BGC - What's new

Archive of News and Changes on this Site in 2003
23 December 2003	The last 'Whisper' for this year is available for download.
14 December 2003	Accomodation for the Pt. Vincent Gala Day event 31 December to 3 January is available at the Tuckerway Hostel. Members need to book individually. See the Events Calendar for details. Resulting from the recent committee meeting our prices will increase as from 1 January 2004 as follows: ASK21 70c/min (solo or dual!) Mini Nimbus 50c/min Hornet 40c/min Juniors pay 2/3 of these rates. Bulk flying scheme increases to $900.
9 December 2003	As outcome of the recent instructors meeting we will start every flying day with a pilots briefing at 10:00 from now on which all pilots who want to fly that day must attend. The Christmas party was another well organised event and a very enjoyable night, especially for the retrieve crews of our two outlanders that day. The Events Calendar is now up to date again and our prices have been corrected.
4 December 2003	The latest 'Whisper' is available for download.
23 November 2003	A very big THANK YOU to all who contributed to make our 50th Anniversary Dinner night the "jolly good show" that it was! A delicious meal, entertaining yarns and stories about the founding days and the early years from some of the older members, and the annual trophy awards. A great night! The club now has a data logger that can be used instead of barograph and camera for badge and cross-country flight documentation but also for training and coaching purposes.
10 November 2003	The next instructors meeting has been shifted from 29 November to the morning of 6 December. Also remember the 50th anniversary dinner on Saturday 15 Nov. and the Southern Cross Mail Run coming through Balaklava the day after, Sunday 16 Nov. The first BGC Cross Country Challenge task has been flown on the weekend: Colin and Ulrich Stauss set the first benchmark under mediocre conditions (strong inversion at 2700ft). There is plenty of room to improve on their score.
8 November 2003	Balaklava is yet again (temporary?) home to the "Come and Get It" Trophy! Bernard flew to Whyalla on Sunday to retrieve it, crossing the Gulf twice under challenging conditions. Come and get it! Gerhard Waibel's lecture on the future of glider development last week was truely inspiring. His recount of the history leading to today's glider designs was laced with some remarkable stories and his outlook over the next 50 years made many of the older generation in the audience envy the youngsters who one day may have the chance to fly the gliders Gerhard was so vividly projecting. A great deal of thanks to Brad Edwards for ferrying him to Adelaide and to Bernard Eckey, Cathy Conway and Andrew Wright for the organisation. It was a memorable night. Construction of the new '21 trailer is coming along very nicely and BXC's "Form 2" is complete. (Please remember that there is always work to be done to maintain and improve the facilities and glider fleet we so enjoy. Come along and lend a hand! Every bit helps.)
29 October 2003	Wanted: Tasman Trophy entrants. Read more about it on the GFA web site. This is a chance to be part of an international competition at relatively little cost. The aircraft and entry fees are paid for! Just get there and have fun! The club also has an opportunity to enter an aircraft into the National Clubclass Championships in Waikerie, 11 to 23 January 2004. We need to know whether there is interest from the members to fly in the comp for at least one or a few days. If we can get enough pilots who don't necessarily want to fly the entire competition but have the opportunity to compete and learn at national level the club will register a club entry and members can share the costs. Please register your interest by 15 November at the very latest as later entries attract a higher fee.
26 October 2003	The first 'Whisper' from our new editor is out! A fantastic read with very interesting articles! And after the latest committee meeting there are a few updates to the Events Calendar. Note in particular that the date for the Aviation careers day has changed. There are also new events such as another flying camp at Port Vincent and the mysterious "Dawn Patrol".
16 October 2003	Great news! Gerhard Waibel the recently retired designer of Schleicher gliders (the "W" in 'ASW') is coming to Australia. Gerhard is on a private trip and has agreed to present hiszxm paper on future glider designs. Check out the Events Calendar for details. The Flinders Ranges camp is over and those who weren't there will turn green with envy when they hear the never-ending stories about the thermals, the scenery and of course the epic outlanding and retrieval adventure from those who experienced it. The 'Whisper' will no doubt report in detail. John Wheatcroft our Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) will soon be off on an overseas trip until early next year. Geoff Benny will step in and take over his duties during this time. The generic email address CFI@bgc.asn.au will be redirected as appropriate so you can still use it. No need to update your address books.
