BENALLA is set for a financial windfall when the World Gliding Championships get underway next week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Official practice for the event starts on Thursday, with the opening ceremony to come on January 9.
Mayor Don Firth didn't want to put a dollar figure on the expected boost to the city's economy, but said there were high expectations for the event.
“We are already confident the dollar impact from this event for Benalla will be quite significant,” he said.
“The tourism benefits for the city are quite obvious.
“We've got about 400 visitors who are associated with the championships, but we also expect to have quite a few people visiting during the competition as well.
“When you think about the logistics of launching 125 gliders in 90 minutes using just 10 tow planes, it's a pretty serious operation.”
The competition will run for the best part of this month, finishing on January 22.
It will be the first time Australia has hosted the world championships since they were last in Benalla in 1987.
“One of the main reasons Benalla was high on the pecking order in terms of venues was the performing arts centre being across the road from the airport,” Cr Firth said.
“With 300-odd pilots and crew members, they can all have their pre-flight briefings each morning in a nice, air-conditioned facility.
“Gliding has been here in Benalla for years, and when you have an event of this size you mingle with people from all over the world.
“The Benalla Business Network has organised a system where teams from each nationality are adopted by a local business, just to get everybody involved.
“We've found that a number of overseas pilots have purchased houses and property in the area, specifically for gliding.
"They come here and live for three or four months a year just to fly.
“Being associated with such a significant international event is just fantastic.”
A lot has changed since the first time the championships were in Benalla, particularly in terms of technology.
Thanks to the use of GPS on the majority of flights, fans can track where each competitor is and keep track of the standings online in real time.
Around 80 of the 125 gliders can be tracked.
