October - Hang Gliding Federation of Australia

G F AG F AHow I Used My Car NavigationGPS As A Glide ComputerMichael BrandonMichael Brandon (Two articles reprinted from the November/December 2009 and July/August 2010editions of Southern Cross Journal with permission)This article describes how you can turn a regular car navigation GPS – the sort youmight have attached to your car windscreen – into a sophisticated glide computer,in 12 (relatively) easy steps. Many of the Southern Cross Gliding Club’s single-seatersalready have a Cambridge 302 glide computer installed. Why would you want to use acar navigation GPS as a glide computer, as opposed to using the Cambridge, or runningglide computer software on a hand-held computer (PDA)?The glide computer software availablefor a PDA or car navigation GPS is moresophisticated and has a lot more capabilitythan the Cambridge 302. PDAs arerapidly losing market share to fancymobiles like the iPhone; soon you maynot even be able to buy a new PDA. CarGPSs are commodity items and gettingcheaper. PDAs generally don’t havea built-in GPS (so you need to use anexternal GPS unit), the screens are sometimesa bit small, and you have to workout how to mount them securely. Thelatest car GPSs have nice big touch-screensand most come bundled with a suctionmount which can be attached to theinside of a canopy. There’s a fair chanceyou already have a car GPS, or if you’relucky Santa might bring you one.CaveatBefore proceeding, you should be awarethat, in carrying out this process, there isa small risk you will render your car GPScompletely inoperable. I’ve tried to minimisethat risk, but you have been warned!W h at y o u w i l l n e e dFor this exercise you will need a car GPSwhich uses Windows CE and has eithera microSD or an SD card slot. Just aswith desktop computers, where somemachines run Windows and others useApple OS, so it is in the car GPS world:some use Windows CE and others rundifferent software. Of the most popularcar GPSs on the market, those madeby Mio, Navig8r, Navigon and Navmangenerally use Windows CE, but those soldby Garmin and TomTom do not. If you areunsure, find out before proceeding.You will also need a microSD memorycard (those thumbnail-sized cards whichfit into most modern digital cameras) ora postage stamp-sized SD card. A 512MBcard has more than enough capacity, butbe sure to use a good quality one. For thesenotes I’ll assume you are using a microSDcard. You will also need a computer withinternet access to download the requiredsoftware, documentation and otherfiles. Finally, you will need some basiccomputer skills, but it’s not as difficultas you might think.A microSD card (Source:[www.zazz.com.au/pastproducts.php?past=568#])I s t h i sl e g a l ?Good question, and thank you for asking.All the software referred to in this articleis entirely free, so you can use it withoutqualms. Sure, you are putting the carGPS to a use the manufacturer neverintended, and they probably won’t helpyou if you have a problem, but… well,you paid for the device, and so long asyou’re not using it to commit a crime,I don’t think anyone could object. Justdon’t use it to make a bank heist getawayin your sailplane.So how does this work?Your car GPS is really a portable computerin disguise, with a processor, memory andoperating system. The manufacturer buildsin a GPS chip and some car navigationsoftware, and then hides a lot of thefunctionality so that it acts as a dedicatednavigation device. That’s ideal if you wantto drive from A to B: you just turn it onand start navigating. However, that’snot so good if you’d like to use someof the capability the manufacturer hasdeliberately hidden.Another thing the manufacturer doesis arrange it so that, when you reset thecar GPS, it returns the device back to theoriginal settings; it’s a bit like losing thesettings every time you turn your homecomputer off. That’s good for a dedicatedcar GPS because if anything getscorrupted, you just reset the device, thesettings are restored and you’re up andrunning. It’s not so good for us though,because if you install some software onthe GPS, it’s likely to be discarded whenthe device is reset.However, there is a way around this:you can get the GPS to run software froma plug-in memory card. Install the rightsoftware on the card, plug it in and youcan get the GPS to be a glide computer.Remove the card and it’s back to beinga car navigation device. Nifty.Step 1: Download MioPocketThe first piece of software you will needis MioPocket, which is used to ‘unlock’your car GPS. While originally written forthe Mio brand of GPSs, it also works onother devices. As at the date of writing,the latest version of MioPocket was 3.0Release 56. Go to [http://netfresco.com/MioPocket] and download the softwareto your computer, then extract thecontents of the Zip file. While you areon the website, click on the ‘Readme’link and carefully read the installationinstructions.Step 2: Connect the microSD cardto your computerThe installation instructions for MioPocketsuggest you plug the microSD card intoyour car GPS and then connect the GPSto your computer. I think this is slightlyrisky, as (a) if your computer has a virusit might corrupt your GPS, and (b) ifyou’re not careful you might accidentallyalter or delete important files on theGPS. My suggestion is to find yourself amobile phone, digital camera or similardevice with a microSD slot, put the cardin the slot and then connect the deviceto your computer and turn it on. Thecard should show up as an extra drive onyour computer. In my case I put a 512MBmicroSD card into my BlackBerry andconnected that to my computer.Step 3: Copy the MioPocketsoftware to the microSD cardFollow the instructions in the Readmepage on the MioPocket website and copythe MioPocket software to the microSDcard, being careful to follow Method 1(SD Card Installation), not Method 2 (FlashDisk (SD-Free) Installation). Which folderyou copy the software to, and whetheryou rename the files once you’ve copiedthem, depends on the model of car GPSyou are using; refer to the MioPocketinstructions for guidance. This is thetrickiest part of the exercise, so readthe instructions carefully.The instructions didn’t mention mymodel of car GPS, but here’s a tip: manufacturersre-badge GPS units for differentmarkets, and the Navman My55T isknown in Europe as a Moov Spirit 500.The latter is referred to in the MioPocketinstructions, so in my case I followed thesteps and:• copied the MioAutoRun and Mediafolders to the microSD card• created a Default folder on themicroSD card• copied the MioAutoRun.exe,MioAutoRun.mscr and MortScript.exefiles to the Default folder• renamed MioAutoRun.exe to Auto.exeand MioAutoRun.mscr to Auto.mscrStep 4: Insert the microSD cardin the car GPS and reset the GPSTell Windows that you want to removethe microSD card, then turn off themobile phone or digital camera, removethe microSD card and pop it into the carGPS. Next, reset (not just turn off) thecar GPS; you may need to refer to yourGPS manual for how to perform a reset.In my case, I just slid the ON-OFF-RESETswitch to RESET. Now turn on the car GPS.All being well, after a short delay youshould see a grey MioPocket Installationscreen indicating that MioPocket is beinginstalled, followed by a MioPocket Skin\Theme Changer screen; just tap on OK.If you don’t have any success, try resettingthe car GPS again. If you still have no luck,go back to step 3 and read the MioPocketinstallation instructions more carefully.MioPocket: don’t let all the icons throw youStep 5: Configure MioPocketAll being well, you should see theMioPocket screen, as shown here.Don’t be put off by the myriad iconsand buttons: you need almost none ofthem. However, it is worthwhile configuringa couple of things in MioPocket:• Tap on MP Settings, then on OK, thenon Enable SD startup menu, then onOK, then on Cancel; this will ask whenyou reset the car GPS whether youwant to run MioPocket (and use theglide computer) or just use the carnavigation software• Tap on MP Settings, then on OK, thenon Disable nav app minimise button(you may have to scroll down to findit), then on OK, then on Cancel; thishelps keep MioPocket out of the waywhen the glide computer softwareis runningStep 6: Download the latestversion of XCSoar for PNAThe other piece of software you will needis XCSoar, which is the glider computersoftware. As of the date of writing, thelatest version of XCSoar was 5.2.4. Theofficial XCSoar website [www.xcsoar.org]is where you can download versions ofthe software for your PC and for a varietyof PDAs, but as of the date of writing,there was no version 5.2.4 available onthe website for a Personal NavigationAssistant (PNA, another name for a carnavigation GPS).Here’s a tip: don’t bother tryingto get a PDA version of XCSoar workingon your car GPS – it’s not worth theeffort, and you probably won’t besuccessful anyway. If the latest PNAversion is not available from the XCSoarweb site, you can download version 5.2.4of XCSoar for the PNA from [http://max.kellermann.name/download/xcsoar/pna/XCSoarPNA-524-mk.zip]Step 7: Copy the XCSoar softwareto the microSD cardTurn off the car GPS, remove the microSDcard, put the card back into the mobilephone or digital camera, and re-attachthe device to your computer and turn iton. Extract the contents of the Zip fileyou downloaded, which should containa folder (in my case, called XCSoarPNA-524-mk); copy the folder and all its contentsto the root of the microSD card(not to a sub-folder). While you are there,create an empty folder in the root ofthe microSD card called XCSoarData.GLIDING FEDERATIONOF AUSTRALIA INCAirworthiness InspectionFORM 2 and C of A Notice6 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 7■A Form 2 inspection is due. $165* paymentis enclosed■ The C of A requires renewal. $42* paymentis enclosed and the existing C of A documentis returned■ Initial registration package is required.$400* payment is enclosed* Fees include GSTPayment method:■ Cheque ■ Credit Card ■ Direct DepositFor internet payments, deposit into:BSB: 013-442 Account No: 304729562A) Documentation request■ Please send me a transfer of ownership document■ Please send me a change of registeredoperator documentAircraft Type................................................................................Registration marks VH – ............................................................Address to which documents are to be sent is:Name ..........................................................................................Address ...........................................................................................................................................................................................State......................................................Postcode.......................Forward to: GFA Airworthiness Secretary,Level 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.Email: Fax: 03 9303 7960

G F AStep 8: Insert the microSD cardin the car GPS and reset the GPSTell Windows that you want to removethe microSD card, then turn off themobile phone or digital camera, removethe microSD card and pop it back into thecar GPS. Reset the car GPS and then turnit on. This time you should see a menupop up asking ‘Install MioPocket?’; tapon Yes (quickly or you’ll miss it!), afterwhich MioPocket should run. Wheneveryou want to use the GPS as a regular carnavigation device, simply tap on No whenthe menu pops up. Alternatively, you canjust remove the microSD card from thecar GPS, reset it and everything is backto its original state; pop the card in againfor glider use. Just don’t lose the card!Step 9: Configure MioPocketto run XCSoarTap on MP Settings, then on Skin, thenon OK, then on Configure quick launchbutton (yellow orb; you may have toscroll down to find it), then on OK, thenon Other (you may have to scroll to findit too), then on OK, then double-tap onStorage Card, then tap on the directorycontaining the XCSoar program that youcopied to the microSD card earlier (in mycase XCSoarPNA-524-mk), then on theright hand side of the screen tap on theXCSoar program (in my case XCSoar-5.2.4-PNA-mk.exe), then tap on OK,then on Cancel; this tells MioPocket torun the XCSoar program when you tapon the yellow orb in the top-left cornerof the screen.Here’s a tip: XCSoar comes with asimulator version, which is just like thereal thing except that it doesn’t use theGPS. If you want to experiment withXCSoar indoors and not have it complainabout being unable to get a GPX fix,you can configure MioPocket to run thesimulator version instead (in my case Iwould have tapped on XCSoarSimulator-5.2.4-PNA-mk.exe). Here’s another tip:any configuration changes you makein the simulator version will affectthe real version, and vice versa.Step 10: Start XCSoarTap on the yellow orb in the top-leftcorner of the MioPocket screen; aftera short delay you should see the XCSoardisclaimer. Read the disclaimer, tap onAccept and you’re away. To shut downXCSoar, double-tap on the screen, thentap on Exit, then on Yes.Step 11: Obtain the XCSoar dataYou’re probably thinking the XCSoarscreen looks a little bare, and you’d beright: XCSoar comes with no maps, notopology information and no waypoints.You need to obtain data appropriatefor your situation and put it into theXCSoarData folder you created earlier onthe microSD card. Go to [www.xcsoar.org/trac/wiki/Download/Data] and read howto obtain the data files you need. Becausethe XCSoar website’s pre-configured datafiles for Sydney don’t appear to containany waypoints, I clicked on [www.xcsoar.org/get/data/generate] to generatecustom data files based on the TurnpointExchange file for Camden and createdthe data files in XCM format. Note thatif you generate custom data files, youneed to wait a while (10 minutes or more)for the files to be created before you candownload them. While you’re waitingyou might like to download the SpecialUse Airspace file for Australia from[http://soaringweb.org/Airspace]Voila!Step 12: Learn how to use XCSoarXCSoar is a powerful and highly configurableprogram, and there isn’t space inthis article to explain how to use XCSoar;as they say in all good textbooks, weleave this as an exercise for the reader.Go to [http://sourceforge.net/projects/xcsoar/files/Documentation] and downloadthe manual; as of the date of writing,the most recent manual was for anearlier version of XCSoar, but it matchesthe current software closely enough.Print the manual if you can (all 200-oddpages) and read it carefully. XCSoar isa large and complex program, and youwill only get the best from it if you fullyunderstand what it can do and knowhow to make it do what you want.X C S o a r i n u s eSo far I’ve had only a couple of flightsusing XCSoar, but I’ve found a fewnoteworthy things. Firstly, even thoughI’ve spent quite a bit of time readingthe manual, I need to read it some more.Secondly, while the screen on my car GPSis perfectly readable in the subdued lightinside a vehicle it’s quite difficult to seein the air unless the screen is at just theright angle, but thankfully the ball jointon the supplied suction mount makes theangle easy to adjust. Even so, the screenis not that bright, and if you are consideringgetting a car GPS for this purpose I’dsuggest checking the screen brightnessoutdoors and ensuring the suction mounthas good freedom of movement.Thirdly, because my car GPS isdesigned to draw power from a cigarettelighter socket, the battery is quite smalland is unlikely to last much more thantwo hours in the air; I’m investigatinga solar charger which can supply powerto the car GPS through a mini-USBconnector, but haven’t yet determinedwhether it will help.If you are thinking of wiring your carGPS to the glider’s electrical system, youmight want to be cautious; one person whoran their PDA from the glider’s batteryfound it drew a quite high current andthey were left with a dead radio and nofunctioning electrical instruments! Theygot around the problem by making upa battery pack for the PDA from rechargeableAA cells, with sufficient cells to supplythe required voltage. No doubt somethingsimilar could work with a car GPS.WarningAs noted in the XCSoar manual, it is yourresponsibility to use the software prudently.In particular, it is your responsibility tooperate the aircraft safely and maintainan effective lookout. You should learnhow to use XCSoar on the ground, notin the air, so read the manual with yourfeet up on the sofa, not up on the rudderpedals. Finally, like all automated systems,this one can fail, so you should not putyour safety in the hands of a computer.b at t e r y l i f eOne of the potential problems I referredto previously was the limited batterylife of a typical car GPS, and this provedto be a reality in my case. From a fullcharge, my GPS ran out of steam afterthree hours, which isn’t a problem aroundCamden, but is not much help on a longcross-country flight. Before going away tocamp I investigated some simple externalbattery packs, but without success.Thankfully I found a solution whichworked a treat: a pocket-sized rechargeablebattery pack which supplies powerthrough a USB cable and which has abuilt-in solarpanel. Whenthe GPSbattery runsdown, theCar GPSs generally have limited battery packbattery capacity, so a solar battery can supplycharger is a boon on long flightspower foranotherthree or four hours from its own internalbattery, and if you open the solar panelyou can operate for as long as you want.As a bonus, it can also power your mobile’phone, which may be handy if youout-land.The other potential problem I identifiedwas that of screen visibility, andthis was also an issue in practice. It tooka bit of trial and error to find the rightmounting arrangement for the GPS. Thebest place to attach the suction mountfor my needs proved to be quite low onthe inside of the canopy so the GPS satabout 30cm from my face, well below eyelevel (so as not to obstruct the externalview) and pointing directly towards me.Even so, screen visibility was only fair. Ifyou are planning to use a car GPS for thispurpose, I can only reiterate that whenit comes to screens, brighter is better.One of the most powerful featuresof XCSoar is the amount of informationit can display, from basic things likeMacCready speed-to-fly to the veryuseful, like distance and direction to thenearest landing field within range. Thereare dozens of ‘infoboxes’ it can show, ofwhich you choose eight or nine to displayon the main screen. I spent quite a bitof time before the camp deciding whatinformation I should have XCSoar display,but found when actually at Cootamundrathat much of the information I thoughtI would find useful I never even lookedat, and there were other things I reallywanted to see but hadn’t chosen todisplay. At the end of each day’s flyingI found myself rethinking just whatinfoboxes I should have XCSoar showme, and adjusting it accordingly. Youtoo will probably find it takes time andexperience to work out what informationis most useful to you.Car GPSs generally have limitedbattery capacity so a solar battery chargeris a boon on long flights.One thing which didn’t occur to meuntil towards the end of the camp is howhandy hardware buttons can be. Younavigate around the XCSoar menus bypressing ‘soft’ buttons on the GPS’s touchscreen, but most tasks take fiveG F Aor more presses to accomplish. Whenflying a glider, the less time you spendfiddling with the instruments the better,so this really is a safety issue. If your carGPS has real hardware buttons, you canprogram XCSoar to use them and docomplex tasks with a single press. My carGPS has only one hardware button, butmore would be better. This is somethingto consider if choosing a car GPS for thepurpose. PDAs shine here as they usuallyhave four or more hardware buttons.XCSoar showing infoboxes at right(Source: [www.dfis-technology.de/e_DFIS-PDA.htm]At Cootamundra I flew in two aircraft,the DG-1000 and the Astir. The latterhas no flight computer, just the Colibridata logger which is pretty limited in itscapability. The Cambridge in the DG-1000is a lot more sophisticated, but uploadingwaypoints and downloading flight logsusing a laptop can be fiddly and you cannever be sure the Cambridge is set upthe way you want, and that the settingshaven’t been changed. This is one areawhere using a PDA or car navigation GPSis a big benefit: the instrument goes withyou from aircraft to aircraft (so you haveconsistent instrumentation), it’s always setup the way you want, and because youtake it away at the end of the day, youcan retrieve the flight logs at your leisureinstead of having to cart a laptop ontothe field. When it comes to cross-countryflying, the saying ‘knowledge is power’holds true. Good flight instrumentationhelps you to know where you are, what isaround you and how you are flying. Withgood information you can avoid makingunwise decisions or being far morecautious than is appropriate. Things canalways change (just because you’re 1000ftabove final glide doesn’t mean you’llmake it back!), but useful informationcontributes to better decision-making.All in all, at the Xmas camp I foundmy GPS and XCSoar to be a boon, andthey helped me greatly to strike out anddo my first real cross-country flights moreconfidently. I was still careful to trackmy progress with compass and maps, andHunterGlidingValleyClubA great Week of soaringcome fly with the eaglesAt the Hunter Valley Gliding Club- WarkworthFrom 25/10/10 To 31/10/10GFA CoachClubhouse accommodation available or bring a tent.Feel free to turn up for the weekend priorto enjoy 9 days of fun and flying.Dailey tasks will be set or enjoy the valley view from theair at your own paceA beautiful and challenging environmentFor details:-Contact Mark Rowe, 02 65773302 or 0438 714 238Or Mick Webster 0418269145OPERATIONS MANAGER:The Gliding Club of Victoriais seeking expressions ofinterest from Level 2 instructorsto act as Operations Managerof our mid-week operation overthe coming soaring season atBenalla. The position could befor the duration of the full-timeoperation from November toMarch, or part thereof.Initial contact should bethrough Robert on(03) 9489 4298, or.tried not to rely on the glide computerin case it malfunctioned, but just havingbasic information like height abovefinal glide available in the Astir was anenormous help.And the best part was that I alreadyhad the car GPS (thank you birthday fairy)and a microSD card, so the only other thingI needed for cross-country was the batterypack. If you already have a suitable carGPS, you might want to give it a try; ifyou need a hand, drop me a line.8 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 9

