gliding

Gliding Scholarship – Victoria Group

23 March 2024

Categories: News

The Geelong Gliding Club (GGC) recently awarded Cpl Willow Plenty from Point Cook Squadron in Victoria a scholarship to kickstart her gliding training.

The club committee would like to support younger people’s involvement in gliding and also provide more opportunities for girls to get into it. This package includes membership to the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) and her first five instructional flights as a student pilot.

Willow impressed the Geelong Gliding Club committee through her efforts as a Corporal in Point Cook Squadron, having won both Junior and Senior Victorian Cadet of the Year and this year represented Victoria Group as the Federal Cadet of the Year candidate for Victoria Group.

When presenting the scholarship to Cpl Plenty, Mr Steven McAvoy, president of the Geelong Gliding Club, also gave the Point Cook Squadron cadets, Officers, and parents an informative presentation on gliding and what cadets can expect when they visit a gliding club and go for their first training flights.

Our thanks go to the Geelong Gliding Club committee and members for their support of the Australian Air League and youth in aviation.

Manly Squadron Gliding Weekend 2024

12 March 2024

Categories: News

Over the last weekend of February, the Manly Squadron visited the Southern Tablelands Gliding Club just north of Goulburn for an exhilarating gliding weekend.

With the members arriving by bus on Saturday morning, everyone was keen to get the gliders out and get their heads into the clouds. The cadets were so keen to fly that they left the campsite setup up to the Officers and parents!

The day started with low cloud cover, so the cadets received a safety briefing from the pilot before being shown how to transport the gliders safely to the launching point.

From here, they learned how to assist with launching a glider and how to retrieve it after a successful landing. By this time, the clouds had lifted, and the flying soon commenced!

The young cadets didn’t just fly; they all took turns helping with each task: launching a gliding, recovering the winch rope, recovering a glider, and helping the winch operator, all under the supervision of experienced gliding club instructors.

Some of the older cadets even had the chance to try their hand at the controls—what an unforgettable experience!

After the gliders were put away for the day, the members settled in for dinner and later, some night games on the Grass Strip. Finally, they turned in for the night in their tents at the end of the runway.

On Sunday morning, the camp woke to early morning fog, the perfect time for breakfast and a safety briefing. The cadets again helped bring the gliders to the launch point for the morning. Once the fog burnt off, the gliders were in the air, taking a small break in the middle of the day to swap runways with the changing wind and weather. Some parents also had the opportunity to experience a flight in the glider.

In total, 23 cadets, Officers, and parents took to the skies under the guidance of skilled Southern Tablelands Gliding Club instructors. With 44 thrilling flights, with cadets, Officers, and parents all flying, the excitement was truly palpable!

A massive thank you to the dedicated instructors at the Southern Tablelands Gliding Club for their expertise and guidance throughout the weekend. Your passion for gliding is truly inspiring!

Forest Lake Gliding Weekend 2023

31 May 2023

Categories: News

Picture this: a crisp Saturday morning, the sun shining high above the horizon and the sounds of excitement echoing through the air. A group of Australian Air League Forest Lake Squadron cadets unified in one goal – to conquer the skies. This was the scene at Boonah Gliding Club last weekend as our cadets took part in a thrilling gliding adventure.

The excitement was palpable as the cadets gathered around the gliders, eagerly waiting for their turn to take to the skies. The club’s instructors were friendly and knowledgeable, taking the time to explain the delicate and intricate workings of the gliding machines. From the basics of take-off and landing to more advanced manoeuvres, the cadets were briefed on what to expect on their maiden flights.

The anticipation intensified as the first cadets prepared to take off. You could hear a pin drop as the glider released from its towline gracefully soared into the sky. The pilots expertly controlled the gliders, easily navigating the wind currents and maintaining a steady altitude.

The views over Boonah were breathtaking as the cadets glided quietly through the air. The rolling hills below were a beautiful patchwork of greens and browns with pockets of blue scattered throughout, a sight that left many a cadet awestruck.

The Boonah Gliding Club provided an unforgettable weekend for our cadets. They were the epitome of professionalism, ensuring every cadet had the time of their life and left with a newfound appreciation for the skies. It was an experience that will remain etched in their memories forever.

Here’s to the next adventure in the skies!

Manly Squadron Go Gliding

6 April 2018

Categories: News

Over the weekend of the 24th and 25th March the cadets and Officers of the Manly Squadron of the Australian Air League an Air Activities Class 3 Gliding Camp at the Tony Onions Airfield near Goulburn NSW with the Southern Highlands Gliding Club.

With 19 cadets, 3 officers and 9 parents air the camp, the cadets undertook a detailed safety briefing followed by training on the required tasks such as cable retrieval and wing walking (glider retrieval). The Cadets were allocated to their respective glider and flying commenced in great weather conditions.

Using a winch for launching, heights around 1200 feet were achieved and the duration of flights averaged around 15 minutes. Cadets were shown the effect of controls and flew the glider for a period of the flight. The highlight of the flight was the winch launch with the glider climbing at around 40 degrees. A number of Parents from our “Support Crew” also managed a flight. With well drilled crews we were enable to accomplish 28 launches during a six hour period.

Despite the very basic conditions every one managed to be fed and participated in a cricket match (no ball tampering!) and were tucked up in bed before a storm swept briefly over the area.

Following breakfast on Sunday morning the Gliding and Soaring Class 3 course was conducted by one of the gliding club pilots who is also a TAFE Teacher during the week and examinations were completed just in time for lunch. We were impressed by the way the Club Staff got swept up by the enthusiasm of the Cadets and participated as a team in the activities. We must thank the mothers, fathers and grandfathers of our “Support Crew” who attended the camp and helped cater to the Squadron needs.

This was the first time the majority attending had been associated with gliding and they really enjoyed the experience!

SA Wing Gliding Day

18 April 2016

Categories: News

Over two beautiful days this month, 30 cadets from the South Australia Wing of AAL flew went gliding with the Adelaide Soaring Club located at the Gawler Airfield.

A number of the cadets were new to gliding and there were smiles all around.

Three Adelaide Soaring Club gliders ready for the day's flying at Gawler

Gp Comr Ball said “They were both fantastic days. Adelaide Soaring Club is extremely well organised and professional and provided absolute first rate flying experiences for the cadets. It was great to see the confidence of the cadets being eager to do some exciting acrobatics”

Photos of the day can be seen online here.

Gliding Scholarship – Victoria Group

Manly Squadron Gliding Weekend 2024

Forest Lake Gliding Weekend 2023

Manly Squadron Go Gliding

SA Wing Gliding Day

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