Don't want to face another long, cold winter without scratching that soaring itch?

Dry conditions in northern NSW have lead to an early start to the XC season we're encouraging pilots to think about their personal goals. In addition to resident coach Allan Barnes, this year Lake Keepit Soaring Club welcomes a new addition to the coaching team: Andy Aveling; who’ll be based at the club October to December. Andy and Allan's roles are to satisfy the cross country goals of our members and guests. Coaching is not just for competition pilots, every accomplihed cross country pilot once needed ‘encouragement' to venture out. Whether it be getting over the Silver C 'hump', advanced badge flying, distance flying or just getting the most out of your own glider in lead & follow exercises, our coaches are available to help.

They can assist with task planning, weather analysis, 2-up coaching in our Duo Discus, Lead & Follow, post-flight analysis and debriefs. With its lack of airspace, wide array of outlanding options and friendly club culture, Lake Keepit Soaring Club welcomes visitors from around the globe.

As for our coaching staff, many will already know Allan Barnes, Club and Standard class National champion and frequent WGC competitor. Hailing from the United Kingdom, you may not be familiar with Andy Aveling who is the reigning UK 2-seat Champion. So, who better to ask for an intro than Andy himself:

"My passion for flying was sparked when I started gliding with the Air Cadets at the age of 14. Gliding-wise, I’ve logged about 6,000 hours and satisfied most of my goals along the way. This has included the FAI 1,000km Diploma, but more importantly I’ve flown cross-country in lots of different conditions in Europe, Argentina, Namibia, South Africa and of course, Australia. Interestingly, I’ve learned that flying further or faster isn’t always better, but getting the most from the conditions on the day does get me excited.

Much of my flying has been in two-seat gliders: it’s so much more fun to fly with somebody else right there with you to experience the challenges and rewards of the day. However, I’ve also enjoyed the chance to head out in single seat gliders to test my abilities against the elements..

I look forward to sharing my passion and vision with you all at Lake Keepit.."

Welcome Andy!

You may be pleasantly surprised how affordable it is to attend coaching at Lake Keepit, check our new website or get in touch with Bookings Manager Patricia Healy at bookings (at) keepitsoaring.com or visit our website at www..keepitsoaring.com