14 September 2003	The date for the next committee meeting is now in the Events Calendar.
11 September 2003	The next RTO Sports seminar (normally every second Wednesday of the month) will be combined with the monthly AUGC meeting (every first Wednesday of the month) to allow BGC members to attend as it would otherwise coincide with the BGC Camp in the Flinders Ranges. As always details can be found the Events Calendar. These seminars are a great preparation for the coming soaring season and in particular our Cross-Country Challenge. Don't miss out on valuable points because you haven't been there - your competitors have and know the tricks of the "pros" that give them the edge! The dates for the combined Gawler Week and SA State Championships have also been added to the Events Calendar. And finally there is now a generic email address for the Whisper editor (whisper@bgc.asn.au). If you are not already using the BGC email addresses and mailing lists you may want to consider doing so (refer to the "About Us" and "Members"sections for details). It saves updating your address book every time an club position changes hands and people can always contact the current incumbent without needing to know or keep track of the right email addresses.
28 August 2003	New entry in the Events Calendar: The September RTO Sports seminar. Emilis Prelgauskas will be speaking about McCready Theory. These seminars have been well received and attendance was probably from the majority of gliding clubs around SA. It would be good to see a sizable crowd from the BGC.
26 August 2003	After the AGM we now have a new committee, treasurer and Whisper editor. Congratulations to all office bearers on their (re)election. The date for the next committee meeting has been set and can be found in the Events Calendar.
22 August 2003	As announced earlier there were several issues with the original date set for our 50^th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Dinner. The date has now definitely been changed to the 15th of November and the venue will be the Balaklava Golf Club. Details as always in the Events Calendar.
17 August 2003	A minor rule change to our Cross-Country Challenge means that non-cross country rated pilots can pair up with a more experienced pilot and participate in a '21. One team is already complete and it is rumoured that they have started practicing already. A list is on the noticeboard or you can email the webmaster. So hurry with your entries! Members are also reminded of the AGM on 23 August 2003. Several positions are up for re-election. Please submit your nominations!
14 August 2003	The FAI Official Observer course as part of the regular (every 2nd Wednesday of the month) RTO Sports meetings and seminars at Adelaide Uni was well attended by members of several clubs around SA. Most attendants stayed back to sit the written test after the end of the session and once their applications are processed should receive their certificates in time for the next season. Official observers play an important role in the verification of badge and record flights. No OO - no badge! As a club we cannot have enough OOs and their number has been dwindling in recent years. It would be good to see more of our members at the next opportunity! Also note that the date for our 50^th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Dinner is in jeopardy. The event may have to be delayed due to venue and catering issues. Suggested alternative is 15 November. Final details will be announced soon.
10 August 2003	The Australian FAI Club Class National Gliding Championships 2004 have been added to the Events Calendar. Also check out the preliminary rules for our proposed cross-country challenge for the coming season. A list to register for the competition and indicate your teaming and aircraft preference will soon be hanging out on the club notice board. Alternatively register by email to the webmaster. Registrations must be in by 13 September 2003. Late entries may incur a penalty fee.
4 August 2003	After much deliberation our 50^th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Dinner on 27 September will now be held at the club. For catering purposes RSVP by 13 September 2003. There have also been some topic and venue changes in the AUGC meeting schedule that are now reflected in the Events Calendar.
25 July 2003	For those who couldn't make it to the GFA Safety Seminar our CFI has written up a report. Well worth a read!
21 July 2003	The new 'Whisper' is out now! You can download it from the Newsletter Archive.
20 July 2003	Trust the weather when we have a '21 rigged and ready to go ridge flying at Lochiel. Instead of nice westerlies we were hoping for a light easterly blew well into the afternoon. Just as well the GFA Safety Seminar went until 5pm. We derigged without a single flight. The safety seminar presented by the CTO - Ops, Kevin Olerhead, drove home the points where we can still continuously improve on our safety record by analysing the reported accidents and incidents over the past 2 years and the circumstances that led to these mishaps. Despite the relatively good statistics there is still room for improvement and safety is the responsibility of all our pilots. At the seminar it was also announced that the August RTO - Sports seminar (every 2nd Wednesday of the month; every 1st Wednesday of the month is the AUGC meeting) will be an Official Observers Course. Details as always in the Events Calendar. New is also a press release about our Past Members Day. And finally another reminder that the Annual General Meeting is coming up soon. Important decisions have to be made and club positions need to be filled. Be there and have your say!
