Club News
Nearly there! August 17
Now with wall and roof cladding on, Hangar 3 is almost ready for its new tenants. picture: Craig.
Hangar Rises! August 3
Hangar 3 finally takes its 3 dimensional form as the steelwork begins to rise above the earth.
Pie Night & AGM July 26 &27
As a precursor to the AGM, members Bill Matthews and Neil Friswell agreed to demonstrate their culinary skills and prepare pies and pasties for the evening meal on the AGM Weekend. While the majority of members present on Saturday decided to take at least one launch and test the winter conditions, Bill and Neil laboured away in the kitchen preparing their delicacies and filling the clubhouse with a mouth-watering aroma. With the longest flight for the day being only 14 minutes there was no contest as to whether the flying was going to be better than the pies and pasties prepared for us.
The tally for the day was 25 launches and at least one pie and pastie for each person present (some were further observed to over-indulge themselves!). Some of those members absent at the dinner were lucky enough to share the experience for lunch the next day. A BIG Thank You to Bill and Neil for their significant contribution to the social club.
At the AGM on Sunday Jack gave a summary of the past years achievements before initiating the appointment of new office bearers. With Peter Raphael elected as President supported by David Tickner as Vice President and the perennial Treasurer, Rob Young, a protracted meeting ensued. Other new appointments are Mark Kerr and David Goldsmith as ordinary members of the committee.
It would appear the that club is going to be quite busy over the next year dealing with lots of diverse issues spawned by the growth and enthusiasm we are now experiencing. New hangars, more private gliders,launch method development and strip maintenance being just some of the issues coming under scrutiny.
Milestones
June 28-29
This weekend two quite different milestone were achieved. On Saturday, Neil Friswell aka 'Friza', soloed in the PW-6. Neil is an accomplished aeromodeller who has decided to demonstrate his flying skills from inside the aircraft. Congratulations Neil!
On Sunday Mark Kerr logged flight number 100 for his PW-5. As is usual, the ever present grin was still there at the end of the flight.
Bonfire Night
June 21-22
Bonfire Night is over again for another year and this time it was at least as good as the last, with lots of entertainment. Tim and Laurel flew down from Tocumwal in the Maule again, and with the PW-6 returning to service after its annual maintenance and the Blanik gaining acceptance, it gave members an opportunity to refresh their aerotow skills.
While a cold southwesterly kept everyone rugged up it did not deter the modeling activities, as dusk approached Phil dragged out the 'Rascal' to perform some scale aerotow and the air-dropping of items designed to entertain. Modellers were well represented this year with the likes of Col Collyer, Dete Hasse and other VARMS members with their quarter scale gliders and a number of the Bendigo Modellers flying illuminated electrics. Even Caleb and Patch persevered into the darkness with their control line models in a determined effort to complete at least one lap with their aging but patient models.
Bill Matthews and Friza took charge of the catering ,performing admirably in the kitchen, preparing a selection of soups and a beautiful roast beef dinner. Even when the genny failed during dinner and we had to resort to the low voltage lighting it did little to impede the enjoyment of the meal and the great company of the assembled. With around 60 people attending it proved the viability of the clubhouse in hosting large groups.
After dinner Phil fired off a few hot air balloons adorned with sparklers and as the bonfire was ignited people filtered out to enjoy the entertainment. After launching his hydrogen balloon, an impressive conflagration, Peter put Big Bertha, a veteran of 3 previous events, into the air several times in the hope of finding a thermal over the fire. Frank also took the opportunity to engage with Surface to Air Missiles in the form of skyrockets, but failed to score a kill. Maybe next year Frank?
Meanwhile back at the bonfire, Ralph was given the opportunity of sacrificing one of Paul's old slope soarers to the gods of gliding with a perfect hand launch into the flames.
Sunday dawned and besides a little modelling activity there was scant enthusiasm for gliding activity. The stiff breeze and bleary eyes told the story. After a protracted meeting covering a lot of business and the rigging / derigging of gliders under maintenance, most chose to leave early to repair to warmer surroundings. In all, another successful weekends activity that is sure to be repeated next year. Don't miss it!
Another "New" Glider
June 01
Last weekend Caleb and I drove to Stonefield to get the Blanik. Saturday morning started with a 5:30am rise, which for me is very rare. I normally surface about 9am, but with 695 km to drive I had to make an effort, even Caleb said he doesnt get up this early on Christmas morning. At 5:50 we jumped into my car and started out, the plan being to swap drivers every hour just to make the trip easier on both of us. Our first long stop was in Ouyen, at the Mallee Bakery, for some much needed food. The pies are worth the long drive. After the 15 minute break headed for Mildura which we thought would be the first fuel stop, as it turned out we didn't stop and kept on going out the other side for half an hour before refueling. Over 400km on 40 ltrs of juice, not bad.
