Interview - Ash Boyle - Competition Gliding

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Welcome to Forrest.Chat,
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where we talk about individual endeavour in Western Australia, what it takes, what it means, and how you do it.
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I'm your host, Paul van der Mey, and in today's episode we're talking with Ash Boyle about competition gliding.
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Ash started gliding around 2002 and got into competition gliding a couple of years later.
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Welcome to Forrest.Chat
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Ash.
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Thank you for having me, Paul.
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And hello to all your listeners.
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thanks for being on the show Ash.
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Ash, what is competition gliding? What's it all about? My, my pleasure on this cold morning at parkrun, competition gliding is gliding, but racing, it's a bit like sailing with yachts.
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You can do sailing and you can do it for fun, and then you can race them as well.
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And that's the same with gliding.
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And it depends on, I guess, what you want to get outta gliding as if, if you wanna race them or not.
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So, yeah, it's, it's a little bit hard to explain, but, we race gliders normally in the summer months when the thermals are are good and we race them around, distance tasks, which can range between 200 to 600 kilometres.
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So you get a tow up or behind an aeroplane? yes, we get, we get towed up behind a Piper Porny, which is an old ag, ag towing plane, crop dusting aeroplane.
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People are being pretty familiar with those, especially if they've been around a fire.
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The new ones are all fire bombers and stuff as well, aren't they? Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And they, they look exactly the same as the old piper ese, except they're a lot bigger and they can carry a lot more water.
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That's what they need to do their job.
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Yeah.
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So, yeah.
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Okay, so you get towed up.
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How high? so when we're learning to glide, we get towed up to about 3000 feet above the ground.
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and that's where you're sort of learning to, to do your turns and keeping your speed and, But once you start learning a little bit more advanced stuff like, you know, landings and takeoffs, you get, you get towed up to about a thousand feet and at at a thousand feet you, you're pretty much just doing takeoffs and landings.
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when you get to the stage of racing gliders, flying cross country and competing, you're sort of only getting towed to about 2000 feet.
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And from 2000 feet you're finding thermals and Yeah.
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On your way.
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So the competition over like 200 or up to 600 kilometres Yep.
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What's it measured on? So a competition works, roughly, so we, we fly it over a seven or eight day period and each day, depending on the weather, we fly different length tasks.
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So we, we generally fly as far as we can for the weather conditions.
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So we'll have a, a meteorology guy, and we'll have a task setter and they'll generally pick where we fly, how far we fly.
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over the seven days, we fly every day and the guy that does each task the quickest gets a thousand points and everybody else just gets a percentage of that thousand depending on how they've done relatively to the guy that's won.
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So the second place getter might get 990 points, because he did 99% of the distance.
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Yeah, yeah, exactly.
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and then after the seven days, the person with the highest, collective score wins the competition.
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So they all add up together to That's right.
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To, yeah, create the winner.
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it's an interesting sport because you have it over the seven days, which gets you a variety of different weather conditions as well.
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so you're, you're flying on the, the really good days and you're, you might be flying on very poor days where the thermals aren't going very high.
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And does the weather create much variation across the day? Yeah, it does.
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Like, on, on, on Sundays, uh, you might have a really good start to the day.
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And then you'll have the sea breeze come in and the sea breeze effectively cools down the, the air and shuts down all your thermals.
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It's not something that happens all the time, but it can, result in you landing in a paddock in the middle of nowhere.
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And what do you do in that case? Well, we get the tow plane to come get us, or we, we have some very good friends that bring the trailer out to the glider and, uh, and you take the wings off and you put it in the trailer and you drive home and then you shout everyone a beer.
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And, uh, your experience at all of this? Uh, yeah.
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I've, I think when, when you're learning to, to do cross country and competition is when you do your, your most outlands, as you get more and more experience, you start outland less and less.
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But, uh, I, uh, started my gliding at Beverly, soaring Society and, uh, I reckon, I know just about every paddock between Beverly and Cudden.
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I landed in quite a few of them, but as I got more experienced and, and, you know, started, Guessing better where the thermals were, because at the end of the day, that's all it is, is finding thermals and, and playing dot the dot, you stop thermal, then you fly forward, you find another thermal up forward again.
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And uh, it's the guy that can do that the best.
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It doesn't land in paddocks really.
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but yeah, I, I started learning at, at Beverly, but later on in life we, we moved down south, so ended up changing club and went to Narrogin and they're a great bunch of people.
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So there's just the two clubs, is that right? There's actually three.
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there used to be five and, and, and possibly more, but, uh, unfortunately lighting's struggling a little bit at the moment with, participation and, and membership numbers.
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so we've got one club at Cunderdin which is a gliding club of Western Australia, and we've got the Beverly Soaring Society at Beverly, and they are the biggest club in the state and they do do it very well.
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and then I'm at narrogin and I reckon that's the best club in the state.
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Anyway, great bunch of people.
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Very small.
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Uh, not, not very small, sorry.
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They, they're still a large club, but it, I, I feel it's a bit more tight knit and yeah, ever since I, I moved there, they've taken me on with open arms and I just love flying at NAR now.
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That's great to hear.
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And uh, actually we have a, a connection there as well because, uh, one of my former Yes, uh, managers is actually flying at the Narrogin Club as well.
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Very nice guy as well.
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Mike's a good guy.
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He's, he loves flying.
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He's, he loves just being there.
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I think it's his social outlet as well.
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And he's very motivated.
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He can't sit still.
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That's great to hear that he is, uh, that he is doing well.
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I haven't seen him for, uh, quite some time, but, uh, yeah, he's, yeah, he is doing very well.
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Definitely enjoyed my time working for him.
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Yeah, he's, you'll have to come up there someday, Paul, I'm sure me and Mike will, uh, fight to see who takes you for a fly.
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that probably means I get two flights.
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Is that how it works? Yeah.
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And then you can rate us outta 10 or something.
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I'm sure I'll have to use different scales.
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Yeah.
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Uh, it's, uh, it's a good hobby.