13 July 2003	On short notice we will be taking an ASK21 (BCX) to Lochiel for ride flying after the safety seminar on Saturday 19 July 2003. With (hopefully) most of our pilots attending and ZBG in the workshop for its Form 2 there will probably be no or only limited flying operations at Balaklava. After the latest committee meeting there are a few more tentative dates in the Events Calendar to pencil into your diaries: One is the possibility of another Aviation Careers Day like last year which generated a good response. This time it might be on a grander scale with the RAAF possibly flying an Orion or maybe a Blackhawk into our airfield. This would be on a weekday to make attendance an official school event for those students that are interested. In the light of our 50th Anniversary there is a proposal to revive the October Long Weekend Soaring Regatta open to other clubs. As hosting this event would require extra effort the committee is seeking volunteers. Another new event on the list is a New Year's Flying Camp at Port Vincent. For those who were not along last time this is a chance to take in the scenery that is talked about at the club and practice those paddock landing skills. To bring our 50th Anniversary Celebrations to a close a function will be held on 27 March 2004 (yes, next year) at the original site of the first flight. Also note that the Annual General Meeting is coming up soon. A number of club positions are going to be up for election this year. This includes the President, the Treasurer, the Whisper Editor, and one committee member has indicated he will not be seeking re-election. Think about nominations and how you can contribute to the operation of our club.
6 July 2003	The past members' day is over. It was yet another great event hosted by the club. The weather was perfect, the food was great and we had a spectacular line-up of all our club and private aircraft. Many of our former members were able to catch up, have a yarn about the good old times, and have a flight in a glider again. The Cessna Caravan II from Aussi Air proved to be a fantastic photo platform for the many enthusiastic photographers who took this opportunity for aerial shots of the fleet line-up. Thanks Brenton! A new mailing list has been set up for our airworthiness inspectors. Details in the Members section.
3 July 2003	Please note the changed venue for the next AUGC seminar in the Events Calendar.
25 June 2003	Note the new RTO - Sports seminar series planned for every 2nd Wednesday of the month in addition to the AUGC meetings on the 1st Wednesday of the month. Details will be published in the Events Calendar as they become available.
12 June 2003	Another update of the Events Calendar. The time of Form 2 inspections is upon us again. HT is the first aircraft in the shed and is also about to have it's aging radio replaced with a new Microair. The rest of the fleet will follow one by one. Extra hands are always welcome!
1 June 2003	After yesterday's committee meeting there are a number of additions and changes in the Events Calendar again. The tree planting ceremony for our late member Elvin Colwell was attended by a large contingent of his family and club members. The club hosted a BBQ lunch and some of the visitors had a glider flight. The tree and plaque are located in the caravan park section near the northern end of the bunkhouse.
16 May 2003	The Adelaide University Gliding Club have notified us about their monthly meetings. These meetings are generally held 7:30pm on the first Wednesday of the month in the WP Rogers Room in the Union Building at Adelaide Uni which anyone is welcome to attend. Topics for the upcoming meetings can be found in our Events Calendar although it is advisable to check the latest AUGC newsletter on the AUGC web site (http://www.augc.on.net/) closer to the respective events.
13 May 2003	A mistake in the Events Calendar has been corrected: The date for the "Past Member's Day" was wrong. This event will be on Saturday 5 July 2003 rather than the Monday thereafter as previously announced by mistake. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Also note the addition of the "Elvin Colwell Memorial Tree Planting Ceremony" to be held on 31 May 2003, 12:00 with a light lunch afterwards.
4 May 2003	The first of two working bees was well attended and made quite a difference. After lunch the weather rewarded everyone to some extended soaring flights. Please come along for next week's clean-up too. There are also two new entries in the Events Calendar: John Hudson will present two Aircraft Radio Use, Practices and Procedures Briefings, one a repeat of the other to give every flying member the opportunity to attend and gain their Aircraft Radio Operator's Endorsement.
