Your First Day
After the daily briefing at 9.00am our staff will introduce you to our operation, facilities and some rules which are described on this page. We will complete all paperwork that is necessary for you to fly legally in Narromine.
If this is your first stay with us, or you have not flown with us currently, we will be flying with you in one of our double-seaters first. This will help you to familiarize and get used to Narromine and our area. Once you are checked out you can proceed to your single-seater and enjoy our magnificent conditions on your own.

A Normal Operation Day
Our Daily Schedule:
9.00 am Briefing

Glider Preparation:
After briefing collect your battery and maintenance release, proceed to our hangar and help
our staff to open up the hangars to get the gliders and the tugs out. Install the battery and
prepare your glider. Make sure you have the appropriate trim ballast and cushions. After you
have satisfactorily completed the daily inspection together with our staff, the maintenance 
release of your glider will be signed by our staff .The maintenance release must be signed 
each day before take-off and kept inside the glider during the flight.
Assist us by fitting the towing equipment (wing dolly, tail dolly and towbar) to your glider.
Once the gliders are ready and equipped with their towing gear our staff will begin towing 
out to the departure point.

Flying Preparation:
While our staff is towing out the gliders to the departure point you can do all your necessary
flight preparations in our briefing room at the office. Collect your camera, barograph and task
sheet before you ride out to the launch point with one of the gliders being towed out.

Launching:
Launching begins at about 11.00 am depending on the weather and each pilot‘s needs.
Get your glider ready and take away all the towing gear before we commence with launching.

After your Landing:
After your final landing our staff will pick you up and bring you and your glider to the hangar.
Back in the hangar clean your glider, return battery, maintenance release, camera and barograph to the office counter.

A Typical Flight:

Take-off and Aerotow

CHAOTIC  before take-off:

C – Controls
Check the controls of your glider for movement in the correct sense before boarding or entering the cockpit.
Make sure you have removed all towing gear.

H – Harness
Check your harness for security, lap-belts low on hips, make sure your harness is locked and cannot open during the flight. (Both pilots if a double-seater)

A – Airbrakes and Flaps
Check for full and free movement, make sure airbrakes are closed and locked and your flaps are set for take-off.

O – Outside and Options
Check airspace and take-off path clear. Make sure you understand the wind direction and velocity, check your options in case of a launch failure.

T – Trim & Ballast
Check your trim is set as required, make sure you have the appropriate trim ballast if required and confirm it is secure.

I – Instruments
Check your altimeter is set on QNH (800ft in Narromine), the radio is on and set on 126,700;
ASI and other instruments are reading normally, switches are on.

C – Canopy, Carriage & Controls
Controls are checked for full and free movement and loose objects are stowed.
Undercarriage down and locked.
Check your canopy is clean, closed and locked.

Once you have completed CHAOTIC we will hook on the towrope and do a release check once a day before the first flight.
When you are ready for take-off put up your thumb.
After the ground crew has confirmed "ALL CLEAR ABOVE AND BEHIND" your wings will be levelled for take-off. Before take-off the tug pilot may request a radio check from you.

Towing
As many different nationalities are flying together at our soaring centre we do not insist
on low tows which are common in Australia and many other soaring centres. Whatever
towing method you are used to, and which ever towing method you prefer, we  ask
you to use.

Release
You may release at about 2,300 – 2,800ft QNH, however not lower than 2,300ft QNH.
Please make sure before release that the airspace is clear to the right where you are
just about to turn and to the left and below where the tug is just about to descend.

FUST after release:
After release do a right clearing turn away from the tug. During your right turn you should complete FUST

F – Flaps set as required

U – Undercarriage up and locked

S – Speed set as required

T – Trim set for the selected speed

If a launch failure occurs
Our cables break very seldom and our tugs are very reliable, but nevertheless you must be ready any time.
*  First priority, acquire and maintain the safe speed near the ground
*  Locate your position which of course includes your altitude
*  Identify and operate

During your flight:
Narromine has one of the best gliding conditions in the world. Strong thermals with up to 10kts and up to 16,000ft are not seldom. But because we have so strong thermals you can enter a spin occasionally when you enter or leave a thermal and one of your wings stalls. This is not dangerous if you have enough altitude and you know how to recover safely. If you are not confident in how to recover from a spin please ask us for spin recovery training in one of our double-seaters.

