Membership Fees
Annual Club membership runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year, and is renewed each July.
Glider Flight Charges
Flights are charged in two parts, the launch plus the glider hire. There is no charge for the instructor's time.
As an example, a 30 minute training flight in the PW6 trainer with a standard lauch to 2,000ft will cost $78.20... $50 for lauch to 2,000ft + $28.20 glider hire (30 minutes x $0.94 per min)
Bulk Scheme - the GCWA Advantage
We offer a fantastic discount to members who wish to pay for their glider use in advance. For one annual upfront fee of $870 members can have unlimited use of the club's fleet of gliders with the exception of the newer DG-1001. This means that for a student joining the bulk scheme, training flights will be charged with only the launch fee.
As you progress and spend more time aloft, the bulk scheme becomes more advantageous. This is especially valuable if you plan to engage in log soaring flights. The cost of the Bulk Sceme equates to a little over 16 hours of flying per year - a figure which is very easy to exceed if you fly regularly!
The 3 Month Trial Membership
This is for new members who may be a little unsure how they will take to gliding and may be unwilling to commit to the cost of a full year's membership. The package costs $431 and covers the fees for club membership, and also the fee for the mandatory GFA membership.
Pilots on the Trial Membership package are limited to 10 flying lessons charged at a fixed rate of $75 each, with each lesson consisting of a standard 2,000ft tow and up to 30 minutes of airborne instruction.
If you decide you like it, then great! All you need do is pay the difference to top up to a full membership and continue your lessons at the usual club rates.
Launching Fees
At GCWA our launch method is via aerotow. Our tow-planes are used to take the gliders up to a desired altitude before they release and begin gliding. Launch fees are based on 500ft altitude blocks or a per minute rate for longer tows. A standard tow for most purposes is to 2,000 ft. Minute rates for CSN are a little higher that FSJ due to having a more powerful engine and consequently higher fuel burn.
Glider Hire Fees
Use of the club's gliders is charged at a per minute rate and is dependent on the type of glider. Any single flight charge is capped at 4 hours maximum or 5 hours for the DG-1001, this is easy to exceed on strong cross-country flying days when the lift is good! Something to be aware of is that each pilot is also responsible for covering the cost of any damage up to the insurance excess for the glider. For most of the gliders this is $625 and for the DG-1001 it is $1,000. Note that if you cause damage to a glider you may be required to pay anything up to the excess amount for the necessary repairs.