SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 9 July | August 2020 The sensation of being shoved in the back had me certain I was going to face plant! Once off the ground, my confidence increased, even when my motor failed, forcing an emergency landing on Granite Field. This failing took some maintenance, trial and error, and a process of elimi- nation to determine my fuel system had a leaking primer bulb and a clogged clunk. All part of learning the ins and outs of two-stroke engines. On the final weekend of my leave, we spent Saturday afternoon studying and Saturday night completing the first exam. The following morning, the last day of my leave, the conditions were spot on for us to do a 100km triangle. Alongside Adrian, the flight took two and a half hours and fulfilled the required airtime for our endorsements. We then sat another exam that day, and had all the boxes ticked. Achieving this endorsement makes me the first and only female PPG pilot in SA and one of only eight motor girls in the country. Brad and I are learning so much every time this new flying gear comes out. A big milestone we reached recently was our first flight independent of both our endorsing instructor and his awesome flying farm. We undertook a 70km flight around SA’s Murraylands, with a very impressive tailwind on the return leg. PPG is definitely something we’re glad to have ventured into, and we are incredibly eager to share it with each other and our family and friends. The sport seems to offer a level of freedom we didn’t know we were missing until we could create our own wind. Claire at Mt Mary, SA Brad at Granite Field, SA Brad launching and flying at Mannum, SA First flight