While some of the Australian team's European competitors are used to seeing 50 or more gliders within a few hundred metres of each other, it's quite a sight for Peter Temple.

“It's exciting – in more ways than one,” he said.

“Certainly in terms of the ground operation, the sheer number of people here.

“The theatre for the briefing on Monday morning was absolutely packed, people hanging out in the wings and not being able to get in.

“There's 115 gliders on the grid, which is quite a spectacle in of itself.

“It also means there's 115 pilots in the air, and it gets very very busy.

“This is the largest amount of aircraft in the air, in the same place, at the same time in the Southern Hemisphere.” 

It’s a sight Mr Temple has never seen before – nor have many of the Australian pilots.

“The most we’d have in the air during an Australian competition might be 70 or so aircraft at our national competition,” he said.