www.australian-hang-gliding-history.com

Invented in Grafton 1963

THE AUSTRALIAN HANG GLIDING HISTORY

Experienced by the World

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The first of the Mk3 gliders. This photo was taken at Grafton and shows it in its original configuration. The set of side wires are clearly visible. The sail is banana bag plastic and insulation tape. John Dickenson is preparing to launch

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This glider was later sold to the late Rex Bernoth who at the time owned the Tweed Heads Ski Lodge and was running a water ski display team on the river twice a week. The banana plastic was replaced with cloth and contained a sponsors logo 'Nevea Cream'

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Its incredible to believe that this MkIIIa Dickenson Wing was found in a work shed at Tweed Heads in Northern New South Wales (early 2010). Where it had been stored by Ron Nickel and had not been moved for 25 years. Ron had flown the glider a couple of times a week for more than 5 years as a regular member of the Tweed Heads Ski Lodge water ski display team

Diana Nickel Graeme Henderson and Ron Nickel

Terry Aspinall watches as Ron Nickel deals with a wasp nest in the bolt hole. The glider had been in the shed for 25 years and was covered in dust

 

Photos Courtesy of John Dickenson, Graeme Henderson & Terry Aspinall