Thermalling speeds
For the Astir IIIb we recommend 45kts. For all other gliders 50kts.
Do not thermal after entering downwind. If you enter downwind or you have a launch failure you must acquire the safe speed 
near the ground. We recommend the following speeds: Astir IIIb 50kts, Hornet, ASK 2155 kts, all other gliders 60kts.

Are you keeping a good look-out at all times? Narromine has no airspace restrictions but you are not flying alone in our skies without limitations. Therefore keep a good look-out at all times. Use the information which you can receive from your radio to see others. If you are not sure whether another aircraft can see you, stay away even if you have the right of way.

As Narromine has so magnificent gliding conditions, it can be quite hot. Temperatures of up to 40°C can be normal which results in thermals up to 14,000 ft and higher. Therefore bring enough drinking water with you during your flight. Drink at least every 30 minutes. Bring only water with you into your cockpit. Sports or other sweet drinks attract insects. For long flights bring some food with you like eg muesli bars. Start slowly and give yourself time to get acclimatized.

With thermals usually higher than 10,000ft every day it is hard not to fly too high, but please keep in mind without oxygen supply you should not stay above 10,000 ft.

Sunsets in Narromine are wonderful. If you observe one sunset you will realize that there is no twilight and it will be completely dark shortly after sunset. Therefore land before sunset. If you land just before sunset, choose a landing direction which is not heading towards the sun.

By the way cloud, flying is not permitted for gliders in Australia.

Radio procedures during flight:

Leaving the CTAF of Narromine
The sizes of Narromine CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) are 10nm in radius (10nm are about 18km) and between 3,000 ft and 5,000 ft AGL in height.
When you are leaving the CTAF of Narromine transmit on 126.700: 
"Callsign [eg UP] LEAVING FREQUENCY". 
Afterwards change your radio to 122.500 and transmit: "Callsign [eg IUL] ON FREQUENCY."
122,500 is a glider frequency, it is used between glider and glider, between glider and glider base, between glider base and glider base and between glider and tug in case of an retrieve from an outlanding.

Entering the CTAF of Narromine
Before entering Narromine CTAF transmit on 122.500:
Callsign [eg.33] LEAVING FREQUENCY [eg FOR LANDING IN NARROMINE]."
Afterwards change your radio to 126,700.
When entering Narromine CTAF make an inbound call:
ALL STATIONS NARROMINE, GLIDER, Callsign, [eg 33], position which includes your altitude in QNH, [eg 5 NM NORTH WEST OF NARROMINE, 3,000 ft] INBOUND."

Circuit and landing:
Circuits
All circuits are left-hand circuits.
Do a right hand circuit only if you feel you cannot complete a left hand circuit safely.
Observe the surface direction and velocity of the wind and decide your landing direction and runway.

Runways
As runways you can use: 29 grass right, 11 grass left, 22 grass right and 04 grass left. 
The asphalt or bitumen runways can be used as a second choice.

Checkpoint 
Plan your circuit with 1,800ft QNH (1,000 ft AGL) at your checkpoint.
FUST  before entering downwind:

F – Flaps set as required

U – Undercarriage down and locked

S – Speed set as required, safe speed near the ground

T – Trim set for the selected speed

Radio call when entering Downwind
For eg: "ALL STATIONS NARROMINE, GLIDER ‚PI‘, LEFT DOWNWIND, 04 GRASS LEFT, UNDERCARRIAGE DOWN AND LOCKED."

Landings
Do not land towards an obstacle or another glider and make sure your path is clear.
After touch-down keep taxing straight until you stop, do not taxi out from the runways, another glider might be just landing beside and behind you.