27 April 2003	The ANZAC weekend excursion to Pt. Vincent is over. It coincided with the opening of the new marina there so there were loads of visitors and consequently quite a few passenger flights. Everyone along, even if only for one day, got plenty of outlanding practice and enjoyed the spectacular view. Despite a skyful of Cu's everywhere else only a few short soaring flights were possible - the seabreeze set in straight after convection got going. Nonetheless it was a great experience. Where are we going to go next and when?
21 April 2003	A new 'Whisper' is out. Another good read. If you didn't get a copy make sure you pick one up from the Newsletter Archive. Also congratulations to Bert Heath on gaining his Aerobatics Instructor rating recently. Bert is now available for aerobatics tuition to anyone so inclined.
16 April 2003	As a result of the recent committee meeting a number of mailing lists were set up to facilitate communication between our club members.
13 April 2003	The location for the upcoming ANZAC Day weekend excursion has been changed at short notice. Instead of Moonta/Kadina we will now fly at Port Vincent. Details in the 'Letter from the CFI'. Other important dates in the Events Calendar which has been updated again.
19 March 2003	Yet another entry in the Events Calendar: The 12^th of April is going to be a real busy day. A trifecta of committee meeting in the morning, instructor's meeting in the evening and an airworthiness session in-between to talk about how all our aircraft can be grounded [Translation: Form 2 inspections are coming up and which aircraft goes into the workshop when and who will do the work on it needs to be coordinated.]
15 March 2003	Several more entries have been added to the Events Calendar as a result of today's committee meeting. Make sure you don't miss out!
9 March 2003	Our annual fly-in was quite well attended again, although numbers were down compared to last year, perhaps because of the less favourable weather forecast. Nonetheless, the skies over Balaklava were blue and unusually busy. An impressive collection of all types of aircraft were parked along the south side of the hangars. Visitors were well catered for in the clubhouse and at the bar and quite a few stayed overnight after a lavish roast beef dinner to fly home on Sunday. The entire club fleet was out in force to enjoy the strong and plentiful thermals. Despite an inversion limiting thermal activity initially to 3000ft, later rising to about 4500ft, it was easy to stay airborne, resulting in several extended soaring flights as far afield as Auburn, Yacka, Koolunga and Snowtown. Each club glider clocked up several hours of airtime. Be sure to check the Events Calendar as it has been updated again.
2 March 2003	Despite fantastic lift up to 4800ft the planned Pylon Race turned out to be a meagre event to put it mildly. Be it because of the forecast scattered showers or the last minute date change, there were just enough crew to keep one ASK21 going all day. Only one of our 14 year old non-solo students actually flew the Pylon Race task, chauffeuring his instructor around the course in 40 minutes. However, everyone had great, prolonged soaring flights with many reports of over 7kts on the averager. Those on the ground could actually SEE the glider being rocketed skywards. Eat your heart out all those who did not turn up!
16 February 2003	We have a new Vice President! Congratulations to Steve Shuck, who was elected at last night's committee meeting. Also note that there have been significant changes to the Events Calendar as a result of the committee meeting. The 'lead and follow' cross country coaching session during the day was almost a repeat of the previous event. The weather put an end to it before the entire fleet could get itself established and only a few soaring flight were possible. Circuits were the order for the rest of the day.
8 February 2003	The first 'Whisper' for 2003, our 50^th anniversary, is out. Well done again, Gavin! Catherine Love's account of her first Flinders Ranges camp, a history article from Noel Mathews and the CFI's Conversion Notes for the Mini Nimbus make a great read along with the latest club notices and dates. If you don't get the hardcopy or email version or you have misplaced it you can pick it up in the Newsletter Archive. Back issues are also available.
18 January 2003	The MacCready Theory Seminar was well attended and a great success. Thank you Bernard Eckey for a well presented lecture on the topic on Friday night. A 'lead and follow' cross country coaching session was planned for Saturday. The task was briefed, crews assigned, and all club aircraft DI'ed and on the launch grid. Then... ...the sea breeze set in early and put a lid on the thermals - circuits only for the rest of the day. A repeat of the 'lead and follow' cross country coaching session is planned for 15 February. Refer to the updated Events Calendar for details.