by Robert Dorning

Bill Anderson

On January 17, long term member of the GCV, Bill Anderson, died after a 9 month battle with cancer, aged 77. Bill's funeral was attended by a strong contingent of GCV members. Bill is survived by his wife Dawn, who many members know, three sons and six grandchildren. Bill's second son John was also a member of GCV and shared two gliders with his father.

At the funeral many members learned for the first time about Bill's first glider flight which was in a Kookaburra at Benalla. The launch was by winch and the cable broke at 200 feet and the glider pancaked back to earth falling apart around its occupants with a broken fuselage. Amazingly neither the pilot nor Bill was hurt. Not discouraged, Bill returned to Benalla a few weeks later for another trial flight and joined GCV on November 25, 1969.

Bill must have made quick progress in his gliding because by the beginning of 1974 he was part of a four person syndicate which purchased the Nimbus II GOG at the World Gliding Championships at Waikerie (a very hot ship at the time). Two of the syndicate are still active pilots and contributors to the Club - Laurie McKinlay and Mike Kornhauser.

Bill was one of a small band to promote x-country flying in the early days  and which led to GCV becoming the strong x-country club it is today. Apart from leading by example by flying in competitions at all levels and by attempting record flights from Benalla, Bill joined a small informal sub-committee called the Performance Panel whose aim was to promote x-country flying. The Performance Panel was active in running well-attended winter lectures about a range of topics in Melbourne and raising money for gliding paraphernalia. Bill was Head of Chemical Engineering at RMIT at the time which helped with RMIT becoming the venue of the winter lecture series. Perhaps these winter lectures could be copied by the Club today as a means in increasing membership activity throughout winter.

Like many members Bill was active in the preparation and running of the World Gliding Championships held at Benalla in 1987 and assisted with the task-setting at the Worlds. As a result, he became a regular task-setter at competitions run at Benalla.

Sometime in the 1980s, Bill purchased a new LS3 with this son John. The two actively flew the glider until it was destroyed in an out-landing. Bill and John then purchased a 17m DG 202 which Bill flew regularly until his illness interfered. He sold the DG late last year.

Bill took a scientific approach to gliding and was very interested in all aspects of the theory of x-country flight including meteorology. He was a gentle, self-possessed person who never became involved in the senior levels of GCV like the Club Committee. Nevertheless, he could often be found quietly doings things for the Club. He became a Form 2 Inspector so he could do the annual inspections on his gliders in his retirement and began the tradition of doing the Form 2 on one Club FRP glider each year. This tradition is now being taken-up by other Club members.

It is sad when one loses a old friend, but there are many members of the GCV who will be reminded from time-to-time of Bill and fond memories will flash back. Bill was a special person. He loved his gliding.

A young Bill Anderson and Mike Kornhauser with their Nimbus II GOG