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It's, it's unfortunate that, you know, not more people do it, but in this, in this day and age where everything seems expensive, it's very understandable why, why sort of, uh, numbers are declining, but as far as aviation goes, gliding, iss one of the cheapest, forms you can find.
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So if you just wanna fly because you love flying, well, gliding is where it's at.
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I think it's the most pure form as well, isn't it? That's right, yeah.
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I mean, there are two or three different types of gliding.
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You've obviously got paragliding with the big parachute.
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You've got, uh, hang gliding, which looks like you're dangling underneath a kite.
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And then we just, we just call gliding gliding, which is just an aeroplane with a pointy nose and no engine.
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And, uh, some of these gliders are very high performing.
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They can fly, you know, 60 metres forward.
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For every one metre of altitude they lose.
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That's incredible, isn't it? It is, yeah.
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That efficiency, like back in the old days, they'd be very happy if they had something that was 15 to one, so 15 metres forward for one metre down, but these days everything's getting, yeah, very high tech and, very high performing.
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that's another aspect when it comes to competitions in WA because we're so isolated from the rest of Australia.
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We have our competitions, we allow any glider to fly in.
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So, we have a handicap system where each glider, depending on its performance, we'll have a different handicap.
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So that's what sort of has made my la last couple of years quite remarkable, is I'm flying a nearly 50-year-old glider some of the pilots and their gliders that I'm beating are, you know, state of the art.
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They're only a couple years old and worth 400,000 or so.
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But the handicap's, the, the leveller, right? That's right.
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That's what the job of the handicap is.
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The, so I'm not sure what the formula is, how they work it out, but they, uh, the higher the performing glider, the, uh, higher the number.
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So it, it all goes on each scoring day into is, uh, system and they spit out a score and the handicap the number for your glider, that is incorporated into your score.
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So the newer gliders have got a harsher handicaps than the older ones.
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And that's, yeah.
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That's a good leveller I think because you need that when you've got different performance levels and you go your budget pushing 50 years old.
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Yeah.
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So what, what's its, glide ratio? So the glide ratio of my glider is, still pretty decent.
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It's 49 to one, but some of the, the gliders I'm competing with have a glide ratio of about 60 to one.
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But, it's not just that, these newer gliders get their best glides at a lot higher speeds.
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So the momentum keeps them up as well.
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That's right.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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and the thing that makes the handicaps interesting is that you are competing in any glider, you know, anything that can be worth 15 to 20,000 to buy.
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And some of these guys have got gliders worth nearly half a million.
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So it can be pretty, satisfying when you can beat a $500,000 glider in your $20,000 jalopy.
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Well, it sounds like a jalopy, but it's well maintained, I'm sure.
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Yeah, yeah.
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We, we pull gliders apart every year and do an annual inspection and, uh, grease up everything, check everything for fatigue.
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It's quite strict, which you'd want it to be.
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Anything with aviation is very strict.
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So what is it about you that enables you to get this performance out of your ladder? I dunno.
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I, I've been telling everyone I'm jagging it.
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I have no idea how, how I can, uh, compete with some of these guys.
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Well, that so, so one of the top pilots in the world flies from Beverly, Greg Beecroft and another guy Norm Bloch.
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Both fantastic pilots and really nice people too.
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And, they've got, you know, state-of-the-art gliders and, at the state championships last year, I managed to beat them both.
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So that was, that was good fun.
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uh, I've had a pretty dominant last four years.
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four years ago I came forth in the state championships.
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so that was not long after I got the glider.
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Uh, I bought it from over east, and the year after I won the state championships, but one of the other top pilots in the state was over at another competition.
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So he wasn't there to defend, so to speak.
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Yeah.
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So one of the top pilots was there, one wasn't.
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So I didn't really feel like I'd fully won it.
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Then the next year I came second.
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and again, one of those pilots was missing.
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It might have been the other one.
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and then this year, uh, I won it again.
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and both, both of those top pilots were there, Greg and Norman.
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it's not just them.
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They, the, they're obviously probably, two of the best in the state.
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But, uh, we've got other guys, Ben Terrell, Arnold Ings, uh, Josh ings.
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We've got a father and son who both fly from Narrogin as well, south African fellas.
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And, uh, yeah, nice people.
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Were also very competitive, very hard to beat.
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there was also a strong contingent of WA pilots that went over to the Australind Nationals at Leeton this year.
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So that was fun.
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So where is Leeton Leeton? That's a, it's a pretty large town in New South Wales.
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they have a lot of, rice fields and that in the area.
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I think it's, the brand.
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Sunrise might have one of their big headquarters there.
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Oh, yeah, okay.
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I've definitely heard of them.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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No, they're, they're, it's a lovely big town, There's actually no gliding club there, but they've got a nice big runway, uh, well should say multiple runways.
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It's all dirt, but it's a massive paddock.
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And, uh, yeah, we, we had our Australian Nationals there and yeah, it was good.
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I didn't do very well.
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I came fifth in my class.
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Josh did very well, from Narrogin.
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He came third in the same class as I flew.
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And, uh.
164
00:14:29,226.82451347 --> 00:14:31,626.82451347
Yeah, it was a long, it was a long drive over anyway.
165
00:14:32,436.82451347 --> 00:14:33,156.82451347
I bet it was.
166
00:14:33,156.82451347 --> 00:14:33,516.82451347
Yeah.
167
00:14:34,56.82451347 --> 00:14:35,826.82451347
So you talk about classes.
168
00:14:35,976.82451347 --> 00:14:37,836.82451347
Give us an idea of what the classes are.
169
00:14:37,866.82451347 --> 00:14:38,376.82451347
Right.
170
00:14:38,376.82451347 --> 00:14:40,506.82451347
So I was going to try and explain this.
171
00:14:40,506.82451347 --> 00:14:49,540.1578468
So because of all the different varieties of gliders manufacturers, we fly in wa we fly a, a multi-class championship.
172
00:14:49,540.1578468 --> 00:15:02,66.82451347
So we let any gliders fly and as I said earlier, we do it with, particular handicaps, but when it comes to a national, international, event, they generally fly in different classes.
173
00:15:02,876.82451347 --> 00:15:09,430.1578468
So, over in Leeton, where we competed, there was three different classes flying.