Down the track a bit further we found a Macca's at Renmark for lunch. Now that we had made it into South Oz the excitement was fairly building, not far to go before we get to see the Blanik at Stonefield. At 2:05pm we arrived at Stonefield and it was then I learned why it was called Stonefield. Not much grass but heaps of stones, for a short time it could have be Mars. Fortunately the Adelaide Uni guys had derigged the glider for us and had it pointed in the right direction. Good job. At 3pm and after seeing one launch and a taken tour of the club house and hangers we set out for the run back to Victoria. Not having towed this trailer before I was pleasantly surprised at how well it ran. Sitting on 100kmph it rolled along nicely, not even a wobble when trucks went by, the fuel consumption did suffer though.
Half way between Remark and the border the sun set and we knew it was going to be a long night. In Mildura we halted for tea and a driver stop. Heading on home I decided we would go via Swan Hill because I didn't like the idea of driving through the scrub country. On reaching Swan Hill, and as we needed fuel, Caleb brought up the petrol stations on the Navman. The closest one was on the Truck bypass route but 10 o'clock at night and it was all in darkness, so we had to head for the main street. As we turned into the main street a Police car pulled up behind us and followed us all the way to the petrol station. We were thinking, "what have we done?", turns out they wanted to look at the glider because they had taken a flight at the Swan Hill club and they had loved it.
2 hours to run before we would be back home in Raywood. We arrived there at 11:50 pm, put the glider in the back annexe and headed into Bendigo and to my place. A 1464km round trip. The Blanik flew the next day. Craig.
New Glider
May 10
John Mackley flew his recently acquired Ka6cr for the first time this weekend. Racking up 3 flights on Saturday, John was able to appreciate the excellent climbing abilities of this German built glider, in what were challenging conditions. It may be some time before John will lose the permanent smile he carried this weekend!
Mark's PW-5 also returned to service after its Form 2.
Anzac Day
April 25-27
As the Anzac Day holiday fell on a Friday the opportunity presented itself for a number of club members to take advantage of the long weekend and make the trek for a day's slope soaring at Mount Hollowback near Creswick followed by a weekend at the club.
With most arriving on the hill mid morning it was not long before the sky was filled with models. While dark clouds threatened the rain remained at bay and a reasonable breeze throughout the day from the north meant that there was sufficient wind for the more aerobatic models while still being within the scope of the floaters. Frank made several valiant attempts with a borrowed model but the transition to a mode 1 transmitter proved his downfall and in the end and in spite of Frizas excellent skills no amount of tape and glue could rectify matters. Packaging tape was the order of the day and kept a number of models going, however as Chris found, when a foam Zagi turns into a beanbag no amount of determination will make it fly. Phil Organ terrorised everyone doing beat-ups with his DG 500, Paul found the day tiring, probably from all the walking he had to do. Ralph attempted some dual instruction with Craig which did not have the desired outcome. "My Aircraft!" can sometimes be too late. Mal was physically attacked by Geoffs F18 and in the distraction failed to pullout of a loop. In spite of a degree of attrition all agreed it was great day and look forward to returning. Ralph should have some pictures here soon!
After all the excitement it was back to Phils place for a barbeque and a debrief on the days activity. Saturday the field was fairly quiet with no flying, just a meeting of the winch committee and those present getting a head start for Sundays working bee and attending to maintenance tasks around the club.
Sunday was filled with the monthly meeting and plenty of activity on a variety of tasks. The Tickners laboured away on the new floor for the PW-6 trailer. Peter, Mal and John Mackley completed guttering at the front of the clubhouse. Paul and Friza organised the concreting of the turnaround posts at the end of the field while Phil and Craig sorted out the winch motor and obsolete field cars. A number of others shared their time around these and other tasks. To be honest, I was too busy with my own work to take note of everyone, but all that were there did pitch in and got a lot of work done. Toward the end of the day most of the remaining members lent a hand in removing concrete tie downs on the new hangar site. This turned out to be a formidable task with a satisfying outcome. Things are looking good for this weekends visitors.
Easter Weekend
March 21-24
Good thermals and pleasant weather with temperatures in the mid twenties gave pleasant soaring on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to the clubmembers able to take advantage of the Easter break. Good Friday did not provide a good start however, as crosswind conditions deterred pilots who preferred to socialise on the ground.
Saturday's wind was quite light and Paul Dilks flew crosscountry in his Astir to Gunbower, in conditions of streeting cumulus, while heights of up to 7,500 were available. Keith Evans enjoyed a long flight, his first in the ASW19, sharing a thermal with Dave Goldsmith in the K6. Some visitors from Central Coast Gliding Club, NSW, checked out the PW-6.