H G F AH G F AFabulous Flying inthe Highlands of OzHelen McKerralWe were faced with a Tough choice this Easter: Mt Beauty Fly-in or Birchip withthe Vic’s’ familiar faces, or a new option: the Tumut gathering in the highlandsof New South Wales with the Canberra and Sydney mob, new country and new sites?Ilove flying new sites and meeting newpilots, and Geoff didn’t mind where wewent as long as we flew, so Tumut it was.I rang to find out the format: Mentoringfor new pilots (by Curt Warren andConrad Loten), camping accommodationat the airstrip for $10/head – a ridiculous$2.50 a night for use of clubrooms,kitchen, cold room, toilets and showers– workshops, mainly footlaunch, but alsoaerotowing for those who were rated,and mellow autumn conditions.It’s a 12-hour drive from Adelaideacross plains showing blessed hints ofgreen after a decade of drought; westopped at a mate’s place near Waggawhere we were greeted by the pleasantaroma of pizzas made in a homebuiltoven – delicious.D ay 1The next morning, we hoofed it acrossthe last hour and a half to Tumut.Tumut is a logging town as wellas a tourist hub for folk entering snowcountry. Nestled alongside the Tumutriver (fun to kayak) and surroundedby mountains, the region is graduallybecoming yuppified: undulatinggrasslands in the valley around the riverare dotted with statement mansionsguarded by clipped hedges, shoulderingaside old farmhouses and their toweringelms and poplars.The airport is a few clicks north oftown and we turned into a gum-studdedmown patch right next to the strip –perfect. Plenty of tents set up already,and gliders on cars.We figured in light mellow conditionsnothing much would happen before noonand pitched the tent, meaning to catchup with everyone before heading up thehill. Wrong! Everyone is leaving in fiveminutes time!Quick, quick, chuck out the esky, tent,chairs, swag, unload kayak, dump a tarpover, scramble for radios (charged, thankfully),jump back flustered and rushedinto the car. Well, as anyone who knowsus would guess, I’m flustered whileGeoff’s his usual laid-back self. He marksTumut airstrip on our GPSs mere secondsbefore we join the convoy, heading toHoneysuckle. On the way, I think aboutall the things I don’t have ready (GPSbatteries, Camelbak and water, spareradio), but they are in the back of thecar so they will just have to wait.Instead, like any pilots driving throughcountry they may soon be flying over,I checked out hills as well as landingoptions. We passed a few steepish areaswith smallish paddocks that I’d find okayin the Malibu and challenging in theLitesport. I saw plenty of powerlines,but luckily few of them were the almostinvisibleSWER ones so common in SA.Honeysuckle bomb-outBest of all, many of the undulatingpaddocks are of reasonable size withnice gentle slopes – good for landingin L&V conditions in either glider.We paused at the base of the launchridge and the LZ paddocks are good heretoo. Curt and Conrad pointed out variouslanding options – plenty to choose from– to the new pilots, many of whom havenever flown inland and/or XC before.They set up a streamer in the friendliestpaddock and described alternative landingapproaches.The three amigos – Blenky, Migs andJonno – arrived even later than us andjoined the convoy at the LZ, but Mark Dis already here. So six South Australians– not bad!I explained we haven’t had timeto organise carpooling, but Curt wavedthis aside: “Just fly, worry about carslater.” Excellent!The Honeysuckle range faces westor NW and is around 1100ft above thebomb-out, the HG launch is atop thebarest spur, PG launch one or two spinesfurther over.In these light conditions the ridgewon’t be soarable, but fat cu’s werepopping. Yum! We wound up the spineand around the back, then splashed alonga muddy track as pine branches swattedthe gliders on the racks.Honeysuckle launch seen from belowYou could see the lie of the land, withhills separated by undulating paddocks,small creeks and drainage lines. Even thelowest launches here are many times theheight of those in my home state (exceptperhaps Razorback) and, with this muchair to play in, I reckoned I could stay upat least a while if there were thermalsto be had. The cu’s looked promising.Everyone hurried to set up. I chosethe Malibu because I was feeling a bitrushed and rattled; I’ve had no time toget my head around this place or orientmyself and there were an awful lot ofthings to get ready. My new Icom 41S wasrecalcitrant, as was Blenky’s. Together wesearched the manual without luck. Thebuttons and function menu of the 41Sradio and layout of the manual are bothextremely counter-intuitive and duringthe weekend several other pilots madethe same observation. With few pilots athome in SA, tone squelch isn’t necessary,but here the constant chatter in the airon open channels makes it much moreimportant. I finally gave up on the Icomand tucked a switched-off spare intothe harness. I had a phone and receptionwas good, so no worries.Those big fat cu’s might look inviting,but of course one of them had decidedto set up just to the NW between launchand the sun, so we and the face werein shade. New pilot Alex was on launchraring to go with a short queue formedbehind him… and he waited, and waited,and waited as the stubborn cu in thewrong place kept building. The air wasdead, scarcely a puff came up the hill.Finally the sun emerged and the air, asCurt might say, started to breathe again.Alex launched. He hooked into a goodone and very soon another bunch wereoff, including Migs on his orange C4 andKathryn, flying the proto Malibu 166.Almost everyone got up, climbingtogether in a big thermal. From launch,Curt and Conrad radioed the new pilotswith advice.A column of gliders in a nearbythermal is a mouth-watering sight whenyou’re about to launch, isn’t it? I was inmy harness, ready to go, but alas, thecycles paused and, by the time the secondhalf of us began to launch, conditionshad changed and the bottom of thatthermal – or any other it seemed – wasno longer working. Oh, well. The countryis truly beautiful – it was such a changeto fly over so much lush greenery insteadof brown dust or dry crops! The air evensmelled different here!Honeysuckle set-up on grass and prickles10 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 11

H G F AH G F AI managed about 45 minutes or so,kept busy working the bubbles, droppingto half ridge height before scrabblingback up again to a few hundred feetabove the ridge where I invariably lostthe column. I did this four or five timesand I was not alone. I saw no one getup and many fared much the same asme. I was surprised to spot Geoff low,but later learned his vario had packedit in so he actually did darn well! Blenky,who had been helping another pilot fixa VG problem, was finally able to launch,but even he didn’t manage to get too far,conditions were definitely fickle.When I saw Geoff heading out to landI popped across the road and joined theothers in the LZ. Nevertheless, I felt prettystoked, and retrieving the car turned outto be straightforward as pilots were stilltravelling up and down the hill. It wasa good start to the weekend!That evening, Migs was bursting withnews of his banner flight, getting backto the airport and then boating aroundthousands of feet up, drinking in thesight of the kayaks on the river, the town,the countryside. “I suddenly realised I hadplenty of time, I wasn’t racing, I didn’tneed to go anywhere, and I could justenjoy the view!”New pilot Alex, first off, was rewardedwith a flight past Bald Hill and welltowards the airport. Kathryn flew thelittle Malibu to the same spot andraved about the glider’s handling. She’sconvinced me and an order will be goingin next week – finally my clapped out800-plus hour Falcon 170 I’ve been flyingfor 10 years and Geoff has been sharingfor five can be retired!I had our dinner in the esky, but thisfirst night there was a barbecue withyummy salads for everyone for a smallfee and most pilots availed themselvesof this. The atmosphere was friendly andwelcoming. This day and the next threeI met many new faces, including severalAndrews, two Daves, two Steves andtwo Michaels, and gave lifts or caughtrides with them and others too, pleaseJonno and Migs with Mark D behindforgive me if I misname you in this report,not least because I never got to hearsurnames! And of course I got to greeta few familiar faces like Nic and Wazzafrom Corryong.D AY 2The day started with a workshop at8:30am for the new pilots. I heard bitsand pieces of several workshops over thenext few days – thermalling skills, clouds,early competition strategy as well as Q&A.Curt ran the session, but Scott Barrett andConrad often chimed in – the bits I heardwere hugely informative for new pilots.In fact, the mentoring I saw over thewhole weekend was outstanding andI’d say to SA’s newer pilots: If you don’tgo towing at Birchip next year andmentoring is happening again at Tumut,I can highly recommend this fly-in. Itreally is that good. Conditions at Tumutare mellow in autumn, hills are high, youjust need a harness and chute, radio andvario, plus reasonably solid launch andlanding skills.Organiser Michael Porter providedthe pilot briefing at 10am each morning.There was a discussion about Talbingo,but numbers weren’t sufficient for Michael,the key-bearer, to come out, so Bald Hillwas the go for all.We headed out, giving a ride toAndrew and his rigid wing. Our pizzamate GC from near Wagga joined us fora night or possibly two. GC grew up inand worked, hiked, skied, kayaked andcamped this entire region and knowsthe highlands intimately.Bald Hill launch is reached via atortuous maze of tracks and aboutseven gates, and there are magnificent360º views yet again. The hill is a bumpsurrounded by lower country and severalnice launches, but in my opinion the NEbowl is not one of them. A U-shapednarrow bowl with long spurs formingthe arms of the U, it’s euphemisticallyreferred to as a ‘technical’ launch. With aconsistent prevailing breeze of about 10to 12kt crossing from the right over oneBald Hill launchspur, and a reasonable glide out to the LZover lots of trees in the gully, the launchdoesn’t inspire me. It’s likely to be a bittrashy down low if the wind direction isanything but straight in. Hit sink or rotorand you mightn’t clear the trees in afloater; you’d need to choose your pathcarefully along the windward side or crestof the downwind spur or maybe stick tothe back of the bowl if it’s working (itisn’t). I’d seen some nice sloping paddocksand more good LZs around the corner tothe right in the valley, but a couple of theclosest ones are studded with big stumps.Conrad launched first in a SS wing tocheck the air and worked what turnedout to be a bit of a weak house thermalat the end of the spine to the left. Heclimbed out after a while and boatedaround for the rest of the day. Slowlypilots started setting up and began tolaunch in dribs and drabs, one at a time,separated by gaps of 20 minutes or more.I didn’t take my glider off the car.Many who launch certainly have enjoyableflights and a few reached the airport;others grovelled a while before bombing.Everyone launched and landed safely,including the newest pilots. Conditionsimproved as the day progressed. Blenkydribbled off around the corner anddisappeared below launch height, butmade it back to the airport; I thinkMigs did as well. Still, it was quite late– probably a good four hours since wearrived – when Curt suggested that anyof the pilots still on the hill who wantedto launch had better do so soon beforethe wind switched. I didn’t and to mysurprise, neither did Geoff.That night, I thought a lot about mydecision not to fly. Had I talked myselfinto it and locked myself in, or was Icarefully evaluating and changing mydecision to match changing conditions?After all, conditions did improve. If theday had been booming and it lookedas if I’d been up and away quickly, I’dlikely have made a different decision.I was uncomfortable with the site,not for vague indefinable feelings, butfor specific, rational reasons. And yetthe validity of those reasons appearedto diminish with each safe and successfulflight. If inexperienced pilots could dothis, then logically so could I. Was Ibeing overly cautious? Probably, but ifI’d been on launch alone, assessing itscharacteristics, I definitely would not havelaunched, especially initially with crossingwinds and weak cycles. So should I changemy mind after watching other pilotsKathryn aerotowed the lovely little aqua Malibu 166launch? At which point? After 10, 100?Or should I trust my own assessment?Possibly not, because I don’t have enoughexperience specific to inland mountainslike this. Is the information I’m feedinginto my decisionmaking process as I watchother pilots launch valid, or is it simplypeer pressure?I guessed others had doubts toobecause there was definitely no rush ofpilots to launch – on the contrary – eventhough good flights were had. Somegot to the front and stepped aside for awhile to let others go first. That dribblydesultory pattern of launching, especiallywhen it included pilots whom you knoware experienced and confident, suggestedto me that there were good reasons tothink carefully on such days. Perhapsthe day wasn’t especially good, or goodyet, or perhaps there was an issue withthe site. This wasn’t a comp and so evenexperienced competitive pilots wouldbehave differently without the pressureto launch at a certain time. However,when I return there next year, this dayof watching other pilots launch and flythis site will have become part of my ownexperience of the area.D AY 3The next day Conrad came round thetents and said they definitely wouldn’tgo back to that NE bowl at Bald Hill,but would instead head to Corryong –another great site some two hours away,where Geoff and I had spent a week inJanuary – terrific fun, but we had moretoys to use. Some pilots chose aerotow –Blenky aimed to fly to Corryong.However, we decided to head toTalbingo dam for a paddle with ourmate GC. Talbingo’s a neat little townnestled high in the heart of the Snowyhydro scheme with its chain of dams. Aswe drove to the boat ramp we checkedvarious LZs and the tangle of powerlines –as you’d imagine in a hydro power vicinitythere were plenty, but most were big andeasy to spot.We looked up at launch from theroad – spectacular. If you squinted youcould just see the fire tower. Launcheswere to the right of the notch and tower.It looked very high, very… big. Not forus today though. Weather was mild,light winds, ideal for paddling and wemade our way into a fern-lined tributaryfor lunch. Plenty of fishos trolling onTalbingo for whatever swims in thesecold waters. There is certainly plenty todo here beyond flying – we will bringour pushbikes next time to try somebeaut circuits along the smaller roadsaround Tumut. A few skiers carved up thewater, but Blowering dam, immediatelydownriver, was the preferred place forwatersports and Talbingo is huge, so wehad lovely flat conditions.A fat cu sat atop Talbingo launch allday and, as we paddled back, I spottedtwo hangies and a PG in the air; laterwe drove past them, landed at Talbingotownship.That night we heard lots of pilots hadhad good flights at Corryong, so morehappy smiling faces around the campfire.Conditions were forecast to be even lightertomorrow, maybe finally… Talbingo?D AY 4Forecast was light and variable andTalbingo was on the cards, but we madesure we had the numbers this time beforethe briefing. A big thank you to MichaelPorter for organising the permissionsrequired to have this closed site in aNational Park opened… just for this oneweekend a year!Disappointingly, although Geoff hadfulfilled all the practical requirementsof an advanced rating and has 250-plushours and certainly the skills to launchanywhere I can and then some, he hadn’tdone the paperwork and the requirementis advanced-rated pilots only at Talbingo.Normally we fly together, but this timethe opportunity was too unique for meto miss, so while he headed off to Argalong,I hopped in with GC and Michael.For SA pilots, Geoff reckons Argalongis like Barn Hill without the rocks andthree times as high (it’s about 1500ftabove the bomb-out!), lovely roundedtake-off and often comes on reliably12 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 13Cu over TalbingoArgalongOne of the guns above Talbingo

H G F AH G F AFlying Talbingoin the afternoon when the sun heatsthe face and the northwesterlies flowup the valley. This video gives a goodoverview of the site [www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZfVNoGaN2k].Argalong came on and after an houror so’s flight in bubbles, Geoff nailed itliterally on the spotlanding cone… but ayear’s membership of Stanwell Park wasnot really something he could use!In the meantime, the Talbingo pilotsmet in the township before travelling upto launch through a locked gate (MichaelP has the key) in three cars with threedrivers, Steve, GC and Penny. We hadabout 10 pilots, including several gunslike Oli and Blenky, all HG except forMichael P.Butterflies of nervous anticipationfrolicked in my stomach. I’d brought bothgliders up to choose my weapon whenI stand on launch; I was expecting it tobe a bit intimidating and, depending onthe nature of take-off, I wanted the bestglider for the safest launch and flight.We arrived and… it was exhilarating.I stepped out of the car into the crispalpine air, crossed the spongy snowgrass,The Ramp of Deathducked under snowgum branches andthen stood on Oz’s highest official launch:4500ft amsl and more than a kilometreabove the LZ in the township below.The view comprised dark mountains, bluedams and snaking rivers, while over therange floated cu’s clichéd as cotton balls,– I’d never stood on a launch like this.I guess pilots who’ve flown in Europeor the US mountains would be used tosuch launches, but Oz is pretty flat (MtKosciusko, our highest mountain, is just7310ft) and this site is unique. I’ve stoodon our higher unofficial launch and it’sspecial in its own way, with alpine forestand snowgrass fields as far as the eye cansee, except for a small square of clearedground below… but that LZ is also quitehigh, as is the surrounding country. Here,you stand on launch and the view is asif you are already way up in the air.Someone said to me the previous day,“Why bother launching from Talbingowhen you might as well fly there fromthe airport?” Well, apart from the rathermajor issue of skill and ability to do so,I think that one of the most exhilaratingmoments as a pilot is that second or twowhen your feet first leave the ground.You run, you are on land, and then suddenlyyou are in the air. The transitionhighlights the magic of flight and it neverfails to thrill me, even at little sites likeOchre where I’ve had literally thousandsof flights. I still think, “Wow, we are solucky to be able to do this!”There were two HG launches. Onewas a true cliff launch where I figuredyou poke your nose over the edge, taketwo steps in a light cycle and dive off.We all considered it thoughtfully, beforeMichael P said, “There’s also the Ramp ofDeath, if you want to see it?”Oli and a couple others began to setup, but the rest of us followed Michael50m down the track to where someonehad built a ramp of stones extendingout along a tiny spur, or knob really. Alength of mesh pool fencing was to oneside, ready to be laid over the top andOne little kingpost amongst all the toplesses!tied down. I instantly realised that I wascomfortable with this launch, with thisramp, with these conditions, and that theLitesport was the most appropriate gliderto get the most out of such a big site. Astrong launch would see me instantly inopen air, well away from the hill. I wasnervous, yes, but excitement was by farthe dominant emotion. It felt completelydifferent to the day at Bald Hill and,although the launch here was far moreintimidating, paradoxically I was utterlyconfident of my ability to fly here safely.Strange, hey?We set up our gliders in the rathercramped area. Pilots didn’t talk much, andI reckoned I wasn’t the only one with abit of nervous excitement swirling inside!Oli and his mates were in the air, buzzinglaunch, ripping it up and yelling down,“What are you waiting for?”Soon we were ready. Unlike the day atBald Hill, we launched in quick succession– we were all eager to get away, andwe’d be able to help each other in the air.A big thank you to Steve for holding thenose wires for me – the glider was yawinga bit on the ramp and having someonethere was a big help in a practical senseas well as a confidence booster.This was not a launch to hang aroundon and I was third or fourth away. Within20 seconds I assessed the puff, checkedthe streamer, balanced the wings, yelledclear and dived off in a great launch.I headed right, massive cliffs loomingbeside me, out to the spur where I’dwatched Oli and the others getting up.For the next half hour or more, I workedthat spur. My zip cord was caught but I’ddeal with it later, I was too busy workinglittle bubbles. I got three or four turns ineach one and just when I thought theywere about to develop into somethinggood, they disappeared, and I huntedfor them again! Around me others weredoing exactly the same and althoughsome were more efficient in climbing,I was certainly not dropping out.I’m right at the top end of the weight range of the Litesport3,but, as happened at Corryong, control over the glider and beingable to hook it straight into lift without being turned away prettymuch makes up for the higher wing loading. Nor is it as tiring asI would find a LS4. It’s a great glider and although there were afew minor lumps and bumps it was mellow air. I was completelycomfortable and felt a big grin spread across my face. Wonderfulstuff, just wonderful!Some pilots had gone off on glide, but they did not seem toget much and I saw a couple heading out low over the township.By now, almost everyone had launched and we were workingdisparate bubbles rather than really coring any one thermal.Then Blenky, Migs and a few others headed off on glideacross the gap to the next west-facing spur. I was a bit lower thanthe others and did a few extra turns. When I headed off, I wasamazed at Blenky’s speed and glide. I could see that his glide wassignificantly flatter than everyone else’s, either through glidertuning or flying skill or harness or all of them. There’d be no way Icould keep up in my glider (tuned for handling, not speed) and myboxy old Flex harness with all its strings, so I didn’t even try, sortedout my zip and enjoyed the spectacular views.I arrived at the next spur quite a bit lower than the others.Migs, Blenky and the others had the height to duck deeper intothe valley where hot rocks face the sun, but I was too low to gofar in and instead chased a ratty little scrap at the end of thespine. I checked my landing options – there were plenty all theway along the river and Blowering dam, within glide if I continuedalong the ridge.The scrap was not developing into anything and I was veryslowly losing height; time to try my luck along the ridge. Zip, nada,nil. Damn! Yet still, just look at the river, snaking across the valley,and Blowering silver in the sun. Wow, just wow!I flew a bit further, over the heavy transmission lines, but itwas time to set up a landing. A perfect huge wide inviting sloperight there beside the dam called to me and I came in hot over thewater to a lovely landing.I got out of the harness, radioed GC my location and lookedaround. My heart was full, this flight was up there with the bestin a decade of flying. I’d been up maybe an hour and a half? I’dflown, what, 10km? Numbers are completely irrelevant. The sightsand emotions of this flight were keepers.Five minutes later Andrew joined me. Another five minuteslater, Michael Skydog arrived, then Jonno and finally Migs, whoworked zeroes over the water for a while before coming in. Iheard that quite a few pilots, including some of the guns, wereback towards or even in town, so I did not feel my skills had letme down. Conditions weren’t easy and I did just fine.In the LZ the mood was ebullient, for everyone had beenblown away by this magnificent site. Mig S was shouting withexcitement! Wepacked up to muchlaughter, fun andgood vibes. Whata day!Photos:Helen McKerralWhat a day!14 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 15

