Committee
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE
The Australian Junior Gliding Club Committee is the official team behind all junior Gliding development and promotional activities in Australia.
The committee is a voluntary group of eleven members who take care of the affairs of the Club. Each individual is nominated and elected by the AJGC’s members at the Annual General Meeting, usually held at JoeyGlide.
The executive works behind the scenes all year round on various different projects. The executive’s main roles are to manage the club’s fleet and finances, help it’s members to achieve their soaring goals by providing contacts and networking opportunities, organising events, providing financial support, and working to promote and develop junior soaring in any other form.
The AJGC is here to voice your needs and opinions as an junior pilot in the Australian Gliding community.
Of the seven members, four make up the Executive, three are Ordinary members and five are State representatives. The Executive consists of the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. The President is the face of the organisation, main point of contact and oversees all projects, delegating accordingly. The Vice President is the second point of contact and main advisor. The Treasurer takes care of funding, accounts and financial affairs. The Secretary looks after all the records and administration of the Club. The role of the Ordinary Members is to provide council and ensure that the committee is not biased by providing views of the members at large. The role of the State representatives is to sit on their respective regional boards to form a link between the regions and the AJGC. They are also required to run 'local series' events to attract and engage new and existing juniors in each state.
CURRENT COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENT- AIDAN CURTIS (QLD)
"Hollywood" was introduced to gliding clubs in 2014 and has since spent time flying in the Torres Straits. He has been a member of the AJGC for two years after he attended JoeyGlide 2019, where he willingly subjected himself to being in front of the camera everyday (hence the nickname). After a year tenure as ordinary member in 2020, he steps into the secretary role for 2021. Aidan enjoys having the cleanest glider on the grid, however it usually goes to waste after outlanding on the first day of a comp.
VICE PRESIDENT – ANOUSHKA DE CHELARD (VIC)
The latest sensation in a long line of glider pilots, Anoushka’s own gliding journey began with what was supposed to be a single experience flight for her birthday, but that ended up developing into seven flights and the blossoming of an undeniable passion. From flying inverted to soaring out across the plains of Victoria from her home club of GCV, Anoushka finds herself at home on any gliding adventure.
After proving that cirrus’s can still burn holes through the sky and landing on the podium at her first nationals, she’s taken up a new challenge in committee life; becoming the AJGC’s VP. You’ll often find her evicting RPT out of her airspace, or showing the boys to the best thermals of the day
TREASURER – NOAH TANZEN (VIC)
SECRETARY – JARED BIGNELL (NSW)
Jared is constantly up in the sky either in a glider or single engine aircraft working towards a PPL. He has been gliding since 2019 as part of the Australian Air Force Cadets before finding a local club in Bathurst, NSW. After attending his first JoeyGlide in 2023 at Lake Keepit, Jared joined the committee, where he now finds himself in the role of Secretary.
Jared hopes to bring more gliding and social events tailored to Juniors in NSW. He also hopes that the average age of Gliding pilots in Australia continues to challenge the current demographic.
Jared also works late hours on the website and socials to keep you all well informed and up to date.
COMMITTEE
ORDINARY MEMBER – AIDAN CORREA (QLD)
After taking an Aerobatic TIF with the Griffith Uni Soaring Society at the Darling Downs Soaring Club, I became hooked, and decided I wanted to learn to fly through gliding. I enjoy the diversity of flying that gliding offers, enabling me to branch out into cross county, aerobatics, and instructing. I'm currently perusing my dream of flying professionally as a commercial pilot. The fundamental skills I have learnt (and continue to learn) through gliding has given me a solid base to translate over to powered flying. Gliding has developed more than just my flying skills; it has taught me the importance of airmanship and allowed me to meet so many great people.
ORDINARY MEMBER - LACHLAN PENDARAKIS (NSW)
Lachie first started flying at the age of 10 at Bathurst Soaring Club. After over 100 flights, he finally went solo just after his 15th birthday. He then found the Australian Air Force Cadets Gliding Training School where he received a Flying Scholarship (OPSO). Now with over 200 flights, a 'C' Certificate and an aerobatics rating, Lachie hopes to soon complete his GPC to compete in the upcoming JoeyGlide. Lachie also boasts that he has the title of the youngest joining membership at the Bathurst Aero Club at the age of 14 where he has gone solo in powered.
ORDINARY MEMBER - CHARLIE MCKAY (VIC)
Charlie has been around powered aircraft for his whole life, but only made the step ‘up’ to gliders in March 2024. He flies at GCV in Benalla, where he is eager to exploit the club’s offer of free hire before 9am. Charlie is currently working on his GPC, and also his ability to distinguish different models of gliders (why do they all look the same??).
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
NEW SOUTH WALES & ACT - JARED BIGNELL
QUEENSLAND - AIDAN CURTIS
VICTORIA & TASMANIA - NOAH TANZEN
SOUTH AUSTRALIA & NORTHERN TERRITORY – VACANT
WESTERN AUSTRALIA – VACANT
OTHER
WEBMASTER – JARED BIGNELL (NSW)