Sunday was a little more difficult, the wooden Super Arrow with Dave and the Ka6 with Jenne being the only ones to exceed one hour. Mal Bennett had a nice flight in the Junior, and Dennis Hipperson converted to the Junior. Monday had good thermals for those lucky enough to blunder into one, but many circuits were practiced! Sian Mackley had a circuit and a soaring flight while training in the PW-6. A threatening thunderstorm brought the day to a close early as all present had done some flights, except Sian's son Lloyd, who departed with John in the Jabiru before the storm arrived. Lloyd will be attending University in Bendigo, and has already completed 18 glider flights in New Zealand. We hope to welcome him as a new member soon.
A great time was had by all at the informal Club Dinner at the Queen's Arms, Bendigo, on Saturday evening. The dinner was very well attended, the sumptuous meals leaving little room for desserts! Attendance at the club monthly meeting next morning was a little tardy, but the spirited agenda soon woke the growing crowd! A lively discussion preceded the motion that we accept an offer for the Super Arrow, which was defeated by a very narrow margin. Also, during the weekend some brick paving was re-laid around the clubhouse after the termite treatment.
All in all, a very relaxed and enjoyable weekend! Anon.
Long Weekend at Donald!
March 8-10
What a great weekend! As with last year the Ararat and Bendigo clubs met at the Donald Airfield to share what turned out to be 3 excellent days of flying and personal achievements. The advance guard in the guise of Frank and Phil McCann headed over on Friday to greet Brian the tuggie with the Callair and the Janus while the majority of our members arrived via Raywood on Saturday.
All of the Bendigo club gliders were there, and a majority of the private ones too. In all the excitement Ben T. discovered on arrival that he had left behind most of his gear and had to drive to Warracknabeal to get a sleeping bag! Even Dave and Jenne in ‘Bertha’ arrived in due course and made her apology by providing ample shade for all during the hot afternoons. John V arrived in the Dimona later in the day, having flown from Raywood with plans to stay the night. The weather over the three days was very hot and dry with temperatures ramping up slowly from a max of 37 on Saturday to 40 on Monday, so while things were a little warm it took some time for the conditions to allow for reliable soaring conditions on each day.
At the initial briefing, Met specialist, Geoff Vincent of Ararat encouraged everyone to make the most of the weekend and undertake some cross-country flying. Once things got going some very creditable flights were undertaken and some notable achievements were by Frank and Dennis attaining and renewing their aero tow ratings while Neil and Ben managed some extra lessons in this, for them, different launch method. Some of the more experienced pilots ranged out across the countryside and even flew north across the border.
On Saturday night we all filled two long tables at the Mt Jeffcott Hotel in town, a great meal along with the usual mingling ‘war stories’ and discussions around solving the problems of the sport. Steve and Rod arrived on Sunday and made the most of the conditions to explore country north of the field, pair flying increasing their chances of a safe return. Mark even extended himself and the PW-5 to visit Charlton and Wycheproof. Phil and Bill had to leave this day but not before the LS-1 they were sharing had been given a thorough workout.
As with last year the Ararat guys led by Maurice Little and Russell Sparrow, put together a great barbeque dinner at the campground. Not even the loss of lighting when the fuse blew could dampen proceedings and it was late in the evening before the last of the stragglers wandered off to bed. However, the next visits menu may also involve chicken if the resident park rooster is still there!
On Monday, Jenne in the K6, Phil McCann in the ASW19 and Peter in the Woodstock elected to fly back to Raywood, a distance of 112k, as they had previously arranged for groundcrew. All flights were concluded uneventfully and Peter even reporting a climb to over 10000ft early in his journey home.
Mal, not known to be a fan of technology, still managed to unload the following items from his glider at the end of the day. These were:- Palm Pilot, GPS, UHF Handheld, VHF Handheld, Mobile Phone and VHF Panel mount. Oh, the stubbie? That’s an optional post-flight accessory.
Party Time!
February 16-17
A special weekend for the club on a number of levels.
David Goldsmith celebrated his 60th with the members on Saturday night and thirty pilots, wives and girlfriends enjoyed a birthday celebration hosted by Jenne and Dave at the clubhouse. After a magnificent spread of salads and barbeque (pictured), many of the partygoers moved outside to enjoy the balmy evening and their chocolate mud cake, raspberry sauce and ice cream! This was so delicious that many members were seen indulging in another round of it on Sunday afternoon. Thanks Jenne!
Club members led by Mal Bennett completed the new verandah roof on Sunday morning, immediately appreciating the additional shade that this affords the clubrooms. By Sunday evening some observant member suggested that the new structure had a little lean. A few drinks were enjoyed while we considered the problem, and this seemed to work as it was quite straight when we staggered out! (below)
Dennis celebrated his "4th" solo this weekend emphasising his "once again" return to active gliding. Perhaps the news that the K6e is in the final stages of painting has him fired up. Dennis is emphatic that this is the last time he will need to "go solo" and is very keen to stay current and rack up the hours.
Flying was halted early on Sunday afternoon as the new "chinese" starter motor failed on the winch putting paid to any further flying. Many then took the opportunity to head home early for well earned rest.
