With some of the best gliding conditions in the world the Gliding Club of Victoria, in Benalla, is already a strong draw for unpowered flight enthusiasts.
However, when the winter months set in, in countries like the UK, Switzerland and Japan it becomes even more popular.
Richard Kalin is a former commercial pilot from ]Leeds, in the UK, who loves spending the warmer months in Benalla.
“In Europe, we've got winter, so there's not much gliding going on there,” he said.
Richard is just one international volunteer at GCV who take on various roles.
“A few of us are retired, and there's a couple of guys who are in their late teens to early 20s,” he said.
“It's very important to have volunteers because we need a tow pilot here, we need a couple of instructors and an airfield helper, so having volunteers keeps the whole club moving.
“And for us, it's a relief to come here into the lovely summer and avoid our horrible winter.”
Richard said he’d taken on various roles at the club including being an instructor since the end of October.
“I've also been the midweek operations manager as well, until this week,” he said.
“Which involves dealing with the day-to-day running of the operation midweek, making sure that people are looked after and everything's running as it should.”
Find out more about the Gliding Club of Victoria via www.glidingclub.org.au/
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