G F AG F AMEMORIES OF RIETI 2008Terry CubleyIn the last issue we looked at the 2010 World Gliding Championships in Slovakia andHungary. With those events now over, it is topical to read Terry’s retrospective lookat the comps of two years ago.The 2008 World Comps were heldat Rieti in Italy. Bruce Taylor and I flewStandard Class and Peter Temple andAlan Barnes flew Club Class. An excitingplace to fly: every type of lift available,stunning scenery and a great lifestyle.The following is a short memory oftwo of the competition days.M e m o r i e s o f D ay T h r e eDay Three was a very interesting day:a 400km triangle with a weak westerlywind, so maybe the ridge may work alittle. The weather briefing was quiteordinary – it didn’t really provide muchinteresting information other than afew satellite photos. However, our ownweather research was reasonable andwe were getting some good advice fromour adopted Aussie, Alessandro.Bruce and I started at the same time,just behind a couple of others, and hada good glide to the south. This first40km or so is always a little tentativeas it determines how low you have towork the climbs on Mt Vellino (aka theMountain that Never Works).We took a few hundred feet at thefirst ridge and then, just before Vellino,got a three knot climb. Alan Barnes calledfour to six-knot climb out in front ofVellino and I could see a few glidersin that area, so I pushed on hopingfor a good climb. It didn’t work, butI had enough height to get across tothe Roveto Ridge if necessary – althoughI wasn’t too positive that it would work,given the light wind.Cruising Roveto RidgeI tried a weak climb in the valley,but as Bruce and the others passed overthe top of me I decided to just try theridge. This ridge runs all the way to thefirst turn, and can be exceptional witha good wind. Unfortunately, the first40km is completely unlandable, andwhen I arrived below the tops and headedsouthwards it took a few minutes ofweak lift to convince me that the ridgewas working. I wasn’t able to fly fast,sitting on 70kt until I moved up justbelow the ridge crest when I sped upto 80kt. I was slowly catching the guysahead and then 10km before the turnfound a nice climb in front of the ridgewhich gave me the height to get intothe turn and back onto the ridge at agood height. The trick now was to crossthe ridge crest onto the next ridge. Brucecalled that 6000ft was just enough, soI climbed to 6100ft and headed through.It worked fine.After a couple of climbs, I headedacross the wide valley to Celano, which‘always’ has a good climb. There werequite a few gliders milling around whichcertainly made it look not so certain.It just wasn’t working. This was a keydecision point in the flight. If we couldnot get a climb here, the best optionappeared to be heading back west beforeheading north, back via Rieti, rather thanthe faster route over the Grand Sassoridge. Alan and Peter decided to takethe western track and I was just aboutApproaching Grand Sassoto make the same decision when a coupleof gliders simply headed over the highcountry to the east in the direction ofthe Grand Sasso. Given that this groupincluded Giorgio Galetto and PeterHartman, I elected to follow and geta lesson. We flew close to the ridge lineover a very high plateau, barely a fewhundred feet above ground level – nota lot of room for mistakes. We wentaround one corner and immediately hitfour knots. As we reached the top of thisclimb, with the Grand Sasso now withinreach, Bruce joined us, having founda seven-knot climb near the windmills.As we approached the Grand Sasso,Giorgio became very cautious. He turnedleft towards a climbing glider and a processionof gliders behind followed suit.Then he turned right, and the wholegroup followed right. If Giorgio wasworried then we should be worried too.There was a glider turning just to theright of us, and I elected to deviate bythis glider as the others plunged at theGrand Sasso rock face. I found threeknots just before the other glider, whichquickly became four knots. The otherswere flying along the ridge face but nota lot was happening, so Bruce turned andcame back to my thermal and the wholesquadron turned around and headedback. The drift was along the ridge, sothere was no help from the warm rockface to create lift. I led out to the nextmountain ridge with the Flarm showingother gliders just behind me at the sameheight, possibly a little lower. Graduallyas I worked the ridge, the gliders behindslowly became higher than me, eventuallypassing overhead as I stopped for a climbnear to the end of the ridge. Brucecommented that while I was bouncingfrom one spur to the next, Giorgio andhis formation slowed down to 50kt andwere moving in and out of every spur,gaining height all of the way. Secondlesson for the day!The next ridge worked well with aclimb off the top, but now I was 1000ftlower than the leading group, so aboutthree minutes behind. From Castelluccio,at 8000ft it was a 55km glide to the lastturn at Gualdo Taldino, arriving justbelow 4000ft. The hills here vary from3500 to 4500ft, with the valley floorabout 1000ft high, so it becomes a slightlymore cautious approach as you headhome. Today was worse than normal asit was now after 6pm and the day wasstarting to become very soft. Jumpingfrom little hill to little hill, taking theoccasional one knot climb to top up acouple of hundred feet, it was all verypainful. Peter Temple came in below meas I pushed on, and a few minutes laterhe bumped into a three to four knotclimb behind me. I continued to moveahead but could only get one knot. Therewere gliders really low, and the occasionalone that found a good thermal suddenlyjumping high. I never really climbed ontofinal glide, but basically worked somegood air until I had enough height to getinto ‘Death Valley’ and gradually crawledalong the hill until, finally, crossing thelast ridge line onto final glide. A goodresult, with some of the later starters payinga penalty for coming home in theweaker climbs, although a few managedto get a good climb and jump into thelead – 99km/h.Death Valley’ viewed from the groundD ay F i v eAnother good day, with some reallyinteresting conditions. The start was quitecrowded. With 108 gliders, including verylight PW5s which climb up the middleof each thermal, and light Club Classwhich fly about 10kt slower, the gagglesbefore the start get very exciting. Todaythe Club Class gliders were starting fromthe opposite side of the valley from us,so it wasn’t quite so bad. However, justto even things out the climbs near thestart had lift going up above the generalcloudbase among wisps of cloud. Nowyou had to contend with gliders poppingout of the wisps in front of you, peopletrying to centre the gusts on the insideof the thermal. Just great fun – NOT.Bruce and I started together amongsta number of other gliders, and the firstclimbs south were a little hectic, followedby a fast run along the Vellino ridge. Iwas cruising at 90kt plus when the twoFrench gliders went past me with greatintent. The climb at the end was eightknots plus, and we ended up with about20 gliders all heading for the first turn16 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 17

G F AH G F Aacross a wide blue gap. The choice wasbetween some good clouds close tothe turn along a ridge (which we wereadvised didn’t work too well down low),or a little further west which had someweaker looking clouds leading into somegood looking clouds, but in a sunnierarea. The gaggle split and I stayed west;Bruce went east.My gaggle found five to six knotsto nearly 9000ft whilst the east gagglefound only weak climbs. Around the turnthe east gaggle was scrabbling over therocks, whilst the west gaggle was cruisingoff down the convergence line withSebastian Kawa in the lead. Suddenly,another glider appeared in front of usclimbing quickly – it was Bruce, who hadpushed ahead from his low gaggle tothe convergence line and was rewardedwith a very fast climb, catching up to thehigher group. Bruce is quite good withconvergences, so when the main groupheaded further west he suggested thatwe should stay east along the raggededge. This was a much better line, andwe eventually found six to seven knotsin the middle of the valley where theconvergence turned back towards theGrand Sasso. Sebastian and friends joinedus at this point and we were now at thetop of this group.The normal route to our next turnnear Castelluccio worked as normal,which is quite fast. The sky blued out aswe headed to the turn, which is to thewest of Castelluccio, but we still went tothe main mountain for a reasonable climbrather than just head off into the blue.The next leg was a long glide westin the blue, and the Club Class guys whoLetters to the EditorsLicenses for glider pilots(An edited response to theGFA President’s Addendum to AugustPresident’s News-letter regarding pilotcertification for overseas flying – see lastmonth’s Letters)The more time I spend commutingbetween European and Australian glidingoperations, the clearer it is to me thatwe Australians are working within asystem that is inherently significantlyinferior to those of at least the twoEuropean countries of which I have themost experience; and that this is mostlybecause of things which are related tothe exemption [for licenses and medicalexaminations]. To put it bluntly we haveslack standards and we are lazy aboutapplying them. The syllabus materialis pretty much the same: you need tolearn the same things in order to fly,and aeroplanes fly for the same reasonswherever they are.[Unlike in Europe] there is effectivelyno official test at all in our system, eitherof practical flying or of knowledge andunderstanding of theory. I have personallyseen pilots advanced through our syllabusfor social, personal and emotional reasonsdespite it being clear to everyone thatthey had significant difficulty with bothpractical manipulation of aircraft controlsand the basic theory of why aeroplanesfly. This is practically eliminated ina system which has an official testconducted by an independent examiner.I do not understand why it is a goodthing that we do not have a requirementfor a medical. Clearly the statement weall make each year that we are fit to flyis a joke; it allows us to keep flying whenwe are not fit or confident that we wouldpass such a test. Yes, ultimately it is eachpilot's responsibility to decide whether tofly, but it could be argued that the systemwe have encourages people to go onflying whether or not they are fit to.I can confirm your statement aboutAussie pilots having significant difficultygetting qualified in other countries. In fact,my experiences would make a long andrather boring series of articles in themselves.Regarding GFA inaction I can saythat your explanation of what has happenedso far is the best I have got yet, and Ihave certainly tried; but I think GFA hasuntil now failed to tell anyone what it wasup to in detail and appears to still be refusingto entertain the idea of an actual licence.I have so far in my short gliding careerattended five international competitionsand have never once been asked topresent an ‘ICAO compliant document’.If we are to fly in foreign countrieswith anything like the ease which weexpect at home, we need a license, nota ‘document’. The rest of the worlddemands and expects competent gliderpilots to be able to present one: if it isn'thad the same last turn as us were alertingus that it was very weak in that region.There was a last line of cumulus about30km from the last turn, and the gagglere-formed in a climb under the darkestpart. We couldn’t get up to cloudbase;7000ft was as good as we could get, butit should give us a glide into the turn andhopefully back to the cloud again.We turned and glid back, to find thatthe cloud line was moving east, awayfrom us. As we approached the cloudquite low, gliders were dumping waterin anticipation of a tricky climb ahead,and with only 45km to go we wouldbe spending more time climbing thangliding. The climb was three knots andabout 10 gliders vied for position to reachfinal glide height. It was a good racehome, and a good score for bothBruce and me: nearly 980 points.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •a license, well it isn't a license and theywill not know what to do with it. Doesanyone have any better ideas? Well Ibelieve I do.Accept that licensing, and in particularlicense testing, is actually a real practicalbenefit to a training system. Adopt sucha system with a license, even if it is not inthe first instance issued or approved byCASA. And work with CASA to producea real license, with the word license inthe title and ICAO at the bottom. Mostimportantly, it must only be issued topilots who really are fully competent andhave been independently tested.A real license is something pilotscan work towards in training, and beproud of when they achieve it. It wouldbe accepted and respected at any club,anywhere in the country or the world, asa real qualification earned by thoroughtraining, hard work, and a toughindependent exam. Brendan EnglishResponse from the GFA PresidentGFA conducted a review of its pilot trainingsyllabus and requirements recently.This review was conducted by an expertpanel of Operations and Coaching officers,and resulted in a recommendation to theBoard to adopt the Glider Pilot Certificatesyllabus. The GPC is now the operationalstandard for GFA.The GPC syllabus complies with theICAO requirements for glider pilots asset out in their Annexe 1 with the singleexception of the medical standard.This review was conducted to improvethe overall effectiveness of pilot trainingand to provide for a seamless transitionfrom the previous instructing through toperformance coaching, not because ofconcerns about the inherent safety of theprevious system. There is no evidence thatGFA pilot qualifications are inadequate.As always operational standards area minimum. Members are free to obtaina PPL or other licence and indeed an aviationmedical if they wish. The medical willbe accepted but the GFA pilot qualificationswill be required in addition to the PPL.The GFA pilot qualifications are theonly legal qualifications acceptable toCASA to fly a glider in Australia.*There are no proposals to change this.* GFA does provide recognition of certainoverseas pilot qualifications for visitorswho join GFA.Daryl ConnellVHF – not well receivedIt is unfortunate that the consultationprocess which affected aviationgroups is over, as there are many pilots/members that could have brought constructivefeedback to the discussion table.We now face a difficult and tedious processto amend or modify the directive asit applies to hang/paragliders, if this isindeed the action that HGFA intendsto take.I applaud the success so far in obtainingconcessions with respect to competitionsand the carriage of VHF which,if not amended, would have resultedin a ridiculous situation. But althoughcompetitions are important, what thought,or for that matter survey/research, hasgone into determining how many localclubs and their flying sites are affected?Everyone seems to be guessing onhow local clubs are affected, just contactus (the club committees) please, as we arenow the ones left to try to manage siteoperations. Remember that losing freeflyersmeans we reduce the feeder poolfor competitions and this requirementhas certainly made free-flying a lot moredifficult. For instance, our club now hassix out of our seven sites that requireconformance with the new VHF directive.In fact two of these sites fall withintwo aerodromes technically requiringus to monitor/transmit on two separatefrequencies. Go figure!The miniscule consideration wewere given during the inception of thisdirective is evident by the absence ofany reference to hang/paragliders otherthan in the first paragraph referencinglicensing. We cannot just be lumped inwith sailplanes. We don’t have a cockpit.It’s fair to say that the majority ofharnesses do not have the space nor thecapability to accommodate two radios.Assuming we are able to fit two radios,(AND access them) try changing channelswith your flying gloves on (especiallyparaglider pilots), or listening to VHF inone ear and UHF in the other. This defiescommonsense and will surely send a pilotcrazy within minutes.So let’s have a VHF chat channel Ihear. How do we monitor area broadcastswhile we’re on a chat channel? Andrespond to them? And who exactly wouldwe be chatting with? Maybe all the otherpilots in your club who have rushed outand bought a new $400 radio. Or maybejust half of them, the rest are still on UHFand you won’t be able to talk to themunless you have retained a UHF withinyour spacious harness. Of course as soonas you have one pilot opting for the VHF‘chat’ option, that effectively introducesa hazard into your flying site by makinghim un-contactable. Let’s also not forgetour retrieve crew who are using a newexpensive vehicle-based VHF radio tofollow you. We should also consider thefact that in the GA world an aircraftchanging its altitude is a very importantreason to make an area broadcast. Nowwhile you struggle to centre and workyour thermal you also need to regularlytransmit your location and altitude toall and sundry. And God forbid that thismight actually attract GA aircraft to ourposition for a look & see as it has onother occasions when we were diligentand reported our flying activities to thelocal aerodrome!All in all, we have now significantlyreduced the pilot’s concentration andfocus in flying his glider.I know this is a done deal, but I writethis in the hope that some CASA officialreads this, or our HGFA seriously tacklesthis poorly thought-out directive as itapplies to us.What exactly has changed from the7nm rule to the 10nm? There was norequirement for us to do this before.Has there been an accident, a near-missbetween GA and hang/paragliders?In the 25 years I have been flying andreading Skysailor/Soaring I cannot recalla report about a collision. I can, however,remember many articles on waterlandings, etc. Should this then determinethat it now be mandatory for us to carrya life raft? Why not?CASA have done exactly that with thisVHF directive, but without any just cause.If CASA were truly concerned withimproving the ‘see & be seen’ concept,they must surely have firstly consideredthe requirement for all aircraft to carryanti-collision beacons. There are manyportable beacons available that are oflittle weight and minimal drag. Howcould this not be the logical first step inmaking our gliders more visible to otheraircraft? This is by far the most productiveand effective addition to visual scanningfor aircraft such as ours. Instead we havebeen subjected to a barrage of generallyincomprehensible garble and an increasein pilot distractions.A safer environment? I don’t think so.Please reconsider.Pete Schwenderling,President Wicked Wings Club18 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 19