BGC Represented at Horsham Week
February 2-9
A pleasant week's gliding was had by the six members of the Bendigo Gliding Club team at Horsham Week from 2nd to 9th February. Club Pilots were Craig Dilks(Super Arrow), Paul Dilks (Astir), Terry Bellair (DG-400) Caleb White(DG-100), Dave Goldsmith (DG-100) and Jenne Goldsmith who shared the Geelong syndicate Janus with John Ashford on two days.
Reasonable conditions with some cirrus cloud on the Saturday and Sunday climaxed with a great day on Monday with thermals to 10,600 feet, and a skyful of large cumulus. On this day Caleb attained his Gold C Distance and Diamond Goal with a flight of 346 k.
The next three days were not flyable,and most of our team spent Thursday exploring the Grampians and Halls Gap, and looking for Australia's best meat pie!
Friday was difficult with wind and areas of overcast. Some competitors outlanded but all our team made it home, although Dave flew a special task all of his own and scored no points. Saturday with small scattered cu looked good however the third leg into wind made the going tough, but again our trusty gliders prevailed to get everyone home. In their classes, Terry and Caleb came third and Craig came a very creditable fourth in the Super Arrow. Paul came in ninth and Dave with one scoring day was tenth.
Generally they were billed as the friendly comps and about thirty five gliders competed. Once again Horsham Week had shown itself to be a great introduction for those interested in competition or crosscountry flying, with everything from met briefings, marshalling and tugs through to catering with three meals a day and a bar service laid on. The previous week had seen a cross-country coaching course with twelve students, who were very enthusiastic in their praise for the course.
Like Raywood, plenty of large paddocks available for outlandings take much of the stress out of crosscountry flying. At this competition FLARM was mandatory, and the general feedback was that pilots liked having FLARM, while ensuring they continue to use their main aid for spotting other gliders, and enjoying the view - two eyes!
Caleb shares with Jenne the excitement of winning the Achievement Award at
Horsham Week. This award was won by Craig last year.David G
Australia Day Weekend
January 26- 28
Some excellent flying was experienced out of Raywood over the long weekend. While high overnight temperatures and stable conditions on Saturday meant a late start, the days flying saw climbs by many to nearly 10,000 feet. Sunday presented a stong westerly wind and while many present were keen to fly after a late start due to the protracted club meeting, the first launch of the day with the PW-6 and a subsequent difficult landing brought forth the abandonment of flying for the day.
Jack had called a working bee for Monday morning with the intention of making a start on the verandah. Once this was underway attention turned to preparation for flying. Mal, Peter and John pressed on with the project until the frame was complete then rigged the Woodstocks to join in the flying fun.
This Australia Day holiday was even more special for Ben Tickner, as he made his first solo flight and not even a dousing by the CFI could wash the smile off his face. Congratulations Ben!
Club Christmas Gathering
Saturday December 1
Once again, Mandy and Phil Organ kindly hosted the club's Christmas gathering. After what was an exceptional days flying for many, with climbs above 8,000 feet, many members and their partners still found enough energy to spend the evening enjoying each others company at Lockwood South. Served up in Phil's wonderful entertainment facility, a barbeque of a wide selection of meats was carefully cooked by Craig and Phil, and wonderful salads and desserts ensured no one was left hungry.
As the evening wore on the latent musical talents of some of the members were exposed when Rod took up a guitar and Mal put his hands to the keyboard. Bill didn't take much urging from Phil to follow up on the drums and we were all treated to a period of light musical entertainment. Maybe we should utilise these talents during our Cup Week Regattas! It was after midnight before the last of the attendees finally filtered away into the night.(Inset: Rob asks Phil and Rod to play a request)
Huge Thanks to Mandy Phil and Craig.
Terry cleans up at the Narromine Cup
Bendigo Gliding Club member Terry Bellair won the prestigious Narromine Cup last week in his DG-400 sailplane. Held between 18 - 24 November, the event attracted over 50 pilots from eleven countries. Due to extensive thunderstorms, the competition was restricted to four flying days. Terry’s four flights covered 748, 563, 693 and 533 km, landing back at Narromine on each occasion. These distances were sufficient to score first place on three days and second on the other.
Congratulations Terry!
Mammoth Weekend at Raywood
To say that last weekend was a huge weekend in gliding at the Bendigo Gliding Club would be an understatement. It was massive, over 2000 km was flown by club pilots in cross country flights and we had a first solo plus a new instructor joining the ranks.
On Saturday the 10th of November the day started with most people arriving before 10am and the winch and gliders ready to go at 11am. First, launch training commenced at 10 past 11, and by 12:30 the first crosscounry flight was airborne. Craig was in the Astir KYP and Phil was in his Libelle GSQ. They planned to go north west, up to Boort then if the day looked good through to Nyah. Just as they left Raywood Terry reported in from his DG-400 HDE that he was at 9'000ft just north of Boort. Patrick in the IS29 HNC got all excited when he heard this and decided to head to Swan Hill.
