By Daryl Bishop
The Gliding Australia display at the Avalon Australian International Airshow was a great success, attended by many people over the course of the event. The Show itself attracted over 200,000 attendees and featured around 350 aircraft on display, both airborne and on the ground, with 902 participating exhibitor organisations from 28 nations.
Inspire and Engage
More than 250 pilots of the future got behind the stick in the VSA gliding simulator, with a similar number exploring the cockpit of the DG300. Even better, 34 Air Experience Flight (AEF) vouchers were sold to new pilots, wanting to give gliding a go – hopefully on their way to clubs.
Behind the scenes, over 30 enthusiastic gliding volunteers contributed their time across the three public days.
Our presence at Avalon was driven by a clear vision to elevate the profile of gliding and demonstrate its accessibility to everyone. We aimed to ensure that every visitor left our display knowing that the dream of becoming a pilot was within reach.
Our Display
Our display was designed to be immersive and interactive, where our experienced volunteers gave each visitor a personalised tour of gliding. We wanted to show gliding not just as a sport, but as a potential starting point on a career path, or simply a deeply rewarding pursuit. Central to this was the VSA simulator – a marvel of engineering featuring a genuine glider cockpit mounted on a trailer, powered by the Condor 2 flight simulation software. It proved to be a constant hive of activity throughout the airshow.
Adding to this immersive experience was a DG300 glider, generously loaned by the Geelong Gliding Club. This aircraft allowed us to share something truly special with attendees – the opportunity to climb into a real glider cockpit and imagine themselves banking hard into 8kts of lift. Complementing these interactive elements were a looping gliding video, information about APAC virtual soaring and informative handouts.
This year, we were incredibly fortunate to have the generous support of the Victorian Soaring Association (VSA), who funded a significant discount on AEF vouchers, making that first step into gliding more accessible.
To ensure an engaging experience, our display was staffed by dedicated volunteers. Some greeted visitors and sparked their initial interest, others guided them through their first hands-on experience in the simulator, and further volunteers were stationed at the glider, sharing their passion firsthand. This approach kept visitors engaged and minimised any wait times, ensuring that everyone had the chance to discover the magic of gliding.
Our Gliding Ambassadors
When we called for volunteers, we were thrilled by the overwhelming response. Over 30 enthusiastic individuals stepped up to be gliding ambassadors at the airshow. Each volunteer arrived with energy and enthusiasm, embodying our goal of demonstrating that "gliding is accessible to everyone". Their dedication was evident as we had a great turnout and were almost always busy, except maybe when noisy machines like the F22 performed overhead.
Volunteers travelled from interstate, some flying in on the day and others braving the traffic to get to the airshow. Everyone arrived with a smile and got straight to work. In sales, there's a truism that people buy from people, and authenticity is key. In gliding, selling what we do is easy because it just comes naturally.
We Won an Award
The Avalon organiser, AMDA, awarded the Gliding Australia display as General Aviation's most interactive stand. The award was a testament to both the immersive and interactive nature of our display and the enthusiasm and energy of our volunteers.
As part of the General Aviation (GA) display, like other organisations, we were there to highlight the diversity to be found in general aviation. Although we were set slightly apart from the high-foot-traffic funded areas, we learned that a good display and proactive engagement can leave a positive impression and draw people in.
The foot traffic was excellent for our location, and we were busy across the three days. We can improve our communication with volunteers, which we will do better next time and need to have a good think how we can up the ante in 2027.
Defining Success
The 34 AEF vouchers sold served as a clear datapoint that 34 people are keen to have a go at gliding. However, this is just part of the story. Marketing and branding are not point-in-time activities, but rather are ongoing efforts that require time, reinforcement, repetition and capitalising of momentum.
Avalon is a platform to showcase our sport, raise awareness and encourage people to try gliding. It's now up to all of us to reinforce this message in our clubs and conversations. So, was it a success? Absolutely. But let's all keep the cadence up and continue talking about the sport we love.
The 2025 gliding Australia display at Avalon is dedicated to Grieg Wanless who defined what it means to be a volunteer and was dearly missed at Avalon.
Thank You
A big thanks to Gliding Australia, especially Sarah Thompson, head of marketing, for their unwavering support. No request was too difficult, no problem unsolvable.
As mentioned, the Victorian Soaring Association (VSA) provided the gliding simulator and helped fund the Air Experience Flight (AEF) vouchers, which were a great success at the show. The simulator was a significant win, and I cannot stress enough its importance in drawing foot traffic in. Thanks to Phil Henderson and David Meredith for their organisational efforts.
The Geelong Gliding Club (GGC) provided their DG300 glider, a standout feature of our display. It allowed visitors to sit in the cockpit, snap pictures and learn about the controls and instruments. Thanks to GGC and David Meredith for towing the glider trailer and facilitating the rigging and de-rigging process.
Thanks to Andy Davidson for introducing APAC Virtual Soaring, adding another dimension to our gliding showcase.
A special thanks to AMDA, the show organisers, for ensuring the event ran smoothly. Julie and Joelle didn’t stop for the week. Of course, a heartfelt thank you goes to the volunteers, too many to mention individually. Without volunteers, this display wouldn't happen, and gliding as a sport wouldn't happen.