G F AG F ADay Three At Waikerie– Two Days In OneBruce TaylorThe Waikerie Nationals last January was a greatcompetition, notable in the most part for some stunninglyhigh speeds. However, in the early stages I had a flightthat will remain with me for years for quite the otherreason. I want to tell you about it.From my perspective the entire flight wasnoteworthy, but if I tried to relate thewhole tale it would take about as longas the flight did. The best bit was thelast third of the task, which took wellover half the flight time. As a lead upto that, the day was forecast to be blueand deliver about 11 000ft until wellafter 8pm, and the 606km task was adouble triangle SW to Pinaroo, north toLindsay River, west past Waikerie to MtMary, SE again to Wanbi, then north toWoolpunda, followed by a short glidewest to the finish.I planned on 130km/h, which meant4.5 hours on task. Being brought up inthe north of NSW, where the days areshorter, I find I often start too early whenI am flying a southern competition. So Ithought that a start around 2pm wouldbe fine, but no later than 2:30. Afterlaunch, I noted that the day might betemperature critical, as expected heightswere not coming at the advertised time.Initially around 7000ft was tops, andas I waited to fill in time after my earlylaunch it gradually climbed to 9000ft.There was some cirrus passing throughThe flight track from SeeYouour task area, which in hindsight I shouldhave been more wary of – with sucha critical temperature trace, this cirruswould have a big effect on conditions.I thought that as long as I was gone by2pm I would still be okay.I got caught slightly low just beforemy planned start time and didn’t getaway till 2:10, which was the last start formy 18m class. The first leg was (carefullyplanned!) underneath the cirrus shadow,and was just soft all the way. I thinkI made a good fist of what I had, butaround the first turn at Pinaroo I knewthat I was now well behind the crowd.The second leg was out in the sun andwent well until I was about 30km shortof Lindsay River, where the cirrus shadowstarted again, a bit heavier this time. Imissed a climb over a dust devil that I haddiverted to, and for the last part of thatleg into the turn I was really in survivalmode. I covered those few kilometresvery carefully and uncomfortably low, buteventually I managed to struggle aroundthe turn. Heading west towards RenmarkI got stuck at about 1500ft for 45 minutes,not able to progress because of unlandableground ahead. I had a lovely lookingairfield down below me, but time waspassing and I was going nowhere. In thecirrus shadow the thermals were on holiday.Finally the sun came out and I got upand running, but from here on my daywas going to be a tough one. The timeI had lost until here would cost me dearly.The next 100km or so to Mt Mary wentwell. Regular climbs came and went andnothing exciting happened, except thatas I passed to the north of Waikerie theearly finishers were just landing! I still had240km to go, and it was closing on 6pm.I pondered the possibility of good conditionslasting until after 8pm, but knew inmy heart that this was highly unlikely.Just before Mt Mary I took a strongclimb to about 7000ft, not knowing thatthis was the last climb of more than threeknots that I would see for the rest ofthe flight. It quite abruptly switched off:typical of those days when the triggerpoint is critical. As I flew back east of theMurray river a bit north of Blanchetown,I was now certain that this flight wouldend in an outlanding. Crap! My first twodays had been good, solid performances,and not getting home was going to trashmy chances of finishing the competitionwell, particularly when I knew that myclosest rivals were already sitting in thebar at Waikerie!I got a message to Anita to hookup the trailer and to wait near enoughto Waikerie to get a phone call when Ilanded, most likely south towards Wanbi.But for now, I had to give this flighteverything I had, and I looked carefullyahead for any chances at gaining valuableheight. My thought was that thescattered areas of scrub would be my bestbet, holding some heat until late in theevening after everything else had cooled.Over the next hour or so I was surprisedto hear that there were still somegliders in the air, and even finishing. PerhapsI could get as far as Wanbi if I wasfortunate. I found another glider circlinglow. It was Kerrie Claffey, who has areputation for finding a way to get homeif at all possible. We shared a couple ofweak climbs, but at these low cruisingspeeds the Ventus soon pulled ahead ofher ASW28. As we headed further southto what looked like a certain landing,Simon Holding called and asked adviceabout the conditions. I assured him thebeer at the Wanbi pub would be cold…He had run out of lift and we listened ashe gradually subsided. Things looked grim.Twenty kilometres short of Wanbi at2000ft I found a slightly more solid climbover one of the scrub patches, which weredefinitely the only places that were stillgiving off any heat by now. As I climbedKerrie arrived underneath, quite low, andfound the thermal. Mine stopped, but Imoved slightly and found it again, andfor what seemed an eternity I continuedup at a bit under three knots. With eachpassing minute I felt more amazed, as itkept going to 6500ft. At least this wouldget me around Wanbi; and from there,every kilometre north was closer to home.Heading towards the last turn atWoolpunda I glanced out at the settingsun. It was quite beautiful in the orangehaze of evening, mostly because it was solow! No heat from that source, I thoughtto myself. It was nearly a quarter to eight,and there had been no more finishesfor some time. I took my sunglasses offso that I could see what was going on.Still deviating over every area of scrubon the way, I was frustrated by thesink. Everywhere I had been today waspersistent sink, and I felt sure that itmight stop when the thermals did – butno, it was still going down. Then bump,bump… feeling around… Cripes!… it’sa thermal. At best it was a needle-widthover a knot, but it was going up.I watched the numbers count uptowards final glide, which I had longbefore wound all the way back to a zeroMacCready setting. The climb weakened,then quit completely at 4000ft. The glidecalculator said I was 500ft below glide,but I had a safety margin of 500ft set inthe box. With a slight touch of optimismI headed out, straight into a steady runof sink again! I don’t believe this. Therewill not be any more thermals, and here Ihave a run of sink. I watched the numbersslide backwards to 800ft below (300 underglide) and sent another message to Anitathat I would probably land on the maineast road somewhere near Woolpunda.She might as well drive that way andkeep an ear out.The sink stopped, still 800 below, asI slid along at 50kt. Good heavens, ittakes forever to get anywhere at thisspeed. The scrub areas had finished –no more bumps, dead smooth now. AsI watched the time and kilometres slipby, I noticed that the wind looked tobe swinging slightly more from the eastas I descended, which would be on mytail after the final turn. At best it wasonly a few knots. Six or eight kilometresfrom Woolpunda I saw there was alarge orchard on the track out towardsWaikerie. That would be worth a visit,just in case it gave some slightly better air.Woolpunda arrived and I gentlyturned for Waikerie, over the orchard.Home was 16.5km away, and I was 980ftabove the ground. That is a glide of morethan 55:1, with dirty wings and a wearybut determined pilot. Not too good. Theorchard gave me nothing at all, but theslight easterly drift was now right on mytail. I slowed some more, to about 45kt,and surveyed my options. All the wayhome, on the south side of the road, wasquite landable. The north side was scruband river bed. The scrub was dead, butwait… the numbers are getting better!I looked as they counted slowly back upto 520ft below glide. The tiny tailwindwas still going, but the numbers wouldnot rise up to a zero glide. The finish linewas listening in on the radio, mostly fora SAR watch I think, as I still believed Iwas not going to get home. Anita andthe trailer went past underneath, headingeast and still expecting me to land nearWoolpunda. Behind me she did a wildU-turn and headed west again, chasing me.Where is the field? It has been sittingon the same spot on the canopy for afew minutes now. I must be careful –I am in no man’s land here with no heightfor a circuit, absolute bare minimumto arrive on the field, and the low sunin my eyes. The pretty little church atLowbank goes past the window so closeI could almost touch it. Anita drives pastunderneath, going my way this time, justa couple of hundred feet below me. I canfeel her wishing me onward. The feelingin my cockpit is alert and focussed, buteverything feels like it’s happening inslow motion.The airfield looks so close, yet tantalisinglyout of reach. At least the air is nowsilky smooth, and I keep a constant checkon my height and landing options asthe last few kilometres slip past. I arriveat the ‘yay or nay’ point. This the lastchance for outlanding, as there is a slightbreak in the trees beside the road to slipthrough, over to the north side towardsthe approach of the main runway, andif I go that way I am committed to theairfield. I check the distance to run: twokilometres. I’m suddenly shocked by thefact that I am within the finish circleand have completed the task! Okay, Ican make the field, I think. The last twokilometres is clear on the approach, andI slip over the small sand hill just outsidethe boundary fence with about six feet tospare. I imagine that nobody else has evereven noticed that there is a sand hill offthe end of the main strip at Waikerie!The fence passes underneath; geardown, flaps down and the main wheelchirps as it touches the threshold at8:15pm, after seven hours and 40 minutesin the air. Unbelievable… I swear incredulouslyout loud as I roll up the tar. Someonesays, “Well done,” over the radio andI laugh at them. Well done? I still can’tbelieve it – I have flown the last 60kmat less than 50kt all the way, and arrivedon the threshold with not a skerrick ofairbrake – I had glide, and lost it, aboutthree times – and I had nearly pulled thestick out of the floor for the last 20km.My phone rings: Anita has lost me.Did I land out, am I home, is anythingbroken? I jump out, legs still shaking,and kiss the glider. What a flight! I willremember this one for years to come.I was never going to make it back,and here I am. I have cheated natureonce more.Gliding never ceases to amaze me.20 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 21

H G F AH G F AEngine Out over Hinze DamMark KroppWell, I had an interesting paramotor flight the other day. I broke so many rulesand still managed to come through unscathed!Ben over the LZ, my white wing in the paddockThe day started early at Skilled Park(Robina on the Gold Coast), 6am on aSunday for a dawn flight with Ben andRoger in the paramotors. Brett (Sparky)was on camera and radio duty.My motor was idling a bit low andrough, but I was in a hurry to followBen into the air so I didn’t worry aboutit too much. I was using a new throttlewhich I wasn’t used to and that, combinedwith being preoccupied withother tasks in-flight, was the causeof my unintended adventures.With a moderate breeze I reverselaunched on the second attempt andstarted to climb out, but due to meholding my right brake handle in adifferent position, I dropped it about fivefeet into the air while continuing to climbto about 20ft. I was torqueing to the leftand some rather large powerlines, so Ireached for the handle, but accidentlythrottled back and sunk to below groundlevel before I managed to get it togetherand climb out. Below? Yes, I was crossinga small gully so I had a bit of leeway!Very lucky! I should have just grabbedthe D-risers and steered by them, butit didn’t cross my mind at the time.I finally settled down and headedtowards Hinze Dam, west of the GoldCoast, following Ben to meet up withsome balloons launching out of an areajust south of the dam. I got excited aboutthe balloons, but didn’t have my camerawith me so was I mucking about withmy phone camera and although I putthe throttle on cruise control, it wasalmost idling and I had an engine out!Did I hit the ‘off’ button? I don’t know…The one thing I did right so far wasalways have a landing area within glidingdistance. Phew! I was going down whiletrying to pull-start the motor, makingsure I stayed on track for a landing.Meanwhile Ben gets on the radio andadvises me I should be careful aboutgoing low over tiger country in case ofan engine out. Thanks Ben! I was a bittoo busy to reply…I had a great landing, but into a verydew-wet, foggy and uneven paddock onthe wrong side of the river. I was safe butvery isolated. Ben was circling above me,relaying what was happening to Brett.Once he saw I was alright he left.First task: Restart the motor. Well itstarted after about five minutes of trying.I was amazed the plug wasn’t fouled,I didn’t have any tools with me.Second task: Contact someone. Well,I was receiving messages, but couldn’tsend anything at first (no coverage).So I was on my own.Third task: Fly out. It looked do-able,but my wing was very wet. The next 40minutes consisted of four failed attemptsdue to a number of reasons:Ben above me after my engine out• A very wet wing (I tried to launchtrimmers up a bit straight away)• Shifting wind• Didn’t pull on the A-lines enoughand the wing hung back• I was hot and tired (I didn’t haveany water!)• Once I tried to run uphill throughcut grass debris and rough groundFinally the wind shifted to a directionwhere I could launch from reasonablyflat ground. I also got in contact withBen and he was on his way to try andfind me in his car.Fifth time lucky, the very wet Silex24 performed admirably, getting me airborneand on my way back home. I keptthe Fresh Breeze Snap 120 throttled upand climbed out and soon met up withBen on the other side of the range. Heturned the Jeep around and we bothheaded back to Skilled Park.The adventure wasn’t over yet! I wasgoing to put a call out over the airbandVHF as I entered the Southport CTAF, butdiscovered I’d bumped the radio onto the121.50 emergency channel. I was stuffingaround trying to change the channel andhit the ‘off’ button on the throttle! Anengine out over Mudgeeraba township!What else could go wrong? Luckily I wasat 1500ft and had ample time to restart,although, not as easy as usual due to theidling problems I was having. The enginestarted about third go and I was supercautious the rest of the way back.I was a bit rattled at this stage andhad a super high flair (about six feet)above the bitumen, but again theSilex saved my bacon and dropped mevertically onto my feet. Ben and Rogerwere there to welcome me home!Turns out I had bumped the low end jetadjustment a bit when I attached thenew throttle and the motor was runninga bit rich. Ben fixed it in about 15 seconds.I got off very lightly. No damage toequipment and back to my car about30 minutes late (instead of a two-hourwalk out and then return in my car toretrieve my gear).Balloons rising above my eventual landing zoneL e s s o n s L e a r n e d• Make sure my motor is running at100% before I even think of launching• Remember my basic paragliding skills(eg, D-riser steering)• Carry some basic tools if goingcross-country (spark plug remover)WE LEAD THE INDUSTRY BY:• Maintain awareness of themotor and controls whendoing other tasks• Give yourself the best chance ofgetting airborne the first timewhen out landing (don’t be lazy)• Carry water when going cross-countryHope this helps someone preparea bit better than I did. See You in the sky!Thanks heaps to Ben for hanging aroundto see if I was okay, for driving out,for looking at my motor. Thanks heapsto Brett for hanging by the phone ifrequired and thanks to Roger for hishelp back at launch packing up.• Providing 2 years warranty on all new FRESH BREEZE MOTORS which comewith DLUV, the highest certification system in the industry• Providing a SERVICE TEAM of 2 mechanics & a parts manager. They provideguidance for the care & factory servicing requirements of your Paramotor6 days a week during office hours. This team also attends all major Fly-ins& Competition events to ensure your machine is at peak performance• Providing the best possible paramotor training with top experienced instructorswho seriously love to both fly & teach• Providing VHF training as standard practice in all Paramotor certificates& endorsementsPOLIGLIDE has a large selection of new and second hand machines in stock as wellas over $20,000 worth of parts located here in Australia at their workshop.CONTACT: ANDREW POLIDANO - 0428 666 843Email – enquires@poliglide.comCheck out our website for more details – www.poliglide.com22 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 23My track log

H G F ABursting to Fly– A Beginner’s JourneyTim McNamaraf o r t h e f i r s t t i m e ,I s aw a b o u t a d o z e nw i n g s c i r c l i n ga b o v e h i g h s n o w -c a p p e d m o u n ta i n s …Ifirst became aware of paragliding justby accident: It was May 2008 and at thetime, I was a Australian Military PoliceSergeant posted to Royal Princess Barracks,Gütersloh, Germany, for a period of threemonths. This posting was a part of theexchange programme ‘Long Look’ thatthe Australian Army has with the BritishArmy. Every year about 100 soldiers getto swap jobs with soldiers on the otherside of the world.While I was in Germany, I took a shortperiod of leave with two other buddiesand visited places like the Monet Dam(from the Dam Buster movie), Berlin andeven to the Eagle’s Nest, where Hitlerhimself walked the halls. It was aroundthis time – we were travelling throughthe countryside by train – that I saw,for the first time, about a dozen wingscircling above a snowy mountainside.I was completely mesmerised bythe sight and amazed how slow anddeliberate they seemed to be moving.The colourful wings seemed to dancearound each other in a spiralling patternand it was a beautiful sight against thebackdrop of white snow that covered themountaintop contrasted by the blue skiesand billowing white clouds. I had no ideawhat they were or what they were called.I just knew I wanted to do it.My first flightFirst time I saw paraglidersI h a d t o a s k , “ w h at t h eh e l l i s pa r a g l i d i n g ? ”A few weeks later, I was asked by mychain of command about what I wantedto do for adventure training and if I hadany special requests. I provided a seriesof preferred activities like attending aRoyal Engagement, sailing, war memorialand battlefield tours.All on my list was approved and I had12 days left of the adventure trainingprogramme to fill up. During a conversationwith one of my Corporals, I foundout that they had parachuting on the list.As I attempted to put myself on a course,I was told that all spots were full exceptfor one spot on a paragliding course.I was disappointed about the replyand had to ask, “What the hell is paragliding?”Once I was told, I couldn’t stopmy excitement, calmly put my name downand then researched the internet for thesport of paragliding. About an hour laterI found out I was on the course and I wasover the moon.Three weeks later, I found myself ina place in Bavaria in the small village ofWertach. Here I stayed at a British ArmyParagliding and Skiing Lodge managed byAdventure Training Germany where armypersonnel were instructed by civilians.Soon I was participating in theParagliding Elementary Pilot (PEP), a12-day training course designed to teachbasic hang gliding skills up to ElementaryPilot Level.Over the next nine days we conductedall series of groundhandling drills, theoryand practice required prior to our firstlaunch from a training hill. I can’t rememberexactly were the training slope was,but I do remember how hard I had towork to master the forward launch andhow I averaged seven sleddies a day fora week amongst 15 students. I also knewthat I was seriously hooked.At the end of the course, our finallaunch for our qualification was offTegelberg in Bavaria. Tegelberg rises1730m above sea level and about 1000magl. In the shadows of the Tegelberg(about two kilometres to the left oflaunch) you can include a fly-over ofNeuschwanstein Castle. The first timeI saw this castle was when I saw ‘ChittyChitty Bang Bang’ as a kid.Unfortunately, this was not a partof my flight plan. My job was simply tolaunch, take a lazy left, lazy right and todrop height over the landing site doingfigure eights and come into land. I wasvery anxious as I had to wait about anhour before it was my turn. What heldus back was another school doing theirfinal assessments, as well as locals pilotswanting to fly. At one stage, I counted35 paragliders waiting to go. There weresome tense moments when the localsseemed a bit annoyed, but as I couldn’tspeak German or French, I couldn’t reallytell. I had never seen so many glidersin the one place before, luckily most ofthem were doing sleddies and not takingup too much airspace for the locals.I finally got the go ahead to prepfor launch. I did all my checks and wasready to go. I wasn’t nervous, eventhough everybody from my course washaving difficulties in launching. I simplyremembered all the basic drills and in theend couldn’t figure out what all the fusswas about. What seemed to be a dramafor everyone else seemed like the mostnatural thing in the world for me.My launch was a text book forwardlaunch, correct inflation, correct controland rise of the wing, correct pendulumadjustment, a small touch on the brakesto prevent the wing overtaking, quicklook up and run like mad. I was finallyin the air for a full eight minutes andit was the most fantastic feeling I hadevery experienced. It was like flying withthe angels. The glide was not bumpy asI had expected, but it seemed to be overtoo quickly. In the end, I was able to seeNeuschwanstein castle from a distanceand the impulse to fly over it was quicklydoused by the thought of failing thecourse for changing my flight plan.E v e r y b o d y wa s h e l p i n go n e a n o t h e r , w h e t h e rpa r a g l i d e r s o r h a n gg l i d e r s . T h e c a m a r a -d e r i e wa s aw e s o m e !I was so excited when I returned toAustralia, I couldn’t wait to own a wingand get started. Eventually I ended up atStanwell Park to see the paragliders inaction and was surprised to find out howfriendly everyone there was. This wasprobably because we were all speakingthe same language and the whole processwas quite simple. Everybody was helpingone another, whether paragliders or hanggliders. The camaraderie was awesome!This really does leave a lasting impressionand I’m proud to be a member of thisfantastic sport. Throughout the day,I eventually met Mark Mitsos whoremembered me from an inquiry I sentout a few months earlier by email andwe discussed the ins and outs ofbecoming a member and start to fly.As I already had a licence in Europe,I didn’t want to become a visiting member,I’m glad I had enough sense to doa conversion course and become HGFAqualified. This decision was not only oneof the smartest things I ever did, it alsohelped me to become more focused onbeing 100% safe whenever I fly.My conversion took about a year todo only because of my situation at thetime. Originally I lived in Wagga and Iwas on posting to Sydney for three years.I was working shift work at the time(about four days on with four days off)and commuting back to Wagga whenI wasn’t working. This made it possiblefor me to visit Stanwell only when I wason the night shift cycle. Then I had towait for the weather to be in my favour.Juggling that task as well as commitmentsI had made in relation to the other sportsI was doing at the time, seemed to takeforever, but I’m glad I did it.Finally I was able to get my restrictedlicence and was keen to fly every chanceI could get. I had met some amazingpeople at Stanwell and it has made thejourney so much more worth it. It amazesme that everyone there has the time toassist in launches and freely offer safe andknowledgeable information about flyingeven when the weather is off and weare looking out at the sea. My last flightthere was my best as the conditions wereperfect and allowed me to be in the airfor over three hours. From this I was ableto put together a short movie that I haveposted on youtube. Just search for TimMcNamara paragliding at Stanwell Park.I hope you enjoy it as much as I didmaking it.T h e y t o l d m e i t wa sm o s t l i k e ly B o w e lC a n c e r a n d a l lI c o u l d t h i n ka b o u t wa s w h e nI c o u l d f ly a g a i n …The end of my posting soon arrived andI found myself back in Wagga. I wasmaking friends locally who fly aroundthe Tumut and Junee area and I wasvery shortly going to get it happening.The wheels were in place to get someHoneysuckle Ridge times, but in the end,the wheels just fell off. Unfortunately, Iwas feeling more and more unwell as theweeks went on with stomach pains. Thepain got so bad, I went to the doctor forlaxatives as I was sure I had constipation.I had a blockage alright, a quickx-ray showed how bad it was. I guessedthe news wasn’t fantastic because theywould not let me see the x-ray. I got moreworried when they didn’t show me theCT scan that followed. A short time later;a doctor came to see me and told methat I have to have emergency surgery toremove the blockage. They told me it wasmost likely bowel cancer and all I couldthink about was when I could fly again.The next day I woke to find myself inquite a horrible state. I ended up with aCastle NeuschwansteinLanding after launch from TegelbergMy first solo flight In Australia33cm set of stitches from my pubic arearight up to the middle of my chest. If thatdidn’t make me feel better, I also endedup with a colostomy bag. The good newsis that even though later it was confirmedto be cancer, they took the offending15cm of bowel and the lymph nodes thatwent with it. This all happened in February2010 and it has taken a long time to getover the initial shock of major surgery.T h e T u m u t F ly - i nwa s t h e b e s t f u n I ’ v ee v e r h a d w i t h o u ta pa r a g l i d e r .Having been through the ringer, I wasmentally still flying. I have spent manyhours watching and reading all aboutparagliding and have seen just about allthere is on youtube. I was given a shortleave from the wife and was able to take24 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 25H G F A