174
00:15:09,430.1578468 --> 00:15:16,780.1578468
So we had an 18 metre class, which that's generally your cream of the crop that fly 18 metre.
175
00:15:17,920.1578468 --> 00:15:21,460.1578468
so that's an 18 metre wingspan tip to tip? Yes.
176
00:15:21,520.1578468 --> 00:15:21,670.1578468
Yep.
177
00:15:21,670.1578468 --> 00:15:25,380.1578468
And does it need to be more than that or less? it needs to be, less than that.
178
00:15:25,380.1578468 --> 00:15:25,620.1578468
Yeah.
179
00:15:25,625.1578468 --> 00:15:29,550.1578468
So, um, so up to 18 metres? Up to 18 metres? Yes.
180
00:15:29,670.1578468 --> 00:15:30,0.1578468
Okay.
181
00:15:30,450.1578468 --> 00:15:32,850.1578468
and, 15 metre class as well.
182
00:15:32,850.1578468 --> 00:15:34,620.1578468
We had a 15 metre class over there.
183
00:15:35,160.1578468 --> 00:15:35,400.1578468
Yeah.
184
00:15:35,490.1578468 --> 00:15:37,440.1578468
So that's about one and a half people.
185
00:15:37,440.1578468 --> 00:15:38,160.1578468
Shorter, yes.
186
00:15:39,300.1578468 --> 00:15:44,216.82451347
So yeah, 15 metre class competed, and open class.
187
00:15:44,846.82451347 --> 00:15:46,496.82451347
Oh, and, and standard class, sorry.
188
00:15:46,766.82451347 --> 00:15:52,943.49118013
Standard class is 15 metres again, but the wings don't have, flaps on them.
189
00:15:53,633.49118013 --> 00:16:01,973.49118013
So 15 metre is the same length, 15 metres, but they're allowed to incorporate wing flaps, which gives you more performance.
190
00:16:03,323.49118013 --> 00:16:12,803.49118013
and then yes, then we, then we had open class, which has no restrictions as bigger wing span as you, like wing flaps or no wing flaps, all that sort of thing.
191
00:16:13,316.82451347 --> 00:16:15,746.82451347
Whatever the designer thinks is the best thing.
192
00:16:15,986.82451347 --> 00:16:16,976.82451347
Yeah, that's right.
193
00:16:16,981.82451347 --> 00:16:18,476.82451347
Without, without any restrictions.
194
00:16:18,476.82451347 --> 00:16:18,896.82451347
Right.
195
00:16:19,410.1578468 --> 00:16:23,580.1578468
normally your 18 metre class is the most hotly contested class.
196
00:16:23,580.1578468 --> 00:16:24,870.1578468
It seems to be the most popular.
197
00:16:25,920.1578468 --> 00:16:26,495.1578468
I'm not sure why.
198
00:16:26,983.49118013 --> 00:16:33,973.49118013
but I think the 18 metre gliders are at the moment, they're the, they seem to be the, the best performing.
199
00:16:35,263.49118013 --> 00:16:40,843.4911801
So a lot of, a lot of the wealthy, uh, retirees, that's the ones they seem to wanna buy.
200
00:16:41,930.1578468 --> 00:16:57,550.1578468
I competed in open class, because my glider is a 21 metre wingspan, so I, I can't fit into any other class, but we had, we had a agl, a couple of gliders that, uh, flew in the same class that were 18 metres as well.
201
00:16:57,550.1578468 --> 00:17:02,770.1578468
So there's, uh, yeah, you can fly in whatever metres in you want.
202
00:17:02,800.1578468 --> 00:17:04,900.1578468
If you want in open class.
203
00:17:04,900.1578468 --> 00:17:05,620.1578468
It doesn't matter.
204
00:17:06,34.1578468 --> 00:17:10,834.1578468
So that's a, a bit more like the WA competition, but without the handicaps.
205
00:17:10,864.1578468 --> 00:17:11,284.1578468
Yes.
206
00:17:11,374.1578468 --> 00:17:11,644.1578468
Yeah.
207
00:17:12,90.8245135 --> 00:17:13,950.8245135
You just take it on the chin, whatever you've got.
208
00:17:14,70.8245135 --> 00:17:21,480.8245135
I, I, I still, I think there may be a handicap system, but I think the handicaps are different to the ones we use for the wa comps.
209
00:17:21,927.4911801 --> 00:17:27,747.4911801
Well, that sounds like a fair thing when you've got a, a different makeup effectively of the field.
210
00:17:27,837.4911801 --> 00:17:28,257.4911801
Yeah.
211
00:17:28,347.4911801 --> 00:17:28,557.4911801
Yeah.
212
00:17:35,87.2326767 --> 00:17:36,107.2326767
Gliding is a good hobby.
213
00:17:36,107.2326767 --> 00:17:39,317.2326767
It's, it's something I've been doing since I was 14 years old.
214
00:17:39,497.2326767 --> 00:17:46,517.2326767
I went solo, on my 15th birthday, which is the minimum age for flying solo in a glider.
215
00:17:47,477.2326767 --> 00:17:54,167.2326767
So like aeroplanes uh, you can, you can fly an aeroplane by yourself before you can drive a car.
216
00:17:54,677.2326767 --> 00:17:55,847.2326767
Interesting, isn't it? Yeah.
217
00:17:55,847.2326767 --> 00:17:56,267.2326767
Yeah.
218
00:17:57,317.2326767 --> 00:17:57,677.2326767
Yep.
219
00:17:58,247.2326767 --> 00:17:59,777.2326767
Uh, it's been that way for a long time though.
220
00:18:00,340.5660101 --> 00:18:00,730.5660101
Yes.
221
00:18:00,730.5660101 --> 00:18:06,167.2326767
And is it because of the system that gets you there? I, it could be.
222
00:18:06,647.2326767 --> 00:18:16,307.2326767
I mean, we work through a training syllabus, with an instructor or various instructors, and when you reach the end of that training syllabus, they, they send you solo.
