Among his many remarkable achievements, this glider pilot has won Polish National Champion titles eleven times; was European Champion once and bronze medal winner twice; and took two World Champion titles, in addition to World silver and bronze medals. He holds the World 15 Metre Record for speed over a 1 000 km triangle of 144.95 km/h. Above all, he is a highly respected and successful competitor and sportsman, and an exemplary ambassador for the gliding community throughout the world.
In recognition of his extensive and substantial contribution to glider airworthiness and sailplane fatigue life in particular, the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) recommends Alan Patching (OAM) as a very deserving candidate for the FAI Lilienthal Medal. Achievements: Alan Patching has been active in gliding for over sixty years and was involved in glider construction and airworthiness matters from the very beginning. Official positions held by Alan include: 1976 - 1996 Member of OSTIV Sailplane Development Panel (SDP); 1985 - 1999 Board member of OSTIV; 1965 - 1996 Australian representative to OSTIV; 1985 - 1992 Program Manager, Janus fatigue testing at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT); 1964 - 1969 GFA Chief Technical Officer - Airworthiness; 1974 Technical Services Team, World Gliding Competitions, Waikere; 1987 Technical Services Director, World Gliding Competitions, Benalla. Alan Patching has authored (and co-authored) some fourteen papers on gliding, with the emphasis on fatigue matters. Alan was awarded the order of Australia (OAM) in 1992 which recognized his services to gliding in Australia. Outcomes for the Gliding Community: Alan Patching has maintained an intensive study of, and interest in, glider airworthiness over forty years and made a significant contribution to the knowledge of glider structures and fatigue, providing a significant contribution to life extension of GRP gliders. Particular highlights and outcomes from this research include: - Early recognition of the potential for fatigue failure in Blanik gliders. - Extended fatigue testing of a Janus glider wing at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology which required significant technical expertise and provided an important contribution to the extension of the operational life of GRP gliders. This work has been of lasting value to the gliding community throughout the world. - Development of fatigue design requirements as part of OSTIV standards. - Chairman of Crashworthiness sub-committee, OSTIV SDP; - Director of the GFA National Gliding School for 16 years. Since 1992 Alan has been involved in the formation of the Australian Gliding Museum and supervising the restoration of a number of airframes to either static or flying condition, including: - Seminars on the fatigue of structures and timber repairs.
- Providing an advisory role to the GFA in regard to the airworthiness of the older fleet of aircraft.