G F ASMS Implementation – GlidingOrganisational Safety ChecklistGFA Treasurers ReportTo Members 2009/2010Ian Grant, GFA TreasurerG F ASportAviationTOCUMWALExperience the thrill of Gliding.Go Gliding with our friendly team SportAviationTocumwal - Operates 7 days a week.World renowned X-Country conditions,Basic Abinitio to Advanced Training.Standard & Racing Class. Aircraft for Hire.Eric NovakProfessor James Reason says the ingredients for safety Arecommitment, competence and cogniance — the three Cs.How does a gliding club, a GFA Department,or the Executive and Boardmaintain a commitment to safetyin the face of member turnover andfluctuating club activities? James Reasonsuggests that this is where a club’s safetyculture comes into play. He states, “Agood safety culture is something thatendures and so provides the necessarydriving force.”During recent months, OperationalSafety Seminars have been conductedacross all regions involving national,regional and club operational personnel.The seminars provide a forum to promotecontinuous improvement to systems andsafety culture across all levels of GFAoperations. Some of the topics coveredduring these seminars include:• Organisational safety checklists• Risk assessment• Human factors• SMS implementation• Open forum discussionsA number of tools have been developedand provided to clubs to underpinand further improve the safety culturewithin gliding. One such tool is theGliding Organisational Safety Checklist.This checklist is adapted from an organisationalchecklist developed by ProfessorReason for aviation organisations. It isnot a test but a guide for checking aclub’s safety culture and improving theclub or organisation’s safety performance.The checklist is to be used every twoyears to evaluate improvement. Its completionshould allow for anonymousfeedback, and involve the followingrange of members:• A few instructors, experiencedand less experienced• A few committee members• At least three members, rangingfrom new to old membersBy involving more than one or twomembers, we are more likely to achievecontinuous improvement in systems andan enduring safety culture by drawingon a broader cross section of experiences.This also reduces the potential for biasor a ‘tick and flick’ approach, and isan opportunity to further educate anddevelop club members.If you haven’t been directlyinvolved in completion of the GlidingOrganisational Safety Checklist at yourAnother day, another gliding airfield. Multiple clubsand launch methods, controlled airspace, GA aircraftinteraction, members of the public and new clubmembers to manage. Without a strong safety cultureand effective systems and processes, how can wekeep everyone safe?club, or weren’t aware of its implementation,ask your CFI about it. Provideinput where you can and support anyinitiatives that arise. The checklist is thefirst of a number of tools that are beingimplemented to improve safety.Another key ingredient for maintainingand improving safety is risk assessment.Some clubs have been proactivein developing risk assessments for theiroperations. To support all clubs, and topromote consistency across Australia, aRisk Assessment Template is being rolledout as part of the SMS implementation,so get involved in the risk assessmentprocess at your club.All members are encouraged tocontinue supporting implementationof the SMS. Feedback or input is alwayswelcome on .The financial outcome for 2009/10is satisfactory with a small deficitof $6644. The audited resultsfrom MSI Ragg Weir are on theGFA website and I have attached an outlinesummary to this report.Membership income remains steadybut the halving of bank interest ratesas a consequence of the global financialcrisis reduced our term deposit earningsby $45000.Initiatives during 2009/10 have included:• engagement of a full timeGFA Business Manager replacingthe part time Executive Officer• commencement of IT upgradesto our iMIS membership system• planning the adoption of a SafetyManagement System (SMS)• responding to the CASA reviewof sports aviation in Australia, and• provision of a 50% subsidy tofacilitate an expansion of theAustralian Gliding Museum.To assist members to gain an understandingof GFA finances, the Audit Reportfor 2009/10 includes a ‘CompilationReport’ on pages 16 to 19 which providesthe results in the same format as used bythe GFA Executive for budget planning.We trust that members will find thisreport useful and informative.Capital reserves remain entirelyinvested in ANZ term deposits and weare relatively isolated from the ongoinguncertainties in the broader financialmarkets. Interest rates in 2008/09 were8% and dropped to 4% during 2009/10and have recently increased to 6%.The implementation of a majorupgrade of the iMIS membership system(Release 15.1) is presently nearing completionunder the project managementof Edwin Grech Cumbo, Chair of theAirworthiness Department with a greatdeal of assistance from Marcia Cavanagh.The upgrade will provide:• internet online payment of annualsubscriptions and GFA sales items• ability for members to updatepersonal details on-line• an upgrade of the GFA website• an email facility (Informs) whichprovides efficient distributionof GFA messages to members• streamlining of administrationprocesses which will improve GFAservice levels to members, and• centralisation of records managementwith improved reporting facilitiesin order to meet the regulatoryrequirements of CASA.Our dedicated volunteers, Jerry Wellsin Perth and Maurice Little in Melbourne,continue to provide technical supportfor our IT systems and website. Howeverfor the iMIS upgrade it was necessary tohire a professional company, iServices,with specialist expertise in iMIS. Thisprofessional support has been fundedfrom capital reserves and depreciationcharges will be spread out over a numberof years.With this reportI conclude my termas GFA Treasurer andwish to acknowledgethe strong supportprovided to me byMarcia Cavanagh,GFA Secretary andher administrationteam of Tanya Loriotand Sharon Summersby.This hard working trioconsistently put in a lotof effort and dedicationto provide a high levelof administrative servicesto the broad GFAmembership and I willmiss their company.Finally I recommendthe re-appointment ofour auditors, MSI RaggWeir who have anexcellent understandingof GFA administrationand providethe GFA with aprofessional andcooperative service atvery competitive rates.Discover the worlD above - GlidinGOnsite Caravan Park NOW OPENflying@sportaviation.com.auwww.sportaviation.com.auGate 10 Babingtons RdPO Box 44, Tocumwal,NSW, 2714, Australia.Tel: 03 5874 2734Mob: 0427 534 122SPA GFA MAG GLIDING ADVERT 67X140Weather StationAustralian Agentfor Davis Instruments.ECOWATCHUnit 5, 17 Southfork DriveKilsyth VIC 3137Wind, rain,temperature,humidity,barometer,plus more…Ask for yourFREE catalogue.Phone: (03) 9761 7040 Fax: (03) 9761 7050email: web: [www.davisinstruments.com.au]28 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 29

VintageglidingcornerTHE LARGESTGLIDING CLUB INTHE WORLDMartin Simons (Reproduced from theNewsletter of Vintage GlidersAustralia with author’s permission)With about a thousand members, theVintage Glider Club must be the largestin the world. The annual subscription forflying membership is the lowest at £27.50.The club has no permanent base andno aircraft. The members own and fly agreat variety of sailplanes. They spendmany hours in workshops restoring,maintaining, rebuilding, admiringand gloating over their beautiful andoccasionally downright strange aircraft.They are enthusiastic, friendly andperhaps a little eccentric.They have a lot of fun.Briefing about the airfield. This was a US Army Air Force baseduring WW2, one of 68 in this region of England (Author)Someone asked recently if the VGCwas for old pilots or old aircraft. Theanswer is yes. There is now also a healthyintake of young people and some ofthe gliders are new, having been builtrecently from ancient workshop drawingswith traditional materials and skills.There is an annual International Rally,which may be anywhere but usually isheld somewhere in Europe. A suitableairfield with all the facilities is necessaryto provide for a hundred or so sailplanesof widely different ages and capabilities.The owners, crews and families also comein various shapes, sizes and ages. At leastthree – this author, Mike Williams andMike Cleaver – visited from Australia.A VGC Rally takes place in a relaxedspirit of amity and mutual assistance,bringing back memories of years whensoaring was a game rather than a kind offierce combat.Finding a site for the InternationalRally is difficult. The club hosting themeeting has to provide launchingmachinery and ensure the safetyof operations for pilots, crews andspectators. Every type of glider takingpart is different from every other withspecial requirements for launchingand shelter. Translators are needed atbriefings and on the airfield. Spaceand facilities for campers, caravans andglider trailers have to be found. On-sitecatering is required; lists of hotel andother accommodation are compiled anddistributed in advance. Liaison with localbusinesses is important to cope with theinflux of strangers to the district.Efficient organisation is vital. A largenumber of competent and knowledgeablevolunteer helpers have to devote hoursof thought and work to prepare andThe Hutter 17, owned and flown by Nick Newton, on final turn (Author)The Habicht at the end of its spectacular display,flown by Christoph Zahn (Author)manage the complex operation. Localpilots sacrifice at least a week of theirnormal club flying operations.There are few sites or clubs equalto the Norfolk Gliding Club, based atTibenham south of Norwich in England,which provided everything needed forthe VGC Rally from 31 July to 7 August2010. Preparations had to start monthsin advance. The effort reached its climaxin the week of the rally. Afterwardsthere remained more to be done torestore normal activities. Effectively everymember of the club was involved in thework. To attempt to name and thankthem all would occupy more space than isavailable in this brief account.Competitive pilots near home andfar away were occupied at this time inother, but not happier, meetings whilethe VGC was having a wonderful timein East Anglia. A few hours of difficultor impossible weather occurred, butthere was soaring every day. Sometimesconditions from dawn til dusk wereexcellent, although VGC members donot feel obliged to rise anxiously and righurriedly before their leisurely breakfast.Tasks may be set, but no one has to flythem and nobody loses points by taking aday off, or by landing out.There were 99 gliders registered asentrants, in some forty different types.Most numerous, with seven examples, wasthe Slingsby T-21b two seater which after1947 became the standard trainer withcivilian clubs and, known as the Sedbergh,with the Air Cadets. In terms of designthe oldest was the Hols der Teufel (Deviltake it), plans for which were publishedin 1928. The Hols flown at Tibenham wasvery new, having been built in 2004 in theCzech Republic from those drawings.Probably the oldest sailplane still airworthyanywhere is the 75 year old CardenBaynes Scud III. Flown in 1935 this wasthe first self-launching sailplane, witha fully retracting motor and propeller.After early successful flights, followingan accident it was repaired without themotor, becoming a ‘pure’ sailplane. It wasaccompanied here by the second immaculateexample of its type. Both raritiesshowed they were still capable of soaringas high as any other. The opportunity arosefor someone to buy the original Scud IIIfor the bargain price of £4000. A deal wasagreed before the end of the rally.The Minimoa, Rhönsperber and Weiherepresented the best of pre-1940 competitionsailplanes.The first plastic sailplane, the Phönixdesigned and built by Herman Nagele andRichard Eppler, flew in 1957. A few withmodified tail units were produced laterand an example built in 1962 was at Tibenham.Both structurally and aerodynamically,this aircraft was revolutionary in its time.The most advanced of the non-plasticgliders were the Standard Austria of 1959and the Swiss Elfe S4a of 1972. The Austriawings were built in an accurate femalemould from wooden laminations. The[www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au]Elfe wing has a main spar of aluminiumalloy with a sandwich skin of plywoodand paper honeycomb. Both these aircrafthave retained remarkably accurate wingprofiles which almost match the perfectionof the modern composite moulded aircraft.The recently constructed 1936-designed aerobatic Habicht showed whatsailplane aerobatics can be when flownbrilliantly by the youthful Christoph Zahn.The site was visited by the DH Mothclub. In the late afternoons, radio controlledscale model sailplanes and poweredaeroplanes including spectacular jetfighters were demonstrated, and a localteam of Morris Dancers performed andinitiated some VGC innocents into thesepagan rites.Time was found for a meeting of theInternational Council and the AnnualGeneral Meeting, both presided over byChris Wills, founder and Life Presidentof the VGC, and chaired by Jan Forster.Decisions were made about wherethe next International Rally would be– Spitzerberg in Austria in 2011, andLithuania in 2012 – and some vacancieson the committees were filled.Thanks to the stalwarts of the NorfolkGliding Club this was a highly successfuland enjoyable meeting. There were noaccidents and no gliders were damaged.The well-produced and colourfulquarterly VGC News contains reportsand articles from all over the world fora keen international readership. Formore information check the web sites:[www.vintagegliderclub.org] and [www.norfolkglidingclub.com].Editor’s note: Tibenham, the airfieldof the Norfolk Gliding Club in southNorfolk, England, was the scene of someThe Hols der Teufel replica (Vincenzo Pedrielli)The FS 24 Phönix, first ever production plastic sailplane, flownby its owner Hans Disma (Author)very different activity 65 years ago.During the Second World War, as US ArmyAir Force (USAAF) Station No.124, it washome of the 445th Bombardment Groupof the US Eighth Air Force, which flewB-24 Liberator four-engined bombers indaylight raids against Germany. FromNovember 1943 until May 1945 thegroup flew 282 bombing missions, andthe airfield is now a ‘living’ memorial tothe 576 American airmen of that groupwho list their lives in 100 B-24s lost inaction. Among the personnel to fly fromTibenham was actor James Stewart, thena squadron commander.After the war, Tibenham became anRAF Maintenance Unit satellite base andits main (northeast / southwest) runwaywas lengthened for jets in 1955. NorfolkGliding Club moved in during 1960, whichmakes this year its 50th anniversary there.At that time the clubhouse was thewartime control tower, which somebelieved it to be a place of ghostlysightings! Roger Freeman in his bookAirfields of the Mighty Eighth Then andNow reported in 1978 that “At least fourmembers of the Gliding Club were afraidto enter the building, even in daytime. Itwas reported that a person in flyingclothes, similar to those worn by theUSAAF combat crews, had been seen onseveral occasions wandering through thedarkened rooms.” The tower wasdemolished in 1978. See [www.norfolkglidingclub.com/AirfieldHistory.aspx] formore on the history of Tibenham,including the story of how the glidingclub purchased the airfield during 1987-About 300 people attended briefing each morningin the marquee. 140 pilots were registered, withTibenham Airfield, England (Vincenzo Pedrielli)100 sailplanes of many types (Author)90 for some £410000.30 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 31

VintageglidingcornerScenes from the Vintage Glider RallyG F AT21b during launchKranich IIHans-Jakob Habich replica built by the Zahn family of GermanySlingsby Capstan (Ron Tarling relaxing)SteinadlerHans-Jakob WeiheVincenzo with Didier Pataille (President of Dedale Clubof France) in a Morelli M200Possibly a Slingsby SkySlingsby T31b Line-upSlingsby SkylarkHabich replica built by the Zahn familyBocian during launchKa6MinimoaKa4 RhonlercheVincenzo Pedrielli with Chris Wills, PresidentSleckec StorchSlingsby Kirby KitePhotos: Vincenzo Pedrielli. See [www.vincenzopedrielli.it/fotoinvolo_eng.html] for moreof the Vintage Glider Club32 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 33

HGFA News • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •HGFA Operations Manager VacancyMr Mark Campbell has resigned forfamily reasons.The occupant of this position is requiredto be based at and work from our Office at4a-60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042.Applications are invited from HGFAmembers for this full time paid position.Salary is negotiable, but is expected tobe in the order of $80 000 plus, dependentupon the extent of an applicant’s knowledgeof our airsports operations andmanagement/administrative experience.Please visit the HGFA home page[www.hgfa.asn.au] for details on howto apply and to obtain a Statement ofthe Duties and Responsibilities relatingto the position.Applications close on 31 October 2010.HGFA Annual General Meeting9 October 2010, 9am start to 5:30pm,in the Somerton Room, Holiday Inn,10-14 Centre Road, Melbourne Airport,Ph: 03 9933 5111.N e w P r o d u c t sCross Country 2010/11 Travel GuideBundled freewith XC130,the guide isnow availableas a free PDFdownload at[www.xcmag.com/2010/08/cross-country-travel-guide-201011/].Bob, Editor,Cross CountryMagazineNova Mentor 2: Old Name– Completely New WingNova launches the Mentor 2. It picks upexactly where its legendary predecessorsArtax, Mamboo and Mentor 1 left off.However, besides the name everything is‘new’: new construction, new colours –and an entirely new performance level!The development of an adequatesuccessor for Mentor 1 posed a challengeto Hannes Papesh and team, because theMentor 1 offered excellent performanceat the top of its class, uncomplicatedTry the Mentor 2 yourselfhandling and high safety. Especially forXC flights, the Mentor 1 set a very highstandard for the Mentor 2.New features include:• Suspension with three line levels, lessattachment points and load optimiseddiameters. Reduced line drag.• Airfoil with its pitch stability, long braketravel and high collapse resistance.• Mini-Ribs at trailing edge improvesurface finish and increase performance.• Integrated polyamide rods: very sturdyrods replace Mylar reinforcements andlead to less weight and more stability.• Increased wing curvature for morestability and better handling.The outcome of all these constructivemeasures leads to an improved performanceat trim speed of more than 0.5 L/Dcompared to the Mentor 1. The performancedifference is even bigger duringaccelerated flight.For the Mentor 2, Nova set the handlingcharacteristics in between Mentor1 and Factor (EN C/LTF 2). The result is avery agile and lively glider, which offersenough pitch and roll stability to relaxthe pilot during long flights, as well as inturbulent conditions. The higher wingcurvature makes it easier to centrethermals and leads to efficient climbing.Despite the high performance, Novadidn’t max out the EN B/LTF 1-2 class forthe Mentor 2. Instead of increasing theaspect ratio to generate higher performance,Nova was able to reduce it incomparison with Mentor 1, makingcravats very unlikely.Since the Mentor 2 employs a completelynew concept, Nova spent timetesting the glider’s safety in real liveconditions on their testing site, wellknown for its bumpy lee-thermals andstrong valley winds during the summermonths. In these conditions the Mentor 2stands out thanks to its high stability. If acollapse occurs, it tends to be small andre-opening happens smoothly. The longavailable brake travel and progressivebrake pressure help avoid unintendedstall when counter braking.Till Gottbrath & the Nova teamNova Ion Light – Lightweight,All-purpose, Straightforward!Nova’s new wing Ion Light has just passedcertification with EN B/LTF 1-2 in fivedifferent sizes. The new model is basedon the well-proven Ion and is thereforesuitable from instruction to first XCflights. Depending on size, it weighs upto 35% less than its Ion counterpart.However, the Ion Light is not an ultra-Photo: Pipo Medicuslight, fragile wing for mountaineers,instead it is fully suitable for everydayuse! No wonder, Nova gives full warranty.The Austrians accomplished the weightreduction with lighter fabrics (34 g/m 2Porcher Skytex for the top and bottomsail), the use of very robust nylon rods onthe leading edge (instead of Mylar), aswell as narrow 15mm risers. Handling andperformance match the Ion.Thanks to its low weight and smallpacking, the Ion Light is perfect for thoseoccasionally walks up to launch and forvacations. In summary, the Ion Light is alightweight and amazingly uncomplicatedwing, which will please beginners,recreational pilots and new XC pilots.I have to admit I was sceptical concerningits playful and uncomplicated handling,but after trying it, I was surprised.Flying Ion Light is fun. Give it a try!Till Gottbrath [www.nova-wings.com]Upcoming Radio Test ReportTesting the new dual VHF/UHF radio setupfrom ‘Sensair’, look for a report in thenext magazine. Regards Steve McCarthyHGFA OperationsManager’s ReportMr Mark Campbell hasresigned from the positionof Operations Manager forfamily reasons. Mark andhis family are originally from Englandand issues regarding extended familynecessitated a shift back to England foran indeterminate period.At this time I am Operations Managerhaving resigned from the HGFA Committeeof Management in order to ensurecontinuity of occupation and performanceof the duties of the position.The position is advertised in thisedition of Soaring Australia and fulldetails are available from the [www.hgfa.asn.au] home page. The selection of thenew Operations Manager will follow aformal selection process.CAAP 166 – 1(0)Civil Aviation Advisorypublication 166 – 1(0),effective 3 June 2010, wasinterpreted by some HGFAweightshift microlight pilots as restrictingtheir traffic circuit to a maximumheight of 500ft and as classifying theirmaximum speed at 55kt. CASA haveadvised the HGFA that interpretation ofthe document should be in the contextof the diagram at “Figure 2 - ‘standard’aerodrome traffic circuit” and thatweightshift microlights may choose tojoin the circuit at 500ft or 1000ft and maycircuit closer to the runway; the highercircuit is not inappropriate for some fasterflying WSM’s.Safe flying.HGFA Operations ManagerJohn TwomeyMobile: 0419 357195• • • • • • • • •34 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 35