223
00:18:16,307.2326767 --> 00:18:25,263.8993434
So, we do have, what they call a glider pilot, licence now, which is something that never existed when I went solo.
224
00:18:25,263.8993434 --> 00:18:33,453.8993434
You just got your wings, you've got given a set of nice shiny gold wings from the club, from the, from the instructor that sent you solo? Yeah.
225
00:18:33,453.8993434 --> 00:18:33,723.8993434
Oh, okay.
226
00:18:33,723.8993434 --> 00:18:34,473.8993434
From the instructor.
227
00:18:34,533.8993434 --> 00:18:34,863.8993434
Yep.
228
00:18:35,100.5660101 --> 00:18:49,290.5660101
but yeah, these days you, you actually, once you've completed that sort of training syllabus, so yeah, they sign you off and you get a, I dunno if you actually even get a card, you might get a little card that says a GL pilot licence or something.
229
00:18:50,972.5660101 --> 00:18:54,842.5660101
But, uh, and what a step down going from the Gold Wings to a card.
230
00:18:54,932.5660101 --> 00:18:59,372.5660101
Yeah, I I think you may still get the Gold Wings as well as your card.
231
00:18:59,372.5660101 --> 00:19:01,412.5660101
I'm not sure it's been that long.
232
00:19:01,412.5660101 --> 00:19:09,932.5660101
I, yeah, I I should have done some research before I came for a chat with you because I, I've forgotten more than I can remember.
233
00:19:11,132.5660101 --> 00:19:20,852.5660101
but you know, I suppose it all starts with, you know, learning going solo and then, you know, you, you, you work your way from solo.
234
00:19:20,857.5660101 --> 00:19:27,452.5660101
A a lot of people think that that is the end of the road, but I think that's only the start with gliding.
235
00:19:27,902.5660101 --> 00:19:39,842.5660101
you work your way, you get after you, you do your first solo flight, and you go back the next weekend to go flying, you'll have to do a check flight with an instructor before you can fly solo again.
236
00:19:40,502.5660101 --> 00:19:40,892.5660101
Okay.
237
00:19:40,922.5660101 --> 00:19:45,632.5660101
So once you first go solo, you'll be put on daily checks.
238
00:19:46,202.5660101 --> 00:19:50,882.5660101
So every day that you want a fly light of solo, you have to do a check flight.
239
00:19:51,872.5660101 --> 00:19:55,772.5660101
And then once you progress, you get a few more flights under your sleeve.
240
00:19:56,672.5660101 --> 00:20:07,622.5660101
They'll progress to weekly checks, then monthly checks, and then annual or all biannual checks, depending on how skillful you are or how much trust they've got in you, I guess.
241
00:20:08,569.2326767 --> 00:20:13,399.2326767
but I, I, I think, cross country flying is, is the most fun.
242
00:20:13,639.2326767 --> 00:20:21,979.2326767
And we've got guys that are in the club who they don't instruct, but they actually coach people on how to fly cross country.
243
00:20:23,329.2326767 --> 00:20:27,349.2326767
So they won't teach them, you know, the basics of how to fly the glider.
244
00:20:27,769.2326767 --> 00:20:39,625.8993434
But once they get to that stage where they wanna start flying cross country, then we've got coaches who specialise in teaching cross country to students because it, like you say, it's getting your wings is only the start.
245
00:20:39,685.8993434 --> 00:20:40,465.8993434
Yes, that's right.
246
00:20:40,465.8993434 --> 00:20:43,45.8993434
You then have a whole new set of things to learn, don't you? Yeah.
247
00:20:43,45.8993434 --> 00:20:44,455.8993434
And to work towards, yeah.
248
00:20:44,605.8993434 --> 00:20:44,935.8993434
Yep.
249
00:20:45,565.8993434 --> 00:20:51,715.8993434
Uh, but then, then again, you know, some people might only just want to go solo and tick it off their list and, and end it there.
250
00:20:51,715.8993434 --> 00:20:52,555.8993434
And that's okay.
251
00:20:54,203.8993434 --> 00:21:02,483.8993434
But we'd love it if we could get more people to come through the door, learn how to fly, and then want to progress towards flying cross country and, and racing.
252
00:21:03,683.8993434 --> 00:21:06,893.8993434
'cause racing, it's the, I, I've gotta be a little bit honest.
253
00:21:07,13.8993434 --> 00:21:12,923.8993434
It's the only thing I really look forward to each year, flying around across country just by myself.
254
00:21:13,523.8993434 --> 00:21:14,753.8993434
I find so boring.
255
00:21:15,623.8993434 --> 00:21:23,453.8993434
But Racing other gliders and seeing 'em out in front of you in thermals and having them, chasing you around, it's, that to me is good fun.
256
00:21:23,950.5660101 --> 00:21:26,530.5660101
you're doing aerial ballet at that point, aren't you? Exactly.
257
00:21:26,530.5660101 --> 00:21:26,710.5660101
Yeah.
258
00:21:27,760.5660101 --> 00:21:28,630.5660101
Yep, yep.
259
00:21:29,950.5660101 --> 00:21:33,873.8993434
Or follow the leader, whatever you want to say, however you want to, play it.
260
00:21:33,873.8993434 --> 00:21:34,263.8993434
Yeah.
261
00:21:34,803.8993434 --> 00:21:39,303.8993434
I generally wait until a few guys start the, uh, task.
262
00:21:39,303.8993434 --> 00:21:42,183.8993434
And then I, I try and keep up as long as I can.
263
00:21:43,53.8993434 --> 00:21:53,313.8993434
And then normally, because my glide is old and I get a better handicap, if I can keep up for a little while and have a good run getting home, I'll beat 'em on the handicap.
264
00:21:53,853.8993434 --> 00:21:54,408.8993434
Right, right.
265
00:21:54,903.8993434 --> 00:21:56,463.8993434
You've got the competition right there.
266
00:21:56,463.8993434 --> 00:21:59,43.8993434
If they're in sight, you've, you'll, you've got a chance.
267
00:21:59,43.8993434 --> 00:21:59,373.8993434
Yep.
