Learning to Soar

In February 1980, I headed off to the Waikerie Gliding Club in South Australia for a two week holiday during which I was going to learn to pilot a glider. Two of my work mates at BHP and I had decided we wanted to give it a go.

Lloyd learning to soar with instructor Hayden Dunn Waikerie, SA (February 1980)

I'd never seen a glider, or even read much about gliding, but I was interested in learning to fly and gliding seemed a natural progression from sailing. Though come Monday morning 4th February 1980, when I was strapped in to the front seat of a Blanik two seater metal glider for the first time, I remember thinking that I'd better like this. After all, I'm here for two weeks!

I loved it! The only way to really fly. Mid-week the club finished preparing their second Grob Twin Astir two seater fibreglass glider and I became the first student in it. My instructor, Hayden Dunn, introduced me to cross-country soaring that day with a 1 hour 39 minute flight to Wunkar and back.

I went solo on my 26th flight on the Friday. Launch height 1600 feet, maximum height 3800 feet, twenty-three minutes flight time. 

I've just flown solo! — Twin Astir IKU, Waikerie, SA (Friday, 8th February 1980)

I was glad I'd booked for two weeks though. During the second week I was able to really get in to it and started to become a pilot, rather than someone that had just managed to fly solo once. On the Monday I did a 41 minute flight to qualify for my "C" Certificate.