G F AG F AHappened recently on an AirfieldAndy DavisHANDICAPSAndy DavisP r e a m b l e by B r u c e Tay l o R :Handicaps are currently part and parcel of our competitionscene here in Australia. The standing Handicap Committeemembers are often asked about how particular handicapsare obtained or adjusted as time goes by. I came across thefollowing article in a recent issue of Sailplane and Gliding [the magazine of the British GlidingAssociation], which outlines perfectly how the system works. It explains why the currentInternational Gliding Commission (IGC) handicaps are not suitable for use even in the UK, andwe can of course extrapolate the same reasons as to why those handicaps would not work herein Australia. Please note that some other countries (including the UK) use an inverse handicapfactor – that is, they divide the raw speed by the handicap, rather than multiplying by thehandicap as we do here. Keep this in mind when comparing numbers in the article.The article was written by Andy Davis, a multiple world champion and currently an expertadviser to Sailplane and Gliding magazine in the area of competition flying. Anything that Andysays comes from a background of an enormous amount of experience and careful analysis. I haveasked Andy’s permission to have this reprinted in Soaring Australia, and also the permission ofthe editor of Sailplane and Gliding, Susan Newby. I would like to take this opportunity to thankboth of them for their generosity in allowing this informative article to be reprinted here.the glider is always flown at the correctMacCready speed. If the mathematicalanalysis was run for a variety of thermalstrengths, the relative speed indices wouldchange depending on whether the typeperformed better at slow or high speed.It is generally recognised that, relativeto their published speed index, certaintypes perform better in weak conditionsand other types better in strong conditions,but that over several days of competitionthe differences should even outand that the index derived from theBritish standard thermal is a reasonablecompromise. As a matter of interest, forthe last 10 years or so, the BGA list ofindices has been based on a stronger standardthermal than was previously used.An experiment in variable handicappingwas recently carried out at theOverseas Nationals, where the handicapswere adjusted daily depending on theday speeds. This was due to the specialcircumstances of the Spanish venue,where there was a wide variation inthermal strengths from day to day.Whether this will be adopted in thefuture for other BGA rated handicappedcompetitions remains to be seen.In practice, there will be an elementof streeting and dolphin flying. Certaintypes will perform better relative tohandicap in such conditions. Smallinaccuracies in the data and roundingerrors can result in quite big differences.As a result, the Competition Committeeuses experience of different types toallocate the final speed index.From time to time the list is reviewedand, if experience suggests that a giventype is better or worse than its allocatedindex, the index is adjusted. As an example,in the 2010 BGA list, the latest generation18m Class gliders have all had their speedindex increased by one percentage point.Over the years as glider performancehas steadily improved, the datum gliderhas changed. When I started competing,the BGA datum glider was the Std Cirrus.Later it became the Discus and is nowstate-of-the-art Standard Class gliderssuch as LS8 and Discus 2. Accordingly, theindex for each glider type should changewhenever the datum glider changes.However, it is possible that as a result ofthe ongoing review process a particularglider’s index might remain unchangedafter a general readjustment due to achange of datum glider.Now to the second part of John’sspecific question: whether the handicapindex of 106 for a Nimbus 2c is realistic.as its contemporary the ASW 17, the later17.5m LS6 and later 18m LS8. Generally,for otherwise identical gliders, extra wingspanis considered to be worth one pointof handicap for every 0.5m of span. So, isthe extra span of the older Nimbus a matchfor the later technology of the LS6 and LS8?My instinctive guess would be that, ifflown by pilots of equal ability at identicalwing loadings, the Nimbus would havethe edge in very weak thermal conditionsrequiring long slow glides, and the 17.5mLS6 and 18m LS8 would have an edge instronger weather with faster cruising speeds.I have flown a new 18m Ventus 2cxaalongside an old, but beautifully refinished,Nimbus 2c being flown by anotherBritish team pilot in overseas team training,and I can report that the old Nimbuscan go embarrassingly well!In many cases, the variation in performancebetween individual gliders of thesame type is probably greater than the performancedifference between differentglider types, and this is possibly the biggestpractical issue with using a list of performanceindices by glider type to assess relativepilot performance, especially witholder gliders.The loss of performance from poorseals, poor wing profile, leaky cockpit andundercarriage bay can be significant, ascan the loss of performance from a dirty,buggy wing. A set of bug wipers is oneof the easiest performance enhancements seal well and that the canopythat can be fitted to any glider, especially is a good fity background is that I have beenflying for fun in Regionals for a20) for the glider types allowed to fly inIGC-sanctioned international Club Classif the wing section is one of the older bugsensitive sections (such as the Nimbus 2).• practice flying with lots of water.Then, after more competitive flyingfew years. I used to fly a StandardCirrus, but now fly a Nimbus 2c.championships. It is not extensive enoughfor use in handicapped competition whereMy advice to John would be to havea critical look at his Nimbus 2c:alongside other types, if he still feelsstrongly that the index of 106 is notI’ve noticed that the handicaps forStandard Class gliders have been reducedover the years as new gliders have comeon the scene. The Std Cirrus handicapused to be 100, then the Discus was 100,and now the 15m LS8 is 100.This change of handicap hasn’thappened with older Open Class gliders,there is a wider range of glider type andperformance. Furthermore, it is basedon a mathematical analysis of relativeglider performance in European thermalconditions and so, arguably, would notbe suitable for use in countries where thethermals don’t conform to the Europeanmodel. Accordingly, different countries••••make sure that the wing profileis still accuratefit bug wipersmake sure that there are no chipsin the leading edgemake sure that the flaps and aileronsappropriate he should apply to the BGACompetitions and Awards Committee fora revision to the Nimbus 2c index withsupporting evidence, such as a newlypublishedmeasured polar.although new Open gliders have a highersame handicap (106) as the 18m LS8, buthave developed their own lists of speedGlider handicaps to be used in BGAhandicap. Even so, the Nimbus 2c has thethe reality of the Nimbus keeping paceindices to suit their own requirements.rated competitions are published as gliderVictorian Soaring AssociationCross-Country Coaching Weekwith the LS is unrealistic. Even keepingpace with a Duo Discus (handicap of101/2) is a bit of a challenge.John Clark of Talgarth asks: How arespeed indices in an appendix to the rulesfor BGA rated competitions. The indicesare mostly derived by calculation basedon the best available polar curve for each28 January to 4 February 2011Hosted by Horsham Flying Club, Horsham Airfieldhandicaps established to start with, and individual glider, adjusted to a givenThis VSA cross-country course will be held again in 2011 just prior to the Horsham Week competition which commences 5 February.what is the chance of having a realistic wing loading.This is now our fifth event and the popularity is growing each year. Building on previous experience, the course will now offerhandicap for the Nimbus 2? My replyThe achieved climb rate in a Britishopportunities for pilots commencing their cross-country flying as well as for active cross country pilots seeking to develop their skills.is as follows.standard thermal (defined by air mass rateOpen to all pilots who have been cleared for cross-country flying by their club panel.The aim of glider performance handi- of climb and radius) is calculated and theTry for Silver, Gold and Diamond goal flights. Flying is over some of the safest outlanding country in Australia and course memberscapping is to adjust achieved performance average cross-country speed for Britishwill assist with paddock retrieves.at the scoring stage to compensate for standard thermal conditions is then calcu-Bunkhouse accommodation and camping is available at the airfield. Horsham township offers a range of accommodation with 15 motelsdifferences between glider types, so that lated, assuming that the glider is flownand two caravan parks.the relative performance of the pilots at the optimum MacCready speed for theThe course is managed by the VSA coaching team and comprises a mix of short theory lectures, daily weather briefings, daily taskscan be assessed. IGC-sanctioned Club achieved climb rate. The result allows anand post-flight analysis over an evening meal.Class Championships are handicappedusing a list of glider performance indicespublished on the IGC website at [www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/handicaps.pdf].The IGC list was originally based on theindex to be assigned to the type as a percentagerelative to the datum glider. Additionalperformance enhancements to thestandard glider, such as winglets or extraspan, attract an additional increment.We expect to have two-seat gliders available to offer direct one-on-one coaching, although these opportunities will be limited. Pilots withtheir private glider or a club glider will be offered ‘lead & follow’ coaching opportunities as well as direct coaching in a two-seater.This week is also a good opportunity for pilots attending the Horsham Week competition to fit in some practice flying as we will haveadequate aero-towing capacity for all.Further details and an application form can be found on the GFA and VSA websites.German handicapping system and, being The mathematical analysis does havespecific to Club Class championships, only limitations. It assumes standard climb andFor enquiries and registration contact:has speed indices for glider performance glide conditions, that the British standardIan Grant – phone: (03) 9877 1463 or in a relatively small range (Astir to ASW thermal is always encountered, and that This gives the Nimbus 2c the same index36 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 37MMartin FeegWith my 20-month-old daughter, I attended a parent gatheringthe other day. Soon another parent got me involved in somedeep conversation, saying “I can’t believe how advanced she is,”and “how much you allow her to do.”Later in the evening I couldn’t help reflecting on theconversation and all that was said. The parent was right: mydaughter is advanced compared to her peers, and yes, mywife and I allow a lot; in fact we encourage her to do things.We firmly believe it is best for her to train under controlledcircumstances, and along with it come safety explanations. If we teach her, she doesn’t haveto experiment herself. If we say no, sooner or later she will do it anyway – only then it iswithout the safety knowledge others had to pay for dearly.And what has this story got to do with gliding?Close shave – that’s what we want to avoid. Unfortunately, too many times comradeshave complained bitterly of how much they have been held back, how much their clubwouldn’t allow. Glider pilots early in the game are just like young children. They want todo, they want to explore and sooner or later they will – even if it is not allowed.Are you concerned about safety? Are you providing, or are you saying “No” just because...?Safe soaring.

GFA News • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Update On Club And Sports ClassNationals – Benalla, January 2011Entries at the lower price of $280 will beavailable only until the end of October,so if you are intending to enter it wouldbe a good idea to get your entry formin soon. A further incentive is that if weare over-subscribed (there is a limit of 70)we will use the GFA Seeding/Ranking listto determine who will go on the waitinglist. If you wait until November it willdefinitely be first come, first served.We have up to eight tugs available.Of course, the final number will dependon the number of entries, but having aratio of better than one tug for 10 glidersmakes us feel comfortable that we will beable to provide an excellent service.GCV offers seven-day operationduring summer, and pilots intending tofly the Nationals are welcome at any timeto practice and prepare.We usually have quite a number ofexperienced XC pilots flying daily fromBenalla during summer, and intendto continue this operation during theNationals. We want to make sure thatthis group is looked after as well (as theyare our customers), and so we will beensuring that we don’t inconveniencethem. Of course, the competition launcheswill take priority but we will also makesure that there are no unnecessary delaysin getting the club fleet into the air as well.Benalla’s soaring weather is at itsbest in January, and the task area offersa range of interesting alternatives fromthe plains of NSW to the hills of easternVictoria. Being a southerly location thedays are long and on the best days youcan be flying until sunset – not that wewould set tasks quite that long of course!All tasks will be AAT, and we expectthat some tasks will use wedges ratherthan circles. This is intended to providemore flexibility for time soaks and also toallow us to set a style of task that is closerto the fixed task format while still havingflexibility to cater for a wide range ofglider performance.We will be encouraging direct (straightin)long landings on the European model– this is the most efficient way to geta large fleet safely back on the airfieldwith a minimum of circuit traffic. Wherepossible we will facilitate this by settingan into-wind final leg, and moving carsto the far end of the preferred runway.Airspace has been addressed bysetting a ‘Contest Area’ which will enclosemost official airspace boundaries andprovide a buffer area. As a result, flightswhich go outside the Contest Area willattract only mild penalties unless the pilotstrays into controlled airspace. Maps andairspace files have already been postedon the website.Benalla is a great place to visit forpilots and crew – good accommodationoptions, interesting countryside, wineries,restaurants, and a welcoming town thatregards the Gliding Club as a major localattraction. The clubhouse will providelunches daily and an evening meal – thereis also a large barbeque area just outsidethe clubhouse.All the core members of the organisingteam – including myself as CD, PeterGray as Safety Officer, Rob Pugh as Tugmaster,John Switala as Tasksetter, DavidSmith as Ground Marshall and Joy Shirleyas Scorer – are working hard to makingthis event a memorable one for you.You can find the competition websiteat [http://deltaone.soho.on.net/benalla2011/].The entry form, rules, waypoint andairspace files and lots more details can befound there. I look forward to seeing youat Benalla in January.Tim Shirley (Contest Director)Pilot Wanted ForTrans-Tasman TrophyExpressions of interest are invited fora pilot to represent Australia at one ofNew Zealand’s National Championshipsin early 2011. The competition, yet to bedetermined, will be either the Multi-class(Omarama, 2 to 14 January) or Club Class(Matamata, 5 to 13 February). Please forwardyour resume to Mike Maddocks (ITC)at .Hunter Valley Gliding ClubSoaring WeekA week of soaring will be held atWarkworth, NSW, from 25 to 31 October2010. A GFA Coach will be present,and clubhouse accommodation will beavailable, or bring a tent. Participantsshould feel free to arrive the weekendprior for nine days of flying. Daily taskswill be set, or the valley view can beenjoyed from the air at your own pace.This will be a beautiful and challengingenvironment. Enquires can be made toMark Rowe, 02 65773302 or 0438 714238;or Mick Webster, 0418 269145.Items from GFA Financial Report2010 and Airworthiness Newsemailled 26 August 2010:Electronic FormsRegional Technical Officers Airworthiness,Form 2 Inspectors and Commercial Workshopsare reminded that they can reportcompletion of Form 2 via the GFA website.These reports have been integrated intothe iMIS database and as such will reducethe need of paper being forwarded tothe office. See [http://2009.gfa.org.au/Docs/airworth/F2FormReport.pdf].Regional Technical Officers Airworthinesscan now register endorsements issuedto course candidates via the electronicforms also found at [http://2009.gfa.org.au/Docs/airworth/Sect1GliderEndorsements.pdf] and [http://2009.gfa.org.au/Docs/airworth/Sect2_PowerEndorsements.pdf].Sailplane And Power SailplaneRegistration MarkingsSailplane owners and operators arereminded to read and comply with GFAAN 84 paragraph 1.2 entitled ‘RegistrationMarkings’ as a matter of urgency.All sailplanes should carry the threeletters of their registration on the finand rudder or any other suitable locationthat is visible. Competition Directors haveraised this issue several times because ofthe confusions that arises when pilots callthe last two letters of their registrationon final glide. See [http://2009.gfa.org.au/Docs/ANs/gfa_084an.pdf].DG Service ContractMuch has been said, written and discussedabout the DG Service contract; it is not myintention to repeat most of it here. It is sadthat the global financial downturn hasforced DG and others to seriously considermeans of raising revenue in this manner,in order to remain commercially viable.At the request of many owners theGFA sought legal opinion on what wecould do to assist the members in relationto such a service contract. The opinionwe received was that the GFA was not inno position to influence this commercialdecision by DG. The statement takenfrom the DG website states it all in anutshell: “We are regrettably unableto continue providing free service foraircraft manufactured by Glaser-Dirks andRolladen Schneider.” All German glidermanufactures are seriously consideringfollowing this trend due to the downturnand cancellation of many orders.*The service contract contains two elements:Firstly, DG will not sell parts, service oradvice to anybody who has not signed andpaid for the contract… DG can legally refuseto do business without such contract.Owners can ignore the demand until theyrequire service, parts or advice, which canbe supplied by DG-Flugzeugbau only.Secondly, the contract provides for thesupply of ‘new’ maintenance and repairmanuals. Under EASA jurisdiction, a validmanual is required for annual inspectionsand the inspector may not sign out anaircraft without such manual for eachspecific aircraft, ie. the manuals areissued for individual serial numbers. DGFlugzeugbau proposes to issue manualswith limited validation periods, ie. oneyear. These may contain new pertinentsafety-related information, or possibly justa new front page with new dates.Many owners will be caught in thenet when they need to replace parts orrequire detailed drawings to repair crashdamage. Many owners are not aware thatthe service fee has a falling scale fromyear to year. It is important to visit the DGwebsite and get the full details.The question we are asked all the timeis: Can we complete a Form Two inspectionwithout such a ‘valid’ manual? At the timeof sale your aircraft came with a manualand other documentation. All DG Aircraftowners are assured that their gliders areoperated legally as long as they conformto the GFA MOSP Pt3 and conduct theirannual inspections in conformance withthe manuals that came with the aircraftand associated Ads. This applies until suchtime as the revised manuals are published.From that time on you will need tosubscribe to the service contract.Those following American, Germanand British forums will note different and,sometimes, pretty wild interpretations.See [www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/index-e.html]* Editor’s Note: Bernard Eckey (onbehalf of Schleicher, Germany) writes:“Following the recent GFA circular letter Isought input from Schleicher in Germanyin regards to that statement whichappears to be lifted off the DG website.Schleicher has instructed me to informthe Australian gliding fraternity thatthis does not apply to their business andthat they have never even contemplatedany service contract at all. All owners ofSchleicher gliders can be assured that theywill continue to receive parts, services andtechnical advice if and when required.This applies to all aircraft – even if theyare 50 years and older!”Update On Blanik AD-663As of 21 July 2010 we have not receivedany feedback from Aircraft Industries orthe Austrian authorities on the actualcircumstances of the spar failure which ledto AD-663, nor has there been any indicationof the likelihood or conditions under whichthe aircraft might be returned to service.The United States has now adoptedthe EASA AD and reissued it in virtuallyidentical form, with the exception of requiringa more stringent inspection by way ofa x10 power magnifier rather than x6 poweras required by EASA & MB L13/109a.There has been some reported confusionconcerning compliance with the ADas a separate issue to compliance with MBL13/109a, and in the interpretation of ‘AverageOperating Conditions’. Compliancewith both documents is mandatory.If no cracks are found in accordancewith the inspection required by the MB,this does not automatically mean that theaircraft can be returned to service. Compliancewith all four of the Average OperatingConditions must also be shown beforethe aircraft can be released for furtherservice. In all cases where the averageoperating conditions cannot be met theaircraft must not be flown until a determinationhas been received from the TCholder. This determination will be basedon the information supplied via the datacollection sheet which forms part of theMB. To the best of my knowledge thereare no Blaniks in Australia which canmeet the average operating conditions,so effectively our L-13 fleet is groundeduntil further notice.A significant number of copies of thedata collection sheets are still outstanding.If you have not yet returned copiesto the GFA please do so as soon as youcan so that we can offer the strongestpossible argument for reinstatement ofour inspection regime.L-13A1 (Llewellyn modification)Blaniks are unaffected by AD-663, exceptthat aerobatics are no longer approved.Further information will be posted onthe GFA website as it comes to hand.Pilot Weight Limitations In SailplanesThe European certification specifications forgliders, JAR22 and CS22, request that thecentre of gravity stays within its limitsat pilot weights from 70kg to 110kg withparachute without ballast, and that atleast a pilot of 110kg must be carried (seeJAR22.23-22.25). For a two seater, the valueis 180 kg. Other calculations such as seatstrength, belt fix points and so on, are basedon this minimum value for the maximumpilot weight of 110kg, and this is printed inthe glider specs. This has nothing to do withthe maximum weight of ‘non-lifting parts’ orwith the payload. Therefore, for pilots above110kg it will not be easy to find a gliderwhich they can legally fly.The limiting issues relate to:• max. weight of non-lifting parts (think:strength of the fuselage mountings)• seat & seatbelt mounting point strength• C of G out of limits, possibly meaningnot enough up elevator available atlow speeds (eg. landing round-out)• sailplane insurance is limited to thestandard design criteriaAirworthiness StandardsCASR 22.001 states:(1) The airworthiness standards for a sailplaneor powered sailplane in Australia are:(a) the airworthiness standards set outin JAR-22 (Sailplanes and PoweredSailplanes), as in force on 1 October1998, with the changes providedunder this Part; or(b) the airworthiness standards set out inSection E of the British Civil AirworthinessRequirements published by the AirRegistration Board of the United Kingdom,as in force on 1 October 1998, withthe changes provided under this Part; or(c) the airworthiness standards set outin the Airworthiness Requirementsfor Sailplanes and Powered Sailplanesissued by the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt ofthe Federal Republic of Germany, asin force on 1 October 1998, with thechanges provided under this Part; or(d) The airworthiness standards set outin OSTIV Airworthiness Standardsfor Sailplanes published by theOrganisation Scientific et TechniqueInternationale du Vol a Voile, as inforce on 1 October 1998, with thechanges provided under this Part.(2) A sailplane or powered sailplane thatmeets the airworthiness standardsmentioned in paragraph (1) (a), (b), (c)or (d) is taken to meet the airworthinessstandards for a sailplane or poweredsailplane under these regulations.Thus the Civil Aviation SafetyAuthority makes no exceptions to any ofthe design criteria set in the establishedstandards. From the above, one concludesthat pilots weighing in excess of 110kgwith parachute are flying illegally.GFA ConsiderationsThe GFA as the RAAO governing glidingin Australia has to consider itsenforcement and compliance obligationsand ensure that all pilots are aware thatCASR 22 makes no exceptions to thedesign limits set in JAR 22, and providingno guidance to pilots that exceed 110kgwith parachute would reflect badly onour ability to administer gliding safely.Insurance policies will not cover liabilitiesif the pilot weight exceeds the limits setby the manufacturer, where pilot weighthad not been declared in the policy andthe premiums adjusted accordingly. Doingnothing about it makes the GFA anaccomplice to law breaking.38 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 39