After reaching Nyah Craig went to Donald before returning to Raywood. Phil made it to Nyah also and Patrick turned Swan Hill before both of them went on back to Raywood. Terry did just short of 750km in his DG-400, Craig did 420km in the Astir, Phil flew 350km in the Libelle and Patrick did 320km in the IS29. When you get heights of 10'000 ft it does make crosscountry easier.
On Sunday, with the use of Geelongs Super Cub, some of the Bendigo Gliding Club pilots refreshed their aerotow ratings. We still did winch launching for most of the day because our tug pilot had to go home early after having done 8 days of towing. Phil McCann did a top job for those days, I know he likes towing but after awhile it does become something like hard work.
The Big news for the weekend is that we had a First Solo flight. John Mackley has been training with the club for about 3 months now and yesterday Phil Organ sent him solo. When John got back on the ground he said it was the quietest flight he has ever had and the PW-6 feels much lighter without the instructor aboard. In other news David Goldsmith got his level 1 instructor rating back, David took a break way from gliding due to work commitments and now that he is back into gliding wants to teach people the the art of gliding again. Noel Vagg from the Beaufort Gliding Club was the Level 3 instructor present to renew Davids rating.
Craig.
Cup Weekend Regatta
Cup Weekend began under the spectre of a poor weather forecast with rain expected right across the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather prognosis discouraged a lot of visitors, particularly the vintage gliding participants, as they do not enjoy wet conditions. An analysis of weather conditions by David Wilson was not encouraging but in spite of this many decided to rig and soar locally. Eighteen launches, winch and aerotow, were undertaken on Saturday before showers late in the day ended proceedings.
Sunday was a washout, with most choosing to lounge around the newly dedicated club extension and partake in the informative talk that was presented by David Wilson on Thermal Theory. This was preceded by the official opening of the new clubroom and the unveiling of a magnificent painting by Ralph Keller, of the Club's original Kookaburra and the current PW-6, soaring in company over the field. Along with the sometimes torrential rain, strong South Easterly winds did make it uncomfortable for campers.
By Monday morning things were looking a little better, the rain having departed and the winds easing, and so a 120k task was set, but most pilots did more like 200k. Brian in the Grampians Callair and Phil in the Geelong Super Cub were kept busy with launches over the afternoon and conditions continued to improve steadily, with only one outlanding reported.
Tuesday proved even better with climbs in the vicinity of 7500'. A larger, 180k plus task had been set, Raywood, Elmore, Borung, Inglewood, Raywood. Again nearly all pilots did 250k some doing 400 plus and this was completed with little difficulty by most of the field. On the vintage scene the field was graced with the presence of a beautifully maintained Scheibe SF25C Motorfalke flown in by Neale Halsall and Pete Boreham of the Mangalore Gliding Club (now based at the Nagambie Soaring Centre at Wahring).
In view of the improving conditions a number of pilots remained on for Wednesday and pilots did tasks ranging from 120k, to two pilots, David W.& Geoff V., doing 500k. Craig even did a creditable 200k in the Woodstock.
And the days just keep getting better! On Thursday Geoff V. did 600k in 7:30 hrs and Keith W. had a 7hr flight and 9000' plus heights.
Once again, at great personal sacrifice, (who wants to use up their annual leave doing this?), Helen Dilks, with the assistance of her mother Val, took care of the catering requirements and ensured that no-one went hungry. Thanks Helen, Val, and the members who went out of their way to make sure our guests had a great time. If you didn't make it this year than check out Melbourne Cup Weekend and put it in your calendar.
Now is the time to get those gliders prepared and take advantage of what looks like being a record breaking season. With a bit of moisture around now the skies should be full of Cu's begging to be used. Get cracking!
Presentation Dinner.
On Saturday the 27th of October the Tyson Reef Pub came alive with the Bendigo Gliding Clubs Presentation night. We had about 25 members and their better halves there. The Night began with a few drinks followed by the meal, like most little pubs, when a gliding club swarms the meals come out a little slower than normal, but then most of the meals you would have had trouble jumping over!
At about 9pm new club President, Jack Lavery, kicked off the formal part of the night presenting the "Get Knotted Trophy". This is the one awarded when you have a giant tangle on the winch. This year Paul Dilks won it by a mile after his effort at Easter. Paul wrapped the wire around the whole airfield twice on good Friday and it took about 3 and a half hours to fix it on the Saturday.
Next Cab off the rank was the 200km Cup which was won by Craig Dilks in the Super Arrow. Craig did a flight this year and put in a claim for the 200km cup and no one else did. The "Staying Up" Cup was also won by Craig in the Super Arrow for 5hr 43 minutes in the air. He said he didn't plan on stay up there for so long but at least he made it back to the airfield.