268
00:21:59,973.8993434 --> 00:22:07,83.8993434
So, and I, I've, I've told them that, um, 'cause you know, if you win a day at a comps, they'll give you a day prize as well.
269
00:22:07,563.8993434 --> 00:22:14,583.8993434
So each day we have our presentations, who won the day, who came second and third, and there might be a prize to give out or whatever.
270
00:22:15,720.5660101 --> 00:22:27,939.2326767
but then, They'll, they'll ask you, oh, so how did you do it? And uh, yeah, my normal story is, well, I just followed everyone around as quickly as I could and beat them on the handicap.
271
00:22:28,405.8993434 --> 00:22:40,65.8993434
So it's the lead guy who's really setting the, I'll call it the pace, but it's not really the pace, is it? No, well, I suppose it's not because, you can all start at a different time.
272
00:22:40,515.8993434 --> 00:22:41,475.8993434
That's the beauty of it.
273
00:22:41,475.8993434 --> 00:22:51,525.8993434
So we get towed up, we all get towed up to 2000 feet, we release, and once the last waterer is off the ground, they get given 15 minutes.
274
00:22:52,65.8993434 --> 00:22:56,775.8993434
And then they say, oh, the start gate's opening, and they give you a five minute warning or whatever.
275
00:22:57,165.8993434 --> 00:22:59,25.8993434
So you're literally all in the air.
276
00:22:59,85.8993434 --> 00:22:59,355.8993434
Yep.
277
00:22:59,355.8993434 --> 00:23:14,542.5660101
You're literally all, you know, 20, 30, 40 gliders, whatever, all flying around in thermals, waiting for the start gate to open, which is obviously, it's not a real gate, it's just a, a line in the, in the, you know, on the GPS.
278
00:23:15,802.5660101 --> 00:23:22,402.5660101
And then once that start gate's open, they say start gate open, and then you are allowed to fly over that line.
279
00:23:23,212.5660101 --> 00:23:25,762.5660101
And once you're over that line, that's when the task is started.
280
00:23:26,165.8993434 --> 00:23:28,715.8993434
and the time for your completion begins.
281
00:23:28,715.8993434 --> 00:23:28,865.8993434
Yes.
282
00:23:28,865.8993434 --> 00:23:29,495.8993434
That's where, yeah.
283
00:23:29,555.8993434 --> 00:23:30,395.8993434
Yep, that's right.
284
00:23:31,385.8993434 --> 00:23:38,345.8993434
But if you think the day is still improving, you can, you can hang back and start later.
285
00:23:38,405.8993434 --> 00:23:39,95.8993434
That's fine.
286
00:23:40,19.2326767 --> 00:23:42,119.2326767
you get, you get time for your flight.
287
00:23:42,119.2326767 --> 00:23:43,319.2326767
It's not really.
288
00:23:44,351.2326767 --> 00:23:44,591.2326767
Yeah.
289
00:23:44,591.2326767 --> 00:23:48,251.2326767
From when the start gate opens sort of thing, it's only from when you cross that start gate.
290
00:23:48,731.2326767 --> 00:23:49,91.2326767
Right.
291
00:23:49,121.2326767 --> 00:23:55,601.2326767
So, and that also gives you the opportunity to follow the pioneer who's effectively exactly opening the course.
292
00:23:55,721.2326767 --> 00:23:55,871.2326767
Yep.
293
00:23:55,901.2326767 --> 00:23:58,121.2326767
Or two or three or seven of them, I guess.
294
00:23:58,151.2326767 --> 00:23:58,331.2326767
Yep.
295
00:23:58,751.2326767 --> 00:24:02,171.2326767
Depending on how far you can see and how far they get, I would imagine.
296
00:24:02,411.2326767 --> 00:24:02,681.2326767
Yep.
297
00:24:02,981.2326767 --> 00:24:09,131.2326767
That you can see what's going on ahead of you along on the, in the direction that you need to be going.
298
00:24:09,191.2326767 --> 00:24:09,701.2326767
That's right.
299
00:24:09,761.2326767 --> 00:24:10,1.2326767
Yeah.
300
00:24:10,451.2326767 --> 00:24:13,481.2326767
I think that's for me is the best thing to do.
301
00:24:13,811.2326767 --> 00:24:23,954.5660101
You wait until you know three or four people have started and they're out ahead of you and there's nothing better than finding, a glider out ahead of you who's in a good thermal.
302
00:24:24,584.5660101 --> 00:24:28,154.5660101
It saves you time because you don't have to find a thermal and it's, you know, more efficient.
303
00:24:28,664.5660101 --> 00:24:29,894.5660101
Just fly straight to the glider.
304
00:24:30,944.5660101 --> 00:24:34,604.5660101
It's a good thermal, take it if it's not, you keep going.
305
00:24:36,1.2326767 --> 00:24:43,831.2326767
because that, that is half the struggle is finding the thermal and uh, and you also have to centre on the thermal, is that right? That is correct.
306
00:24:43,831.2326767 --> 00:24:44,131.2326767
Yeah.
307
00:24:44,221.2326767 --> 00:24:44,461.2326767
Yeah.
308
00:24:44,521.2326767 --> 00:24:48,661.2326767
So once you've found the thermal, you have to what they call centre it.
309
00:24:48,661.2326767 --> 00:24:53,521.2326767
'cause thermals are generally round, you have to find the core, the strongest part.
310
00:24:54,331.2326767 --> 00:24:58,84.5660101
So yeah, you find the thermal and then you core the thermal.
311
00:24:58,534.5660101 --> 00:25:05,374.5660101
On some days where it's windy you just can't, the thermals seem like they're square or rectangle, don't seem to play ball.
312
00:25:06,364.5660101 --> 00:25:10,144.5660101
But yeah, it's all comes down to efficiency.
313
00:25:10,144.5660101 --> 00:25:17,374.5660101
How quickly you can find the thermal, how quickly you can core it, and that all goes into your getting you up high average speed.
314
00:25:17,879.8993434 --> 00:25:23,69.8993434
because you, you can't just spend all your time in the thermal, you've gotta actually cover the ground too that that's right.
