What to Expect

It may seem daunting, but glider flight training is something that has been perfected over many years.

During your lessons:

•  All flights will be in our G-103 Twin Astir training glider which is equipped with dual controls.
• Your flights will be with a Gliding Australia trained and certified instructor.
•  You will be shown how to control the glider and then practice it from your very first flight.
•  Your instructor will provide a pre flight briefing before every lesson to clearly explain the aim of the flight and which exercises will be demonstrated during it.
•  After each lesson your instructor will provide a post flight briefing to give you honest feedback about how the flight went and to let you know what will be covered in the next one.
• Your training starts with learning how to use the controls and as you progress you will learn other airborne skills including how to find thermals. Take offs, circuits and landings are also perfected as you progress.
•  All of your training flights at Bacchus Marsh will be using aerotow as the method of launch.
• There will be some theory that needs to be mastered and your instructors can complete this training in the clubhouse. The reading material required is issued when you join Melbourne Soaring.
• You would expect to have three training flights each day you come to the airfield.
• It is not unusual for members go solo after 50-55 flights but his number can vary based on weather conditions during training, and also on how regularly you come out. Visiting the airfield weekly will see you progress to a solo standard in less flights than going fortnightly.
• After you have successfully gone solo you can still fly with our instructors to learn advanced skills but flying solo regularly will increase your existing skills.
• There will probably be areas of advanced gliding that will interest you and our instructors and other Melbourne Soaring members can assist you in these.

All club members are volunteers and a group effort is required, where everyone pitches in to prepare the gliders each day for flying, to launch and retrieve them, and to put them away safely at the end of the day.

On the days you are flying you need to be at the airfield by mid morning and we usually put the gliders away in the late afternoon but it can be later during daylight saving.

After the gliders have been put back in the hangar, the members meet at the gliding clubhouse  and talk about the days activities in a relaxed atmosphere. This is a great opportunity to meet other members, some of whom are very experienced pilots, and they are always willing to help you in your learning experience.