parachute. Ph: Rob 08 93062241, 0428 270153 or <[email protected]>.

K7 VH-XJV – Must sell. 4011 hrs, good condition, no trailer, $5000 neg. Ph: 07 54960331 or 0422 388229.

Libelle 201B VH-GCJ, serial no. 454. 2900 hrs, new canopy, new panel with Borgelt vario, LX20 GPS logger, radio & Flarm. New water bags & c/w tow-out gear & a good trailer. Wing covers & fresh Form 2, $16000. Ph: 02 66243999.

LS8-18/15 Fully equipped/optioned + Cobra XL. Priced btw $120 & $135000 depending on equipment. Ph: Miles Gore-Brown 07 55789904 or <[email protected]>.

Mini Nimbus B Excellent condition, always han-gared, refinished in PU, 2150 hrs, Becker radio, parachute, winglets, Winter vario, Blumenauer vario/speed to fly, oxygen, turn & bank, aluminium trailer for one-man rig/derig. $30000. Ph: 03 98466525 or <[email protected]>.

Std Cirrus VH-GJR Borgelt vario with averager & speed command, Cambridge electric vario, Microair radio, dual battery installation, Swiss cylindrical aluminium trailer & tow-out gear. Same owner since purchase at World comps Waikerie 1974 TT 1800 hrs, $16000 ono. Ph: Marc 0408 819998 or <[email protected]>.

Ventus 2cx 18m Aircraft, incl. trailer, available for inspection at Warwick airfield, Qld. Ph: 0419 989288 or 0438 371145 to discuss further.

Two-seater SailplanesDuo Discus T VH-JSR best Duo in Australia, like new, beautifully finished, meticulously maintained, winglets, handles like a Duo X, low engine hrs, complete package with parachutes, instruments, oxygen, trailer. Ph: Shane 0418 759310, <[email protected]> or Ralph 07 38436178 (h) <[email protected]>.

Two Grob 103’s & one trailer based at Gawler. Minimum hrs remaining. Make an offer. Ph: John 08 83563038.

IS28 Due to fleet restructuring the Gliding Club of Victoria offers for sale one of either of its IS28s, CQD (7500 hrs TT) or WVV (13250 hours TT). Both 28s are in very good condition with standard instruments and radio. The price is $19000 and $16000 respectively and it was thought VV could be attractive to a small club or syndicate. Contact Robert 03 9489 4298 or [email protected]

IS28B2 Damaged but repairable. Good option as many Blaniks have been grounded. S/N 24. Repainted inside & out. Damage as follows, Fus centre section LHS (minor), RH wing no visible damage, LH wing bent back slightly (2m from tip), o/hauled Oleo. Complete except for instruments. Benalla, Vic, $1500. Ph: Graeme 0428 848486.

IS28B2 WVR – 4800 hrs, 6750 landings, VGC, (93% launches have been aerotow), with basic instruments, Becker radio & electric vario. 30 yearly completed in 2008. New F2 in 7/2010. Good open trailer. Glider based at Ararat. Reasonable offers considered. For further information ph: Trevor 03 52825143 (h).

Self-Launching/Motor GlidersASH-25J under development, should be operational by October. Top performance Open Class two seater, fully equipped, competition instruments, oxy, NOAH, parachutes, groundhandling gear, trailer, fantastic performance, winner of several Nationals. Sell or syndicate. Ph: Paul Mander 0417 447974 or <[email protected]>.

Dimona H36 with L2400 motor. Just finished 3000-hr survey & extension to 6000-hr life. Latest motor & prop. Folding wings & transponder, flies beautifully & all in excellent condition, $85000. Ph: John 03 52366290.

Grob Twin III 103 Self-launcher. Very low hrs, refinished; delight to fly. $125000 fly away. $135000 with trailer tow away. Ph: Mark Rowe 0403 307363 or <[email protected]>.

Grob 3 SL VH-GLL ‘Firesale Price’ two-seat self-launching sailplane, latest model with Discus type wing, VG Avionics, 38:1 glide, excellent XC trainer or self-launch conversions, new paint 2010 (P Holmes), low hrs, approx. 550, canopies perfect, clam shell Cobra trailer incl, complete package – all in excellent condition. We must sell this glider now! Priced to go at an absolute bargain price of $99000. Call us for more info, our loss will be your gain! Ph: 02 66847627 or txt 0400 553642.

SF 25B Falke VH-KPT. 60 HP Limbach Motor 900 hrs to run. Excellent condition. $38000. Ph or txt: 0413 645140 for more details.

SF 25D VH-YPL Scheibe Limbach 1700 motor. TT 5790 hrs. Fuse o/hauled, wings refurbished, new upholstery. Very good condition. A$32000. 10-year service due 23/11/2017. Ph: 0415 530020.

Super Ximango Plus A true touring motor glider. Excellent condition. Just completed 600-hrly & Form 2. $165000. Fully equipped & tooled. Details & photographs, Paul <[email protected]>.

TST-10M Atlas with enclosed factory trailer, tow-ing gear, no parachute, no current Form 2, approx. 300 hrs, hangared over past two yrs unused, Rotax 447 engine, $45000 ono. Ph: Stefan 0402 280146.