315
00:25:23,159.8993434 --> 00:25:28,439.8993434
So it's a real balancing act of getting some height, getting the distance.
316
00:25:28,739.8993434 --> 00:25:28,979.8993434
Yep.
317
00:25:29,339.8993434 --> 00:25:30,839.8993434
And then going, I need more height.
318
00:25:31,49.8993434 --> 00:25:32,159.8993434
I need more distance.
319
00:25:32,459.8993434 --> 00:25:32,699.8993434
Yep.
320
00:25:32,849.8993434 --> 00:25:33,449.8993434
Exactly.
321
00:25:33,749.8993434 --> 00:25:47,249.8993434
So once, once you finally get back from your task going around the, the way points and getting back to the airfield, because I, I dunno if your listeners would know, we don't normally aim to land in paddocks.
322
00:25:47,639.8993434 --> 00:25:51,359.8993434
We generally try and get back after we've finished our task.
323
00:25:51,389.8993434 --> 00:25:53,189.8993434
So, uh, yeah.
324
00:25:53,429.8993434 --> 00:26:05,159.8993434
It's whoever can start the task, get to about two or three turn points, throughout the wheat belt and get back to the runway that you started from and yeah.
325
00:26:05,219.8993434 --> 00:26:11,159.8993434
Whoever does it at the fastest speed, average speed after handicap is taken into account.
326
00:26:11,596.5660101 --> 00:26:11,926.5660101
Right.
327
00:26:12,59.8993434 --> 00:26:17,459.8993434
Now, just to give, my listeners some idea on a map of what we are looking at for where you would go.
328
00:26:17,459.8993434 --> 00:26:17,789.8993434
Yep.
329
00:26:18,749.8993434 --> 00:26:22,169.8993434
If you took off at an airfield, I'll let you name the airfield.
330
00:26:22,379.8993434 --> 00:26:22,589.8993434
Yep.
331
00:26:22,799.8993434 --> 00:26:25,409.8993434
What towns could they look up on a map? Okay.
332
00:26:25,409.8993434 --> 00:26:30,383.2326767
So, a few of the places that we, very frequently used as turn points.
333
00:26:30,443.2326767 --> 00:26:47,693.2326767
so, for example, if we're taking off from Beverley Airfield, you know, Dowerin, Wyalkatchem, Doodlakine, Kondut, Burracoppin, Corrigin, all those little towns out in the wheat belt can be used as turn points for our tasks.
334
00:26:47,786.5660101 --> 00:27:04,676.5660101
Narrogin is further south, so we use probably more southern towns like, Kojonup, Wickepin, Williams Darkan, Lake Grace, Hyden, So you can go and have a look on a map and see just what that looks like on a Yeah.
335
00:27:04,706.5660101 --> 00:27:05,186.5660101
On a map.
336
00:27:05,426.5660101 --> 00:27:05,636.5660101
Yep.
337
00:27:05,636.5660101 --> 00:27:06,86.5660101
You can Yeah.
338
00:27:06,86.5660101 --> 00:27:06,591.5660101
Point them out.
339
00:27:07,91.5660101 --> 00:27:25,493.2326767
So, and where would people go if they wanted to see some actual results? Okay, so there, there is a, a website called Soaring Spot, so www dot soaring, S-O-A-R-I-N-G-S-P-O-T, soaringspot.com.
340
00:27:26,96.5660101 --> 00:27:34,16.5660101
And that will show you results for not only our wa comps, but comps all over Australia and the world.
341
00:27:34,766.5660101 --> 00:27:38,96.5660101
Most competitions all over the world are put on that website.
342
00:27:38,603.2326767 --> 00:27:40,883.2326767
they've got a monopoly by the sound of things.
343
00:27:40,913.2326767 --> 00:27:45,833.2326767
Yeah, it seems like that, I think, I think, uh, I don't think the Americans use throwing spot.
344
00:27:46,763.2326767 --> 00:27:47,843.2326767
I'm not sure why though.
345
00:27:48,643.2326767 --> 00:27:55,393.2326767
but yeah, I think they, they have their own, ways of putting, results for competitions on websites.
346
00:27:55,952.5660101 --> 00:27:58,45.8993434
And, if someone wanted to get into the game.
347
00:27:58,105.8993434 --> 00:27:58,255.8993434
Yeah.
348
00:27:58,315.8993434 --> 00:28:01,285.8993434
You've already talked a little bit about getting your wings.
349
00:28:01,345.8993434 --> 00:28:01,525.8993434
Yep.
350
00:28:02,335.8993434 --> 00:28:13,662.5660101
After that, is there something you need to do to start competition? Well, I'd say just, once you've got your wings and you've gone solo at your chosen club, hopefully you choose Rogen.
351
00:28:13,662.5660101 --> 00:28:17,292.5660101
If you wanna start learning to fly a little plug for the local club.
352
00:28:18,342.5660101 --> 00:28:28,395.8993434
if you keep going and you keep, there's, obviously, there's a, once you've gone solo, you can get your a certificate, uh, your B certificate and your C certificate.
353
00:28:29,355.8993434 --> 00:28:32,812.5660101
So those certificates rely on different, things.
354
00:28:32,812.5660101 --> 00:28:34,875.8993434
So, I think a certificate's quite easy.
355
00:28:34,875.8993434 --> 00:28:40,308.2888447
It's, five solo flights, and then B certificate, I'm not sure what that is.
356
00:28:40,308.2888447 --> 00:28:45,198.2888447
It might be 20 solo flights and one flight over half an hour's duration or something.
357
00:28:46,158.2888447 --> 00:28:55,398.2888447
So once you've worked through those, that's when you start concentrating on your, uh, cross country goals if you want to go into cross country.
358
00:28:56,298.2888447 --> 00:29:08,268.2888447
and then you, so your next certificate is your silver C So what you might do is work on your a, b, C certificate and then do some coaching with a, a cross country coach.
359
00:29:09,24.9555114 --> 00:29:13,944.9555114
and he might take you for a, a few short cross country flights just to show you the basics.