Narromine Airfield Map

Flying Cross-Country

Once you are familiarized with your glider and Narromine airfield you begin to go cross-country. This is the moment when you will enjoy Australia‘s tremendous gliding heaven most. Cross–country flying around Narromine is easy and safe.
No airspace restrictions or difficult weather patterns. Nevertheless it can happen that you face an out landing.
The following chapter will help you to conduct an out landing as safe as possible. If you like to practise a real outlanding in one of our double-seaters with one of our experienced instructors feel free to ask us. A real exercise is of course the best preparation. Or walk to some paddocks on your own for a closer inspection.

Altitude - Management:
Outlandings are easy if you manage your altitude correctly.

At 2,000ft AGL:
If you descend to 2,000ft AGL you must think of the possibility for an out landing at the latest.
Broadcast on your radio on 122,500 if possible: "Callsign, position including altitude in QNH [eg 10KM SOUTH OF PEAK HILL, 3,200ft] MAY OUTLAND."

At 1,500 ft AGL:
If you descend to 1,500ft AGL you must choose a safe paddock at the latest.
Once you have selected a paddock you can try to find a thermal in the gliding ratio of your selected paddock. Do not try to find a thermal without having selected a paddock first!

At 1,000 ft AGL:
If you descend to 1,000ft AGL you must enter downwind, do your FUST check and make sure you have dumped all your water ballast.

How to select a safe paddock for an outlanding:

SSSSW – Outlanding Check:

Size:
The size of the chosen landing area must be adequate.
If the size of your selected landing paddock is big enough we can land with our tug in your paddock and tow your glider out.
This is faster than any road retrieve.

Surface:
- First choice: Freshly harvested stubble paddocks. They can be recognized by the wheel marks of the harvester.
Patterns which the wheel marks from the harvester have left:

- Second choice: One or two years old grassy stubble paddocks.

They can be recognized by harvesting wheel marks partially left.

- Bad choices: Bad choices are ploughed paddocks. They can be used if you cannot find any other paddocks.
Air-retrieves are not possible and small damage to your glider is very likely. Land only along the furrows.

- Do not choose: High standing crops, irrigated fields and paddocks with too many animals, trees or tree stumps, erosion gullies and contour banks as well as circular paddocks and all paddocks with the following patterns:

Generally land along the furrows or wheel marks of the harvester even if out of the wind.

Slope:
Choose a paddock without any slope as the area around Narromine has plenty of flat paddocks.If at all steep, land up the slope.

Surroundings and Stock:
Look for power lines, telephone lines, stock or grazing animals, fences, stones, trees and tree stumps. Make sure your approach path is clear from any obstacles and you do not land towards any obstacle.
Fences: Every paddock is surrounded by a fence, usually there are no fences inside a paddock. Big stones, stumps and small bushes can be found by observing the wheel marks of the harvester.
SWER (single wire earth return) lines can be a real hazard as they are difficult to see and the poles are far apart. If you have enough time to select your outlanding paddock you will have sufficient time to overfly your paddock and inspect it for SWER lines. Every house will have at least one power line going to it, try to find it before you land.

Wind:
As usual, plan to land into the wind. You can find out the wind direction from your drift, from dust, smoke or water holes for grazing animals.

Landing on an airfield:
If you decide to land on a CTAF airfield follow the same procedures as in Narromine.Land only on the runways.After stopping make sure that the outside of the runway is accessible and push your glider out of the runway.

Landing in Dubbo:
Dubbo is a CTAFR (Restricted Common Traffic Advisory Frequency). Not a CTAF. When flying into a CTAFR and/or landing in a CTAFR different procedures apply. If you like to know how to fly into a CTAFR and how to land there please ask us for details.

After landing:
Try to contact other gliders on 122.500 and inform them that you have outlanded and everything is okay.
Find out your exact position on the map, inspect your paddock and decide whether you request an air retrieve or a road retrieve.
If you cannot establish radio contact, or you do not know where your position is, try to find the next farmhouse or telephone. Farmers are very friendly and will help you to contact us.
Before leaving the glider put the canopy cover on, secure the glider with its tie down kit and take your water bottle with you.
Phone numbers: Office - (02) 68891856, Shinzo‘s home - (02) 68892537.
By the way, outlandings can be a nice experience, sometimes farmers organise small parties only because you out anded in their paddocks. Very often you will meet new friends.

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