... why they are vital to separate civilian IFR traffic, he was stumped when I asked why they don't need separating after 4 pm on Friday until Monday morning.
They are so paranoid about gliders infringing during contests...
Why so scared of a few UFOs in their space when they are training for war zones?
...
I had the privilege of flying gliders in that part of the world a year or so ago. At the time I could not understand why the shear size of the restricted zone around Oakey during the week especially since it disappeared during the Christmas holiday season.
I fly gliders in the SW area of England which has maybe some of the most dense air traffic anywhere in England, maybe even Europe with Southampton zone, London TMA, Gatwick TMA, Farnborough zone, Odiham MATZ, Bension MATZ, etc...
BBC News - Why air traffic control still needs the human touch
It is quite common to be thermalling or running cloud streets and seeing these below you in the weeds:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92107259@N03/14001886376/
Or something I will never forget is being orbited by one of these at 6000':
_B6O3106.jpg Photo by 2012images | Photobucket
Or climbing with a couple of these:
http://www.skylarkparagliding.co.uk/...ing_caburn.jpg
So if all these airspace users can coexist reasonably happily in a space smaller than the Oakey - Toowoomba area. I could not see how or why there was such a need for the huge protected airspace area around Oakey?
Also in the UK - military airfields can be alternative landing places. I have landed at RAF Lyneham before. So I was again surprised when I was told Oakey was totally out of bounds.
I will admit that I'm not an airspace expert - but it sure seemed overkill at the time.