360
00:29:14,754.9555114 --> 00:29:34,468.2888447
And, once you want feel comfortable, you can have a go getting your Silver Sea, which is a 50 kilometre flight, which is quite, I mean, it's quite daunting for your first time to go away from the airfield where you, if you get low, you have to land away from the airfield on your own.
361
00:29:34,618.2888447 --> 00:29:38,38.2888447
but 50 kilometres isn't really too far in the whole scheme of things.
362
00:29:38,414.9555114 --> 00:29:41,504.9555114
Not when you're talking up to 600 Ks in a competition.
363
00:29:41,504.9555114 --> 00:29:42,764.9555114
So, yeah, that's right.
364
00:29:43,298.2888447 --> 00:29:51,938.2888447
and, and you know, uh, some, some guys have flown up to a thousand kilometres in one flight in, in Australia, uh, 1300 kilometres.
365
00:29:52,388.2888447 --> 00:29:52,868.2888447
Wow.
366
00:29:53,228.2888447 --> 00:30:07,58.2888447
I think the record, for distance flying is up over 2000 kilometres, but that's done on, uh, a different sort of lift that's done on the lift that come off the mountains in New Zealand? Um, in New Zealand, yeah.
367
00:30:07,58.2888447 --> 00:30:07,118.2888447
Yeah.
368
00:30:07,598.2888447 --> 00:30:07,728.2888447
Oh, okay.
369
00:30:07,783.2888447 --> 00:30:09,608.2888447
I think, I think that record was in New Zealand.
370
00:30:09,608.2888447 --> 00:30:15,31.622178
I could be wrong, but I think, yeah, the distance record still remains in New Zealand.
371
00:30:15,31.622178 --> 00:30:16,81.622178
I'm not too sure.
372
00:30:16,451.622178 --> 00:30:19,871.622178
And you'll be away from the land at 2000 kilometres? Yeah.
373
00:30:20,21.622178 --> 00:30:20,411.622178
Yeah.
374
00:30:20,951.622178 --> 00:30:29,381.622178
Well, I, they, they do their tasks a bit differently too, see, because they just run up and down a big long mountain ridge, it's just straight lines up, down, up, down.
375
00:30:29,416.622178 --> 00:30:29,646.622178
Ah, okay.
376
00:30:30,11.622178 --> 00:30:34,751.622178
Whereas in, in the cross country, we do, in the wheat belt, we normally do like triangle courses.
377
00:30:35,192.2888447 --> 00:30:37,292.2888447
So yeah, the territory's very different.
378
00:30:37,502.2888447 --> 00:30:38,37.2888447
Yeah, that's right.
379
00:30:38,762.2888447 --> 00:30:52,922.2888447
what about getting access to a glider? What are the options there? So, the club that I belong to, and, and each club in wa has their own glider, which they hire out and it's stupidly cheap.
380
00:30:53,282.2888447 --> 00:30:57,362.2888447
You know, I think a, a twin seat glider costs a dollar a minute to hire.
381
00:30:58,322.2888447 --> 00:31:00,452.2888447
The expensive part is getting towed up.
382
00:31:01,532.2888447 --> 00:31:08,132.2888447
So that can cost anywhere between $40 to about $80, I think, depending on how high they tow you.
383
00:31:09,2.2888447 --> 00:31:11,942.2888447
But aeroplanes are damn expensive to run.
384
00:31:12,282.2888447 --> 00:31:12,462.2888447
Yeah.
385
00:31:12,462.2888447 --> 00:31:15,582.2888447
There's a lot of regulation around it that always pumps the price up.
386
00:31:15,822.2888447 --> 00:31:18,732.2888447
Maintenance isn't getting any cheaper, fuel's not getting any cheaper.
387
00:31:18,792.2888447 --> 00:31:25,542.2888447
We are just lucky that at these gliding clubs that all the, uh, the labour is, uh, voluntary.
388
00:31:26,627.2888447 --> 00:31:29,22.2888447
The, the tow pilots are all volunteers.
389
00:31:29,562.2888447 --> 00:31:32,502.2888447
The instructors that teach you how to fly are all volunteers.
390
00:31:33,465.622178 --> 00:31:42,915.622178
the coaches that coach cross country, yeah, everyone, even the guy that runs your, your wing when you're taking off everyone's volunteers.
391
00:31:42,915.622178 --> 00:31:45,75.622178
So yeah, very important.
392
00:31:45,75.622178 --> 00:31:51,145.622178
If you've not seen a photo of a glider, most of 'em, uh, these days just one wheel underneath the cockpit, more or less.
393
00:31:51,145.622178 --> 00:31:51,395.622178
Yep, yep.
394
00:31:51,445.622178 --> 00:31:55,465.622178
So we have one wheel underneath the tail and one pretty much underneath your bum.
395
00:31:56,65.622178 --> 00:32:02,585.622178
And, once you land your wing just sort of tilts and put drops on the ground.
396
00:32:02,975.622178 --> 00:32:11,105.622178
So when you're taking off, you need someone to run with your wing level until you pick up enough air speed for it to stay up.
397
00:32:11,795.622178 --> 00:32:12,935.622178
Lucky they don't have to push.
398
00:32:12,935.622178 --> 00:32:13,175.622178
Hey.
399
00:32:13,505.622178 --> 00:32:22,175.622178
Yeah, I think there are a few clubs over in, uh, in Europe that, that actually push 'em down a hill and they, they end up flying off the side of a hill.
400
00:32:22,745.622178 --> 00:32:23,405.622178
Oh wow.
401
00:32:24,365.622178 --> 00:32:27,905.622178
That could be exhilarating and scary at the same time.
402
00:32:27,905.622178 --> 00:32:30,65.622178
I reckon it might be more scary than exhilarating.
403
00:32:30,542.9555114 --> 00:32:41,676.2888447
is there any more that, you might wanna say that we maybe missed? oh, I think we've pretty much covered cross country and competitions and how, how it's all voluntary and, yeah.
404
00:32:41,796.2888447 --> 00:32:47,732.9555114
Um, it, it, the social aspect of gliding, I guess that's another thing, as a, as a good camaraderie.
405
00:32:48,599.622178 --> 00:32:51,579.622178
and if, you know, you need to get out and have a social life.
