Gliding Australia Documents

Guidance for managing risks of batteries used in gliders.  Accompanies proposed changes to MOSP 3 AW regarding Sect 8.11 Batteries and allowed standards for avionics batteries, (not starter batteries for powered sailplanes), and batteries in devices.  Education and awareness of battery risks, risk mitigation measures.  Highlights importance of daily inspections for damaged batteries and connectors.  Highlights risks of dropped or damaged cells.  For clubs and registered operators.  Subject to CASA approval of AW document changes.

SB 02/24 builds on issues raised in SB 01/20 Safety Differently by Prof Sidney Dekker

SB 02/24 Safety Differently - Improving Collective Safety suggests additional strategies for clubs to build positive ingredients for safety.

Safety advice related to Windsocks, fitness for purpose, colour, size, visibility, positioning, requirements for Certified and Non-Certified Aerodromes, Occurrence risks, training, reading wind strength and calculating crosswinds.  Useful in dealing with aerodrome users and owners.  

Gliding Australia Safety Policy Commitment, approved by Board and also CASA, included in new MOSP Part 5 SMS.

Discussion of safety activity in 2023, emerging safety issues, and agreed priorities for attention.

Supersedes SB 03/22.

Safety considerations affecting operations, and oversight of operations, in aerodrome environments.  Links to key references, CASA and GFA. Analysis of SOAR data. Collisions, near misses, runway incursions, runway events, conflicts, circuits.  Risk drivers and preventive strategies.  Panel and Committee roles.

SB 01/23 provides updated Emergency Contact information, for Emergency Response Plans and SMS Documents. Club Presidents, CFIs, Safety Officers should update club documents with updated info. Template provided.

SB 02/23 Ground Towing Safety addresses ground glider towing safety risks, multiple ways damage and injury are commonly caused, and takes a whole systems approach to assessing risk drivers.

Preventive measures and strategies are recommended, many addressing factors outside operational procedures.

Discussion of areas of risk exposure, risk priorities, mid-air collisions and near collisions, stall-spin accidents, heavy landings, runway excursions and conflicts, launch accidents, associated human factors. References included to Training Units, OSBs, manuals, online videos.  SOAR data included.

Minor correction 18 December 2022 - Term Hard Landing used in lieu of Heavy Landing. Heavy landing refers to landing in overweight condition above max weight. Hard landing is correct term for landing with considerable g force - an arrival!

Guidance on managing complex physical and mental effects of long Covid in safety critical gliding settings.

Individual and Collective approaches to safety, extending IMSAFE to WE ARE SAFE

Also see SB 06 22 Managing Risks of Ageing

Guidance on personal and collective approaches to safety, managing risks of ageing in all gliding safety critical activities.

Extension of IMSAFE to collective WE ARE SAFE dialogue and decisions.

Advice on "Difficult Conversations" included.

Also see SB 07_22 regarding Managing Risks of Long Covid in Gliding

This Bulletin seeks member support in establishing then maintaining a Gliding Safety Network to provide safety-focussed expertise, skills and knowledge to clubs and members.

Gliding Australia has relied on informal networks to identify individuals with specialist safety skills. We now seek to establish and maintain a simple database of Safety volunteers, members with useful skills, expertise, knowledge, qualifications, and experience in safety-related fields. 

We seek to enable clubs to reach out to get help and advice, to be informed by credible volunteer experts. A pro forma and example are provided for members wishing to support this activity. Request responses be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pro-forma for Glider Safety Network volunteers - please send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Covid-19 Safety Policy Statement 17 July 2022 - applicable to GFA Offices, staff employed by GFA, volunteer officers, with policy guidance for clubs and members.

This SB provides context for GFA ADMIN 030 GFA Covid Safety Policy Statement.

Superseded by update SB 04/23 issued November 2023.  This version retained for traceability.

Safety Policy commitment will be reviewed after each AGM, change of CEO or SM. This version may be updated when Discussion Draft MOSP Part 5 SMS is approved by Board and then CASA under CASR Part 149. Contact SM on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if clarification required.

This bulletin discusses guidance on safe hydration practices, appropriate for most reasonably healthy pilots, underpinned by advice from aviation medical experts.

Note: This bulletin does not discuss medical issues concerning complications associated with comorbidities and any underlying health conditions that may affect body temperature regulation, gastric and kidney function, and metabolisation of salts, sugars and water. Any pilot with such conditions must seek advice from their medical practitioners. Any pilot in doubt concerning appropriate fluid intakes must seek advice from their medical practitioners.

This bulletin addresses hazards associated with heat stress, heat exhaustion, dehydration, associated fatigue and ill effects that may affect summer flying, camps and competitions

When we talk about safety, we actually don’t talk about safety. We talk about the lack of it - the absence of it. We talk about incidents, we investigate accidents, we scratch our heads at the mismanagement of risk by our fellow pilots. We even measure our safety by the number of instances in which it was absent – for example, an accident rate. It is time to start doing, and seeing, safety differently.

Every Soaring Season we hear stories, usually third hand, about various on-road incidents involving members towing their gliders. Fortunately the majority of these incidents are minor but they all result in unexpected interruptions to travel and flying plans, and create unwanted frustration and unplanned expense. Unfortunately most of these incidents also go unreported within our Safety, Operations Airworthiness Reporting (SOAR) system where we collect data on your often unfortunate experiences, so we miss out on the opportunity to learn so that others can avoid similar expensive experiences. This Bulletin highlights some of the common events we heard about. 

In aviation, to operate safely, risks must be managed. One risk that can be removed is mistakes made by those affected by alcohol or other drugs. Alcohol and other drugs seriously affect performance.

This bulletin provides information to assist clubs develop a Drug and Alcohol Management policy under their Safety Management System.