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North
Coast Gliding & Soaring Club |
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1958 |
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Christopher
McDonnell located this photo and the following text amongst
the on-line archives of Sunshine Coast Libraries. |
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The
image
above is for research purposes only
and must not be reproduced for other
purposes without the prior permission
of Sunshine Coast Libraries. |
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Main
Title: Glider used by the
Aero Club, Mooloolaba
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Summary:
The airstrip was
established one mile inland
from the Mooloolaba Township.
It was a private operation,
being merely a clear area
where a gliding club operated.
The glider was launched by a
motorised winch mounted on a
trailer and stationed at the
extreme end of the runway.
When the required altitude was
reached, the cable was
released. A motor vehicle was
then used to tow the cable
back to the launch site ready
for the next flight.
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Footnotes:
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1)
"Flying begins at Mooloolaba" - Sep'58 issue of "Australian
Gliding" magazine. |
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2) Click here
to view "The Early Days
- North Coast Gliding & Soaring Club".
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---------------------------------------------------- |
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Some
background based mainly on information provided by Ian Aspland
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Prior
to the introduction of the nomenclature "Sunshine
Coast" in 1960, the district immediately above Brisbane
(centered around the Maroochy Shire with headquarters at
Nambour) was known as the "North Coast" or the
"Near North Coast". Similarly, the "Gold
Coast" had been known as the "South Coast"
until around 1954. |
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The
North Coast Gliding & Soaring Club was formed around 1956
... however there were some two years of fundraising before
the first flights in 1958. |
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The
original group that formed the club mostly lived around
Nambour and meetings were held in Geoff Raph's Optometry Rooms
in Howard Street, Nambour. |
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Originally
the flying operations were based at Mooloolaba, however the
the group held weekend flying camps at Evans Head and
Kingaroy. |
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In
1962, upon returning from an 18 month gliding and working
holiday in UK and Canada, Ian (who had spent the first 21
years of his life in Nambour) settled in Kingaroy as the club
had moved opererations there permanently, he was a new
Instructor, and he was still
single. |
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The
Kooka (which had a silver dope finish) was painted red and
white and the club was renamed as Kingaroy Soaring
Club. |
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>
Return to "Gliding
Queensland - HISTORY"
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