Club Flying Sites

The video below shows a selection of our flying sites. Some of the sites have flying restrictions or require advanced skills. Please read the general club rules below, get in touch with a club safety officer, and carefully check the details for each site before flying there.

General Flying Rules

All pilots must be members of the SCSA and the SAFA before flying any site maintained by the club

All pilots must abide by the clubs code of conduct found below

SCSA radio usage. It is mandatory to carry and use a radio at all SCSA sites. Reliable ground to air, and air to air communication is critical for safe operation in our sport. For coastal flying the commonly used UHF channel is 14 open (i.e no tone squelch). For inland flying pilots will usually use tone squelch 97.4 to squelch out all transmissions not made by radios set to the same tone squelch. It is the responsibility of the pilot in command to check what channel is being used on the day. Note also that when congestion from non flying users compromises pilot safety the CFI, SSO, SO or Duty Pilot may advise pilots that another frequency is to be used for the day (e.g. Channel 15). It is also essential to conduct a radio check as a standard pre-flight check before every flight. This needs to be a 2 way check – you need to be heard by another pilot and be able to hear them in return. It is also best practice to lock the channel in use to ensure it isn’t bumped in flight resulting in a loss of communication. Depending on your set-up please also ensure volume levels are sufficient for you to hear – also be aware that wind noise through an exposed microphone can make it hard for your transmission to be clearly heard. Your CFI is the best resource to advise on effective radio communication set-up for your flying kit. Note also that if you need emergency assistance the Australian Government has legislated that UHF Channels 5 and 35 are emergency channels only and are generally monitored 24/7 by various volunteers.

Club Code of Conduct

Your club supports your access to sites, but needs your support in return. In order to fly these sites you need to be a member of the SAFA and the Sunshine Coast Sports Aviators. It is also a requirement of club membership that you agree to observe & abide by the following values;

  1. Respect for Club sites. These sites are a precious resource for our sport & our club. Our custodianship of them and ongoing access to them is not guaranteed and is under regular scrutiny. Please ensure that you access & use them in a manner that enhances our likelihood of keeping them.  This includes;
    1. Familiarity with site rules – this is your responsibility. The rules are detailed on our website and in some cases on site. If in doubt it is a requirement that you ask a representative of the club for clarity.
    2. Launching/flying/landing only from or within specifically designated areas, in appropriate conditions following approved site procedures.
  2. Respect for other stakeholders. Please respect the rights and differing expectations of other site stakeholders – these include residents, landowners, and members of the public and other site users and/or custodians such as Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service and or the Police. Flying is not a right – it’s a privilege and our ability to participate requires quality relationships with other stakeholders whose interest may not necessarily be aligned to ours. Pay particular attention to gates, fences, animals and vegetation.
  3. Respect for our sport.  Know the rules, know your limitations, participate within them and make safety your primary consideration. Every time you fly these sites you are representing your sport & your club. Please portray an image we can all be proud of. Consider the safety and privacy of locals and other visitors. This particularly applies to Rainbow Beach, Teewah Beach and Point Cartwright where large numbers of the public can be found near launch and landing zones. Consider too the rights & needs of other aviation participants such as Air Traffic Control.
  4. Respect for your club and your fellow members. In a sport like ours we may not always agree but we can control the manner of our disagreement. Please be considerate towards others.
  5. Respect for our environment. Please don’t litter whether biodegradable or not. This means anywhere in or around our sites including car parks.

Please be active in upholding these points with other club members and visiting pilots. The future of our sites and our sport depends on these efforts and having a consolidated club voice.

Site Ratings

The SCSA Safety Committee (CFI’s & SSO’s) have assessed site ratings and these are as follows:

Site Paragliders Hang Gliders
Kings PG4 N/A
Moffat PG3 Advanced
Point Cartwright CLOSED CLOSED
Towers PG4 N/A
Sunrise – Tingira Cr Supervised** Supervised**
Sunshine – North End CLOSED CLOSED
Teewah Supervised** Supervised**
Rainbow Supervised** Supervised**
Widgee Supervised** Supervised**
Flaxton PG3 Intermediate
Dulong PG3 Supervised**
Buchy’s Pl Supervised** N/A
Playgrounds  CLOSED CLOSED
Towers PG4 N/A
     
Notes: Supervised** =
PG1, PG2 & HG Restricted
 
  All sites subject to “on the day” assessment by CFI, SSO, SO or Duty Pilot whoever ranks highest
 

These ratings represent the site in ‘normal’ conditions. As we all know too well any site can turn from being suitable for supervised rated pilots to challenging for advanced depending on the conditions (more so at hinterland sites) but this represents the considered view of the SCSA Safety Committee.

Find Out More About Each Flying Site

Alexandra Headland – CLOSED

North End / Sunshine Beach – CLOSED

Point Cartwright – CLOSED

Rainbow Beach

Sunrise / Tingira Crs

Teewah Beach

Inland Flying

Widgee