Aviation - Adelaide Soaring Club
| Type of organisation: | Sporting
|
| Date established: | 1944
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The Adelaide Soaring Club (ASC) is one of Australia’s premier aviation clubs, with a history spanning over 80 years. Established during the final stages of World War II, it evolved from a small group of DIY enthusiasts into a major hub for both gliding and Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).
- 1944 (November): The club is founded as the Gliding and Soaring Club of South Australia. At the time, aviation resources were scarce due to the war, and the founding members—including teenagers like Ray and Alan Bradley—had to be incredibly resourceful.
- 1946: The club completes the SA 5, its first two-seater trainer. Because commercial two-seat gliders weren't available, members built their own to ensure safer pilot training.
- 1947–1949: The club operates primarily from an airstrip at Virginia, north of Adelaide. During this era, members even dismantled a wooden shed in Renmark and transported it to Virginia to serve as their first hangar.
- 1950: The ASC moves to its permanent home at the Gawler Aerodrome. This site was originally an RAAF base built in 1941 for P-40 Kittyhawk fighters.
- 1998: The club "spreads its wings" into powered flight, introducing Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) to its operations, starting with an Australian-made Jabiru.
- 2010: A major milestone is reached with the official opening of a new clubhouse and upgraded facilities on March 8.
- 2025: The club makes global headlines when father-and-son members David and Max Scutchings set a Guinness World Record for 45 consecutive loops in a glider over Gawler.
The Gawler Aerodrome Connection
The club’s history is inextricably linked to the Gawler Aerodrome.
- RAAF Heritage: Built during WWII, the airfield featured some of the only sealed runways in South Australia at the time, capable of handling heavy aircraft like B-24 Liberators.
- Commercial Backup: Before Adelaide Airport (West Beach) was built, Gawler served as the primary weather diversion for commercial flights when Parafield was fogged in.
- Management: Today, the ASC manages the aerodrome on behalf of the Light Regional Council, maintaining it as a vibrant hub for recreational aviation.
A hallmark of the ASC has always been its DIY spirit. In the early years, when they couldn't afford parts, members sourced materials from army surplus stores and used pushbikes or trams to transport equipment. This culture of innovation led them to build several ground-breaking aircraft, such as the "Golden Grunau" in 1949.
Fun Fact: The club’s move to Gawler in 1950 wasn't just for aviation—for a few years in the early 50s, the aerodrome runways were also used for motor racing before the Port Wakefield Circuit opened.
The Adelaide Soaring Club was established in 1944.
Please click here to read a Bunyip newspaper article dated 20/7/2016 regarding the renewal of the club's lease. .
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