Australia, Alice Springs
Based at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Surrounded by the the MacDonnell ranges, the Simpson Desert to our east and Uluru to the west. A winter adventure discovering XC in the outback.
The tours run each year around August. We will be predominately towing but may also mountain launch.
Come and play
FAQ
What do I need to bring
Glider, harness, helmet, vario, gps, radio
A reserve is mandatory
Water, sunscreen, sunnies
What radio do we need?
In Europe they use FM 2M, often not legally
We will discuss and make a decision as a group well before we go
How do we set up our GPS
Your GPS should be set to a coordinate system of degrees.degrees (d.ddddd)
If you want to keep an useful tracklog you should be taking tracklog points every second, depending on the storage capacity of your GPS unit
Why do we go to Conargo
Multiple tow strips for all wind directions
Authentic site to which you will return for long distance XC
Proven conditions for good XC
Do I need a satellite tracker like SPOT
SPOTs are a powerful resource
- They reassure your family
- They reassure you
- They make my life easier knowing I can find you
We are often flying in areas outside of good cell phone coverage. A SPOT with tracking activated and used could save your life
They are not mandatory for the clinics, if we are in the flatlands I strongly recommend one
We have a couple spare we can rent by prior arrangement
What do we do for accommodation
We have organised some accommodation at a guest house overlooking Sopot, a short walk from the chair lift
There is a mixture of rooms with multiple singles and some double beds, The rooms are all serviced, have air conditioning and most have ensuite bathrooms. There are laundry facilities, shared areas and a good sun deck. They provide a good breakfast each day
We will need to discuss as a group how we use the rooms, some may prefer their own rooms, some may want to share a room with an adjustment in cost
We will work this thru before we go






When do the Tours run
There are no events to display
Do I need a tow endorsement
Yes, you need a tow endorsement, towing in thermals can easily be dangerous without some education
We regularly run tow endorsement clinics or can teach you to tow during the safari clinics at extra cost and by prior arrangement only
We need evidence that you know how to tow, the conditions can often be demanding
What does the tour include?
- Expert guides led by Brian Webb
- Extensive local knowledge of sites and meteorology
- Daily weather briefs, task recommendation, goal setting and in flight support.
- Pre tour skills assessment and coaching
- Ongoing coaching with goal orientated skills improvement throughout the tour
- Comfortable vehicles with coordinate capable GPS
- Transport from and to LAX airport
- Transport to the sites each day
- Dedicated retrieve driver
- Full retrieve
- Laptop friendly, I need my laptop and connectivity to be able to get the best from each day, I understand how important it may be for you
- We strongly encourage each pilot to get a SPOT satellite GPS tracker to ensure we know where everybody is – all the time
How much experience do I need to learn to tow
We can teach you to tow as soon as you have your supervised licence
Done correctly towing is a great way to quickly gather flights, launches and landings
We teach students to fly on the tow as well as taking them to the alpine launch sites
What do I need to bring
Glider, harness, helmet, vario, gps, radio
A reserve is mandatory
Water, sunscreen, sunnies
What radio do we need?
In Europe they use FM 2M, often not legally
We will discuss and make a decision as a group well before we go
How do we set up our GPS
Your GPS should be set to a coordinate system of degrees.degrees (d.ddddd)
If you want to keep an useful tracklog you should be taking tracklog points every second, depending on the storage capacity of your GPS unit
Why do we go to Conargo
Multiple tow strips for all wind directions
Authentic site to which you will return for long distance XC
Proven conditions for good XC
Do I need a satellite tracker like SPOT
SPOTs are a powerful resource
- They reassure your family
- They reassure you
- They make my life easier knowing I can find you
We are often flying in areas outside of good cell phone coverage. A SPOT with tracking activated and used could save your life
They are not mandatory for the clinics, if we are in the flatlands I strongly recommend one
We have a couple spare we can rent by prior arrangement
What do we do for accommodation
We have organised some accommodation at a guest house overlooking Sopot, a short walk from the chair lift
There is a mixture of rooms with multiple singles and some double beds, The rooms are all serviced, have air conditioning and most have ensuite bathrooms. There are laundry facilities, shared areas and a good sun deck. They provide a good breakfast each day
We will need to discuss as a group how we use the rooms, some may prefer their own rooms, some may want to share a room with an adjustment in cost
We will work this thru before we go






When do the Tours run
There are no events to display
Do I need a tow endorsement
Yes, you need a tow endorsement, towing in thermals can easily be dangerous without some education
We regularly run tow endorsement clinics or can teach you to tow during the safari clinics at extra cost and by prior arrangement only
We need evidence that you know how to tow, the conditions can often be demanding
What does the tour include?
