Coaching Support Program

The VSA supports a coaching program to develop cross country skills for pilots who are seeking to achieve Silver, Gold and Diamond C badges. Three coaching events are currently established:

1. Introduction to cross country flying at Horsham at the end of January,

2. Coaching during Horsham Week competition in early February,

3. Alpine week at Mt Beauty in late February/early March for coaching across the alpine area of North-East Victoria.

Other coaching events which have been held in the past, were:

• • High altitude flying in lenticular wave conditions out of Ararat airfield with the Grampians Soaring Club, and

  • Winter series of evening cross country lectures in Melbourne.

Event organisers may apply to the VSA for up to $500 per event for use at their discretion to ameliorate costs and make involvement more attractive. An event might be a basic Cross-country coaching week, or winter lecture series in Melbourne, or some other recognised and agreed event in the coaching program.

When a VSA event is adversely affected by poor weather or other matters the VSA will assist in covering operational losses provided the Organisers have previously established a realistic budget for the event.

The VSA has simplified our document on VSA support for aircraft offered for use at VSA competitions and coaching events. VSA MOU Aircraft Hire 2020

The principal matters are:

• availability of a fuel subsidy of 25 cents per kilometre for trailering two-seat gliders for coaching use, and

• in the event of damage to a tow plane or two-seat glider used for coaching then the VSA will cover up to $ 2,500 of the insurance excess.

We hope this will encourage Clubs and private owners to offer tow planes and two-seaters for VSA events including the Grand Prix. We will also support two-seaters being used for coaching VSA pilots at interstate events.