A VMFG member, Alan Patching AM has been awarded the FAI Lilienthal Gliding Medal.

Regarded as the highest gliding award in the world, the Medal is to reward a particularly remarkable performance in gliding, or eminent services to the sport of gliding over a long period of time. It may be awarded annually to a glider pilot who has: established an international record during the past year; or made a pioneer flight (defined as a flight which has opened new possibilities for gliding and/or gliding techniques), or rendered eminent service to the sport of gliding over a significant time, and is still an active glider pilot.

Alan Patching is the third Australian to received this medal after Ingo Renner in 1988 and C.E. Wallington in 1984.  

The award was established by the FAI in 1938 in honor of Otto Lilienthal, pioneer glider experimenter and pilot. Lilienthal's gliding experiments in Germany during the years 1890-1896 demonstrated that human flight was achievable and furnished inspiration and encouragement to Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Otto Lilienthal died in a gliding accident in 1896. The Lilienthal Medal is made of silver and is 7.5 cm in diameter. The obverse shows in bas-relief two birds in flight being captured by a man; the reverse bears a wreath and the words "Federation Aeronautique Internationale" surrounding a black space on which the year and name of the recipient is engraved. A Lilienthal Medal is struck each year and becomes the permanent property of the winner.  

The first recipient of the medal in 1938, Polish pilot Taduesz Gora was awarded it for a goal flight of 557 km.

The full list of all medals awarded to date can be found on the FAI website.

There are many jobs that require our labour around the club in order for the club to function; many of these are ‘behind the scene' currently being performed quietly by a few members.

An example of this is the current refurbishment of the club workshop, which has consumed a lot of labour hours to date with many more to go to reach completion. In addition there are some fairly simple jobs that require attendance to on a regular basis.

This workload should be shared by all. Therefore to make easier for all to see what work is required the club has decided to produce and maintain a Job List sheets detailing all jobs that are to be performed. Each job will be allocated an ‘owner' usually a committee member who will be responsible for organizing and coordinating all activities to ensure the job is completed.

The Job List will indicate the job, the work involved, estimated time to complete, items you may need to provide and ‘owner' contact details. The Job list will be on the GGC website and will be updated by an appointed person as jobs are completed and new works are required.

All members are encouraged to speak to the committee and suggest a job to be listed on the Job List.

Members are invited contact the job ‘owner' via email or phone to arrange a time to perform the job they would like to do.

Some jobs may only be an hour or two and can be performed on flying days after or before your flight. Some may require work over a number of days and it may be more suitable for these to be done outside the soaring season.

This system will keep everyone informed on what's to be done and give each member the opportunity to choose what work they would like to do and when they would like to do it.

The advantages of the proposed system are:

• One process for all types of work; simplification of the process;
• Ability to manage resources by the committee as all work items is always visible and easily accessible;
• Improved visibility and clarity of work items to all members;
• Betters utilisation of members time, no flying down time;
• Visibility of contributors;
• Public acknowledgement of the effort members make.

So have a look at the Jobs List and pick what you would like to do and contact the Job Owner now!

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to working with you soon!

(You need to login to the site to see and access the Job List documents) 

Tobi Geiger went to Benalla this weekend (17-18/02/2007) to do a bit of flying with Michael Sommer (he's a member of GCV now).

The mountains worked very well on Saturday (before it overdeveloped and thunderstorms formed) and he did 612km (Benalla down to East Gippsland (some 45km north of Lakes Entrance), then to Jindabyne and back over Benalla to Dookie and home to Benalla.

Sunday was the pick, though. Tobi did 824km and averaged 122km/h over the task. He could have flown another hour after he landed (Michael did in the Duo Discus) but he was a bit tired and didn't trust the weather (it shut down very rapidly on Saturday). He flew from Benalla to about 30km past Boree Creek, then 75km northwest of Hay (very scary there, no one lives in that area), then past Benalla for another 30km (near Moyhu) and then back to Benalla.

This was Tobi's longest flight in terms of distance so far and he wasn't prepared one bit (just took off and decided to go North first and then West). With a bit of preparation he could have done over 900km.

IGC files from both flight can be downloded from the club's Cross Country Flights Register. They are also available on OLC: 17/02/2007 and 18/02/2007.

When: March 10,11,12 &13 

Where: Tocumwal airfield

Who: Everyone, especially club teams with two-seaters.

Launch: Aerotow or self launch)

Rules & Handicaps: as per Club Class competition.

Verification: Loggers or GPS traces

Entry Fee: Nil*

• Daily briefing and tasks set, AAT and/or Speed tasks
• Daily scores and Regatta winner but the main aim is to have fun!
• Coaching arranged upon request
• Arrangements can be made to get tows for the rest of the week.  

Accommodation: No camping on site. Visit the accommodation section of the Tocumwal website 
Contact: Jack Hart Phone: 0439 398199

* At stage we are planning no entry fees, as there is one tug on site. If there is enough interest to warrant the hire of another tug, a fee may be levied to cover the ferry cost. 

The VSA State Championships / Horsham Week 2007 have been completed in Horsham.

Standard Class (12 participants):

• Simon Brown, Cirrus, VH-GSM, 6th;
  
• Wayne Mackley, LS4a, VH-UKA, 3rd;
• Jarek Mosiejewski, DG300, VH-GDH, 2nd;
• Andrew Murphy, Jantar Stdandard 2, VH-IUD, 11th.

15m Class (10 participants):

• Alan Dean, LS3, VH-UKC, 8th. 

The Gliding Club of Victoria at Benalla has hosted the  26th Club Class National Gliding Championships.

Geelong Gliding Club has been represented by six pilots:

• Simon Brown, Ciruss Std, VH-GSM, 49th;
• Rolf Buelter, PIK-20B, VH-WQF, 13th;
• Tobi Geiger, LS4a, VH-HDL, 7th;
• David Long, Jantar Std 2, VH-IIT, 51st;
• Jarek Mosiejewski, LS4a, VH-UKA, 9th;
• Olgierd Szemis, Jantar Std 2, VH-IUD, 47th.
  

The Australian Junior National Gliding Championships.

This contest was held in Leeton, NSW from the 30th of December 2006 to the 6th of January 2007.