- Expert guides led by Brian Webb
- Extensive local knowledge of sites and meteorology
- Daily weather briefs, task recommendation, goal setting and in flight support.
- Pre tour skills assessment and coaching
- Ongoing coaching with goal orientated skills improvement throughout the tour
- Comfortable vehicles with coordinate capable GPS
- Transport from and to LAX airport
- Transport to the sites each day
- Dedicated retrieve driver
- Full retrieve
- Laptop friendly, I need my laptop and connectivity to be able to get the best from each day, I understand how important it may be for you
- We strongly encourage each pilot to get a SPOT satellite GPS tracker to ensure we know where everybody is – all the time
How much experience do I need to learn to tow
We can teach you to tow as soon as you have your supervised licence
Done correctly towing is a great way to quickly gather flights, launches and landings
We teach students to fly on the tow as well as taking them to the alpine launch sites
Tour calendar
If you cannot see a date that suits you or there is an event scheduled and you are not sure if you are suitable for it then don’t be shy, contact us to talk it thru
There are no events to display
Bookings
Bookings
To book please check the dates of your event then contact us via the Enquiries page.
Be sure to let us know the dates you are interested in
We will then follow up with you to be sure we have you on the right event
If you have any questions call on +61 (0)417 530972 or skype to brianmwebb
Payments
Payments can be made by bank transfer or PayPal
Bank transfer
Bendigo Bank: BSB 633 000
Account name: XCkms
Account number: 122842537
PayPal
Regret this bears a 2% addition to cover administration costs
Please pay to webbie@XCkms.com
Why us
Why clinic with XCkms
- Expert guides with demonstrable experience
- Extensive local knowledge of sites and meteorology
- Tandem instruction where appropriate
- Comfortable 4WD vehicles with GPS, tablet, SMS and SPOT facilities
- Dedicated retrieve drivers
- Briefing facilities including whiteboard, big screen video replay, tracklog projection and WiFi
Costs
The tours have a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 pilots.
The 3 day tour cost is $600, we have 3 consecutive tours that you can consider, join any or all them as you wish
We have a daily rate of $250 if you want to cherry pick the days you come flying
What does the tour cover?
- Expert guides led by Brian Webb guiding us to the right sites for the weather ahead
- Local knowledge of sites and meteorology
- Daily weather briefs, task recommendation, goal setting and in flight support.
- Pre tour skills assessment and coaching
- Ongoing coaching with goal orientated skills improvement throughout the tour
- Tandem training with tour pilots where beneficial
- Comfortable vehicles with coordinate capable GPS
- Transport from and to Alice Springs airport
- Transport to the sites each day
- Dedicated retrieve driver
- Full retrieve
- 2 tows per day, extra tows are $20 each
- Laptop friendly, I need my laptop and connectivity to be able to get the best from each day, I understand how important it may be for you
- We encourage each pilot to get a SPOT satellite GPS tracker to ensure we know where everybody is – all the time
what can we work on?
Good understanding of thermal production and locations, wind layers and flows, convergence and air-masses. Choosing the good option and flying in the right direction
Brian, Barb, Phil and Chris,Thanks very much for the course this weekend. Your advice, support and skill has lead to what I hope is a big step in my progression and something that with hindsight, I had underestimated the importance of.I’ve been reviewing my footage, and on the last tow I managed 10 stalls and two spins at the top of the box.I went from sloppy, physically demanding, all over the shop, stalls, to clean entries and exits that involved little or no ‘sorting out’ (aka; twisted reverse spirals).Probably most importantly, I’ve developed a new level of respect for my wing and harness, that I think will make me safer into the future.Forecast tomorrow looks excellent!
Recognising and acting on the need to alter one’s behavior or course of action to achieve different outcomes or goals.
The ability to launch in a variety of conditions, getting into the air when required.
Confidence in your ability to make and execute decisions and in doing so perform well.
The conscious decision to be more or less conservative based on observation and situations.
The ability to locate, track and climb well in thermals both alone and in a large gaggle
Imminent events
Alpine tow endorsement
Tow endorsement course, also helps PG2 pilots to gain 10 more flights and another site Pilots will have the opportunity to fly Mystic during the clinic
PG2 to PG3 development course
An intensive 2 days to take you towards your PG3
Alpine tow endorsement
This clinic delivers all the requirements for a tow endorsement. Pilots will have the opportunity to fly Mystic during the clinic
Spring XC - St George, Qld
Meeting at St George, daily package with tows and retrieve. Open to PG2, PG3, PG4 and PG5,
We can help you to a tow endorsement if you have not towed before