Benalla's Ailsa McMillan is showing women in gliding just how it is done, capping off another successful FAI Women's World Championships last week.
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McMillan took out four of the nine races at Lake Keepit, just west of Tamworth.
She also went on a roll of sorts, picking up three race wins in a row, with teammate Lisa Turner finishing second in one of the races to make it an Australian one-two.
With scores from each day added to a pilot's overall total across the competition, McMillan eventually finished sixth out of 14 flyers.
She said inconsistency was her biggest problem, with her high finishes not enough to push her up to a top-three finish.
“I need to work on my consistency,” she said.
“The French team, they were also in the top five, I don't think they fell out of it.
“You make a mistake and you can fall into a bit of a hole.
“Sometime it makes sense to slow it down a bit and go slow.”
McMillan piloted a JS1 Glider throughout the competition after it was loaned to her by friends in Western Australia, although she did get a chance to practice in her new glider last year when she went through the qualifiers for the world championships.
Weather conditions were another big factor for competitors to deal with over the two-week-long championships.
“We didn't know what we were going to get with the weather,” McMillan said.
“We ended up flying nine out of the 14 days.
“The rain started on those last few days, it was hammering down.”
Other conditions included both dust and smoke in the first week, but McMillan said there had been a few days of "pure Australian racing days".
“The Europeans came over and said it was the fastest they'd ever went,” she said.
This years’ women's championships were McMillan's second time competing at the event, which are held in Australia every second year. She has also contested three junior titles.
After picking up gliding 10 years ago alongside her father, Alf, Ailsa has continued to work her way up the ranks of competition, travelling as far as Poland, Czech Republic and Lithuania to compete.
McMillan's next major challenge will be the Open World Championships in Australia in three years’ time, as she admitted she may take a rest for the "next little while".
“Now I've done worlds, I'll take a break and go chill out for a bit,” McMillan said with a laugh.
“Winter is pretty quiet with gliding and I don't fly much out of competition.”
However, she said she could pull out her instructor and coaching hats, as the Gliding Club of Victoria, located at Benalla Airport, looks at new ways to get women into gliding.
Judging by her results these past few years, McMillan is the perfect person to show new gliders the ropes.
● For more information on gliding, phone Gliding Club of Victoria on 5762 1058 or head to its website at glidingclub.org.au or Facebook page at facebook.com/glidingbenalla/
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