AIRFIELD LOCATION

The Geelong Gliding Club (GGC) operates from the Bacchus Marsh Airfield, Victoria. The airfield is located 50 kms. west of the city of Melbourne, and a similar distance from the major provincial towns of Ballarat and Geelong. It is the closest soaring site to these three cities.

Motor vehicle access is forty minutes from Melbourne or Ballarat via a modern four lane freeway. Other forms of access include rail/coach (Firefly Express or McCafferty) to Bacchus Marsh township and walk/bike/ taxi to the airfield. (Older Melways Ref. 220 B12, new Malway Ref.Ref 339 B12, VicRoads Ref. 77 H5)

Power pilots can fly directly to the airfield (consult the following notes). There is a small landing charge applicable, currently $10. The club can supply avgas facilities for visiting aircraft (during normal operating hours).

	BACCHUS MARSH (UNLICENSED)
	UTC+10	UNLC	YBSS
	S37°44.0' E144°25.3'  AD OPR: Shire of Bacchus Marsh, PO Box 216, Bacchus Marsh, VIC,  3340. Phone (03) 5369 5145. HR 2300-0700
	UNICOM  118.8 Bacchus Marsh School of aviation. Callsign "Bacchus Unicom". Accomodation.
	CTAF  118.8 3NM SFC–2500FT AMSL
SPECIAL PROCEDURES CAUTION Gliding OPS HJ. Gliders and tugs normally operate inside and below standard 1000ft circuit. All circuits left-hand. Unforseen circumstances may occasionally force a a glider to fly a right-hand circuit. Gliders and tugs land short of displaced THR. Other ACFT must not make low/shallow approachs and must land beyond the displaced THR. When gliding OPS in progress the duty RWY is the RWY in use by the gliding operation. All TKOFs to commence from the displaced THR. RESTRICTION: If wind is BLW 5KT and VRBL, RWY 19 or 27 must be used by all ACFT. Powered ACFT may hold on the movement area to the right of the RWY, if neccessary and taxi via the RWS. When inbound it is suggested ACFT track via and call on the CTAF at one of the following points - Melton Reservoir, Merrimu Reservoir, Pykes Creek Reservoir, or Mt. Anakie.
NOTICES PPR multi-engined and ultralight ACFT OPS, phone (03) 5369 5162.

The airfield is located in the rolling volcanic plains of western Victoria. The topography to the east and south consists of flat farming land extending to Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait respectively. To the north the terrain dips initially into the Werribee River valley, with the Bacchus Marsh township, before rising to the Blackwood Ranges; the foothills to the Great Dividing Range. To the west the land is used mainly for agricultural purposes. An escarpment; the Brisbane Ranges, results in the terrain altitude increasing abruptly by 800', but is quite suitable for cross country flying at all skill levels.

GGC has been joined at the site by two other gliding clubs, the Victorian Motorless Flight Group and the Beaufort Gliding Club. The airfield is owned by the Bacchus Marsh Shire but is operated by the Western Regions Sporting Aviation Group; WRSAG, a group comprising representatives of the shire, the three resident gliding clubs, and the Bacchus Marsh School of Aviation (a power flying school).

GLIDING FACILITIES

The airfield, set at an altitude of 520 ft., consists of two 5,000 ft. sealed cross strips with wide grass verges on either side (alignments 01/19, and 90/27). The gliding clubs conduct a combined operation launching from the grass verges while the power school operates concurrently from the sealed strips.

Due to the proximity to Melbourne, soaring at the site operates under a restricted ceiling of 4,000 ft. above sea level immediately above the site, however this ceiling steps to 6,000 ft. a few kilometers to the west and progressively there after to 20,000 ft. To the south the ceiling again steps up progressively. Operations to the east are limited by the decreasing height of the ceiling, and to the north by a combination of the mountain ranges and air traffic ceilings. See Bacchus Marsh Air Space Clearances map. (705 KByte file)

The site offers a variety of soaring conditions. Thermal conditions enable soaring for most of the year, and are sufficiently reliable to enable cross country flying from September to April. Late in the afternoon, though, lift can be damped with seabreeze fronts moving in from the south east. The higher terrain to the north and north west can lead to the development of wave and ridge lift especially during the winter months. Frontal lift is also frequently seen at the site.

CLUB FACILITIES

Club facilities at the airfield are located on a large tract of adjacent land owned by the clubs.

The club has two hangars. On the airstrip one hangar, with a capacity of around ten aircraft, is shared amongst the three clubs and used by the club for it's tugs. The glider hangar (shared with one other club) is located on the clubs land and is of the strip type allowing immediate access to any aircraft. It's capacity has recently been extended allowing accommodation for nineteen gliders.