Open & 18m Champion Tom Claffey comes into land at Kingaroy Airport on the final day of competition

October 13, 2015

After a week of tough competition, the pilots competing in the 2015 Queensland Gliding Championships relaxed and enjoyed dinner on Saturday night at the Kingaroy Soaring Club.

The championships began on October 3 and ran through until Saturday afternoon, with pilots set specific flying tasks which they had to accomplish to clock up points.

Thirty competitors, who came from Queensland, interstate and overseas, flew in three classes.

After the final glider returned home on Saturday afternoon, the points could be added up and the winners announced (see below).

Also distributed at the dinner were two Gliding Federation of Australia trophies earned by Kingaroy Soaring Club members: The Roger Woods Trophy for the highest placed Australian pilot in a world Club Class championship, and the Wally Wood Memorial Trophy for the pilot completing the longest cross-country flight in Australia.

Adam Woolley was presented with the first, and David Jansen with the second.

David’s flight was quite remarkable … he was towed into the sky from Kingaroy Airport about 8:00am on January 2 this year.

He landed about 12 hours later in Benalla in Victoria, after completing a glide of 1580km!

Former Kingaroy Soaring Club president Greg Schmidt with current president Greg Kolb
David Jansen was presented with the Wally Wood Memorial Trophy and the President’s Shield for his incredible 1500km flight from Kingaroy to Benalla in Victoria on January 2 this year
Adam Woolley was presented with the Roger Woods Trophy for the highest placed Australian pilot in a world club championship
Frank Turner, from Brisbane, and Chris Woolley, from Kingaroy
Linda Kolb, from Brisbane, and Nev Donald, from the Gold Coast
Kara Gillis and Todd Edwards, from the Sunshine Coast

* * *

2015 Qld State Gliding Championship Results

2015 Qld State Gliding Championship Club Class champion Joe O’Donnell (Photo: Greg Kolb)

Standard & 15m
1. Mak Ichikawa – 3906 points
2. Peter Trotter – 3742 points
3. Alan Belworthy – 3542 points
Open & 18m
1. Tom Claffey – 3872
2. David Jansen – 3784
3. Ivan Teese – 3756
Club Class
1. Joseph O’Donnell – 3865
2. John Trezise – 3545
3. Simon Rammelt – 3268

2015 Qld State Gliding Championship Standard & 15m champion Mak Ichikawa, right, and his wife Akemi, from Narromine in NSW
2015 Qld State Gliding Championship Open & 18m champion Tom Claffey (Photo: Justin Sinclair)

 

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