Floating on the wind, just below the clouds, quiet and peaceful with an extraordinary, unrivalled view of the world below.
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A glider pilot stares in awe at the beautiful rivers and open expanses like they are looking down at a painting — it’s almost surreal.
It’s an unbeatable feeling, a feeling Lumpy Paterson knows well — he became hooked on gliding from a young age, and now it’s his life.
Lumpy recently won a national gliding championship and will be competing at the world championships for the second year in a row.
“It’s a dream come true,” he said.
“I took my first ride in a glider when I was 12 years old, and from that point on I was hooked.
“It’s been an obsession pretty much all my life.”
Lumpy said it was not just the flying he enjoyed, but the “comradeship” with fellow pilots from all over the world.
Gliding Australia hosts the national multi-class gliding competition every year, with several different categories.
The championships this year had 48 competitors over three classes, with the 18-metre class being the biggest.
Lumpy was number one in the 18-metre class out of the whole country and has been selected to represent Australia in Poland later this year.
“The calibre of the pilots who were flying was exceptionally good,” Lumpy said.
“I’ve got a bit of an understanding of how the worlds works now ... so I’m a little bit wiser this year.
“I’m hoping I can keep my cool, fly a little bit more consistently and hopefully get a better result.”
In December 2024, Lumpy won an award for the ‘longest flight out of Victoria’, travelling a total of 1146km and spending exactly eight hours in a glider, an impressive feat.
In December 2025 he broke that record, travelling 1260km and spending a staggering 10 hours in the glider.
“To be able to fly a sail plane for 1260km relying purely on solar energy is incredibly special,” Lumpy said.
“You’re sitting in a very reclined position, almost like a lounge chair, so it’s very comfortable.
“But mentally, it’s pretty full on, you have to be mentally fit to do this.
“I often land after a nine- to 10-hour flight, and I’m not physically worn out, but I’m mentally worn out.”
Lumpy said one of the things he loved about the sport was that every day was different.
“No two days are the same,” he said.
“Some days are really exciting and fast, while other days you’re almost battling to stay airborne.
“Because a glider doesn’t have an engine, you’re completely reliant on solar power and thermals.
“Ultimately, glider pilots are weathermen first, and pilots second, because we rely so much on the weather to do what we do.”
Lumpy owns the Tocumwal Soaring Centre, based out of the old World War II hanger at the airfield in Tocumwal with his wife, Sharon.
“It used to house B-24 Liberator bombers in it,” Lumpy said.
“Now it's got up to 3, 540 gliders in it, so it's multi-purpose that's for sure, and it certainly has a lot of history for the area.
“The primary role of the business is giving pilots from all over the world the opportunity to come to this beautiful spot in Tocumwal on the Murray River.
“We're usually very busy during the months of December, January and February, with up to 70 international pilots coming out each year to sample what it's like flying in Australia and Tocumwal.”
Lumpy said it was one of the biggest gliding operations in Australia.
“We've certainly got the biggest fleet available in Australia, so Sharon and I are pretty proud of what we've built,” he said.
Lumpy will be competing in Poland at the gliding world championships in May.