GFA Business Manager’s Report • • • • • •The last few months within the GFASecretariat have been frenetic, dealingwith administrative and legislativechanges, combined with preparations forthe upcoming AGM and the inclusion ofthe Special Business items applicable atthe time of writing. These words havingalready been written and consigned tothe Soaring Australia archives – truertoday than the last time.The new Governance website, ‘TheI-Site’, will go live at the beginning ofSeptember and by now the membershipwill have been notified of the new loginprocess. Its additional member servicesinclude: online renewal, a shopping cartyou can fill to your heart’s content (andto the displeasure of the bank manager),a proactive weather watcher and much,much more. All accolades for the designand construct of the website should gofirstly to the visionaries in the Board andExecutive who allowed a modernisationof process to take place; and secondlyto the unwavering dedication of EdwinGrech Cumbo and Marcia Cavanagh tocomplete the task. A big thank you mustalso go to Maurice Little for maintainingthe Joomla website over these past years.CASACASA has gone into caretaker mode at thetime of writing, awaiting the outcomeof the election and perhaps a change ofpriority. Hopefully by the time you readthis, a decision on the Deed of AgreementCartoon by Codezactivities will have been made. All selfadministeringorganisations are similarlyaffected. Therefore, a concerted drive isbeing made by all these sister organisationsthrough the Australian Sport AviationConfederation, in conjunction withRAAus, to seek clarification on the roleof CASA as a ‘safety’ regulator, the ATSBand responsibilities of ‘delegated’ organisationsthat carry out the administrationof ‘recreational aviation’ in Australia.Some activities such as the introductionof a Safety Management System,the re-write and amalgamation of theOps Regs, and MoSP2 were naturallyprogressive steps to keep GFA current.This is not only in the processes, but inthe governance and hence the administrationof gliding nationally. There hasbeen an extreme cost to GFA in realisingthese improvements, both financiallyand in the effort being expended byvolunteers and paid staff, respectively –a point not lost on the Deed’s overseers.Once again, at the time of writing theBlanik glider flight status had not beenresolved. The only update on this issueis that the FAA issued an AD notice thatparalleled the directive of the manufacturer,LET. It is hoped that by the time thisupdate is published the Australian andNew Zealand Blaniks under the currentGFA maintenance regime will be clearedfor flight.DG owners should also be aware thatnew maintenance manuals have beenreleased. The consequence of this andthe new DG maintenance cost strategymeans that without current maintenancemanuals, the type certification requirementsare not being met. Therefore, ifthe Type Certificate is invalid then theCertificate of Airworthiness will alsobecome invalid.Thanks and FarewellAnd now I would like to express my thanksand appreciation to the staff, membersand volunteers of the GFA who havetolerated the ignorance and banalityof the Business Manager – two monthstoo late, but with heartfelt feeling, oras much feeling as a Business Managercan feel. It is with regret that I haveresigned as BM. I wish the organisationcontinued freedom as a self-administeredorganisation, and hope that soaring inAustralia continues to involve like-mindedindividuals in sustaining the sport andfinding the magic bullet that will increaseits membership and profile as a nationalsporting identity.Having attended the Australian SportsCommission information sessions on performancefunding, it was nice to see thatgliding in Australia will attract the samefunding as pole dancing – and what awonderful sport pole dancing is, with itsmeteoritic growth by the uptake of itsmany enthusiastic participants. For theGFA (oh no, a sermon from the Secretariat),growth will take place by increasedvolunteer involvement at all levels of thesport. Blood new committee members.Enlighten soaring debutantes to availablevacancies in club, state or GFA positions.Adopt a school or two or three, and, justlike ‘Adopt a Highway’, clean up with theavailable talent.Think of a world in which you don’thave to struggle rigging and de-rigginggliders, but just give instructions andwatch how the majority of wing runnersare now below the age of 50; in which,if your datalogger spits the dummy,you hand it to a young person for asimple re-boot and configuration reset:all sorted. Think of a world that selfperpetuatesenthusiasm, and drawsadventurous spirits wanting to hang uponevery word of instruction, not blank looksfrom the glider widow/widower.If those members who succumb to thecycle of life are not replaced, the currentstatus quo will be weighted in the negative– against growth, and quickeninginto decline. So for the inconvenienceof dealing with the quirky young, thepayback will be the continuation of anactivity that you have enjoyed and wishto continue to enjoy. You will see glidingrise like a phoenix – back to the halcyondays of the 60s and 70s, which youshouldn’t be able to remember at all.With bowed head, I bid you adieu.GFA Business ManagerPeter HopkinsMobile: 0451 055 316Email Infinity TGiorgio Sabbionitandem acro on a tandem acro wing. so far the effortto steer a tandem glider was at the limit of a pilot’sstrength, and the canopy stress and high G-load wastoo high for tandem gliders to withstand.For a keen acro pilot, the challengeof something impossible couldbe feasible with just a bit moreof application and… fantasy.Pal Takats told me he was going toperform the infinity tumble with a tandemglider, would I like to come for a photosession? An occasion not be missed. Infinitytandem… the ultimate acro trick.On an August morning I met Pal Takatsand Gabor Kezi, looking incredibly cool andrelaxed. Pal told me: “We did some test tosolve all the problems; mainly how to steerthe glider, the energy is so high that thestrength of one pilot is not enough to steerinto the manoeuvre. So we set a doublecommand system, Gabor will help to pullthe brakes to enter into infinity comingfrom a spiral tumble, and stall it for theexit, as the total effort needed for thatis estimated at 50kg. Gabor will not be apassenger but a second pilot; it wouldn’t bepossible to perform the infinity without him,together we can provide the right timingfor the weightshift in a double commandmanoeuvre. We had a successful attemptin Oludeniz, about 10 turns during the firstflight, but during the second one, just afterthe third turn into infinity, our alreadystrengthened glider blasted, breaking allthe upper galleries of the A-B-C lines; Gaborreacted immediately throwing the rescueand we landed safely, but the designer, ErnstStrobl, needed to come up with somethingeven stronger. Now we have a special tailored31m 2 (flat) U-Turn Thriller, calculated onour in flight weight total of 190 to 200kg;it has a special reinforced inner structureand extra thick lines; probably the strongestparaglider ever built. The combined strengthof the upper line cascades was calculated towithstand a max load of 8.2 tons and themain lines 5.2 tons.”The helicopter dropped us on Chäseruggtake-off, 1800m above Walensee. Even thecoolest of the group, Gabor, was looking abit more energised. Take-off was almost flat,ending in an extremely steep slope, makingthe take off run with a 31m 2 tandem glidertricky, as if that wasn’t enough, a weakthermic wind was creating rotor rightwhere Pal and Gabor opened their glider.The two set up the video-camerasand got into harness, Pal had a VonblonPapillon steerable tandem rescue in hisSup’air harness, Gabor had a secondSup’air tandem rescue fitted on the cheststrap. Rotor forced them to abort their firsttake off. They waited for better conditionsbefore taking the plunge.After a few minutes they left the steepmountain wall and headed towards the lake.The rescue boat was a little white dot in themiddle of the lake, almost 1400m below. Wesaw them lighting the smoke bomb, settingthe double brake and then entering intoa steep spiral. Then the ultimate trick: thetwo guys started to turn into infinity. Theirarms went up – the rotation was not fastbut constant and tidy – 10, 11… 20… I lostcount. They were rotating like a white andblue merry-go-round, only vertical. After aseemingly endless time, the glider stalled atthe top of a turn and started to fly normally;45 turns we counted later on the video.Was that it? Not at all: Wingovers, sat,tumbles and helis completed the show, likea top level acro performanceprogram. All ina tandem wing which behaved even betterthan a well-tuned acro wing.After landing Gabor recalled: “I was fullyconcentrated on the take-off in very difficultconditions, after that I enjoyed the landscape,then I just fully concentrated on themanoeuvre. I talked with Pal about what todo, the altitude, any gliders below us – safetywas our priority – then I worked at the righttiming and proper steering until the momentcame to stop the glider. We pulled the brakeand… everything finished; we had done it!Now we’ll go up for a second run and I willfinally have time to enjoy the flight.”Pal: “I’ve even seen a practical application,as this glider would be perfect forpersonal SIV and acro training. I could teachpilots the timing, steering and weightshiftfor all the main acro tricks, at least up to therhythmic sat. I think I may use it in Oludenizfor this purpose.”40 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 41H G F APhotos: Giorgio Sabbioni

Contact AddressesG FAAustralian Gliding Museum2 Bicton St, Mt Waverley VIC 3149,03 98021098.Gliding QueenslandC/- Treasurer, 67 Glenora St, Wynnum QLD4178, 07 38348311, 0417 762621.NSW Gliding AssociationThe Secretary, 44 Yanko Ave, WentworthFalls NSW 2782, 02 68892733, 0268891250, 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, CamdenNSW 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 SmithSt, 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, MedowieNSW 2318, 02 49829334.Scout Association NSW GlidingC/- Bob G Balfour, 80 Malvern St, PananiaNSW 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, 0415150965.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.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •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 SA5097, 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.Corangamite Soaring ClubKurweeton, Kurweeton Rd, DerrinallumVIC 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, WaggaWagga NSW 2650, 0427 205624.WA Gliding Association (WAGA)716 Flight Australia Air Force Cadets7 Wing HQ, RAAF Base Pearce BullsbrookWA 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 changesof address, mem bership renewals, shortterm memberships, rating forms andother administrative matters shouldbe sent to:HGFA National Office4a-60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC3042, ph: 03 93367155, fax: 03 93367177,, [www.hgfa.asn.au].HGFA Operations ManagerInterim: John Twomey 0419 357195, 108 Osborne St,Williamtown VIC 3016.Information about site ratings, sites andother local matters, contact the appro pri ateState asso ciations, region or club.Board Members 2008 to 2010North Queensland HG AssociationPO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881. Pres: Bob Hayes0438 710882 ;V-Pres: John Creswell 0400 122261; Sec/Trs:Tracey Hayes, PO Box 608, Kuranda QLD 4881,0418 963796 .Queensland HG AssociationPres: Greg Hollands , PO Box 61, CanungraQLD 4275 07 38448566.South Australian HG/PG/ML AssociationSAHGA Inc, c/O PO Box 6260, Hallifax St,Adelaide SA. All email: . Pres: Stuart McClure 0428 100796;Sec/Trs: Rob Woodward 0408 808436.Tasmanian HG & PG Association[www.thpa.net]. Pres: Stephen Clark 0419997550, ;V-Pres: Pete Steane 0407 887310 ; Sec/Trs: Simon Allen 0438086322, . NorthernTAS info: Richard Long (Burnie PG pilot), 0438593998, .Victorian HG and PG AssociationPO Box 157, Northcote VIC 3070, [www.vhpa.org.au]. Pres: Phil Campbell 0438 428569; Sec: Nick Abicare0418 104506 ; Trs:Stephen Leake 0409 553401 ; SO: Kevin Grosser 0419 022225; Sites: MarkPike 0408 801356 ; Committee: Hugh Alexander 0417355578 , JanBennewitz 0423 139923 , Tony Hughes 0417 379847, AnthonyMeechan 0407 163796 .The Pico Club (National Paramotor Club)Pres: Andrew Shipley ; V-Pres: Grant Cassar

