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Southern Downs Aero and Soaring Club Massie Airfield, Warwick, Queensland

Words by Mike O'brien converted to HTML by Eddie.M
Last updated on 11'th-June-2000

Nothing compares to the freedom of flying over Queensland's magnificent Southern Downs. It lifts you above the worries of everyday life into a world of serenity and beauty. If you want adventure, try cross country soaring. Flights of over 750 km have been made from our airfield. If you want excitement, try racing within the competition scene. If you just want peace and quiet, you can lazily soar close to the airfield, and just enjoy the view. Flying has many challenges and many rewards. With it breathtaking scenery and uncluttered skies, Warwick is the perfect place to fly.

PRETTY PICTURES:

This web site was set up by one of our club members Eddie Matejowsky, a man of very varied interests. Click this link to enter his gliding page, which is the best starting point to get a feeling of what gliding is all about.

OTHER POINTS OF CONTACT:

Airfield 074 6 673 701 (Weekends)
Club President - Michael O'Brien 07 3892 3473 (H) mob@ieee.org
Vice President - Matt Anglim manglim@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) - Ivor Harris 07 3378 1717 (H) ivorharris@hotmail.com
Tug Master - Val Wilkinson 074 6 644 124 (H)

HOW TO GET THERE

• From Brisbane: Take the road to Warwick, through Cunningham's gap (It is worth stopping for a quick walk in the National Park), and veer left past the Toowoomba turnoff. Just past this there is a small gliding sign on a narrow bitumen road to the right. Follow this about 10 km, and turn left past the railway crossing, and then take the next turn right at the Hall. The airfield entrance is the next turn to the left, about 1 km, and clearly marked.

• From Warwick: Follow the Allora back road (past the bacon factory) for about 10 km, and turn left at the Massie hall.

• From Toowoomba: Drive through Allora, and after about 15 km, turn right at the Massie hall.

COSTS (approximate)

A trial instruction flight of about 20 minutes costs $50. This includes short term membership of the Gliding Federation of Australia (you will have to sign an appropriate form with some risk waivers), and any further glider flights on the same weekend will be at club rates (see below). As the two seat training aircraft have dual controls, you will get an opportunity to try flying the glider yourself on the very first flight. The instructor will do all the tricky bits, like the takeoff and landing, for you.

Visitors are always welcome to come and watch, but we do not do passenger flights for members of the public.

Joining fee (once only): $50

Annual club + GFA membership: $250

Each aerotow launch: $20 to 2000 feet, pro-rata for other launch heights. (It is normal to release in the first decent thermal you find above 1000 feet.)

Use of club gliders: 39 cents/minute (23.40 $/hour)

Training is done by suitably qualified Gliding Federation of Australia instructors. There is no extra cost for instruction.

Training handbook "Basic Gliding Knowledge" + logbook: $25

Because getting to solo stage involves many take-offs and landings, costs tend to be more concentrated during the initial period. An average person may get to solo stage with around 10 to 15 hours instruction over about 40 launches, but this is very variable.

We have a "company car", an old HQ holden with a towbar, which members without suitable vehicles rely on if they fly cross country, and outland. The cost for use of this is 30 cents/km.

Use of bunkhouse and kitchen facilities is free to club members.

OTHER INFORMATION

The minimum solo age is 15 years.

Gliding hours can be counted towards the aeronautical experience required for a power plane licence.

A medical declaration is required before a pilot will be allowed to fly solo. Instructors are required to have regular medical checks by a medical practitioner.

Gliders are very robust and strong, and are designed to withstand greater load factors than most light aircraft, and all passenger jets. They can be controlled easily and precisely. Most are capable of simple aerobatics, like loops and spins.

Gliding is a risk sport. Most accidents which do occur are caused by pilot error, so a very high standard of training is essential. We find that most people can be trained to an adequate safety standard, but ALL glider pilots are sometimes required to do "check" flights with an instructor.

To Eddie's home page