SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 3 January | February 2020 H eld from 8 to 14 February 2020, the flying area is situated in the Ovens and Kiewa Valleys, lined by treed ridges with open paddocks between their bases. From time-to-time, pilots task in and around Mt Feathertop, Mt Buffalo and Mt Bogong, the 1900m alpine peaks in the area. This year’s Bright Open will be run by renowned paragliding pilot and Bright local, Wally Arcidiacono, he will be taking over from Brian Webb who has done an incredible job running past events. The Bright Open sees pilots come from as far as Finland, France, US, Japan and Switzerland. “Any pilot from anywhere in the world can come and compete, as long as they are PG 4 or above rated and are a member of both the SAFA and the NEVHGC. The reality is that 90% of the pilots are here to improve their XC flying and to have a good social time with fellow pilots,” Wally said. “Bright has a long tradition of paragliding. In fact, the longest running school in Australia is in Bright. Free flying pilots from all over the world come here each year to fly, because the flying is great and it’s a very easy and logical place to learn to fly XC. In terms of competitions, Bright’s racing arena means that it’s perfect for more technical triangle flying which also gives meet directors and task committees plenty of options when setting routes for pilots to fly.” Bright is the only site in Australia that has hosted a World Cup event, in fact two. This year’s Bright Open is being run as a fund- raiser for the Australian Paragliding Squad. Many of the squad members are helping out in various capacities to aid the organisers. It also means that some of the best pilots in the country will be mentoring the newer pilots. “In the past five years or so, Australian Competi- tion Paragliding pilots have been smiling a lot,” Wally said. “The aim of our mentoring system is to help inspire and educate up-and-coming pilots to join in on more competitions each year. The mentors come from the top 20 ranked pilots from last year’s season and it also includes three quarters of the Australian team that competed in the recent World championships. The mentoring system is there to help pilots who are looking to improve their XC flying and competition racing. The best pilots in the country will be assigned a few mentees and will be checking in each day with these pilots to ensure that they understand the task (physically and tactically), have entered it into their instruments correctly and to check in of an afternoon post-flight to provide feedback and support for these mentees.” The Bright Open 2020 is going to be an exciting, thrilling competition, showcasing how inclusive and supportive our sport is for all pilots. All information on the Bright Open 2020 can be found at [https://airtribune.com/bright- open-2020/info]. Bright Open – February 2020 A picturesque racing arena, perfect for XC flying, sees hundreds of novices to experienced paragliding pilots soar from all over the globe to compete in the Bright Open – an event that has been running for more than 20 years. Human Factors Air (the environment) - Man (I’m safe) - Ship (the aircraft) I’M SAFE I llness? Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness or disorder? M edication and other drugs? Have I been taking or mixing prescription, over-the-counter or recreational drugs? S tress? Am I under psychological pressure from my job or personal circumstances? Am I worried about financial matters, health problems or family matter? A lcohol? Have I been consuming alcohol within the previous eight hours? Is my blood alcohol level less than 0.02? Would my average alcohol consumption be greater than ‘very low risk’? F atigue? Am I tired or inadequately rested? E ating and Drinking? Am I adequately nourished and hydrated? Photos: Andrew Kalkman