This year saw a new trophy added to the list, it's called the "Winch Craft" Award. The Winch Craft Award is for outstanding good effort on the winch, e.g. launching, fixing and teaching of new drivers. It was awarded to Ralph Keller who seems to be always in the winch.
The final Trophy was the one for Clubmanship but due to the person or persons not being at the night it will be presented this weekend in front of a bigger group of pilots. Everyone had a great night and are really looking forward the the Melbourne Cup Weekend.
Craig
October 21
After its outlanding the previous weekend the PW-6was unloaded from its trailer and re-rigged.
While that was going on, Phil Organ and a team of helpers were doing some major repairs on the yellow drum of the winch.
A Big Weekend.
October 13 and 14
A big weekend at Bendigo as preparations continue for the Cup Weekend. On the clubhouse scene we managed to get the carpet tiles down in the main room and the office, along with some trim painting. You can see Dave Goldsmith in the background, hard at work, while Jenne discusses the virtues of K6's with John. Still lots of preparatory work to do for the event so if you have some spare time speak to Jack or Paul, they could use the support. There was flurry of pilots intent on completing their Annual Checks and this work occupied most of Saturday and Sunday's flying.
Phil and Steves ASW-19 returned to the field on Sunday, having been away for its Form 2. After Paul had obtained required data for a Weight and Balance calculation she was cleared for flight. An interesting afternoon ensued with a late finish involving the retrieve of the PW-6 from an adjacent paddock. Seems like these launch failure checks can get a little too interesting. Loss of hydraulics on the winch also curtailed a last flight for Tom.
Doncaster Air League.
October 6 and 7
Pictures of the visit on Saturday and Sunday by the Doncaster Air League, courtesy of Mark Kerr.
Despite a fair crosswind the day proved very good for flying and all of the air leaguers got decent times in the air.
Annual General Meeting
The Club's AGM was held on Sunday 23 September 2007.
The Club elected the following Officers and Committee members:-
President: Jack Lavery
Vice President: Rod Jewell
Secretary: Phil McCann
Treasurer: Rob Young
Committee: Craig Dilks, Keith Evans, David Goldsmith.
Committee Members by role: Phil Organ (CFI) and Paul Dilks (Airworthiness Officer).
President Jack Lavery thanked Craig Dilks on behalf of the Club for his two years as President and welcomed the new members of the Committee.
Berwick Air League Camp
22nd 23rd September
The Berwick Air League visited us for the week end with a compliment of 17 cadets and officers. They arrived bright and early on Saturday and we were ready to aviate before mid day. The day was warm and sunny with no wind but the thermals were far and few between. Most flights were of around the six minute mark although a few lucky ones were able to stay aloft for twenty minutes. Both the Bocian and `PW6 were working well in tandem till Mark Kerr commented how well things were going with the winch. With in twenty minutes, we were experiencing copious problems with the winch wire. Thanks Mark!
Sunday saw a late start to proceedings due to the Club's AGM and monthly meeting. The wind was up and it looked like we may have to cancel the days flying but it stabilised enough to launch. John Viney took several cadets up in his Dimona which took away some of the pressure and added another dimension to the experience of the cadets. Berwick finally said goodbye late afternoon happy and content with their experience with the gliders. A big thank you to all who turned out to help make it a successful week end for the cadets.
Rod Jewell On behalf of the Youth Development Committee.
Australian Air League - Victorian Group
Sunday 16th September 2007 at Ashwood Oval
Annual Review & Field Competitions Day
I was invited by Judy Owen, Executive Commissioner of the Victorian Group, to attend as a representative of the Bendigo Gliding Club, in recognition of our ongoing work with several squadrons, and to be part of the Official party. The reviewing officer for the day was the Chief Commissioner of the Australian Air League. As part of the official party, I was also asked to present one of the awards.
Squadrons came from all around including Ballarat, Bendigo, Sunbury, outer Melbourne such as Berwick and Lilydale, and from around Melbourne. The day consisted of squadrons competing against each other in areas such as discipline, drill, presentation, flag party and on field ball game competitions. There was also judging of model aeroplanes and gliders constructed by the cadets and flight displays set up by the squadrons.
Much interest was shown by several squadrons in also attending a gliding camp. Two options spring to mind. We can either extend the number of squadrons that we invite to come to Bendigo, or we can arrange for another club to come on board with us in this programme. Our work with the Air League is catching the eye of the hierarchy of the Australian Air League, not only in Victoria.
All in all, another great event to keep gliding in the public eye and to nurture youth in the wonders of flight.
Rod Jewell On behalf of the Youth Development Committee
Scouts and Rovers go Gliding 8th September
The Bendigo Gliding Club hosted a visit from the 1st Castlemaine Scout Group and the Bevan Trimble Rover Crew on Saturday at Raywood. It was a magnificent day with bright blue sky, no wind and cumulus clouds popping at about 4000 ft. The clouds seemed to roll in from the North and South and meet over the field.
