The Soaring Club of Tasmania (Gliding Tasmania) is the only gliding club currently operating in Tasmania.
The club’s role is to facilitate all activities of gliding in Tasmania, including ground and air training, introductory visitor flights, and cross-country flying.
Your financial support would help Gliding Tasmania to offer the best gliding experience possible. Any donated money would go towards developing facilities and the general betterment of the club.
The last year has been a real growth year for Gliding Tasmania compared to previous years. When the club was required to relocate in 2018, our membership dropped to about 8 or 9 and these members donated heavily to help the club get started again at its new home at the old RAAF airfield at Tunbridge Tasmania.
We recommenced operations in September 2019 at Tunbridge with a hanger that included a roof and one wall. We started operating with our main twin glider and the tow aircraft, a Pawnee, and a new facilities block. Members and outside volunteers completed the hanger over the following 6 months and additional aircraft were bought back into service.
The last 12 months have been a real growth year for the club. Our membership is now over 40 members which include about 10-12 in training, we have built a new hanger doubling our hanger storage, and purchased another twin-seat glider. Our private glider fleet has grown by 3 with a Mini Nimbus, a Mosquito, and soon to join us, a DG 400 self-launching glider.
We have been successful with a grant to purchase a new 60-inch ride-on lawn mower thanks to the Tasmanian Government and have further developed our two landing areas with runway smoothing and markers. However, with all that progress this year, we still have some facilities and work to do before we relax a bit.
We currently have two Australian Sports Foundation fundraisers open for any donations that members of the public may wish to donate to.
All donations are tax-deductible and will go towards the further development of gliding in Tasmania. The two fundraisers are:
Minor projects.
The following donations would assist Gliding Tasmania to undertake minor projects. There are various projects the club would like to start. For example:
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- Fuel storage area.
- Mower storage area. (could be combined with the above).
- Weather station/cameras/WiFi access point.
- Runway smoothing.
- IS28 canopy clear-views and fitting to the new canopy.
- Skyecho ADSB units for each aircraft.
- Minor works that are required around the club.
Major project.
Moving the gliding club took all of our financial reserves and resources. The last major project which will complete our move to the Tunbridge site is a new Club Room. The Club Room will be a place of learning for student pilots and it will be a shelter from the sun, wind, and rain and somewhere warm for our visitors to enjoy.
We also offer Air Experience Flights for anyone that would like to experience the joy of gliding.
These can be purchased on the Home page of the website either beforehand or if you would like to come to Tunbridge and see what we do, you are most welcome. We operate most Sundays depending on the weather and crew availability.
Up-to-date flying information is usually promoted on our Facebook page on a Friday evening before the weekend.
As mentioned, any donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.