Ventus CM self-launcher, 17.6, winglets ~800 hrs TT. Engine 5 hrs, Altair, Vega, Dittel, Flarm.Cobra. Refinished 2008. Fresh Form 2 Perfect, beautiful. Just fly it. $110000 (incl. GST) Ph: 02 66221666 or <[email protected]>.

Silent Wings Aviation

Silent Targa Fuel Inject (www.alisport.com). Highly optioned new demo unit, <6 launches

& test hrs for CofA only. One-man self-rig package (20 min), steerable tail wheel, super Cobra trailer.

Pure fun & independence. Price neg. Ph: Greg 0400 114747 or <[email protected]>.

Ximango 200S

ZBF for Outback touring. Very good condition. 100 HP prop mods done. E 650. A 770. AH. DG. Nav com, Cam vario, GPS, transponder, jacks, tools, spares, key- lock, ELT. $170000, T hangar at Camden available. Ph: Barry Bowerman 02 46366314, 0427 003644.

TugsCallair A9A VH-MPO. Benalla based, modified for glider towing. Excellent condition, full details. Ph: Jim 0419 562213.

Instruments & EquipmentCast Brass Tail Skids – Suit Schempp-Hirth & similar, other shapes available on request. Ph: Ron Grant 0412 514151 or <[email protected]>.

Gliding PublicationsAirborne 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: <[email protected]>.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: <[email protected]>.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 Asso ci ation, 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 (annu ally): $US43 surface delivery; $US68 premium delivery.Technical Soaring/OSTIV: Quarterly publi ca tionof 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, Mem ber ship $20 pa.

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 <[email protected]>, fax: 03 93362177 or post:

4a/60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042. The deadline is 25th of the month, for pub li cation

five weeks hence. Submitted classifieds will run for one issue. For con secutive publication, re-sub mission 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 verifi ca tion) and the State under which you would like the

classified placed. (Note that the above does not apply to com mer cial operators. Instructors may

place multiple classified entries, but will be charged at usual advertising rates.)

48 Soaring Australia September 2010

NEW SOUTH WALES

HGFA Schools • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

NEW SOUTH WALES

Australia Wide Services HGFA Approved Paraglider

Testing & Repairs

• Comprehensivetestingandrepairs to all paragliders

• Fullyequippedserviceandrepair agents for:

Advance, Aerodyne, Airwave, Bio-Air, Gin, Gradient, Mac Para, Niviuk, Nova, Ozone, Paratech, Sky, Swing, UP

• Fullwrittenreport• Harnessrepairandmodifications• CertifiedAustralasianGradientRepairCentre• Parachuterepacking• OrderstakenfromanywhereinAustralia,

New Zealand and Asia• Promptturnaround

Paragliding Repair Centre93 Princess Ave, Torndirrup, Albany WA 6330

Mob: 0417 776550 Email: <[email protected]> Web: [www.waparagliding.com]

PARAGLIDINGREPAIRCENTRE

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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 stu dents per instructor, for quality personalised tui tion 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: <[email protected]>

[www.paraglidingrainbow.com]NEW SOUTH WALES

Professional Paragliding• Tandem Introductory Flights• Paragliding Courses and Certifications• Pilot Development Clinics• Free Introduction course• Tandem Endorsements• Sales and service

Dealer for Advance Charly Flytec IcomAdventure Plus Paragliding Pty Ltd

Stanwell Park, Sydney Ph: 0412271404

<[email protected]> [www.adventureplusparagliding.com.au]

QUEENSLAND

Advertising Index – September 2010

Airborne IBCCanungra Cup 2010 12Cross Country Magazine 35Eco Watch 36GFA Form 2 27GFA Gliding Seminar 37GFA Member Database 28High Adventure IBCJS1 Revelation BCKeepit Soaring 36Manilla PG – Accessories 33Microair Avionics 28Mountain High Oxygen 9OAMPS 9Paragliding Headquarters 45Poliglide Paramotors 5Team 5 25SportAviation PL 31Poliglide IBCSwift Avionics BC

COME FOR A REAL FLYING HOLIDAYStay at High Adventure's Beach House

situated in Pilots Paradise – Laurieton, NSWThis four bedroom holiday home (recently renovated) offers access to good affordable accommodation for all pilots.Situated just 200 metres from the beach and 50 metres from the river.Transport to flying sites daily at minimal cost, fly both Inland and coastal at one of our 15 launch sites.Mountain bike use for free for pilots staying, also: We have free use of high speed internet and theatre room.

» Come test fly the LATEST WINGS from UP, Ozone, Apco Paragliders and latest PARAMOTORS and QUAD BASES » Great deals on all accessories, guaranteed BEST DEALS

Home of the 2 Day Free Paragliding Courses

[www.highadventure.com.au] <[email protected]> Ph: 0429 844 961

Wills Wing T2C 144 at Point of the Mountain, utah, uSA

Photo: Jeff O'Brien

soaring australia 2010-09

Documents

soaring australia

australian gliding magazine

bluestar print

aussie post

hgfa board reser

new zealand championships

aussie teamtension

aussie contingent