Soaring Calendar • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •A U S T R A L I ACanungra Classic 20102 to 9 October 2010Registration: 1 October from 3pm. Opening ceremony:6pm. Venue for the Classic this year will be held atthe Canungra Hotel. Entry fee: $210 plus $30 non-CGHC members, includes T-shirt and presentationdinner. Late fee after 1 September: $30. Mandatory:minimum int rating, parachute, 3D GPS, & HGFAmembership. Classes Open, Best of the Rest, Floater.Competition rating AA. Registration: [www.triptera.com.au/canungra/classic2010/] or . Also [www.chgc.com.au] (followthe links). Competition director: Marty Bennett or 0400 155864.Weekend Warrior Series 112010/2011Round 1: 2, 3, 4 October 2010, ManillaRound 2: 7, 8 November 2010, HunterValley # 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-levelGPS/Task base competition. It is about the promotionof 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 of11 tasks. Payment and pilot registration at Oz CompsWWS [www.randomkingdom.com.au/wws], Che Golus or James .49th Multi Class Nationals4 to 15 October 2010Hosted by the Darling Downs Soaring Club atDalby aerodrome, QLD. For further informationcontact .Canungra Cup 201023 to 30 October 2010Canungra, Qld. AAA, FAI Cat 2. The Cup will consistof eight comp days. Due to popular demand in previousyears, a selection process will be applied shouldthe comp become over-subscribed. A maximum of 80pilots plus five wild cards will be accepted. Pleasenote the following dates: Online registration opens16 July, 20:30 (AEST) GMT +10. If over-subscribed by20 August, the Priority Selection Process as outlinedin the latest edition of the HGFA Comps Manual willapply. Pilots will be notified via email of their registrationstatus. Those who qualify are given until27 August to pay the full fee to secure their place.If payment has not been received, pilots on thewaiting list will be offered those places. Contacts:Dave Gibbs, Gavin Zahner, [www.canungracup.org].Hunter Valley Gliding ClubSoaring Week25 to 31 October 2010Warkworth NSW. A great week of soaring. Come flywith the eagles. GFA Coach. Clubhouse accommodationavailable, or bring a tent. Feel free to turnup for the weekend prior to enjoy nine days of funand flying. Daily tasks will be set, or enjoy the valleyview from the air at your own pace. A beautiful andchallenging environment. Enquires to Mark Rowe,02 65773302 or 0438 714 238; or Mick Webster,0418 269145.Melbourne Cup Vintage Rally30 October to 2 November 2010Bacchus Marsh Airfield, VIC. Australian GlidingMuseum open day and barbecue: Sunday 31October. All interested in vintage gliding arewelcome. Contact Dave Goldsmith 03 5428 3358 or Ian Patching03 94383510 .Ride The Spiral Spring Comp30/31 October & 1/2 November 2010Mt Beauty, VIC. We’ve booked Mt Beauty Bush Lodgefor all pilots to stay at. The cost of the accommodationwas worked into this year’s comp fee. The lodgeis right next to the little Emu bomb-out. Classesare Open, King Posted, Open Crossbar. The compstyle is simple: Fly as far as you can each day. Outand returns, straight lines, accuracy landings arescored. You can fly multiple times a day from thesame hill. The comp cost is $110 incl. three nightsaccommodation at the lodge, breakfasts and theMonday night BBQ with beer. Prizes and trophiesto be awarded on Tuesday morning. Organiser:Will Faulkner 0411 205718, Duty Pilot: PatMcMahon, Comp channel UHF 16 TSQL 100,[www.ridethespiral.net/?page_id=1970].Bendigo GC Melbourne CupWeekend Coaching Camp30 October to 7 November 2010Enjoy coaching and XC flying over the MelbourneCup weekend and, weather permitting, through theweek. Aerotow and winch launches will be available.Enquiries to Rob Young, ph: 03 54439169.16th Annual Gatheringof the Moths19 and 20 November 2010Mt 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 ofaccommodation available. Ph: Mark Ghirardello03 57544572 or 0409 544572.2010 Airborne Gulgong Classic21 to 27 November 2010To be held on the airfield at Gulgong over sevendays. Saturday the 20th will be the practice day.It is expected this will be an AA grade comp. Furtherdetails available from the comp website [www.gulgongclassic.com].NSW State GlidingChampionships27 November to 4 December 2010Practice day: 27th. Lake Keepit Soaring Club, NSW.All classes including Club Class. For further informationand entry form see [www.keepitsoaring.com].Vintage Gliders AustraliaAnnual Rally1 to 9 January 2011Bordertown-Keith Gliding Club. It just keeps gettingbetter! Contact Ian Patching . See websites [www.vintageglidersaustralia.org.au] and [www.brookmanonline.com].Planned Forbes Events 2011:Forbes Flatlands SportsClass Championships28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011XC Seminar & Tuning Seminar28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011Record Flying or AerotowEndorsement Course28 December 2010 to 1 January 2011Forbes Flatlands HG Champs 20112 January 2011 to 12 January 2011We plan two competitions at Forbes next summer:The main Open Class comp and a separate SportsClass comp to be held beforehand. The focus is anintroduction to comp flying, with in-depth weatherand task briefing each morning. Gerolf Heinrichs willbe Meet Director, chair the morning briefing and alsofly the task. In the evening we’ll have social/BBQ/meal and de-brief of the day’s flights. Entry or towfees have not been finalised yet. It depends on thebudget I can put together and how many pilots areinterested. Please register your interest at [www.moyes.com.au/Forbes2011].At the same time Curt Warren and Jonny Durandwill host a Cross-Country and Tuning seminar. Aswell as the Sport Class competition and the Cross-Country seminar, towing will be available all dayfor all pilots from 28 December to 2 January 2011.Come join us to practice for the Open Class comp orobtain an aerotow endorsement or attempt recordflights with Attila Bertok or have your glider tunedby Jonny Durand. You need to register your interestfor each category so we can be sure to have enoughDragonflies available. Contact: Vicki Cain, MoyesDelta Gliders, ph: 02 93164644, [www.moyes.com.au].Bogong Cup 201116 to 22 January 2011Mt 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 detailsat [www.sacra.biz/bogong]. Contact Wesley Hillon 0408 305943 or .Corowa Classic 201121 to 29 January 201120m seat Grand Prix style competition, hosted byAustralian Soaring Centre Corowa and Corowa CityShire. A friendly competition designed to introducecompetitors to grand prix racing and an opportunityto learn from the some of Europe’s best pilots. Entryfee $300 by 21 November 2010, late fee $350. Furtherinformation via [www.australian-soaring-corowa.com/], email or PeterSummersby 0413 028737 .Women in Gliding Week23 to 29 January 2011Benalla, VIC. Contacts: Louise (LLU) , ph: 0448 625022, 03 93299329 (outside officehours please) or Rhonda, GCV Office Manager, duringoffice hours , ph: 0357621058 (please leave message if not answered).Manilla XC Camp 201124 January to 3 February 2011Mt Borah, NSW. A FREE event for XC pilots of allclasses as there is no XC Open event this year. The11 day XC Camp will provide online scoring andsome day and final prizes in various categories. Theevent will attract many international and local pilotsseeking points for the worldwide OLC XC contestand provide an excellent opportunity for new XCpilots to watch and learn. Come for as many daysas you like and share the skies and stories as youfly for distance each day. Designed to bring out apilots personal best there will be full day briefingsby Godfrey Wenness, camp fire discussion, livemusic and alternate activities. Camping or cabinsat Mt Borah offer great value and now there is aswimming pool to refesh in after a long XC. BorahBasher service will run as always. 2 retreive busesare available for those without teams. ContactGodfrey: or see the website[www.xcopen.org].Horsham Week 20115 to 12 February 2011Horsham aerodrome, VIC. Entries (maximum 40 gliders)will be accepted up to the first comp day, $100fee. Visit [www.horshamweek.org.au] for official entryform, turnpoints and local comp rules. Flarm is mandatory.To ensure your place, please email the CompetitionDirector well beforehand indicating your intentionto attend. Contact: David Cleland (03 93333638,0417 766208 or . Thecomp will be preceded by the VSA Cross-Country CoachingWeek featuring seminars, pre-flight briefings andpost-flight analyses and will now include two streamsfor novice cross-country and advanced soaring pilots.Coaching contacts: Ian Grant (03 98771463, 0418271767 or andDavid Wilson (0407 825706 or . We’d like to add some history of HorshamWeek Comps to the new permanent website forClassifieds • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •44 Soaring Australia October 2010 October 2010 Soaring Australia 45G FANOTICE TO ALL GFA ADVERTISERSAll advertisements and payment can be sent to:The Gliding Federation of Australia Inc/AdvertisingLevel 1/34 Somerton Road, Somerton VIC 3062.Ph: 03 9303 7805, Fax: 03 9303 7960Email: 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 printor slides. Low resolution digitals are not suitable.Photo graphs, slides or disks may be returned. Pleaseinclude a self-addressed and stamped envelopefor the return of any promotional material.All GFA advertisements must be paid for prior topublication. (Payment by cheque, money order orcredit card). Don’t forget Classifieds deadline is the25th of the month, for publication five weeks hence.For current advertising fees, go to [www.gfa.org.au].Single-seater SailplanesASW 15 GYU, 3600 hrs, 3100 landings. Enclosedtrailer, tow-out gear, basic instruments, incl. 360chradio, boom mike, barograph & Zander SR820computer. Urgent sale – make an offer. Ph: 0882887881 or 0448 676499.ASW 17 VH-YKL, complete enclosed trailer &instruments now in Australia, $35000. Ph: BradEdwards 0427 202535 or 02 67711733.ASW 20A for urgent sale or partnership. NZ ownermoving to Melbourne, Feb 2011. All the gear included,ready to ship for summer. Email for details, makeme an offer: .ASW 20BL VH-HDY, 15m & 16.6m configurations.2650 hrs, 860 landings. Comp ready. Excellent trailer.all future comps. Please send material, especiallyphotos, to .Women With Wings II7 to 11 March 2011Bright, VIC. Skills Clinic. Registration: Sunday6 March. Full-time HG & PG instructors andmentors, XC flying in the Ovens and Kiewa Valleys,workshops, prizes, presentation dinner and LOTSmore. For HG & PG women of all skill levels. Pilotswhose memberships have lapsed will have theopportunity to recertify. More details to come! Ph:Helen 0427 656545 or .Lake Keepit Regatta20 to 26 February 2011Maximum of 30 gliders, on a first come basis;limited on-site accommodation available. Entryfee of $100 per aircraft. Further details [www.keepitsoaring.com], or phone Tim Carr on 0414 405544.Ozone Corryong Open& Australian Nationals26 February to 5 March 2011Corryong, VIC. CAT2/AAA sanction. Organiser: PeterBowyer 0412 486114 or . Website: [www.corryongopen.com.au].Wylie Classic27 February to 5 March 2011A fun cross-country competition for pilots of allratings held at Wyalkatchem in Western Australia.Practice day and registration on Saturday 26February. Enquiries to Richard Breyley 0417 986896,. Website: TBA.Full tow-out gear. Many extras. Price negotiable.Ph: Gary 03 53524938, or .ASW 20F, less than 200 hrs, incomplete project,good trailer, new tow-out gear, call for photo &details. Ph: Ross Ginder 0409 614319.Cirrus GQT, 2550 hrs, 1220 landings. Good trailer,wing tip extensions. $23000. Form 2 just completed.Ph: Tony Scarlett 07 46614090.Due to fleet upgrade Darling Downs SoaringClub 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. 15mwinglets & 16.6m tips included. Tail tank & Bondaileron mod for superior handling. Instruments: ASI,ALT, Bohli compass, Winter mechanical vario, BorgeltB400 vario, Becker AR3201 comm, Boom mic, setup for Colibri logger (Colibri not included), OzFlarm,dual battery set-up. Trailer & tow-out gear. Askingprice $50000. Email: .HPH 304 Shark VH-GAG, built 2008. 18m Classcompetition glider, only 250 hrs, immaculate showroomcondition, factory finished in polyurethane,cobra trailer & tow-out gear. Great performer & currentholder of several international glider recordswith longest flight of over 1200km. Current newprice for this glider would be over $175000, excellentopportunity to buy Australian demo for $145000 tomake way for Jet Shark in 2011. Ph: Andrew 0488161844 or .Discus B, incl. L-Nav, GPS, Microair radio & anenclosed trailer. The glider is based at Gawler & hasbeen well maintained with a good finish & in excellentcondition. $60000 ono. Ph: Bruce 0407 795412.Jantar 2 Std VH-UKP, $25000 ono. 2060 hrs, 850landings, 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),Victorian StateGliding Competition6 to 13 March 2011Ararat Airfield, VIC. Maximum 40 entries. Furtherinformation in a future Soaring Australia and on theVSA website [home.vicnet.net.au/~vicsoari/events/events.htm]. Contact Maurice Little on 03 93510964.Paragliding State of OriginEaster, 22 to 24 April 2011Mt Borah, NSW. A great way to get into comp andXC flying in a fun and safe way. The comp is basedon flying five pilot teams: one adv, two nov pilotsand 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 arerequired. XC course recommended. Comp fee $20.Register at Oz Comps. Contact: James Thompsonon 02 49468680 or , [www.hunterskysailors.org.au/soo] for info and pilot pack.NZ vs Australia PPG ChampsEaster, 22 to 25 April 2011This comp alternates yearly between Australia and NZ.Trophies: Best NZ and Best Australian Pilot. The winningcountry takes home the Anzac trophy. Thecomp will also serve as the National Championshipsfor each country. Information: [www.ppgaustralia.com/AussieVKiwi/Aust_V_NZ_PPG.htm]. Only membersof the NZHGPA & HGFA/PICO may compete insanctioned 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: BrettCoupland 0409 162616.parachute. Ph: Rob 08 93062241, 0428 270153 orJantar 2 Std VH-IZT, 1850 hrs, 1100 landings. Goodclean condition. Microair radio, Borgelt instrumentation,canopy hinge. Well thought-out trailer & alltow-out gear. Competitive Standard Class performanceat $28000 neg. Ph: Paul 0404 851876.Jantar 2 Std VH-IUD, winglets, Flarm, recentlycompleted Form 2 & ready for the soaring seasonwith all tow-out gear & enclosed trailer $22000 ono.Ph: 0438 047985.Libelle 201B VH-GCJ, serial number 454. 2900 hrs,new canopy, new panel with Borgelt vario, LX20GPS logger, radio & Flarm. New water bags & c/wtow-out gear & a good trailer. Wing covers & freshForm 2, $16000. Ph: 02 66243999.Mini Nimbus B, excellent condition, alwayshangared, refinished in PU, 2150 hrs, Becker radio,parachute, winglets, Winter vario, Blumenauer vario/speed to fly, oxygen, turn & bank, aluminium trailerfor one-man rig/derig. $30000. Ph: 03 9846 6525 or.Pilatus B4, fresh Form 2 & 30 yearly, low hrs,retractable, Microair VHF, enclosed trailer, $15000.Ph: 0419 804248.Std Cirrus VH-GJR, Borgelt vario with averager &speed command, Cambridge electric vario, Microairradio, dual battery installation, Swiss cylindricalaluminium trailer & tow-out gear. Same ownersince purchase at World comps Waikerie 1974, TT1800 hrs, $16000 ono. Ph: Marc 0408 819998 or.Std Cirrus GOX, excellent condition. New gelcoat,winglets, Flarm, Microair radio, tow-out gear,very good enclosed trailer, $21.000 ono. Ph: 0397437605 or .

Classifieds • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Ventus 2cx 18m – sell aircraft, incl. trailer, availablefor inspection at Warwick airfield, Qld. Ph: 0419989288 or 0438 371145 to discuss further.Two-seater SailplanesASK13 VH-PXI, 40 yearly completed, flies well,great Blanik replacement for training, $15000.Ph: Bob Mcdonald 02 63376618.Duo Discus T VH-JSR best Duo in Australia, like new,beautifully finished, meticulously maintained, winglets,handles like a Duo X, low engine hrs, completepackage with parachutes, instruments, oxygen, trailer.Ph: Shane 0418 759310, orRalph 07 38436178 (h), .Two Grob 103’s & one trailer based at Gawler. Minhrs remaining. Make an offer. Ph: Bruce 0407 795412.IS28b2, damaged but repairable. Good option asmany Blaniks have been grounded. S/N 24. Repaintedinside & out. Damage as follows, Fuselage centresection LHS (minor), RH wing no visible damage LHwing bent back slightly (at 2m from tip) O/hauledOleo. Complete except for instruments. Benalla, Vic,$1500. Ph: Graeme 0428 848486.IS28. Due to fleet restructuring the Gliding Clubof Victoria offers for sale one of either of its IS28s,CQD (7500 hrs TT) or WVV (13250 hrs TT). Both28s are in very good condition with standardinstruments & radio. The price is $19000 &$16000 respectively & it was thought VV could beattractive to a small club or syndicate. Ph: Robert 0394894298 or .Self-Launching/Motor GlidersASH-25J under development, should be operationalby October. Top performance Open Class two-seater,fully equipped, competition instruments, oxygen,NOAH, parachutes, groundhandling gear, trailer,fantastic performance, winner of several Nationals.Sell or syndicate. Ph: Paul Mander 0417 447974 or.Dimona H36 with L2400 motor. Just finished3000-hr survey & extension to 6000-hr life. Latestmotor & prop. Folding wings & transponder, fliesbeautifully & 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. $135000with trailer tow away. Ph: Mark Rowe 0403 307363or .GROB 3 SL VH-GLL ‘Firesale’ price, two-seat selflaunchingsailplane, latest model with Discus typewing, VG Avionics, 38:1 glide, excellent XC trainer orself-launch conversions, new paint 2010 (P Holmes),low hrs, approx. 550, canopies perfect, clam shellCobra trailer incl, complete package, all in excellentcondition. We must sell this glider now! Priced togo at an absolute bargain price of $99000. Call usfor more info, our loss will be your gain! Ph: 0266847627 or TXT 0400 553642.IS28. Due to fleet restructuring the Gliding Clubof Victoria offers for sale one of either of its IS28s,CQD (7500 hrs TT) or WVV (13250 hrs TT). Both28s are in very good condition with standardinstruments & radio. The price is $19000 &$16000 respectively & it was thought VV could beattractive to a small club or syndicate. Ph: Robert 0394894298 or .TST-10M Atlas with enclosed factory trailer, towinggear, no parachute, no current Form 2, approx.300 hrs, hangared over past two years unused, Rotax447 engine, $45000 ono. Ph: Stefan 0402 280146.Ventus cM self-launcher 17.6, winglets, ~800 hrsTT. Engine 5 hrs, Altair, Vega, Dittel, Flarm. Cobra.Refinished 2008. Fresh Form 2, perfect, beautiful.Just fly it. $110000 (GST incl.) Ph: 02 66221666 or.Silent Wings AviationSilent Targa Fuel Inject (www.alisport.com).Highly optioned new demo unit,

HGFA Schools • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •QueenslandNew south walesNew south walesCOME FORA REAL FLYING HOLIDAYStay at High Adventure's Beach Housesituated in Pilots Paradise – Laurieton, NSWThis four bedroom holiday home (recently renovated) offers access to goodaffordable 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 Inlandand 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.RAINBOW PARAGLIDINGAPCO AUSTRALIAOffering the full rangeof APCO equipmentAPCO Aviation three years/250 hours warrantyfor porosity. Gliders that are made to last uniquein the industry. Customer service and100% satisfaction guarantee.Test centre for APCO gliders [www.apcoaviation.com].APCO Australia and PWC winnerof the Serial Class 2000Established since 1996, Rainbow Paragliding is based onthe Sunshine Coast and Hinterland. The school has accessto 25 sites and holds a permit to operate in the CooloolaNational Park including Teewah and world famous RainbowBeach. 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 perinstructor, for quality personalised tui tion at your ownpace, between eight to 10 days.REFRESHER COURSE – Groundhandling, top landing or asymmetricrecovery techniques: Come learn with the experts.INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, TANDEM OR PARAMOTORENDORSEMENT – We have the sites, the weather and theknowledge.SALES AND SERVICES – New and second-hand, trade-in,maintenance and repairs.YOUR INSTRUCTORS: Jean-Luc Lejaille, CFI and seniorsafety officer, paramotor pioneer (first licence issuein Australia), over 2,500 student days’ experience,instructing since 1995.Jean-Luc Lejaille CFI 45192Rainbow Paragliding – APCO AustraliaPO BOX 227, Rainbow Beach 4581Ph: 07 5486 3048 – 0418 754 157Email: [www.paraglidingrainbow.com]New south walesProfessional Paragliding• Tandem Introductory Flights• Paragliding Courses and Certifications• Pilot Development Clinics• Free Introduction course• Tandem Endorsements• Sales and serviceDealer for Advance Charly Flytec IcomAdventure Plus Paragliding Pty LtdStanwell Park, Sydney Ph: 0412271404[www.adventureplusparagliding.com.au]Western AustraliaAustralia Wide ServicesHGFA Approved ParagliderTesting & Repairs• Comprehensive testing and repairsto all paragliders• Fully equipped service and repairagents for:Advance, Aerodyne, Airwave, Bio-Air, Gin,Gradient, Mac Para, Niviuk, Nova, Ozone,Paratech, Sky, Swing, UP• Full written report• Harness repair and modifications• Certified Australasian Gradient Repair Centre• Parachute repacking• Orders taken from anywhere in Australia,New Zealand and Asia• Prompt turnaroundPARAGLIDINGREPAIRCENTREParagliding Repair Centre93 Princess Ave, Torndirrup, Albany WA 6330Mob: 0417 776550Email: Web: [www.waparagliding.com]Advertising Index– October 2010AirborneIBCAirtime Products 13Cross Country Magazine 11Eco Watch 29GCV Ops Manager 9GFA Form 2 7High AdventureIBCHunter Valley GC 9JS1 RevelationBCKeepit Soaring 19Manilla PG – Accessories 15Microair AvionicsBCOAMPS 17Paragliding Headquarters 35Poliglide Paramotors 23Team 5 5SportAviation PL 29PoliglideIBCSwift AvionicsBCVSC XC Coaching Week 37»»Come test fly the LATEST WINGS from UP, Apco Paraglidersand latest PARAMOTORS and QUAD BASES»»Great deals on all accessories, guaranteed BEST DEALSHome of the 2 Day Free Paragliding Courses[www.highadventure.com.au] Ph: 0429 844 961HGFA Operations Manager VacancyMr Mark Campbell has resigned for family reasons.The occupant of this position is required to be basedat and work from our Office at4a-60 Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park VIC 3042.Applications are invited from HGFA membersfor this full time paid position.Salary is negotiable, but is expected to be in the orderof $80 000 plus, dependent upon the extent of anapplicant’s know-ledge of our airsports operationsand management/administrative experience.Please visit the HGFA home page [www.hgfa.asn.au]for details on how to apply and to obtain a Statementof the Duties and Responsibilities relating to the position.Applications close on 31 October 2010.HGFA Annual General Meeting9 October 2010, 9am start to 5:30pm,in the Somerton Room, Holiday Inn,10-14 Centre Road, Melbourne Airport,Ph: 03 9933 5111.48 Soaring Australia October 2010