Waikerie Gliding Club
— It's a Special Place

I was introduced to soaring at the Waikerie Gliding Club (WGC), South Australia, in February 1980. It remained the spiritual base for my soaring activities throughout the time I was active in the sport.

Excellent gliders. Great location, world renowned for its fantastic souring conditions. Top instructors, including multiple Australian champions. First-class facilities. Warm and friendly people. What more could you desire!

I visited many other Australian clubs over the years and even became a member at the Grampians Gliding Club near Ararat, Victoria. But Waikerie was always by far and away the best gliding club in my mind.

If you are thinking of taking up the sport, I'd strongly recommend you contact the Waikerie Gliding Club and book for a two week course. If you do go solo during the first week, you'll be a reasonably good pilot by the time you finish the second week. And if you don't go solo the first week, you most certainly will by the end of the second.

Reliving a day's soaring in the WGC club room bar

One of the best things for me about Waikerie was the great range of people you'd meet there. People from all walks of life sharing a common passion. People from overseas, other parts of Australia, plus the WGC instructors and locals.

Influential Instructors

Hayden Dunn, pictured above right at the bar, was the instructor who taught me to soar. On my second week at Waikerie, Hayden set an Australian record in the new Grob Twin Astir. Then he handed the glider over to me for a memorable 100 km flight in 51 minutes with a max height of 7800 ft. It was a good day.

Warrick McIntosh was the instructor who pushed me to achieve much more than I thought I could soaring cross-country. It was Warrick who suggested I try for a 300 km Diamond Goal task when I had less than thirty hours total flying time.

A memorable flight with Warrick was when we set out on a cross-country task together and everyone else outlanded short of the first turn! We were going poorly too, so Warrick suggested we should go around the turn, outland and thus win the day.

We hadn't been able to raise anyone back at Waikerie on the radio, so I was keen to abandon the task and head back. "You'll never make it," said Warrick, full of support! But I surprised us both.

Maurie Bradney and Jock Barratt

Maurie Bradney (July 1982)

Maurie Bradney, the Chief Flying Instructor and manager of WGC during my time flying there, taught me the most about cross-country competition soaring. So many memorable flights with Maurie as he tried to pass on to me some of the skills that enabled him to win multiple Australian championships.

Jock Barratt, a founding member and instructor of WGC in May 1937, taught me how to truly enjoy soaring. Jock was in his 70s and 80s when I regularly flew with him. The joy and delight he still got from flying was infectious and inspirational.

Great Facilities at WGC

Waikerie Gliding Club had a great fleet of gliders and awesome gliding facilities. But the club house, swimming pool, accommodation block and caravan and camping area made WGC a great social club as well.

I had an 18 ft caravan onsite at Waikerie. Being able to leave everything there, set up and ready to go, was ideal.

Car and caravan at WGC (circa 1986)

Trapped At Waikerie Gliding Club

Many a long weekend I'd organise to take friends and/or work colleagues to Waikerie and introduce them to soaring. Mostly we'd drive the 750 km from Melbourne to Waikerie, but sometimes we'd hire a light aircraft and fly.

In November 1985, a group of us flew in a private aircraft from Moorabbin to Waikerie and ended up stranded there. We were supposed to be back in Melbourne on the Monday afternoon, but the weather down south prevented us from making it back. Thankfully, the weather in Waikerie was great so we were still soaring and enjoying ourselves.

On the Wednesday afternoon, we attempted to fly south but had to abandon the flight, and returned to Waikerie airfield. We tried again on the Thursday, but could only make it far as Ballarat. Finally, on Friday morning a brief period of clear weather happened, and we made it safely back into Moorabbin Airport at midday. On the evening news was a report of a private plane having to land on the Western Highway that day!

Terrorizing Overseas Visitors

In my time at WGC, it was a renown soaring destination for glider pilot from around the world. A few Japaness pilots even kept their gliders in trailers at Waikerie Gloding Club, ready for when they could come soaring with us again.

We'd take great delight in playing on the fears overseas visitor had about Australia. Stories about "Drop Bears" (Thylarctos plummetus) and "Killer Man Eating Kangaroos" would be told.

One day a Japanese pilot outlanded on a cross-country task. There was a mob of kangaroos grazing nearby. Terrified the pilot wasn't about to get out of the glider.

We found him in the paddock, still in the glider, the afternoon of the next day!

WGC hosts the World Gliding Championships in January 1974.