Mark 'Lumpy' Paterson was crowned the 18m champion at the Australian National Gliding Title.
Tocumwal is home to Australia’s 18m gliding champion.
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Mark ‘Lumpy’ Paterson took out the top prize in the category at the Australian National Gliding Title, which was held at Lake Keepit in northern NSW.
Mr Paterson competed against Australia’s best pilots in the annual event held over 10 days, competing in his Jonkers JS3 glider, which is made in South Africa.
With a final score of 4,319, he placed first out of a pool of 12 competitors from across the nation.
The win came just days after some equally impressive results at the 38th World Gliding Championships in Uvalde, Texas.
Representing Australia in the USA, he was able to win on one day and finished on the podium on another two days.
These events are normally held over a two-week period where pilots race against each other around a triangular course with distances from 250km to 750km being covered.
These flights can take up to seven hours to complete.
“It’s been a dream come true winning an Australian Nationals,” Mr Paterson said.
“It’s something I have been aiming for all my flying career.
Mr Paterson has been flying gliders since his 12th birthday.
After saving up enough pocket money to purchase his own glider and license, he took his first solo flight at just 15 years.
He went on to become the youngest pilot in the world to hold the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) three diamond badge at age 17.
After a 20 year hiatus, Mr Paterson returned to competitive gliding in 2016 when he entered into that year’s national gliding championships.
He is the current Australian record holder for the speed around a 1013km triangle, which was flown from Tocumwal at an average speed of 148.78 km/h - amazing for a plane without an engine.
Mark Paterson completing a turn in the final of the Australian National Gliding Title.
Mr Paterson and his partner Sharon Dennis own the big World War II hangar on the airfield at Tocumwal, from which they operate Tocumwal Soaring Centre.
They teach pilots how to fly gliders and welcome pilots from all over the world who come to Tocumwal to experience some of Australia’s best soaring conditions.
“We were inspired to move to Tocumwal for the gliding with four times world champion and my hero, Ingo Renner,” Mr Paterson said.
As the title winner at Lake Keepit, Mr Pateron will now have the opportunity to represent Australia in Poland in May 2026, for the 39th World Gliding Championships.
“It sounds like a long way away, however arranging shipping of gliders and paper work allowing us to fly in other countries does take time.
“We also get a full season next year to practice before heading overseas.”
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