406
00:32:51,579.622178 --> 00:32:53,379.622178
Gliding is a good way of doing that as well.
407
00:32:54,549.622178 --> 00:32:56,19.622178
You're all there enjoying the same thing.
408
00:32:56,769.622178 --> 00:32:57,9.622178
Yeah.
409
00:32:57,9.622178 --> 00:33:01,779.622178
It's really interesting, isn't it? How sports that don't require you to bump into each other.
410
00:33:01,839.622178 --> 00:33:02,79.622178
Yeah.
411
00:33:02,499.622178 --> 00:33:04,659.622178
The camaraderie is, uh, right up there.
412
00:33:04,749.622178 --> 00:33:05,199.622178
Yeah.
413
00:33:05,349.622178 --> 00:33:05,739.622178
Yeah.
414
00:33:05,829.622178 --> 00:33:08,49.622178
And you know, there's other facets of gliding too.
415
00:33:08,49.622178 --> 00:33:15,66.2888447
If you're, if you're more interested in tinkering with things mechanically, you can go into sort of the maintenance side of gliding.
416
00:33:15,366.2888447 --> 00:33:17,136.2888447
That is very interesting as well.
417
00:33:17,586.2888447 --> 00:33:21,636.2888447
Pulling gliders down, stripping them apart, seeing how they work, repairing them.
418
00:33:22,506.2888447 --> 00:33:32,679.622178
a lot of gliders now are made out of, fibreglass and different composites, carbon fibre and the skills that are required to fix these things.
419
00:33:32,679.622178 --> 00:33:35,559.622178
When they're broken, they're getting less and less.
420
00:33:35,559.622178 --> 00:33:45,936.2888447
So, even if you're a guy that, that just likes tinkering in the shed, but also has a, a rough interest in aeroplanes I mean, gliding could be for you in that facet as well.
421
00:33:46,389.622178 --> 00:33:46,899.622178
Interesting.
422
00:33:46,904.622178 --> 00:33:48,219.622178
I I hadn't thought about that.
423
00:33:48,219.622178 --> 00:33:51,999.622178
I mean, we've talked about maintenance and, and those sorts of things, but Yeah.
424
00:33:52,629.622178 --> 00:33:53,379.622178
Getting involved.
425
00:33:53,379.622178 --> 00:34:14,529.622178
So there's a team doing that, is there? Yeah, so the club's got a team of what they call, uh, form two inspectors, which just means that they're qualified to do the annual, flight inspections on these aeroplanes there's, I think in the club there might be about 15 odd members that have their rating to pull gliders apart and do inspections.
426
00:34:15,489.622178 --> 00:34:25,869.622178
So yeah, we, every year I, I think they, they look for volunteers that wanna do the club fleet of gliders, pull 'em apart and check that they're okay.
427
00:34:25,899.622178 --> 00:34:27,219.622178
Fix anything that might be wrong.
428
00:34:27,730.9555113 --> 00:34:29,800.9555113
So that's a great opportunity for people, I think.
429
00:34:30,137.622178 --> 00:34:30,977.622178
Yeah, yeah.
430
00:34:30,977.622178 --> 00:34:36,137.622178
I, there's, there's, there's so many different aspects of how the club runs.
431
00:34:36,524.2888447 --> 00:34:42,464.2888447
yeah, there's, uh, there's obviously different things you can do if you like gliding, but you want to do other stuff as well.
432
00:34:42,867.622178 --> 00:34:49,707.622178
like any club that's, uh, people, organisations and, uh, you've probably got a president and a committee and That's right, yes.
433
00:34:49,707.622178 --> 00:34:51,687.622178
All those things as well, so, yep, yep.
434
00:34:52,317.622178 --> 00:34:56,607.622178
We've got a, we've got a group of committee members and president, secretary, vice president.
435
00:34:57,117.622178 --> 00:35:00,477.622178
I think we've got about 80 members all up.
436
00:35:01,470.9555113 --> 00:35:02,220.9555113
Beverly's huge.
437
00:35:02,220.9555113 --> 00:35:11,130.9555113
They've, they've probably got nearly 200 members, but I like, I just like Narrogin because it's a smaller, tight knit sort of atmosphere.
438
00:35:11,546.9555113 --> 00:35:15,536.9555113
When there's a more defined group, it's easier to get to know more of them better.
439
00:35:15,746.9555113 --> 00:35:16,586.9555113
Yeah, exactly.
440
00:35:16,646.9555113 --> 00:35:16,826.9555113
Yeah.
441
00:35:17,200.2888447 --> 00:35:18,130.2888447
Thank you very much.
442
00:35:18,370.2888447 --> 00:35:20,30.2888447
No worries, Ash, for, uh, Paul being on Forrest.Chat
443
00:35:20,950.2888447 --> 00:35:22,480.2888447
and all our Forrest.Chat
444
00:35:22,480.2888447 --> 00:35:25,420.2888447
listeners, wish you all the best with your future endeavours.
445
00:35:25,420.2888447 --> 00:35:26,140.2888447
Thank you very much.
446
00:35:26,140.2888447 --> 00:35:29,290.2888447
And thank you listeners for listening to me blob on about something I like.
447
00:35:29,846.9555113 --> 00:35:40,436.9555113
Paul and I are doing the parkrun walk at this time and concentrating on walking and trying to explain gliding, which is something I've learned over, you know, the last 20 years.
448
00:35:40,436.9555113 --> 00:35:44,696.9555113
It's, it's quite difficult, but I hope, hopefully you get the gist.
449
00:35:45,100.2888447 --> 00:35:46,740.2888447
You've been listening to Forrest.Chat
450
00:35:47,140.2888447 --> 00:35:54,100.2888447
where we talk about individual endeavour in Western Australia, what it takes, what it means, and how you do it.
451
00:35:54,640.2888447 --> 00:36:01,450.2888447
I'm your host, Paul van der Mey, and in today's episode we've been talking with Ash Boyle about competition gliding.
452
00:36:01,950.2888447 --> 00:36:05,120.2888447
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453
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463
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