One of the Club's instructors, Paul Dilks, explained to the Scouts that the clouds were forming what was known as a “Cloud Street” all the way from Raywood to Castlemaine. He implied that a good pilot could fly all the way from Raywood to Castlemaine and back again just by following the “Street” or almost anyway.
The first Scout Brett Priestly got a good launch into a clear sky in the club’s PW-6. The Instructor Pilot declined the lure of the nearby street though and was soon back on the ground ready to take the next willing Scout. The Club used both its two seat training gliders, the PW-6 and the Bocian to give the Scouts and Rovers their gliding experiences.
As the thermals developed the gliders flew higher and longer. The pilots used their air brakes and side slipped to loose height to get down; some days you just can’t go wrong.
The Scouts tackled the syllabus for their red and blue Air Activities badges while waiting for their turn. Only one of the Scouts had to use his “air travel comfort bag” and only one of the Rovers jammed his foot under the rudder pedal to test the pilot’s skills and diplomacy.
All in all it was a very exciting and successful day and one which the Scouts will remember for a long time. Pictures soon Tom
Vale Galant
It is with some sadness that we have to report to members that the Clubs best tow out car, The Mighty Galant, has towed its last cable. During a tow out the Galant blew its head gasket turning into a steam powered car and running on about 3 1/2 cylinders. In 2001 we were given the Galant by one of our club members and since this time it has had little attention, it has used little oil or water until now and we have put it through everything. Glider towout car, cable tow out car, push starter for other cars. The Galant lost a side window, most of its lights and had a hole in the radiator which was fixed by squashing the leak with pliers. At our club we prefer to put money into gliders and other projects, not the fixing of tow out cars. This one has has outlived 3 Datsuns, 2 Corollas, a Barina and a few others.
Rest in Peace Mighty Galant.Craig
The building program continues and, in conjunction with the flying, a Working Bee around the club over the weekend saw the interior and most of the exterior painted, along with a number of other important tasks. Tim, our blind expert is on the job, restoring the blinds, and once the floor is levelled the interior decoration can begin. Well Done Guys!
Work in Progress - K6e
Recently repaired by Mal Bennett, the K6e GEA, currently under restoration by Dennis and Ian, looks likely to take to the skies over Raywood this season. In the hands of the Australian Gliding Museum for covering and painting, the completion of this project should see yet another vintage glider swell the ranks of the Bendigo fleet.
Winter Dinner - 26 August
What a great night out! Craig had booked dinner at the The Bendigo National Hotel/Motel and it was so popular that we eventually had to drag in an extra table to accomodate all our guests. The meals were well presented and with members circulating and chatting it was close to midnight before we all dispersed for the evening. As for the rest of the weekend, well, the weather was kind but the thermals failed to materialise to any satisfying extent. Flying continued nevertheless with a number of pilots using this time to advance their annual checks. After the monthly meeting on Sunday, Phil McCann gave the first of this years Safety Seminars on launches. Oh, and the building program? Well, the plasterwork has been filled and the trims installed. A little more preparation and it will be all hands on deck armed with brushes and rollers. Standby!
Building Program Stage 4& Flying
18-19 August
An All-round good weekend. Some gliding and some productive work. Current status of the building is the completion of the lining, leaving only the flushing-up of the plasterwork before painting can proceed. Saturday saw the specialists focus on the plasterwork while the "lucky" ones got to sort out the problems with the winch and eventually enjoy some soaring flights. Craig sacrificed his flying to assist with the installation of the cornice.
On Sunday additional fitout of doors and architraves continued until work was halted at lunchtime to ensure that everyone got to fly. A number of extended soaring flights were had on a beautiful, clear winters day and Craig eventually scooped the pool, as he managed to stay airborne long enough to watch the setting sun. (see Gallery)
Building Program - Stage Three
4-5 August
Inside, things are now beginning to look like a clubroom. A large proportion of the lining of the new clubroom was installed over the weekend, along with the construction of the office walls. After rectifying some outstanding issues and the installation of the ceiling battens on Saturday morning it was all hands on deck to hoist the 6 and 4 metre ceiling sheets into position. Luckily we had a great turnout of members to assist with this task, as they first had to carry the sheets from the main hangar to the clubroom. Meanwhile, Keith, Patrick and a few other willing helpers pressed on with the task of completion the exterior cladding.
Craig once again excelled in the culinary arts by producing roast chicken and chips in the club oven. Having Mum and, Dad Paul, away overseas hasn't hurt his cooking skills any, as so far, Craig has managed a diverse menu of lunches that have certainly kept the workers adequately fuelled.
Anyway by Saturday evening the majority of the extension was lined and insulated and we were all able to sit back, relax and admire our efforts over a few beers. Not bad for what has amounted to 5 days work so far!
