SAFA Skysailor Magazine

2 SKY SAILOR May | June 2020 COVID-19 Update As we know, the current pandemic has unfortu- nately affected every aspect of human existence and our aviation activities are no exception. It creates a dilemma for us – flying is what we do and we want to keep our members participating in our sport, but it’s also imperative that we play our part responsibly in cooperating with authorities as our nation works together to fight a deadly foe. Much of the policy driving our national response has been understandably developed in haste to meet the demands of a rapidly changing environment. This in turn has created the need for clarity as authorities and the public alike struggle to interpret the details associated with many of the regulatory requirements. Our message is relatively simple: We request all members to follow the regulatory direction provided by federal, state and local authorities and the guidance provided by the SAFA Operations Manager. It’s also very important that we avoid theorising about how a regulation may or may not be interpreted as there are variances in regulatory expectations state to state. If clarity is required please seek guidance from SAFA, your State/ Regional Association and/or your local Club, where site rules may have temporarily changed to accom- modate the current situation. Please also check our SAFA website blog for the status of local flight operations. For further assistance please also refer elsewhere in this SkySailor edition for the previous Airwaves messages sent by our SAFA Ops Manager. On the member services front we have also taken steps to protect our staff and volunteers through varied work ar- rangements and a greater reliance on technology to ensure we are still able to meet member service expectations. We are also reviewing operating budgets to ensure we run as efficiently as possible during this health crisis. This includes assessing the various governmental support packages that are available for enterprises such as ours. Our staff are also engaged in fast tracking a number of key initiatives that will greatly benefit our schools and members when life returns to normal. These include the availability of online work books and exams for all disciplines, online log books for students and online Safety Officer materials and presentations. Much of this work is being devel- oped in conjunction with other recreational aviation organisations. New Board Members We recently called for expressions of interest in becoming a SAFA Board member and we received a number of high quality responses. I am pleased to advise that Phillip Campbell from Victoria and Bryn Price from NSW have agreed to join the Board and we look forward to their contribution during this Board term. I want to also thank all those who responded to our call. Steve Blenkinsop Members may recall that last year Steve, who remains one of the world’s top 10 hang glider pilots, was involved in an accident involving him, his bicycle and a vehicle. He was seriously injured and continues to require significant rehab. I’m now pleased to advise that he is making a sustained and determined recovery, much to the relief of his family and friends and we hope to see him on a hill somewhere in the not too distant future. by Paul Green President’s Update Photos: Tex Bec