By Abby Walter

Horsham is hosting Australia’s second biggest gliding competition this week, as competitors and their crews flock to the area.

Horsham Flying Club president Michael Sudholz said 38 gliders were at the annual competition, which started on Saturday and will conclude this weekend.

He said organisers and gliders were expecting good flying conditions on the finals days of the competition.

“We have representatives from NSW, South Australia and Queensland; we can only take 40 gliders so we are nearly at capacity,” Mr Sudholz said.

“They are all staying in Horsham at motels and pubs, so it brings money to the town.

“They spend about $180 a person, a day, while they are here, so it’s good for our economy.”

Mr Sudholz said Horsham Week was the club’s biggest event for the year.

“We haven’t seen numbers this high in more than three years,” he said.

“We have about half a dozen new fliers who will be competing for the first time.”

Mr Sudholz said the only competition bigger than Horsham Week in Australia was the world championships.

He said James Nugent, who hails from Mildura, was this year’s world champion and his father David was competing at Horsham Week.

“James will be here on Saturday as our guest speaker when we have our dinner in the hanger and people are welcome to come down and listen,” he said.

“It’s a pretty big ticket for James to be World Champion, but now he is crewing for his father as his father has been crewing for him recently.”

Mr Sudholz said Horsham Week kept the Horsham Flying Club operating.

“Horsham has a reputation for safe flying, so it’s a good area to fly and conditions can be pretty favourable,” he said.

“We like to think we run a safe competition so gliders know when they come here they will be looked after.”

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