A 30 page feature article, incorporating some 40 photographs, published in the June, 1929 issue of The National Geographic magazine on the gliding camps at Wasserkuppe in Germany fired the enthusiasm of many world-wide. In South Australia two gliding clubs were formed as a direct result. Both clubs intended to acquire and then fly a Primary Glider as their first step.

The Adelaide University Engineers' Glider Club membership was confined to students enrolled in the Engineering course at the Adelaide Uni., while members of the Gliding Club of South Australia consisted of men from various walks of life, and included some power pilot members of the Aero Club of S.A.

The A.U.E.G.C. decided to build a glider. Having located plans and blueprints in an American magazine for a Zoegling, they obtained permission for space and the use of University workshops during the summer vacation of 1929/30. As soon as the exams were finished, construction commenced and their glider was completed at a cost of £17, and test flown successfully in April of 1930.

The G.C.S.A., with 50 potential flying members registered, took a some-what shorter took a some-what shorter approach and in October 1929 ordered a machine from P.J. Pratt in Geelong. This Dágling was priced at £100, delivered and rigged, and arrived by goods train in the last week in December. The machine was assembled and demonstration flown by Percy Pratt at Parafield on 30th December 1929.

[The S.A.G.H.T. has the original tailplane from this glider in their keeping, the G.C.S.A. still clearly painted on it.]

The two machines were similar, both of German design, the Dágling had a 30ft wing span. the Zoegling slightly wider. Both had about a 15ft fuselage, the Dagling tail assembly of metal, while the Zoegling was timber.

Both clubs flew at Tapley's Hill and co-operated together to a great extent during 1930, as well as sharing Open Days, but by July, 1930 both clubs had a major problem. Although they had at least 4 instructors, they only had one Primary glider each and over 70 members between them, with number growing every week.

The Uni. students couldn't afford to buy a soaring machine, and the G.C.S.A. members were still heavily in debt for the original purchase of their Primary. The Uni. club did plan to build a sailplane during the next vacation at an estimated cost of £50, but that didn't eventuate.

On 1st August, 1930 an article appeared in the Advertiser stating that both clubs agreed that it was time a Gliding Association was formed. "With anot was formed. "With another club being formed at Parafield shortly, it is thought that the time is more than ripe." There was also suggestions for charging admittance for a combined 'field day', as it was not unusual to have over two hundred spectators travel down to watch the weekly practices.

The third club referred to, the Parafield Soaring Club consisted of a handful of the 'elite' pilots from the S.A. Aero Club whose aim was to break the world record for gliding here in S.A. They flew the Frank Roberts built glider in which G.K. Rice- Oxley had set the British Commonwealth record.

The same National Geographic article also inspired 19 year old Laurie Davy to abandon his partially built bi-plane and design Australia's first sailplane. The 62ft. wing-span "Miss Australia I" was completed in 1931 and the wings, in a modified machine, were still flying in S.A. in the 1950s.

These clubs were the start of the gliding movement in South Australia, and their members, machines and expertise formed a solid base, in other clubs in the 30's and ultimately in the post war period.

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