Sunday saw Caleb , Mal and Peter well into the taping and jointing of the walls and ceiling whereupon Patrick arrived with the skills to supply us with electricity once again. Work then started in earnest on the office walls and was only interrupted in order to derig the Kookaburra. Caleb has acquired a new canopy and was keen to take it away for fitting. By the end of the day Keith, assisted later in the afternoon by Fabian, saw to the completion of the exterior. No mean feat either, as they had to scratch around the club for the materials to do it.
A little more plaster to hang, lots of jointing to do, but things are well on schedule for the rooms to be ready for the coming season. A huge thanks to all the guys who turned up to do their bit and It's great to see the enthusiasm that a project like this engenders within the membership.
Building Program - Stage Two
21-21 July
Well, its happened again! Undeterred by the previous weekend of hardship a large number of the members attended for a weekend of construction on the clubhouse extension. Braving the sub-zero morning temperatures, the workers progressively assembled to meet the challenge. The weekend's primary goal was to get the building to lockup stage. This meant the relocation of a large window, the installation of the new roof along with the installation of the valleys required to meld it with the old structure, and the positioning of a 5 metre beam that would allow the enlargement of the openings between the new and old structures.
With Mal and his crew tackling the roof cutting, Peter and company concentrated on the relocation of the window and the installation of, the soon to be office, sliding door. Terry was around the back looking after the facia and gutter and Ken had a team working on the exterior cladding. By late Saturday afternoon Peter and Craig were well into fixing the new iron to the roof, ably assisted by Mark, handling the underlying foil. We conceeded to the conditions only when the dew on the roof would not allow a secure footing. Sliding down and waiting for the boots to catch a screwhead is not a great feeling! Things may have gone more smoothly this day had not the generators decided to become temperamental. First the diesel would not start, and then late in the day when the VW finally ran out of petrol, it would not restart, placing additional strain on the cordless appliances.
Sunday dawned to crystallised pastures but the prospect of a fine day. We were not looking forward to hand cranking the VW into life and when David Tickner and Ben arrived, Dave was quickly despatched to look at the "genny", Within short order he had diagnosed and rectified the problem and we were back online, fantastic! While we waited for the roof to dry preparation for installation of the beam proceeded. This was interupted by the monthly meeting although our resident "sparkie" ,Ken, was undeterred and continued with "the rough in" for the required electrics.
Once the meeting was over the beam was soon in place and attention turned to the roof. With a surplus of labour a few members also took the chance to make the most of the day and get in some training flights. While Mal and Barry beavered away on the second valley, Peter and Steve completed the roofing to the first. Concurrently, work was progressing on the cladding of the gable end. Once people had had their "flying fix" the workforce expanded and it was with some sense of urgency that the final stages of the roof were completed in the fading light. It was dark before everyone was able to enjoy the confines of the new extension but it was obvious that this will make a huge difference to the club in the coming and future seasons.
Phil McCann takes the frame inspection tomorrow so it is anticipated the the next major step will be the construction of the office walls and lining of the clubroom. Phil has done the groundwork on this too, and has already got all the lining materials onsite. Plenty to do, so try and be there! Peter
PS The frame inspection went well. There are a few minor modifications required and then we can hang the plaster and proceed to completion. Phil
Building Program - Stage One
7-8 June
Well, what a great weekends effort!, and thanks to the large contingent of club members who turned up to help with the building program a huge leap forward in the clubhouse extension was achieved. It seemed that we had more members in attendance than one would expect to see at the field on a fine summers day!. Mal even seconded his B.I.L., Barry, along with his tools and ladders, to support the effort too. Craig also supplied a pizza lunch to keep the workers fuelled and happy. While Saturdays weather conspired to delay proceedings, apart from an occasional rain shower, construction of the wall frames proceeded and by the days end they were standing and the first roof truss was in position. This set the scene for some serious work to be done the next day. Those members not going home then adjourned to the Sebastian Hotel for a well earned meal.
Sunday dawned fine and the task of erecting the remaining trusses was addressed. Additional teams saw to the installation of the front doors and one outside window,the other window remaining to be done after the roof is in place. This work then allowed another team to focus on the exterior cladding of some of the outside walls. Toward the end of the day the roof battens were put in place and bracing tasks completed. Once again the social club cranked up the BBQ to feed this army. It's alway been a policy that if you work for the club at a working bee you will get fed.
While there is still much to do before we can consider the building to be at lockup, by the end of the day it was possible to gain a real sense of what the new extension will mean to the facility of the clubrooms. A huge thanks to all those who attended, and remember, while we all may not be skilled in the required building arts and may feel left out, even the "lift and carry","gofers" and "feeders" are necessary and much appreciated.
I deliberately haven't tried to name all the participants here as this will be best served in the photos of the event that we hope will eventually grace the new clubroom photoboard.
Peter